Heather Lesson Study Research Paper

LESSON STUDY:
UTILIZING VARIOUS ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES TO CAPTURE LEARNING IN

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE
EDEE 492
University of Hawai’i West Oahu
Student Teaching Seminar
Spring 2019
Heather Corpuz
Lyle Horie
Chynna Ing
Griselda Kelly
Danielle Montano
Tia Perreira
Utilizing Various Assessment Strategies to Capture Learning in Elementary Science 1
Abstract
In the public school system, blanket assessments are commonly used to assess students
without consideration of the classroom or school demographic. Research proves developing a
variety of teacher made assessments is the most effective way to assess students. Assessing
students using multiple, teacher-made formative and summative assessments allows teacher to
capture accurate academic growth. It is critical to create authentic assessments when teaching
science, to check for student understanding, and focus on the learning objective.
Literature Review
The purpose of this literature review is to uncover how various assessments can be used
to capture student growth and learning. The work finds learning and assessments are inextricably
linked. Additional findings include targeting student misconceptions as a crucial step in science
teaching, as well as recognizing that assessment drives learning. Together, as a lesson study
group, it was discovered that utilizing multiple assessment methods, such as formative, authentic,
and summative assessments, will enable teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and
learning in order to inform future planning.
Student Misconceptions
Understanding and assessing students’ misconceptions and preconceptions is essential
when creating a lesson plan. Students develop misconceptions and preconceptions that are
formed by their experiences in the world and are resistant to change through instruction.
Therefore, it is important for teachers to understand students’ ideas prior to creating a
science-based lesson and using those opportunities to provide support in their overall
understanding of a targeted science lesson.
Pre-assessments are important because it gives teachers the opportunity to spark students’
prior knowledge and to peak their interest in the new material being presented. Teachers can also
tweak their instruction by using different teaching strategies in an effort to aid student
understanding. As a pre-assessment, students were required to answer the following question:
What do you know about energy and energy transfer? Students recorded their knowledge on
sticky notes and were asked to write their student number on the back. This helped to identify the
student and to track results. The information that the team gathered helped to assess the students
background knowledge about energy. It also aided in identifying their and pre-knowledge and
misconceptions.
Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is unspoken, unwritten, and challenging to write
down. It is owned by each individual based on their experiences, emotions, insights, intuition,
and observations. It is internalized and cannot be transferred from one person to another (Hast,
2017). Student knowledge is based on their personal experiences in the world. This article talked
about how a key factor recognizing that children need to be involved in the process of learning
and teaching. How teachers engage s tudents is what motivates the kids, if there is an active
exchange within the classroom environment, supportive resources, and self-collaboration. Which
is why we created a lesson that involved movement, visual aides, group work, and discussions.
A teacher’s role is to facilitate the lesson in the classroom. The key source of finding
those misconceptions is from external learning opportunities. It is important for teachers to create
the informal learning settings and allow students to experience the world around them through
science. Teachers are able walk around and observe the understandings of the kids as an informal
formative assessment through discourse. Teachers are actively listening for use of academic
language. During both cycles (Cycle I and Cycle II), academic language was overheard during
the activity portion as well as some misconceptions that were not shared during the discussion.
That was when the lesson cycle teacher would come in and ask the student ‘why?’ Asking the
student to explain their reasoning can help teachers understand his or her misconceptions and
provide guidance in the right direction.
Science lessons in elementary schools are essential to the students’ education, as it instills
a research-based approach to learning that the students should master. “Children who were given
the opportunity to engage with software that taps tacit knowledge about falling objects showed
much greater score improvements from pre- to post- test than children who did not get to work
with the computer program” (Howe, Devine, & Taylor-Tavares, 2013; Howe, Taylor-Tavares, &
Devine, 2016).
Hence, the decision to create a science-based lesson. Although this lesson was planned
out ahead of time in an effort to avoid misconceptions, they are always present and part of the
student schema. In order to eliminate these misconceptions, we must disprove their validity
through hands-on activities and discussion.
Formative Assessment
Sticky Notes
Formative assessments are often given during a lesson to track students learning and
monitor their understanding. It essentially take place as part of the instructional process and
occurs throughout the lesson. Teachers view this method of assessment as a valuable teaching
tool because it supports all learners and provides students with immediate feedback on their
learning. It also provides teachers with valuable insight to identifying misconceptions, and
adjusting or differentiating their instruction (Hicks et al., 2017).
According to Hicks et al., formative assessments play a key role in helping students who
are classified as struggling learners (2017). When used effectively, it provides these specific
students with real-time feedback as they are learning and shows active communication between
the teacher and the student. Students will see this form of feedback as helping them move
forward in their learning for a specific goal.

