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Making a Plan in Math

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Topic:

Problem-solving in math: making a plan

Standards:

CCGPS: MCC2.OA.3 Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g., by pairing objects or counting them by 2s; write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.

CCGPS: MCC2.OA.2 Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

Essential Question:

What does it mean to have a plan?

Duration:

About 1 hour

Materials:

chart paper (poster for problem solving)

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson:

Students will learn the second step in the problem-solving process: Make a Plan

Mini Lesson:

Review yesterday’s discussion about Step 1 of the problem solving process: Read and Understand. Explain that today we will be working on Step 2: Plan. What does it mean to have a plan? Have students turn and talk and then share a few ideas with the class. When you plan, you decide what is going to be the best thing for you to do. Mathematicians always need to have a plan to get them to an answer. There are many different strategies that we can use to help us. Introduce the strategies one at a time: Draw a picture, find a pattern, guess and check, manipulatives, make a list, table/chart, number sentence, work backwards, make it simpler. You might want to pre-make the list of strategies, or print this one for students to glue in their math journals for a reference. But on your chart paper, I think it is best to pre-make the list and draw examples of each strategy, so students can easily see what manipulatives they can use, what a chart, number sentences, lists, etc look like. Explain that we don’t use all of these strategies at once. We have to think about the problem and what we understand about the problem to decide which strategy would be best for solving the problem.

Guided Practice:

Use the exemplar problem from yesterday’s lesson: Lynn’s Ladder. Review what we understood about the problem yesterday. Ask students which strategy they think would be best to help us solve this problem. Turn and talk, then share ideas. Probably the best strategy for this question would be “draw a picture”. Write “Plan” under “Read and Understand” and write: I am going to draw a picture of the ladder that Lynn is painting.

Independent Practice:

We will be practicing some of these strategies today in our groups. Again split students into groups that you have been using. Group 1: pattern activity with base ten blocks from day 7, Group 2: teacher-allow students to practice the “Plan” step with a different exemplar problem (use the same one you used in the last lesson), Group 3: tic tac toe, Group 4: odd/even game. After about 10 minutes, clap for attention, clean up, and rotate. Remember to correct behaviors immediately and praise good behaviors.

Closing:

Journal Entry: What are your favorite math strategies, or which do you feel most comfortable using?



Problem Solving Step 1

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Topic:

Problem Solving Method, Step 1: Read and Understand

Standards:

MCC2.OA.2 Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

Essential Question:

How do mathematicians solve problems?

Duration:

about 1 hour

Materials:

math problem, chart paper, marker, math games

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson:

Students will begin to learn about the problem solving method for math: read and understand the problem.

Mini Lesson:

I usually use Fridays as exemplar days. Today we will be spending our math time learning about the problem-solving process for exemplars (word problems). Mini lesson: In math we have many different problems to solve. We can’t always use the same strategy to solve each problem, and there are many different ways to solve just one problem. So today we are going to start learning about how we can solve problems. Problem solving method for Exemplars: have an anchor chart with this title. The first step in the problem-solving method is to Read and Understand the Problem. This will be the first step on your anchor chart. Use the exemplar problem: “Lynn’s Ladder: Lynn is a forest ranger who works at the top of a mountain. She climbs up a ladder to a platform to watch for forest fires. The ladder had 12 rungs that need to be painted. Lynn wants to use 3 different colors to paint the rungs of her ladder. She also wants to make a pattern. Show how Lynn should paint the ladder.” (You might want to print this to have students glue the problem in their math journals.) Explain that the first step should always be to read the problem. Do this together. Then we need to understand the problem. Read it again and start to underline things that are important in the story for solving the problem: 12 rungs, 3 different colors, pattern. Like we learned in journaling, we have to explain our thinking with words, so next we will write what we understand about the problem. Write something like: I understand that Lynn as a ladder with 12 rungs and she is painting the rungs in a pattern using 3 different colors.

Guided Practice:

This will happen when students come to the table to meet with you.

Independent Practice:

At this time, students can break up into their groups once again. Group 1: Salute, Group 2: teacher-allow students to practice reading and understanding a different exemplar problem (You can make up one similar to Lynn’s Ladder), Group 3: tic tac toe, Group 4: odd/even game. After about 10 minutes, clap for attention, clean up, and rotate. Remember to correct behaviors immediately and praise good behaviors.

Closing:

Review the first step in the problem solving process and what it means.



Math Games

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Topic:

Math games

Standards:

MCC2.OA.3 Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g., by pairing objects or counting them by 2s; write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.

MCC2.OA.2 Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

Essential Question:

How do we play math games?

Duration:

about 1 hour

Materials:

2 math games (I chose odd/even game and tic-tac-toe addition

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson:

Students will learn how to play two different math games today.

Mini Lesson:

Today I will spend time introducing 2 more math partner games. The first game is an odd/even game. I have a bag of buttons or any other objects you would like to use. Students roll a die and count out that many objects. They have to decide if the number is odd or even and show in their math journals why. Students can group the objects in 2’s and see if there are any leftovers. If not, it is even. Students explain this in their journals—refer back to the journaling expectations anchor chart. For more of a challenge, you can put 2 dice in the packet and have students add the numbers they roll first, then sort objects to figure out if it is odd or even. At the beginning of the year, I start with 1 die, but if your students are ready, you can use 2. The second game is tic tac toe addition. In this game I have a playing board with 4 tic tac toe charts on it. There are numbers filled in on the chart. Students roll 2 dice and add them together. They have to say, “The sum of __ + ___ is ___.” This helps them practice vocabulary. Then they look for the sum on the tic tac toe board. If it is there, they can cover that space with their chip, or use dry erase markers to draw an X or O over that space. Then the next partner goes. If their sum is not there, they lose their turn.

