Analysis of a Lesson with UDL Connections

Analysis of a lesson with UDL connections.

The lesson- Rocks and Their Properties: Day 1 (http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/explore.php?op=static&pid=rocks_1)

The What (representation):

The students are given linguistic support for an advanced, hard to understand word, morphologies, by highlighting it. In addition, the objectives are emphasized to the students instead of how they are going to achieve those outcomes so that there is more flexibility in the way students do actually reach those outcomes. There is also an anticipatory set in the lesson, which is used to peak the students’ interests at the beginning of the lesson in the form of an informal ‘thumbs up-thumb’s down’ game. This is providing students with support about something they may have limited background knowledge in, and establishing a context for learning. In addition, information about rock formation processes is being presented to students in multiple media and formats. Students are going to work in small groups to investigate rocks, they are going to be given short presentation about rocks, and they will have open discussions about rocks. This is giving students different entry points to understand the material.

The How (action and expression):

In the lesson, students are being given flexible options to communicate the new knowledge they gain about rock formation process. At the end of the lesson, the students are going to ‘think, pair, and share’ about what they have learned, which will give them relevant feedback when their questions get answered. All students are being given the opportunity to express what they know and what they still want to know in an active way. Students will also get ongoing feedback while they are engaged in examining the different rocks.

The Why (engagement):

In order to engage students in learning about rock types and their formations, they are being taught how to use simple tools to test the hardness of the rocks. By getting to perform simple experiments in small groups, it is allowing them to take an active role in applying what they have learned about rocks. These simple experiments include weighing the rocks and scratching them. Students are also being engaged when they participate in the anticipatory set.