Teachers are often faced with the challenging task of knowing how to design a lesson
(Hicks et al., 2017). Particularly in the realms of teaching science processes and concepts that
structures the experiences for struggling learners. Planning a lesson that supports all the different
student learning styles was a challenging task. It was important to utilize multiple methods of
formative assessments because the research proved that formative assessments are more effective
when they are systematically and continuously embedded in science activities (Hicks et al.,
2017). The article mentioned using Post-it Notes (or sticky notes) as a formative method of
assessing students, it is also one of the assessment and instructional strategies that was used as
part of this lesson study. There are many advantages to using Post-it Notes as an assessment
strategy. As mentioned by Hicks et al., Post-it Notes serves as a tool for students to engage their
curiosity as well as to communicate and investigate their exact level of understanding in a
non-overwhelming way (2017). The group decided that Post-it Notes would be an appropriate
strategy to use for this lesson study because it demonstrates an informal approach to reducing
student anxiety and assess students’ previous and current notions and understanding.
Learning Stations
Learning stations were a key component for this lesson study. Learning stations can also
be referred to as rotating stations where students rotate to different locations or stations through
independent or group activities during a lesson. Learning stations provide an active approach to
engaging students in the learning process. It allows students to be engaged by practicing or
rebuilding on a specific concept or skill; it also provides teachers the chance to become a
facilitator rather than a director. Furthermore, it provides teachers with built-in opportunities for
formative assessments and the chance to give meaningful feedback to students that is relevant to
the task at hand.
The planning process for the learning stations required all participants to agree
developing tasks that were purposeful and rigorous. According to Keeley, “learning stations
[provides students with help in learning] about a science topic in myriad ways and use[s]
different skills and practices to develop scientific concepts and ideas” (2018). Through
conducting research, the lesson study group learned that learning stations provide students with
multiple opportunities to engage in meaningful practice and exploration. Keeley mentions that as
teachers, you must be intentional in what you are trying to probe for the students (2018). Each
station should allow students to independently make sense of the skills and concepts learned in a
more critical way. Through the learning station activity, students are able to uncover new
meaning or understanding of the material presented, and reinforce their learning and create
meaningful connections. Teachers are able to encourage students to be accountable for their own
learning by engaging them in valuable and productive activities. In addition, teachers should
allow students to question what they have learned, to think about why the information is
important, how it can be used in the future, and encourage them to reflect on how it can relate to
other subjects. This practice allows teachers to determine the direction of future instruction and
will gauge the level of the students’ understanding to the new material presented.
Peer Assessment
Peer assessments can track student achievement by motivating their peers to stay engaged
during instruction. Research proves the benefit of peer assessments in student development,
because students who participate in peer assessments are able to reflect and strengthen their
critical thinking skills. Reinholz defined peer assessment as “a set of activities through which
individuals make judgement about the work of others” (2016). Peer assessments create an
environment of inclusivity and helps students develop a sense of responsibility for learning. It
also motivates students to actively engage in the learning process in multiple ways. Students can
view themselves in different roles. They are no longer see themselves as just learners, but as
someone who can provide feedback to their peers and assist in their academic improvement.
Gwo-Jen Hwang defines peer assessment as “a learning setting in which individuals evaluate or
comment on the amount, level, value, quality, or success of the products or learning outcomes of
the peers who learned in a similar context” (2014). Through this lesson, students were given a
chance to assess their peers informally. They were working primarily in small groups and were
required to assess one another’s work before completing the activity task. Students are
encouraged through conversations and are given the opportunity to freely discuss personal
rationale within their small groups. Additionally, students are able to take charge of their
learning and hold their peers accountable for learning as well.
Authentic Assessment
Through research, the lesson study group has learned that assessments are for collecting
and interpreting data to guide students to the intended learning target. According to the article,
Evaluation and Assessment in Early Social Science, assessments inform students and teachers
exactly where “learners are in their learning, where they have to focus and what best way to get
there is” (Hus & Matjašic, 2017). There are various ways to assess students’ learning such as
listening to their verbal responses and discussions, reviewing written answers, watching and
evaluating oral presentations, observing artistic and technical abilities, monitoring practical
application of knowledge in everyday situations, and reviewing project work. The article also
states, “[a]uthentic assessment activities are designed to mimic the complexity of ‘real world’
situations that students may encounter in life, and require the application of a combination of
skills related to knowledge, skills and attitude” (Hus & Matjašic, 2017). Real assessments are
classified as students ability to apply what they learned in their everyday lives. For this lesson,
the student teacher assessed where her students were in their understanding of energy and energy
transfer. This information helped the teachers determine what they were going to teach, evaluate
and later assess. To make this assessment more authentic, they offered many different ways to
show learning such as: listening to small groups discuss, allowing drawings of energy transfer,
and posting Post-it Notes to conclude their lesson. Furthermore, the summative assessment
represented and demonstrated real-world examples of energy transformation situations.
Research shows that there are benefits to using a variety of assessments in the classroom
because they will help assess the whole student and track academic growth. It is essential to
understand student misconceptions, which gives the instructor a view on where the students lie
academically. This also allows students to express their interest in the topic and aids in activating
their prior knowledge. Formative assessments are beneficial because they support all learners
and give students feedback on their understanding of the new material being presented. Students
can develop their own understanding and have the ability to reflect and use their critical thinking
skills to make a deeper connection to the real world through teacher-made authentic assessments.
The overall goal of this lesson study was to develop and use a variety of appropriate strategies to
monitor, assess, and evaluate student learning. This practice has helped the lesson study group in
providing a more accurate account of the successes and struggles of students in their conceptual
understanding in science.
Methodology
Participants
This lesson study was researching the effectiveness of various teacher-made assessments.
Six student teachers collaborated in this study. Four student teachers were placed in fourth grade
classrooms for their student teaching, and the remaining two were assigned to a fifth and sixth
grade classroom. Since the majority of students teachers were assigned to fourth grade
classrooms, the group decided to develop a lesson to meet the fourth grade standards. The
participants of the lesson study consisted of 24 fourth-grade students from Keoneula Elementary
School; 14 girls and 10 boys. According to the demographics of the school, the majority of the
students were of Filipino and Asian descent, as well as a mix of local and military children. In
the classroom, only one student received special education services, two students attended
Response to Interventions (RTI), and two students received enrichment.
The science-based lesson study was taught in two cycles at the same location and
classroom. The cycles were taught by two fourth grade student teachers on different days, but
during the same time block. Cycle I was led by one student teacher and Cycle II was taught by
the student teacher who was assigned to that specific classroom. Students were informed of this
lesson study and were prepared to learn and participate in the activities that were planned for
them by the student teachers.