Guided Practice:

Allow a few students to model how to play the games. Clarify any confusion

Independent Practice:

I will split the class into the same 4 groups I used the previous day. Group 1: Salute, Group 2: teacher-do the base 10 pattern game from yesterday to teach/reinforce patterns, Group 3: tic tac toe, Group 4: odd/even game. After about 10 minutes, clap for attention, clean up, and rotate. Remember to correct behaviors immediately and praise good behaviors.

Closing:

Journal about what went well today and how we could improve next time.



Math Workshop Early Finishers

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Topic:

Early finishers in Math Workshop

Standards:

This lesson does not cover a specific standard, but it is very important for development of the math workshop routine.

Essential Question:

What do we do when we finish our work?

Duration:

about 1 hour

Materials:

Anchor chart, markers, math games

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson:

Students will learn what they should do when they finish early during math workshop.

Mini Lesson:

Make an anchor chart for “Early Finishers”. Discuss that students will sometimes be working in small groups or independently while I am meeting with a small group at the table. Therefore, they will need to be responsible for their own learning and do their best to learn and complete the tasks. Sometimes students finish early. Make a t-chart of independent and small group. If students in my room are working independently and finish early, I usually have them do fact practice after. They can go get the flashcards and complete those quietly. They may also write a journal entry about their work that day, get a workbook page to work on, or make up more problems to solve like the ones they are working on that day. Groups that finish early may do any of the activities that independent students can do, or they may play their math game again, or choose a different math game. Post this chart as a reminder. Next introduce students to a new game called Making Patterns from SuperSource. We practiced yesterday making patterns with letters and shapes. Today we will use base ten blocks to make their own patterns, draw the patterns, and use letters to identify the patterns. Model how to make a pattern with base ten blocks and model labeling the pattern.

Guided Practice:

Allow a few students to practice, guiding them in how to do this activity.

Independent Practice:

Split class into 4 groups today, for short practice working in small groups. Group 1: play salute, Group 2: work with teacher (do a pattern problem of your choice, easy enough that the group could work together to solve, while you keep an eye on the other groups and correct behaviors immediately if there are problems), Group 3: make patterns with pattern blocks-draw and label pattern, Group 4: Making Patterns with base ten blocks-draw and label. After about 10 minutes, clap to get attention, tell groups to clean up, practice rotating to the next activity. Group 1: teacher, Group 2: pattern blocks, Group 3: base ten blocks, Group 4: salute. Continue rotating groups and practicing clean up after about 10 minutes at each station. Correct any unacceptable behaviors immediately. If you feel necessary, call students to floor to address behaviors.

Closing:

Get math expectations anchor chart and discuss what the students did well during groups, and what we can work on for next time. Journal these ideas.



Math Journaling

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Topic: Math Journaling

Standards: No specific standard goes along with this lesson. Students will journal about many different math standards throughout the year.

Essential Question: How do mathematicians write about their thinking?

Duration: about 1 hour

Materials: math journals, chart paper, marker, 2 pre-made (good and bad) journal entry examples

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson: Students will learn how to write about their math thinking.

Mini Lesson:  Tell students that mathematicians write about their math thinking to show they understand math concepts. Explain that you’ll be having students write about their math thinking throughout the year. We will be doing this in our math journals. Make an anchor chart about journaling. We can journal about: problem-solving strategies, explaining understanding of a concept, explain what you did today in workshop, answer the essential question, etc. Show an example of a good and bad journal entry and talk about why the good one is better, ie: use math language, pictures, models, charts, number sentences, etc to explain thinking and understanding.

Guided Practice: Next do some pattern practice/review-ABAB, ABBA, ABC, etc. using numbers and shapes. Then do a practice journal entry together explaining mathematically what we learned and understand about patterns.

Independent Practice: Allow students to practice a journal entry on their own by writing an answer to the essential question for today.

Closing: Share journal entries about the essential question.



Using Math Tools

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Topic: Using math tools in math workshop

Standards:

There is not a specific standard that goes with this lesson. The math tools will be used to cover many different standards throughout the year.

Essential Question: How and why do mathematicians use tools?

Duration:

about 1 hour

Materials/ Manipulatives:

connecting cubes, pattern blocks, base ten blocks, math games, etc.

Overview:

Students will learn about tools mathematicians use and how to take care of the tools.

Mini Lesson:

Math tools can help us solve problems. We will be using a variety of math tools this year during math workshop. Make an anchor chart of different math tools, how they help us and where they are stored. Ex: base ten blocks—help us count, show numbers, stored on math shelf in bin; pattern blocks—show patterns, learn shapes, fractions, stored on shelf in bin; math games—help us learn many math concepts, cooperation, stored on math shelf in bags; etc. Demonstrate getting the appropriate math tool, how it might be used, and returning it the right way.

Guided Practice:

Allow a few students to model getting/returning math tools by practicing the math games introduced yesterday. Discuss what they did well and what might need to be improved upon.

Independent Practice:

Allow students to spend some time exploring the math tools. Then allow them to practice cleaning and returning them. You could allow for a few rotations. I would probably have students work in table groups and do about 3 rotations so groups will have practice working with 3 different math tools today.

Closing:

Talk about what we did well when using our math tools today, and anything we might need to fix next time.

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