Welcome to Grade 5 Classroom Chemistry!
The purpose of this digital resource is to document the journey of our Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) Lesson for Grade 5 classroom chemistry. As outlined by Haysom and Bowen (2010), the POE sequence includes the following eight steps which help to enhance students' understandings of scientific ideas:
Step 1: Orientation and Motivation
Begin the lesson by engaging students in an initial activity or pose a question that draws on their current understandings.
Step 2: Introduce the Experiment
Step 3: Student Predictions
Predictions help students reflect on their own understandings and provides teachers with useful insights into their science ideas.
Step 4: Discussing Their Predictions
Be sure to ask students why they made the predictions that they did using "I think or I predict....because" statements.
Step 5: Observation
Allow students to carry out their own experiment or observe the teacher's demonstration. Their observations should be recorded on the provided worksheets.
Step 6: Student Explanation
Ask students to explain how they interpreted their observations
Step 7: Science Explanation
Provide the scientific explanations and ensure students write these new understandings in their notebooks.
Step 8: Follow-Up
Be sure to have a follow-up discussion or activity to make sure students actually understood the scientific topics they were introduced to.
Step 1: Orientation and Motivation
Begin the lesson by engaging students in an initial activity or pose a question that draws on their current understandings.
Step 2: Introduce the Experiment
Step 3: Student Predictions
Predictions help students reflect on their own understandings and provides teachers with useful insights into their science ideas.
Step 4: Discussing Their Predictions
Be sure to ask students why they made the predictions that they did using "I think or I predict....because" statements.
Step 5: Observation
Allow students to carry out their own experiment or observe the teacher's demonstration. Their observations should be recorded on the provided worksheets.
Step 6: Student Explanation
Ask students to explain how they interpreted their observations
Step 7: Science Explanation
Provide the scientific explanations and ensure students write these new understandings in their notebooks.
Step 8: Follow-Up
Be sure to have a follow-up discussion or activity to make sure students actually understood the scientific topics they were introduced to.
In this website, you will find:
Learner Outcomes:
Science Ideas: Student Understandings: POE Plan: Inquiry Worksheets: Resources: |
The General and Specific Outcomes covered as listed in the Alberta Program of Studies for Elementary Science.
The scientific explanations behind the experiment and the definitions of relevant key terms. The conceptions students bring to this topic as well as the knowledge and skills that students will gain from doing this lesson on classroom chemistry. The POE lesson that was designed for Grade 5 students and applied at the Calgary Science School with Grade 4 students. Worksheets designed to aid students in their understandings and reflect on what they have learned. Resources used to help us design our POE lesson and could be useful for Elementary Science teachers. |