Procedure
The students were divided into two seperate groups for each lesson cycle. The first cycle
group remained in the classroom to participate in the first lesson cycle while the second group
was relocated to the library to work on another school assignment with their teacher. For the
second lesson cycle, Cycle I group and Cycle II group switched roles and locations (i.e. Cycle II
group attended the second lesson cycle, while Cycle I group went to the library with the teacher).
Procedures during each cycle were similar, but minor adjustments were made to improve
the effectiveness and fluidity of the lesson. These changes were decided and agreed on by the
entire group and occured after lesson Cycle I. The lesson cycles started with a pre-assessment
where students were instructed to write their initial understanding that related to energy and
energy transfer on a Post-it Note. When students completed this task, they were required to place
their Post-it Note on a poster board that was displayed in front of the class. After the
pre-assessment, the teacher went over vocabulary terms that the students needed to know and
showed a YouTube video that talked about energy transfer. After the video, students were placed
into small groups to participate in the activity portion of the lesson (i.e. learning stations). Lastly,
students were brought together as a whole group to make corrections and to wrap up the lesson.
Data Collection
The team collected data in a variety of ways. While one member of the team was
teaching the lesson, the other five members were taking notes on specific parts of the lesson (i.e.
whole group instruction and small-group interactions). After Cycle I, members debriefed and
analyzed the data that was collected and decided upon what improvements and modifications
were needed for the next cycle. After Cycle II occurred, the team analyzed the data and reflected
on how the lesson cycles went overall.
Data gathered during our lesson cycles were collected in the following ways: formative,
observational, and summative. The sticky notes were used to collect formative and summative
assessment data. The sticky notes assessment strategy was used specifically as a pre- and
post-assessment. Sticky notes were available for students at the beginning and end of the lesson;
it played a key role in determining if students were successful in attaining the science concept
and allowed students to identify their misconceptions, as well as record their initial and final
understandings of the science concept. As students wrote on their sticky notes, the lesson cycle
teacher and fellow student teachers that were observing the lesson were circulating the room
observing and taking anecdotal notes of the students’ written responses and listening to their
discussions.
A teacher-made assessment was also created to collect formative data on the students
understanding during the lesson. This assessment was made in the form of a worksheet that
represented energy sources that were readily available in the surrounding Hawaiian islands. On
this worksheet, students were asked to draw, sequence, and identify the energy transformation
that is taking place within the corresponding learning station. The worksheet was used as a way
for students to construct meaning of the topic while working in small groups. Observational, or
informal data, was also collected throughout the two lesson cycles. As students participated in
the lesson, the lesson study members collected data by observing students and listening to their
discussion for academic language and key concepts. Members of the lesson cycle recorded
anecdotal notes on student behaviors, interactions and responses with their peers, as well as their
ability to demonstrate the skills and abilities during the learning station activity.
Lesson Modifications
After reviewing our first lesson cycle, the team members agreed that there were several
elements in the lesson that needed revisions. Several revisions were made before the Cycle II
lesson was presented; students were asked to write their student number on the back of the sticky
notes for Cycle II because team members in Cycle I had the difficult task of identifying which
sticky note belonged to each student. The team members in Cycle I had to rely on matching
handwriting to identify individuals, as well as students’ pre- and post-assessments. Instead of
having the data reflect individual growth, the lesson study group had to focus on the learning of
the whole class. The necessary changes were made to identify each students knowledge about
energy transfer before and after the lesson was taught. In addition, this change helped team
members to identify which students had misconceptions and how that might have affected their
concept attainment throughout the lesson.
During both cycles, students worked in small groups to complete the assignment
worksheet. In Cycle I, however, students were randomly selected for grouping. Team members
decided to change the method of grouping students by pre-assigning individuals based on mixed
abilities. This helped students during the learning stations because students were required to
discuss their thinking with their peers while sequencing pictures of specific energy
transformations. After making this specific modification, members of the team noticed an
increased amount of discourse and contribution between the students.

