Evaluation the Characteristics of the Four Seasons

This assignment is comprised of two key components:

Lesson plan for a small group of children from the Early Years Foundation Stage or Key Stage One (up to 500 words)

Written rationale to explain the lesson plan (1000 words)

The total word-limit for the lesson plan and rationale is 1500 words in total.

To support you, there are detailed instructions below which you should follow carefully. You will explore four different groups of children in tutor-led sessions but can review these at any time. You will plan a Science and/or Technology learning activity (lesson plan) for one of these groups.

Please read the description of the class. You will need to provide a Science and/or Technology lesson for a small group of Reception children. In the group:

Child A has English as an additional language (EAL) but enjoys practical activities.

Child B and Child C are already achieving ‘exceeding’ in the Early Learning Goals for ‘Understanding the World’ and ‘Technology’ and are very confident learners.

Child D lacks confidence and needs lots of encouragement to try new things but with support, can often achieve the learning objectives in practical tasks.

Child E prefers indoor activities and is often playing in the domestic role-play area during self-initiated learning but is very capable.

Child F in the group needs lots of support, particularly with language and communication skills as they often struggle to articulate their thoughts. The teacher has found that in group tasks, this child often waits for the other children to ‘answer questions’ and can be reluctant to participate.

While this activity is delivered by the teacher, the rest of the class will be supported by the class teaching assistant who will support children in self-initiated play.

The lesson plan must be no more than one page in length and a maximum of 500 words in total. The lesson plan must include the following:

• Learning objectives (with outcomes)

• Teacher input (what the teacher will do)

• Independent activities (what the children will do)

• Assessment opportunities (to find out how well the LOs have been met)

• Cross-curricular links

• Support (for less able learners)

• Challenge (for more able learners)

Written Rationale Instructions

You should submit a fully referenced written rationale for your lesson plan in length, enabling you to demonstrate how and why you have chosen particular activities, closely linking theory to practice.  Your rationale should come from your knowledge of good practice in the teaching of Science and/or Technology to Early Years and Key Stage One children.

Example Structure:

Opening (200 words): Very brief explanation of the context of the lesson. For example, children's prior learning, the main learning outcomes for the lesson planned (based on the appropriate Early Years or National Curriculum) and the main approach to the lesson (e.g. an outdoor activity, an experiment, problem-based learning).

Main Body (700 words): Approximately 3 - 4 paragraphs which outline your reasons and approaches taken in your lesson plan to include:

Why you think the activities planned for will support the children's learning.

What pedagogic approaches you have taken (including learning theories).

How you have included each member of the group in your class (and why it is appropriate for the age-range).

You are strongly advised to include a broad range of module concepts, such as:

Cross-curricular links

Unplugged Pedagogy and problem solving

Digital literacy and use of Computing vocabulary

Coding

Purpose of technology in Science

Conceptual understanding and children's misconceptions

Scientific enquiry / Tinkering

The Natural World

Outdoor learning

Play-based learning and the use of story-telling

Enquiry and problem-based learning

Environmental and Sustainability Education

Assessment for Learning

Talk for Learning

Inclusion - 'access for all'

Risk assessment

Summary (100 words): Round off your rationale by including a summary statement that briefly explains why your lesson plan is appropriate for your chosen class.

You must include a full reference list.

Appendices: you may include an appendices to detail photos or details of resources detailed in the lesson plan. This does not count towards your word limit.