Name: Erin Barger

TE 861B: Final Lesson Report

Your Students’ Learning

For this section, I will break down my answers by standard. Each standard was taught in a single one-hour LiveLesson (in
addition to anything that they may have read in their lessons that they had already gone through). My data comes from
the exit tickets that I asked students to complete at the end of each lesson (which they are asked, but not required, to
complete, since it is not for a grade). On average, about 60 students attended each LiveLesson, and anywhere from 26 –
44 students completed each exit ticket.

I know the sections just said to respond to it in 1-2 pages, but it's easier for me to just put all of my data here and analyze
it here, and that will help me answer the actual prompts in a quicker and more efficient manner. Also, with me covering
so many standards, it would be hard to fit my entire analysis in 1-2 pages anyway.

MS-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter
and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
(Student-Friendly): Describe how photosynthesis in plants helps matter and energy move through an ecosystem.

In order to gauge my students' learning of this standard, I asked a series of 5 questions. A total of 44 students
responded.

Question Results
Does most of a plant's 34 (77%) of students answered correctly, that most of a plant's mass does not come from the
mass (as it grows) soil.
come from the soil?
(Yes/No)
Which of the
following are required
for plants to
photosynthesize?
(Check all that apply –
I did not direct them
in how many to
select.)

Most students successfully identified the three correct answers, but more than half of students
incorrectly identified oxygen as an input. Only 14 out of 44 were able to correctly identify all
three inputs (with no additional answers selected). 12 identified all three plus one additional
answer selected (10 of those being oxygen). 7 actually selected all five answer choices. All
students (except for one) were able to identify at least two of the correct answers.
Which of the
following does a plant
produce (or make)
from photosynthesis?
(Check all that apply –
I did not direct them
in how many to
select.)

23 out of 44 students correctly answered this question, only identifying oxygen and glucose as
the outputs of photosynthesis. 4 identified both correct answers with the addition of carbon
dioxide. 7 identified just glucose as an output, with an additional 5 who chose glucose and an
additional one or two choices. 2 identified just oxygen, with an additional 3 who chose oxygen
with an additional choice. All students were successful in identifying at least one correct answer
choice.
What is the purpose 21 out of 44 students correctly stated that the purpose of photosynthesis is so that the plant can
of photosynthesis? produce its glucose, sugar, or food. 3 wrote that it is to get energy for the plant, which is on the
(Essay) right track, but not specific. 15 students stated that plants produce oxygen for living things (and
only 2 of those students had that as their only answer). 8 students simply said that it helps the
plants grow, and 4 said that it helps the plant live or survive. 3 students were completely off the
mark, and 3 students said that they didn't know.
How does 13 students said that they didn't know. Of those 31 who did try to answer, 10 of them were five
photosynthesis help words or fewer. The answers of most students who were somewhat on track either involved a
energy and matter mention of how plants make oxygen/air, or something about how they make glucose/energy
move through an that could be used by other living things. In general, their answers were very short and
ecosystem? (Essay) incomplete.

Part of understanding the role of photosynthesis in the movement of matter and energy through ecosystems is
understanding what plants take in and what they produce through this process. It seems that most students are able to
identify the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis (32% and 52%, respectively, providing only the correct answers). Given
that they weren't told how many answers to choose, these numbers might not be too bad. I was a bit disappointed that
just under half of the students were able to state that the purpose of photosynthesis is to make food for the plant, but
given how many students stated that it is to help the plant grow/survive and I was not there to ask them to elaborate, it
is quite possible that those students know that fact but simply did not express it.
The last question that I asked was basically me asking them to satisfy the NGSS performance standard from just
one lesson, and with no guidance from me in exactly how to do it. I knew going in that my students would likely not
provide very strong answers to this question, and I wasn't expecting them to. It does, however, give me a small window
into their thoughts of this question, as long as they tried. (I now think I should have at least split this into two different
questions, one asking about matter and the other asking about energy, and giving some sort of sentence starter or fill-in-
the-blank help.)Those who did seemed to understand that the production of oxygen is important for humans and
animals, and that the plants producing glucose for energy can have that energy passed on to other living things. Their
ideas on this are incomplete, and if this question were asked at the end of the unit I'm sure they would be more
successful (due to having multiple online lessons about food chains/webs and the flow of energy, as well as three lessons
on matter cycles).