Modifications were also made on the students’ activity worksheet. As students were
going through the learning stations, the team noticed a large amount of confusion with a specific
station. Students were mainly confused with the wording of Station #5. Due to this reason, the
team decided to change the wording on the worksheet from “Light Energy” to “Solar.” No
changes were made to the illustrations or pictures. When the next group of students were
presented with the revised worksheet for Cycle II, it was evident that they had a clearer
understanding of what they were being asked in Station #5.
Various changes were also made to the learning stations. The flow of the stations during
Cycle I did not fully satisfy the team. During Cycle I, students were only presented with verbal
directions on how to complete each station. An agreement was made so that the directions for
Cycle II’s learning stations would be given verbally as well as visually. This was to ensure
stations would run more smoothly and less confusion would be made when students were sent to
work throughout the various stations. For Cycle II, an example learning station was
demonstrated for the whole class; wind energy was used for the example station and the team
chose this example because it is what the students were familiar with. It also mirrored exactly
what the students were tasked to do for this particular activity. After demonstrating this example,
the team noticed a smoother flow throughout each station. The students had a better
understanding of the tasks at hand and what their responses on their worksheets should look like.
The team made additional changes to the way students were required to physically
participate in the learning stations. As students were working in small groups to participate in the
learning stations, the team immediately noticed the students would sit down at the desks to
complete the task of sequencing. Being that there were three to four students in each group, not
all members were able to analyze the photos accurately. It left some students working on the
tasks as pairs, while leaving other students with the challenging task of looking at the photos
from an upside-down perspective, so students were not contributing equally. Modifications were
made for Cycle II so that all students were required to stand at each station; students were
specifically told not to sit down and fill out their worksheet until all group members agreed on
the correct sequence of each photo set. Providing students with specific and explicit rules was to
ensure that all students could see the pictures and it would enhance the students’ ability to
communicate and work together in an effective manner.
Time was an issue that the team encountered during Cycle I. It was during the first cycle,
where the team noticed a rush in closing the lesson. This resulted in the Cycle I teacher not being
able to provide a proper closing. To ensure Cycle II would have an adequate amount of time, the
team decided on providing students a specific time limit and projecting a visual timer on the
board for the students to see. In Cycle I, the timing for each learning station was not accurately
measured. Students were only verbally reminded about their amount of time remaining, and the
teacher merely estimated the time for each station and if all groups completed their task. With
these adjustments, the team noticed a positive change in pace and flow while students
maneuvered throughout the stations. Utilizing a visual timer helped students to remain focused
on the tasks at hand and helped to maintain a good pace in the lesson. With that being said, all
these modifications helped to increase lesson fluidity, as well as maximized teaching time and
student learning.
Results/Findings
The various ways teachers use assessment strategies to guide and capture learning was
the focus of this research. The results from the different assessments, Post-it Note pre- and post-
sharing, peer interactions, and teacher-made worksheet, equated to learning within our science
lessons. The data gathered from both cycles of the lesson study which includes the Post-its and
students’ post-assessments demonstrated a difference than what was first written (See Appendix
G, H, & I). Some students initially stated that they did not know anything, then were able to
share a sentence about what they newly learned. From the Cycle I lesson study, four students
stated that they did not know anything about energy transfer in the pre-assessment. However,
after the lesson and learning activity, those students wrote one thing that they learned. From the
Cycle II lesson study, three students stated that they did not know anything, but they were able to
state something about energy transfer in the post-assessment. Students that had prior knowledge
about energy transfer were able to share more, different information about what they found out
from the lesson. From the lesson study Cycles I and II, eight and nine students, respectively,
wrote something new and different in their post-assessments (See Appendix L).
As for peer assessing, communication and collaboration within small groups during
learning stations showcased learning. Not only were students able to practice the skill of
identifying energy transfer, but the teacher observers were able to hear and see those learning
interactions. Immediate feedback within the small-group stations was shared among students,
and the student teacher was able to circulate and monitor groups while promoting inquiry. There
was no specific data or rubric collected.

