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edTPA Task #1 CommentaryRobin ButlerButler UniversityMiddle-Secondary Education and Biology Central Focus The central focus of my learning segment is on the subject of genetics. For this subject, I am tasked with the following objectives:Explain crossing-over and how it contributes to genetic variationSummarize the methods used by Mendel to determine basic principles of geneticsDistinguish between dominant and recessive traitsDistinguish between complete, incomplete, and codominanceExplain and illustrate ABO blood typingExplain the law of segregation Explain the law of independent assortmentDistinguish between genotype and phenotypeDistinguish between homozygous and heterozygousThe main purpose of teaching this content is to expose the students to the more diverse subject of genetics in the biology content. This subject allows students to interact with and observe real life examples and personal backgrounds on their own genetic experiences. The objectives above address many important factors of scientific inquire. For one, objectives 2-4 and objectives 6-9 tackle the important genetic vocabulary needed to question and observe genetics on a personal level. The meaning for these objectives are to promote a basic vocabulary for students to later use in more complex research and literature (Used for the Human Genetic Disease Project). Objective 5 is a good example of using these scientific concepts in action. With the illustration of ABO blood typing and the understanding of inheritance, the students will be able to identify the process in which they inherit their own blood type from their mother and father. This is going to allow for some scientific inquire into their personal backgrounds. The lesson will then build on by the identification and study of blood type diseases and cancer predictions. This makes genetics as a whole an evidence-based explanation subject where students will have to state and research genetic phenomena in the human genus based off patterns of inheritance (Human Diseases Projects, “Chart Your Genes” WS). Through these objectives, the goal is to combine the scientific concept of inheritance (Mendel WS), inquire about personal lives (Human Diseases Project), and the observation of pattern phenomena of genetically inherited traits (Punnett Squares, Prediction Lab). My plan will build on the underlining understanding of scientific concepts to help students research into their own lives of genetically inherited traits, and thus observe the patterns involved in genetic inheritance (Human Disease Project, Phenotype Charts). Knowledge of Students to Inform TeachingMy students have gone through half a year of honor biology by the time that they have my unit. This means that they have already covered a variety of subjects related to biology concepts, inquire, and research. Among these subjects, my students have researched things such as ecology, biochemistry, pollution, human interactions, atoms, cell structure, and cell development/division. This preps my students for a deeper knowledge seeking concept needed to study genetics. My students have already experienced research and presentation projects (i.e. presentation on a chosen parasite). My students have also involved themselves in many inquire based labs (i.e. relationship between water and oil and the difference between cohesion and adhesion). My students still have much to learn though before they get to the subject of genetics. My students will have to learn how to look at primary and secondary scientific journals, understand biological patterns, attractions, and relationships. My students will also have to have a deeper meaning of how we create offspring and the subjects related to the mechanical facet to the physical and genetic characteristic. On a personal level, my students and I have been able to interact, learn, and discuss with them on a personal level. The students have been very helpful and energetic about me teaching them and helping them through the difficult subject areas in genetics. With each passing day I am able to learn more names, remember more personal facts, and express my own personal encounters with both my students and my cooperating teacher. Supporting Students’ Science Learning My students have a broad understanding of broad subject in biology. Because of their previous experience last semester, my students are able to use of scientific concepts, inquire, and vocabulary. The introduction of a new unit, genetics, with new vocabulary requires me to provide them with needed learning information along with using their background knowledge from either the previous semester or personal encounters. In my lesson plan, I have a combination of direct instruction, class discussion/review, and lab inquire. The learning tasks listed above (learning objectives) each have a connection to the material that I am providing with my students. With the use of Vygotski’s research on the Zone of Proximal Development, I will be providing my students time to interact with scientific concepts through the use of the labs (i.e. Prediction lab, Human Diseases Project). My students will be provided with the opportunity to talk through concepts with their peers, computer research, and me and my cooperating teacher’s expertise in the field. This provides the students with the optimal amount of learning and research needed to understand such dense concepts such as genetics. The labs and project will also provide the students with the ability to incorporate their various different multiple intelligences that Gardner spoke about. In my labs and summative assessment project, unit test, and unit quiz, my students will be able to connect on a spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical level. The learning environment is important for supporting student learning. Because of this, I will be providing an environment of inquire and research for the students to integrate into. It is important to use the student’s prior knowledge to connect old information to new information. This is why I will be providing the students with optimal time and resources where they will be researching subject important to genetic hereditary (i.e. Human Disease Project).As stated before, Vygotski said that grouping and interacting with peers is the best place for learning (Zone of Proximal Development). This means that I will be providing my students with plenty of time to reach their maximum learning potential. My students will be participating in class discussion and presentations (daily lectures will all have an aspect of class discussion or question/answer time). They will also be involved in group lab work to indulge more into genetic inquiry and research (i.e. Prediction Lab, Phenotype Class Chart). My students will also be provided with the appropriate individual support