MS-LS1-7. Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules
that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
(Student-Friendly): Describe how food changes in cells to help things live and grow.
 In order to gauge my students' learning of this standard, I asked a series of 5 questions. A total of 35 students
responded.

Question Results
What happens to food Out of the 34 students who answered, 19 of them mentioned that the molecules must break
molecules so that they down, and an additional 1 used the word "burned." 4 other students mentioned something
can be used for energy? about the molecules being digested or going through the digestive system, but did not
(Essay) mention breaking down. 1 mentioned only that they go through the blood stream. 8 students
had other answers that were off the mark.
Which of the following
are required for cells to
use food for energy?
(Check all that apply.)

Only 4 students chose only oxygen and glucose as their answers, and 7 identified those two
plus water. 3 students chose all five choices. 3 students did not correctly identify oxygen or
glucose.
How do these things 19 out of 34 students stated that the required materials get to our cells through veins, blood,
(from the question or circulatory system. 1 student mentioned through the intestines, which is partially correct. 4
above) get to the cell? students stated they didn't know. Other students had answers that were off the mark. It
(Essay) appeared that a few of them may have interpreted the question as how do living things obtain
them in the first place instead of how they get to our cells.
Which of the following
does a cell produce (or
make) through this
process of using food
for energy? (Check all
that apply.)

Only 2 out of 34 students were able to correctly identify the three correct products (with no
additional answers). 2 identified the three plus the addition of glucose or oxygen. 9 students
chose only ATP and carbon dioxide (which was the most common response). 11 students
identified just one correct answer. 2 students could not identify any correct answers.
Where do these things The students' answers were all over the place. 3 mentioned that energy is used in the cells or
(from the question in the body in general to do what needs to be done. 4 students just said in general that it all
above) go after being goes out of the body. 4 mentioned that carbon dioxide is exhaled. 2 just mentioned the air. 2
made? (Essay) students mentioned waste. 3 said that it goes into the blood. 5 students mentioned some sort
of storage with a couple mentioning fat. 12 answers were completely off. 2 students said they
didn't know.
 This standard's emphasis is on the breaking down and putting back together of molecules, and through this
process energy is released. They are not expected to know details of the chemical reactions, but I don't know how they
are expected to know that molecules break down and are put back together without seeing the reactions. (I'm not
putting a lot of stock in my students knowing or not knowing the inputs/outputs of cellular respiration, but it's good to
see the data on it anyway.) It does appear that slightly more than half of my students know that the molecules must
break down in order to obtain energy. None of my questions involved the "putting back together" part, so I am unsure of
their understanding of that, and that's my fault. (In the future I'll update the exit ticket to include at least one question
that helps me gauge that part.) However, the "putting back together" part was emphasized in my lessons using LEGOS,
and I showed how glucose and oxygen are broken down to create carbon dioxide and water (and ATP), and based on
their answers to my 2nd and 4th questions they didn't pick up on that. My guess is that the water really tripped them up,
because they know that we need to drink water regularly to stay hydrated and survive, and it doesn't logically make
sense that through cellular respiration we would produce water. The glucose may have also tripped them up because the
glucose is the food (or is in the food), so they may not have realized that they needed to pick it as an answer as part of
the equation of breaking down food for energy. However, I am very concerned at seeing that 53% of them thought that
using food for energy actually produced glucose in cells.
With the last question and students' answers being all over the place, I can tell that it's not a valuable question
to ask, and considering how it doesn't directly relate to the standard, I should just delete it.

MS-LS2-3 Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an
ecosystem.
(Student-Friendly): Describe how matter and energy move through an ecosystem.

In order to gauge my students' learning of this standard, I asked a series of 4 questions. A total of 26 students
responded.