An authentic, teacher-made worksheet was used for formative assessment and capturing
learning. The worksheet consisted of five separate situations of energy transference. Each
situation had four boxes, one picture that was given and three others that were blank, for students
to sequence accurately (See Appendix A & B). The data was collected, and graded on a
five-point scale. Cycle I statistics revealed that six students were proficient, with four out of five
points, and six students excelled, with all five points given. Cycle II data showed that three
students were proficient and nine students excelled (See Appendix J & K). These multiple
assessments not only focused and guided students, but also captured their learning.
Discussion
Through two lesson cycles, multiple formative assessments were gathered. Sticky notes
were used to collected students’ prior knowledge as well as a brief statement of what they
learned after the lesson was implemented. In the pre-assessment, a few students wrote “I know
nothing about energy transfer.” That was an acceptable answer since they were learning a new
topic. The focus was to make sure that students did not write the same thing on their sticky notes
after the lesson was taught. From The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 19 - Assessment, “Twelve
Components of Good Classroom Assessment” lists a purpose of an assessment is “[t]o make
instructional decisions about where to start students with instruction” like from our
pre-assessment, and “what skills are mastered” from our post-assessment (Saphier et al., 2008, p.
433). Fortunately, 100% of students wrote something different on their post sticky note. This
proved that sticky notes were an effective assessment to capture student learning. Using sticky
notes was quick and proved to be very effective. Since members did not require students to label
their sticky notes, it was difficult to identify which students needed an extension for learning.
One of the modifications that were made in Cycle II was that students were required to write
their student number on the back of the Post-it Note. The rationale being that it would be easier
for members of the research team to identify which students needed more assistance in
understanding the topic.
Informal formative assessments were made while students participated in learning
stations. The results from these formative assessments can be used to provide timely feedback to
students to allow teachers to make feedback to students learning (Grant & Gareis, 2008). From
The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 16 - Objectives, “Activity Thinking” within these learning stations
focused on what “students [did] to take in information, process it, and internalize it” (Saphier et
al., 2008, p. 373). While listening to conversations that took place between students, observers
were able to take note of student reasoning. Since students were put in to small-groups and the
stations were four to five minutes, the teacher had time to address each group and assess the
students by asking individualized questions and provide immediate feedback to the students.
This was where the teacher was able to address any misconceptions that the students still had as
well as challenge students who already understood. Although this assessment was informal, it
was effective and crucial to capturing student learning.
The sticky notes focused on what the students knew individually. The learning stations
allowed them to communicate what they knew to their peers and to the teacher when given the
opportunity. From The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 18 - Learning Experiences, “Type of
Interdependence” in cooperative learning can be effective for “cognitive as well as affective
ends” (Saphier et al., 2008, p. 415). Through members’ observation notes, students said things
like “No, it’s not...because.” Followed by another student responding with a question or a
statement that agreed with their peers. Allowing for peer assessments captures student learning
between students. If teachers are able to listen to the conversations between students or create a
peer assessment worksheet that can be later reviewed, peer assessments can be an effective way
to capture student learning.
The teacher-made worksheet was a formative assessment used to guide student learning.
Students completed the worksheet as they went through the learning stations. After the sessions
were completed, the worksheet was corrected out of five points. In Cycle I, students corrected
their own worksheet, and in Cycle II, their peers corrected each others’ worksheet. Having the
students correct this assessment allowed them to identify their mistakes and provide rationale as
to why those mistakes were made. Since this worksheet was not the summative assessment, it
was not necessary to record these grades, but it did serve as an instrument to demonstrate student
learning.
Conclusion
The data gathered using our formative and summative assessments prove that the students
made improvements in their understanding and academic growth. It was also solidified when
grading the students’ worksheets as six students scored an ME and six students scored an MP in
Cycle I. In Cycle II, once we made lesson plan modifications, their scores improved. Nine
students scored an ME and three students scored an MP. Our lesson included multiple teaching
strategies that engaged all types of learners. We used an energy transfer video to engage the
visual and auditory learners. We also used a kinesthetic activity where students were tasked with
re-arranging the energy sources at each desk station. In addition, we engaged the reading and
writing students by having them draw the images and energy sources. We presented our lesson in
this manner to create a more meaningful connection to the information being presented.
In our lesson we included formative and summative assessments to collect accurate data
that showed their academic improvement. We also performed several informal assessments
throughout the lesson such as listening to students’ discussions, reading body language, and
reviewing worksheets as they rotated through the stations and answered their questions.
Furthermore, we also created our own worksheet to ensure the learning target and
information presented aligned with our school and classroom demographics. The worksheet only
included energy sources that the students would have seen or come across in the surrounding
islands of Hawai’i.
Creating an authentic assessment for the students is an essential characteristic in the
teaching profession. It is necessary to evaluate your students in a variety of ways. It is often easy
for teachers to implement blanket assessments, but it is not an accurate method to capture true
academic growth. In conclusion, using a variety of assessment strategies captures true academic
growth in elementary science lessons.

Perspectives
Heather’s Perspective
The lesson study project presented such an exciting and insightful experience for me.
Throughout the process, there were many skills that were learned. I partnered up with elementary
education majors that consisted of mostly middle to upper grade levels (our group consisted of 4
fourth student teachers, and 1 fifth grade, and 1 sixth grade student teacher), so it was interesting
to see the dynamics of our lesson planning process as we worked together as a team. As a group,
I was also very satisfied with how well we bounced ideas off each other even though we have
such different backgrounds in teaching. We were also great at keeping an open line of
communication with one another throughout the whole process. When there were signs of
misunderstanding or confusion, we always put our best foot forward by being considerate of
others, talking it out and coming to a mutual and positive understanding.
Although there many successful learning opportunities, there were also many obstacles
and challenges that our group faced. When planning for this study, my group and I had many
things to consider such as solo teaching days and other personal or familial responsibilities.
There were moments during the semester where members would cancel group meetings and that
would delay our ability to complete our assignment together. Although it was unfortunate and
frustrating at times, I had to remind myself that every person in this group has other personal
needs and priorities to take care of. We also had to consider the dates and times available for our
lesson study cycles to be observed by our professor. Therefore, we were limited to choosing a
small matter of days to conduct our lesson study cycles. I felt that it placed our group in a
stressful situation of rushing throughout our researching process, as well as some last-minute
lesson planning. When you rush the planning and researching process in any subject matter, it
can result into having some important details and factors being overlooked, and that is something
that I personally wanted to avoid for this project.
Throughout this process, I learned how to work with others in gathering research to
create a lesson study. I feel that each one of us contributed a great amount of effort to produce
our final products and we all took responsibilities and had different roles. The skills that I have
learned and gained from this experience has taught me the importance of collaborating with
others. Being proficient in collaboration is very crucial in the field of education and this lesson
study experience played a great reminder that it never hurts to seek help from others. When
teachers collaborate in a consistent manner, they learn from one another which in turn can be
beneficial to their students. I believe this experience has helped me to grow as an effective
teacher and student. This is something that I do believe will be beneficial for me in the future,
especially as a new teacher. My first year of teaching will certainly be a challenge, but I know
for sure that I will have a team of educators that will help guide me in my endeavor to become an
effective teacher. We will be able to learn off each other and grow together.
Overall, this lesson study project was a great learning experience for me. Although our
team worked well for this project, I felt that it was difficult for us because of such limited time
constraint that was given. If I were to do this project again, I would plan more extensively with
my group members to make sure that we are all on the same page as to what our research focus
and research question is about. I would also want to plan more thoroughly before actually
performing the lesson cycles, as well as plan more collaborative work time with my teammates.
Appendices
Appendix A: Lesson Study, Student Activity Worksheet Copy, Cycle I

