Upload
maddy-christian
View
458
Download
13
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
A description and reflection of a math lesson I taught in a 4th grade classroom
Citation preview
Lesson Plan 2 – “Filling the Pool”
Madalyn Christian
The Task
A rope ladder with 8 rungs that are 9 inches
apart is hanging over the side of a pool. The
first rung is 9 inches from the bottom of the
empty pool. If we fill the pool at a rate of 1
foot per hour, how long will it take to reach
the top rung of the ladder?
Mathematical Thinking
Actual-sized ladder
Used problem solving strategies
Breaking it down in steps
I asked:
“What did you do first?”
“What do you need to do next?”
“Why did you choose to solve it this way?”
Mathematical Thinking
Allowed students to choose own partners..
Had 3 partner groups share their work and how they solved the problem (each had a different strategy)
Strategies were: act it out, draw a picture, write an equation, make a chart
Was surprised by the work that the partner groups produced (Andrew and David)
Problem Solving Strategies
Nang’s Work- TAG
Pedagogical Knowledge
Effective moves:
Preparing steps to break down the task, but not showing the students until about half the class was ready to move on to that step/ needed it
Encouraged students to make T-charts to organize info (CT gave the idea)
Life-sized ladder made visualizing the problem easier/ could act it out
Pedagogical Knowledge
Professional Growth
How I would change the lesson:
Have more closure
Bring it back to the question to make the context more real:
Will the pool be filled up in time for the pool party?
Instead of just: “It will take 6 hours”
Allow students to make life-sized ladders on butcher paper
Professional Growth
Ask more questions to students when they shared their work
Introduce the task in a different way in order to intimidate the students less
Questions?
How else could I introduce this task? The students had no idea what to do when they first read it.
How would I make this task more “real” to the students?
I thought about extending the lesson using a “not so nice” number for inches, such as it would take 1 hour to fill 14 inches, instead of 1 foot… but what other way could I extend this lesson to make it more difficult now that the concept is grasped?