Question
What is one example of how
energy might move through
an ecosystem? (Pick one
place to start, and explain a
few steps for where the
energy might go after that.)
(Essay)
How might you describe the
movement of energy through
an ecosystem? (Multiple-
choice)
What is one example of how
matter might move through
an ecosystem? (Pick one
place to start, and explain a
few steps for where the
matter might go after that.)
(Essay)
How might you describe the
movement of matter through
an ecosystem? (Multiple-
Results
3 students had a complete thought of energy moving from the sun to plants and then to
animals who eat the plants. 6 students did not mention the sun and only mentioned
energy going from plants to animals who eat them. Another 6 students only mentioned
organisms eating each other with no mention of plants. A total of 2 students mentioned
decomposers in their answer. The following ideas (12 total) were all only incomplete
thoughts with very few words and ideas – 3 mentioned plants, 1 mentioned
photosynthesis, 3 mentioned sunlight, 2 mentioned organisms. 1 student mentioned
wires and objects. 1 said they didn't know. 1 typed "cyecel trow" and I can't interpret
that.
12 students chose the correct answer of straight line (clear beginning and end).
14 students chose the incorrect answer of cycle or circle (no clear beginning or end).
9 students simply mentioned organisms eating plants or eating other organisms (with 2
of those adding more details related to scavengers and decomposers). 6 exclusively
mentioned decomposers breaking things down to put nutrients in the soil, some adding
that plants take them up. 1 mentioned the water cycle, and 1 mentioned carbon and
nitrogen cycles. 3 students mentioned the exchanging of oxygen and carbon dioxide
between plants and animals through the air. (1 student may have had this idea, but used
the words "nutrients" to describe it all, so I can't be certain.) 1 mentioned recycling and
nutrition in general, and 1 mentioned "rots of plants" (not sure what those last two
mean). 3 students said they didn't know. 1 student stated that an animal pushing a rock
is moving matter.
19 students chose the correct answer of cycle or circle (no clear beginning or end).
7 students chose the incorrect answer of straight line (clear beginning and end).
choice)

Based on the results of the assessment, I can see that my students really struggled with these concepts. The
majority of them understand that energy and matter moves through food chains, but they can't seem to differentiate
between the movement of the energy and matter. We talk about energy exclusively starting with the sun, moving
through food chains, and ending with decomposers, and then most of them seem to explain the movement of matter the
same way. They aren't wrong, but there is more to the story and they can't seem to get to the cyclical nature of it
(despite most of them understanding that matter moves in a cycle). Most of them seem to grasp that matter moves in a
cycle, but then the majority of them also seem to think that energy moves in a cycle, too. There is an essay question on
their Unit 3 test that asks them to explain the movement of matter (with an example) and the movement of energy (with
an example). Through grading these assessments, it is very common for students to just use food chains to explain both
of them, and to assign "cycle" to both of them (or neither). When speaking with my students one-on-one, most of them
also seem to forget the types of matter cycles that they learned in their lessons (water, carbon & oxygen, and nitrogen)
and just get lost when trying to explain how matter moves and cycles.

MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components
of an ecosystem affect populations.
(Student-Friendly): Explain how and why changes to an ecosystem can cause the numbers of plants and animals to
change.

In order to gauge my students' learning of this standard, I asked a series of 6 questions. A total of 31 students
responded. All questions are based off of a food chain, and the scenario being that the locust population decreased due
to farmers killing them. The questions asked what would happen to the rest of the organisms in the food chain.

Question Results
...how would the maize
population change?
...how would the lizard
population change?

...how would the snake

population change?

Choose either the maize, Most students had correct ideas for this question and answered it adequately. In reading
lizard, or snake and explain through all answers, there was only one statement that was clearly incorrect. "The lizard
why the population would population would increase because there aren't enough locusts to consume it." This
change that way. (Your student may have been interpreting the food chain backwards. There were also some
answer should say, "I think answers that were incomplete, and/or they didn't have enough information in their answer
the _____ population to let me know that they understand fully, such as "the lizard will decrease because snakes
would _____ because eat lizards." A small number of students also said a population would change, but not
_____.") whether it would increase or decrease.
Bobby says that if the
maize population
increased one year with a
really great crop (perfect
growing conditions), the
population so of other
organisms in the
ecosystem would not be
affected – everything else
would just stay the same.
Ecosystems have an
equilibrium and they just
stay there. Do you
disagree with Bobby?
Explain why you agree or Out of the 23 students who (correctly) disagreed with Bobby, 16 of them used reasoning
disagree with Bobby. (Go along the lines of that if the maize increases, the locust population will go up because they
into detail. Use scientific have more to eat, and the rest of the consumer populations would increase as well. (One
ideas and evidence to student even mentioned that eventually the populations would return to normal, however.)
support your stance. Use One student used a general statement saying that when something in an ecosystem
what you learned in changes, they will be an effect on something else in the ecosystem. There were 3 students
today's LiveLesson and who answered in a way that makes it sound like they still thought the question was
what you saw happen to referring to the scenario of locusts decreasing in population. 3 answers in general did not
support your statement.) answer the question or make much sense.