Appendix B: Lesson Study, Student Activity Worksheet Copy, Cycle II

Appendix C: Lesson Study, Student Worksheet, Teacher Answer Key, Cycle II

Appendix D: Cycle I Lesson Plan

Standards Science: Make observations to provide evidence
that energy can be transferred from place to
place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents
(4-PS3-2)
Objective(s) Students will examine how energy is transferred by

sound, light, heat, and electric currents
Conceptual Knowledge Energy transfer: sound, heat, light, electr
Procedural Knowledge Sequencing
Learning Target: I can describe how energy is transferred by sound,

(you can do what) light, heat, and electric currents.
Success Criteria I will demonstrate understanding my understanding

(you will be successful when you do that) of energy transfer by organizing photos.
Materials to prepare: ● Assessment (worksheet, made by Heather)

● Station photos
● Posters
○ Terms to know
○ LT SC
○ Sticky note board
■ Buy sticky notes

Time: Teacher: Students:
10:25-10:30 Students called to

Introduction ● Tell student other teachers are not carpet
here/ignore
● I’m going to teach them about energy Students put up sticky
transformations! notes
● LT/SC
● Sticky note activity
● Go over words to know
10:30-10:40 Put on video Students either at

● Tell students to listen carefully carpet/desk (idk room)
Energy transformation ● Were going to have fun and have movement
video and group work, it’s important you know this
information (expectations)
10:40 When done Students listening

● Go over fun activity
Pairs/explain groups ● How the stations work
expectations ○ Arrange photos

○ 5 minutes each stations
● Number kids 1-4, wait till I excuse them
10:45 ● Walking about seeing how kids are doing Students at stations
● Timer every 5 mins working together
Go into stations, 5
mins each (play by
ear)
11:10 ● Go over pictures/answers ● Students can

● Sticky note! share answers
Close up! maybe
● Sticky note on
poster

Pre-Assessment Activating prior knowledge:
Open discourse:
“When I call on you, say your name before you ● Sustainable and unsustainable energy-- Do
speak.” you remember what those are/learning
about this?
● Unsustainable: natural gas, coal, fossil fuels
● Sustainable: geothermal, solar, sun,
hydro-electric
● Potential and kinetic-- we just learned about
this and are not doing a PLTW project
● These are all the energies and they can be
transferred into sound, heat, act.

Sticky notes: Answer: “What do you know
about energy/energy transfer?” Students will
write their responses on a sticky note. When
they are done, students will put their sticky
notes on the board. Teacher will read some
of the responses to the class.

Teacher says:
● Now we know there are different types of
energy and how they work
● Now we’re gonna talk about energy
transfer!
● BASICALLY-- Energy can’t be made or
destroyed. Everything here has been here
and will continue to be here. It’s just
transferred.
● Now we’re gonna learn from a video!
Post-Assessment ● Worksheet (self-made)

● Reflection
● Close up, addressing sticky notes
Differentiation ● Group/pair work, Visualization (posters,

video, photos), setting up a range of
stations
Resources ● Youtube video - Science for Kids: Energy

Transformations Video
Strategies ● Group Discussion

● Cooperative learning
● Visualization

Appendix E: Cycle I Reflection Notes

Lesson Study Reflection Notes How do you think it went?
(Cycle I): ● Okay, for the stations: # students. Decided on adding
the color part last night but should’ve put it on the
worksheet. Confusing station placement.
● The video was slow, everything else was fast paced.
Kids wanted to do stuff.
● 1s t station was tough but once they got the hang of it
they were okay.
● Worksheet went well, worked out perfectly.
● Transition from stations need work. Project timer next
time
● Students don’t know expectations for sitting on carpet
● Started late but made up for time. Students do not
need 5 mins per station. Most students finished, only
heard one student complain & say she didn’t finish.
● Activate prior knowledge. Show definitions before
video.
● Have 1 student grab the worksheets for group
● No carpet time at end because they were talking too
much and antsy.
● Go over directions for worksheet in detail before you let
students go.
● Give rotation directions before they go so they know
what to do when it’s time to rotate
● Project answer key
● Students enjoyed drawing the pictures
● Recap on what we learned, asked students.
● Tomorrow she wants to mix groups strategically, not
random. Students will write name on post its.
● Print extra example to do with class so they still have the
5 stations.
● Use 1 station as an example and do it as a class. Time
consuming to have students draw after the fact, just go
over answers.
● Reiterate that energy is always transferring. Focus the
closing on more explaining not so much going over
answers/drawing the answers
● Sustainable= solar but why did it come first before sun.
● Give time limit for post its
● Use key words when explaining to bring it back to
vocabulary and further understanding
Why didn’t the students put their names on post its?
● Dani wants to know as a whole class how they’re doing,
doesn’t matter individually.
How do we make sure the kids know because they can copy in
group work?
● (Griz: post its will show for the post assessment)
Changes to be made: ● Pre-assessment-- sticky notes, write their names, more criteria
(write a full sentence)
● Example as a class together (wind turbine)
● Assessment, #5-- wording
● Students stand when sort and can only sit after photos are
sequenced
● Visual timer projected
● Closing-- not on carpet, at desk, sticky notes
Appendix F: Cycle II Lesson Plan