based off their individual needs (All IEPs, 504s, and ENL needs will be outlined in each lesson plan). My student will each have their own guided notes in their science notebook where the students will be able to refer back to when involve in lab, project based assessment, and traditional assessment (i.e. unit quiz). The most difficult barriers that I will have to overcome as a teacher will be to disprove and discuss preconceptions that my students will have from the news, family members, or personal research (i.e. Google MD). A teacher will have to "re-teach” concepts that the students believe they fully understand. In genetics, many students will have to struggle with the subject of complex human development, genetic inheritance by chance, and the belief that all they are has been planned out before they were born (i.e. God). I believe the hardest part that I will have with preconceptions in my students will be conflict of the teachings the students have in their religion and various churches. Genetics is all based off chance and teaching the students that we are no different in that aspects then animals or plants will be a hard pill for some to swallow. I will be addressing this issue in a professional way by respects my student’s diverse beliefs and teachings, while still presenting them with the scientific theories and deeply researched conclusions. Supporting Science Development through LanguageIn my classroom, I have no ENL students present, but I believe that biology is a whole other language by itself. The vocabulary and concepts are similar words to every day conversation, but they mean many different things in relation to biology and science as a whole. Science concepts are explained and analyzed in relationship to language function. My students will not only be given a definition of a word, but will be required to analyze the word and concept as a whole (Picture the Vocabulary WS). My students will have to explain and interpret scientific practices with the use of inquire. To do this they must understand the words that they are reading, writing, and presenting on. My student will need to interpret a word/concept correctly and be able to explain to their peers and myself accurately. Finally, my students will be required to justify with their words the predictions they make in any subject of science. They will have to have a deep understanding of biological vocabulary and concepts to be able to support and combat their hypotheses developed during scientific inquiry. In my lesson plans, I have two main labs where the students will be interacting with the concept of independent assortment and blood typing. Both of these labs will be a way for the students to interact and use biological academic language along with practice to identifying patterns in the process of genetic inheritance of dominant, recessive, incomplete, and codominant traits. (Day 2 (Blood Typing)/ Day 3 Independent Assortment)There are the main vocabulary words that the student will have to learn for this unit and they are as followed: Polygenic trait alleleCrossing-overSexual reproductionChromosomeABO blood groupingGeneticsHeredityTraitPollinationSelf-pollinationCross-pollinationTrue-breedingP generationF1 generationF2 generationDominantRecessiveLaw of segregationLaw of independent assortmentAmniocentesisGenotypePhenotypeHomozygousHeterozygousProbabilityMonohybrid crossDihybrid crossPunnett squareGenotype rationPhenotype ratioComplete dominanceIncomplete dominanceCodominance Chorionic villus sampling In my lesson plan, I have planned a few language supports that I believe are needed for my students to understand and comprehend the important vocabulary in this unit. For my lessons, I will have the students provide themselves (in their scientific notebooks) clear and easy to understand definition of important words (i.e. dominant trait, recessive trait). I will also be providing imagery examples for the students to refer back to in the hopes that if they do not understand linguistically, they will understand spatially/visually. There will also be plenty of labs and examples provided for my students to understand important genetic concepts such as self-pollination, ABO blood grouping, and dihybrid/monohybrid crosses.Monitoring Student Learning In respects to assessment, I plan to give my students plenty of time and opportunity to prove to me that they understand the important genetic concepts that we will be covering in this unit. There will be formative assessment (homework check, lab checks, and class discussion) and summative assessment (i.e. test, quiz, or project). In my lesson plan, I have daily teacher observations penciled in to make sure that all my students are on track to understanding important genetic concepts and inquire that they will be researching during my unit. I will also be having my students turn in any lab work that they do in class as another low stakes formative assessment technique (Probability Lab, Mendel’s Phenotype Lab). With the use of these formative assessment techniques, I will be able to evaluate my student’s understandings of scientific concepts without the intent to cause stress to my students. For my summative assessment, I plan on providing at least two types of evaluation. Firstly, I would like to do a “mid-unit” quiz where the students will be answering a formal multiple choice, true/false, and short answer quiz. Secondly, my students will be creating a 2 page paper or another form of presentation (such as a poster or PowerPoint) on a genetically inherited dieses of their own choosing providing me with the needed information found on the rubric that is going to be given to them in the introduction of the project. This assessment will contribute to my student’s scientific inquiry needs by looking at real-world phenomenon and applying what they have learned in the process of scientific research and practice. Finally, I will have a cumulative test at the end of the unit for the students to complete. This test will have multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions related to the lectures, labs, and projects that they have completed during my unit.With the use of both “low-stakes” assessment and “high-stakes” assessment, my student will be able to have an abundance of opportunity to prove to me their understanding of genetics. My assessment types combine the need of quantifying student understanding through traditional ways (with the mid-unit quiz and final test) and the use of a more creative, student-centered assessment (through presentation, class discussion, and one-on-one teacher observations). This will hopefully fulfill my student’s specific needs allowing them to touch on multiple different intelligences (based of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences). ................
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