Out of the 8 students who (incorrectly) agreed with Bobby, only one of them had a
 scientifically sound explanation. The student said, "Bobby says that it will have more maize
meaning more locust meaning that the lizards would eat it and the snake would eat the
lizard the would be saved and go back to there normal food chain." This student may have
recognized that though the populations may change initially, they would likely go back to
normal levels after a short time. The other 7 students' answers did not make sense or they
didn't leave an answer at all. 1 student seemed to miss the idea that the maize population
increased, so he thought nothing would happen. 1 seemed to think the question was still
referring to the locusts decreasing.

Based on the results of the assessment, I can say that most can successfully identify how populations of
organisms in a food chain would change if an event were to take places that changes the population of one species.
(Although, I am now thinking that I really wished I had given them "no change" as an option to see if they really
understand that all of the populations would be affected, not just the ones directly connected to the organism that
changed.) They also seem to understand that there are always changes to ecosystems when a change happens. Their
weakness continues to be in adequately describing their reasoning in a way that answers the whole question and makes
sense to a reader. I will definitely be revising this assessment in the future so I can get a better idea of what my students
do and do not know (choosing to revise the wording of the questions and the answer choices), and I want to make sure I
provide more guidance with the "essay" questions in the future so that I get better answers.

Final Revisions and Reflections

Based on the results from my exit tickets and analyzing how well my students grasped the main concepts, I can
see that Lesson 3 (Matter and Energy Movement) was the biggest flop. The students ended the lesson not understanding
the difference between the movements of matter and energy, as well as not having clear explanations of how they move.
I think one of the biggest problems was using a food web to try to illustrate the movement of both at once, which makes
it harder for students to mentally separate matter and energy. It was also a big task to try to cover both in just one
lesson, and I think in the future I need to cover just one at a time and use different visuals for each. In the future when I
break up the concepts I can spend more time on the actual movement of matter and energy, emphasizing that energy is
a one-way flow from the sun through food chains and that matter always moves in various cycles.
In the students' online lessons that they complete, three of them cover cycles of matter – water, oxygen &
carbon, and nitrogen. In their unit test essay question that asks them about the movement of matter and energy, they
are expected to choose one of those cycles to illustrate the cycling of matter. In the LiveLesson that I did, I avoided
talking about those directly (mostly because many students hadn't gotten to those lessons on cycles of matter yet, and
because I didn't want to cover the exact same thing that their lessons already cover and that my extra "Need to Know"
PowerPoint recordings already cover). I attempted to help connect the carbon & oxygen cycle to the food web. In
LiveLesson I made sure to discuss how animals release carbon dioxide, which is taken in by plants that in turn release
oxygen that animals take in. Apparently this wasn't quite enough for students to grasp the matter cycling beyond the
actual matter of what the plants and animals are made of. I may return to a similar way that I did it in the past where we
examined these cycles briefly.

I examined each of the other three lessons, and I don't think there are any major changes that I would make. The
results from my assessments weren't perfect, so my students definitely have some learning to do, but I think the results
are due to many things, including my questions not being fantastic and my students' general lack of being able to answer
essay questions well (which doesn't allow me to always see what they actually know). I think I have some new insights of
their ideas going into future years of teaching this content (like things I can try to emphasize more during the lessons),
and I have some big ideas on how I can make my assessments better.

Continuing to Work with Students

How will you follow up on this lesson sequence, helping students to assess and extend their understanding, and to apply
what they have learned in future units?
 Immediately after this unit on matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems follows another life science unit
on interdependent relationships in ecosystems, which contains some similar ideas that we addressed in the unit and in
my lesson sequence. We spent a lot of time discussing how changes to one population in food chain or ecosystem cause
changes to other populations, as well, and this idea is also present in the new unit. I have recently been focusing on
various types of relationships with my students, such as symbiotic relationships, competition, and predator/prey. We
have been discussing how population changes to one species affects the population of the other species in the
relationship, and the students have been able to apply their prior knowledge of population changes based on food
availability to these knew scenarios. We've been learning about limiting factors and how those prevent populations from
increasing above certain amounts. They already understand food and predators being limiting factors, so now it's just a
matter of adding some additional ideas such as space and disease. Later on in this unit when we discuss biodiversity
reflecting the health of an ecosystem, they will better understand how the removal of species could cause the
disappearance of more species in the future by throwing it off balance.