Standards Science: Make observations to provide evidence
that energy can be transferred from place to
place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents
(4-PS3-2)
Objective(s) Students will examine how energy is transferred by

sound, light, heat, and electric currents
Conceptual Knowledge Energy transfer: sound, heat, light, electr
Procedural Knowledge Sequencing
Learning Target: I can describe how energy is transferred by sound,

(you can do what) light, heat, and electric currents.
Success Criteria I will demonstrate understanding my understanding

(you will be successful when you do that) of energy transfer by organizing photos.

Time: Teacher: Students:
10:20-10:30 Good Morning!

Introduction ● Verbally Tell students that other teachers are invisible and all questions will need to
be answered by people in their group or by me. Students put up
● Today we are going to learn energy transformations! sticky notes of
● Sticky note activity-write your student # on the back where the sticky part of the post what they
it note is, write what you know about energy on the front. already
● Once you are done writing it down, quietly stand up and stick it on the poster and know-write your
take a seat around the edge of the carpet, choose a spot where you can see the student # on
board. the back of the
● Learning Target/Success Criteria-Call on 1 student to read each sticky note.
● Activate prior Knowledge
○ Over the last few months we have learned about the different types of Sit at the edge
energy. We did an activity about sustainable and unsustainable energy of the carpet
■ Can you tell me one example of unsustainable energy? once they stick
■ Can you give me an example of sustainable energy? their post it.
○ Last week we built a model of a car and we learned about potential and
kinetic energy
■ Can you give me an example of potential energy?
■ Can you give me an example of kinetic energy?
● Go over terminology
○ Call on different students to read terminology on the posters
10:30-10:37 ● Tell students to listen with attention because you need to know the information on Students
the video in order to complete the activity correctly continue to sit
Energy ● Wait for students to show you they are ready, sit up and fold your hands neatly in at the carpet
transformati front of you.
on video ● Play video
● Leave worksheets at their station while they watch the video
10:37-10:42 Go Over Activity Students

● I will group you into partners or group listening
Pairs/explain ● each of you will get a worksheet that needs to be filled out individually but you can
groups work with your group or partner. If you are working with your group, you should all
expectations have the same answers.
● Each station will have 4 pictures, you will need to arrange the pictures in the order
the energy transforms/ changes.
● Go over example:
■ Wind energy
■ Wind Turbine (kinetic)
■ Electric energy
■ Video Games-electrical
○ You will have to do the same thing at each station. Once you arrange the
pictures and your team/ partner agree you will draw the picture of the
energy source you chose in the correct order. You can sit at the desk to
draw your pictures only after your pictures are arranged.
○ You will have 5 minutes at the first station and then 4 minutes at the other
stations.
○ I will display a timer. When I say times up, you will stop what you are doing,
stand up and push your chairs in until I say switch. If You are in group 1 and
are sitting at table 1 then you will switch to table 2, if you are group 2 and
are sitting at table 2, then you will move to table three and so forth until you
have completed your worksheet.
○ Once the timer goes off for the last station, you will sit at your regular desks
and wait quietly for directions. I will know you are ready when you are sitting
quietly with nothing in your hands.
10:42-10:45 ● Call on Students by group assigned

○ Group 1-Table 1
■ Sophia
■ Addy
■ Jeovanny
○ Group 2-Table 2
■ Reli
■ Jonah
○ Group 3-Table 3
■ Ava
■ Mailani
○ Group 4-Table 4
■ Kingston
■ Alina
■ Thomas
○ Group 5-Table 5
■ Logan
■ Kekai
10:45-11:06 ● Walking around seeing how kids are doing Students at
● Timer: 5 mins 1st station: 4 minutes each additional session-Displayed on the stations working
projector together
● 21 minutes total
11:06-11:15 ● Go over pictures/answers Switch your

● Have one person per table collect the corrected worksheets and have them pass out the sticky worksheet with
notes for the post assessment the person next to
you. Write down
cb: at the bottom
of the worksheet

If incorrect then
circle it, if correct
leave it alone.

● Sticky note-post assessment Sticky note on
○ Write student # on the back and what you know/ learned on the front poster
○ Stick it on the poster, then go back to your desk and read quietly.
● Read quietly
11:15-11:20 Close: Students

● What did we learn today? Participate in
○ Call on 3 students classroom
● Give me an example of energy transfer/ transformation? discussion
○ Call on 3 students
● Remember that Energy cannot be made or destroyed but energy can be
transferred from one form of energy to another.

