Lesson Observation

My first observation I was the best since she was still utilizing workbooks, Voyager Summer Activity workbook and TAKS study guide revised 2007. First, she presented the days’ objective which was the continuation of the workbook lessons: simplifying Algebraic structures using the distributive property, and solving two-step equations. She acknowledges prior lessons of the previous day. She utilized the workbook as a guide for her lecture. She projected the workbook through the Elmo as she gave the lesson. After her lecture, she directed the students on a few practice problems; then, assessed the student with a few problems.

The second part of her lesson, Mentor recalled the lesson on circumference of the previous day. As she distributed grid paper she gave the objective of the second lesson, area of a square. She used the TAKS study guide content as a guideline for the lesson. After working with the graph paper and demonstrating different types of objects. She related this lesson with the surface area. She presented each student with manipulative cut-out of 3-D geometric shapes creating an interest between the students. Students immediately started to ask questions. Incorporating this manipulative provided a visual and hands-on stimulus for each student. They were able to understand the concept of the surface area of a cube. For a larger display of a cube, she grabbed a plastic crate using it as an example. She demonstrated the crate, by displaying the top, bottom and sides of a cube making connections it to the surface area formula. After the lesson, she gave a quick assessment on the surface area. The surface area was not addressed again until the nine days later when reviewing Objective 4. Student did not do well in their retention of the surface area since only a few students got problem 32 correct on the pretest.