Appendix G: Student Work Sample

Appendix H: Student Work Sample

Appendix I: Student Work Sample

Appendix J: Formative Assessment Data Results, Student Worksheets, Cycles I & II

Appendix K: Comparison of Formative Assessment Data Results, Student Worksheets,

Cycles I & II
Appendix L: Post-it Note Assessments Data Results, Cycle I & II

References
Grant, L., & Gareis, C. (2013). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect
curriculum, instruction, and student learning. Teacher-Made Assessments: How to
Connect Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning. 1-198. 10.4324/9781315855240.
Hast, M. (2017). Technology and Early Science Education: Examining Generalist Primary
School Teachers’ Views on Tacit Knowledge Assessment Tools. International Education
Studies, 10( 11), 135–147.
http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.westoahu.hawaii.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=er
ic&AN=EJ1159547&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Hicks, J., Martinez-Gudapakkam, A., Mutch-Jones, K. (2017). Formative Assessment
Practices to Support Students who Struggle in Science. Science &
Children, 55(2), 88–93.
https://doi-org.libproxy.westoahu.hawaii.edu/10.2505/4/sc17_055_02_88
Hus, V., & Matjašic, J. (2017). Evaluation and Assessment in Early Social Science. Universal
Journal of Educational Research, 5(4), 664–670.
http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.westoahu.hawaii.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=er
ic&AN=EJ1137714&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Hwang, G.-J., Hung, C.-M., & Chen, N.-S. (2014). Improving learning achievements,
motivations and problem-solving skills through a peer assessment-based game
development approach. Educational Technology Research & Development, 62(2),
129-145.
Keeley, P. (2018). Using Formative Assessment Probes to Develop Elementary Learning

Stations. Science & Children, 55(9), 28–31.
https://doi-org.libproxy.westoahu.hawaii.edu/10.2505/4/sc18_055_09_28
Reinholz, D. (2016). The Assessment Cycle: A Model for Learning Through Peer Assessment.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(2), 301-315.
Saphier, J., Haley-Speca, M. A., & Gower, R. R. (2008). The skillful teacher: Building your
teaching skills. Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching, Inc.

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LESSON STUDY:

UTILIZING VARIOUS ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES TO CAPTURE LEARNING IN

without consideration of the classroom or school demographic. Research proves developing a

learning in order to inform future planning.

Understanding and assessing students’ misconceptions and preconceptions is essential

Therefore, it is important for teachers to understand students’ ideas prior to creating a

understanding of a targeted science lesson.

understanding. As a pre-assessment, students were required to answer the following question:

Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is unspoken, unwritten, and challenging to write

provide guidance in the right direction.

through hands-on activities and discussion.

adjusting or differentiating their instruction (Hicks et al., 2017).

forward in their learning for a specific goal.

curiosity as well as to communicate and investigate their exact level of understanding in a

engaging students in the learning process. It allows students to be engaged by practicing or

the task at hand.

learning and hold their peers accountable for learning as well.

represented and demonstrated real-world examples of energy transformation situations.

Response to Interventions (RTI), and two students received enrichment.

them by the student teachers.

on how the lesson cycles went overall.

handwriting to identify individuals, as well as students’ pre- and post-assessments. Instead of

concept attainment throughout the lesson.

increased amount of discourse and contribution between the students.

understanding of what they were being asked in Station #5.

communicate and work together in an effective manner.

was no specific data or rubric collected.

Components of Good Classroom Assessment” lists a purpose of an assessment is “[t]o make

understanding the topic.

Informal formative assessments were made while students participated in learning

was effective and crucial to capturing student learning.

opportunity. From ​The Skillful Teacher,​ Chapter 18 - Learning Experiences, “Type of

Interdependence” in cooperative learning can be effective for “cognitive as well as affective

to capture student learning.

Creating an authentic assessment for the students is an essential characteristic in the

growth in elementary science lessons.

others, talking it out and coming to a mutual and positive understanding.

that I personally wanted to avoid for this project.

Appendix A: Lesson Study, Student Activity Worksheet Copy, Cycle I

Appendix B: Lesson Study, Student Activity Worksheet Copy, Cycle II

Appendix C: Lesson Study, Student Worksheet, Teacher Answer Key, Cycle II

Appendix D: Cycle I Lesson Plan

Objective(s) Students will examine how energy is transferred by

Conceptual Knowledge Energy transfer: sound, heat, light, electr

Procedural Knowledge Sequencing

Learning Target: I can describe how energy is transferred by sound,

Success Criteria I will demonstrate understanding my understanding

Materials to prepare: ● Assessment (worksheet, made by Heather)

10:25-10:30 Students called to

10:30-10:40 Put on video Students either at

10:40 When done Students listening

expectations ○ Arrange photos

11:10 ● Go over pictures/answers ● Students can

● Now we’re gonna learn from a video!

Post-Assessment ● Worksheet (self-made)

Differentiation ● Group/pair work, Visualization (posters,

Resources ● Youtube video - Science for Kids: Energy

Strategies ● Group Discussion

Appendix E: Cycle I Reflection Notes

Appendix F: Cycle II Lesson Plan

Objective(s) Students will examine how energy is transferred by

Conceptual Knowledge Energy transfer: sound, heat, light, electr

Procedural Knowledge Sequencing

opportunity. From The Skillful Teacher, Chapter 18 - Learning Experiences, “Type of

School Teachers’ Views on Tacit Knowledge Assessment Tools. International Education

Studies, 10( 11), 135–147.

Practices to Support Students who Struggle in Science. Science &

Children, 55(2), 88–93.

Journal of Educational Research, 5(4), 664–670.

development approach. Educational Technology Research & Development, 62(2),

Stations. Science & Children, 55(9), 28–31.

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(2), 301-315.

teaching skills. Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching, Inc.