Spending Money
In this lesson, students use the Understand, Plan, Solve, and Evaluate (UPSE) problem-solving model to first identify and organize relevant information, and then devise and carry out a plan to solve one-step mathematics word problems with a missing addend. The lesson was designed with English learners (ELs) in mind and includes instructional strategies designed to make linguistic and content input comprehensible: a focus on vocabulary, manipulatives, visuals, cooperative learning, anchor charts, graphic organizers, technology applications, and sentence stems/frames.
Mission Possible—The Hierarchy of Polygons
The students participated in three missions that required them to independently classify two-dimensional quadrilaterals in a hierarchy of sets and subsets using a graphic organizer based on their attributes and properties.
Math at the Carnival
As students rotate through engaging learning stations, they utilize concrete objects, pictorial models, mnemonic devices, and strip diagrams to solve real-world, two and three-digit subtraction word problems, with and without regrouping.
Comparing Fractional Parts Using Pizza
Students will compare fractional parts in a real-world situation using play dough as a model for pizza.
Student working through task
Courts of Measure
Students will use measurement tools to measure the dimensions of the basketball court and calculate the area of the court.
Keeping it Concrete with Candy
Students will work collaboratively to apply and use digits, value, greater than/less than and base 10 knowledge to communicate numbers up to 1200 with a Halloween theme.
More Super Duper Math
Students will gather objects to compare quantities and justify their answers pictorially and verbally. They will use their vocabulary posters and accountable talk menus to discuss with their partners.
One-Step Word Problems
Students participate in a teacher-created three-act task in order to solve math word problems. They reactivate their prior knowledge and determine the question to solve the main problem during Act One. Act Two engages students in a differentiated, rich task. During Act Three, students compare and discuss their work with peers outside their original groups.
Solve Problems using Place Value Strategies with a Carnival Theme
Students will work collaboratively through a fictitious real-world scenario to solve one‐step and multi‐step word problems. The lesson will involve solving addition and subtraction within 1,000 using a variety of strategies based on place value.
Pizza Place Value
Students compose and decompose numbers up to 1,200 in more than one way by participating in a teacher-created Three Act Task using a real-world scenario.
Centers in Subtraction
Students will participate in multiple centers including a guided math center that reinforces subtraction concepts.
Circuit Designers
Students will work in small groups of two to three on a structured challenge around circuits which includes requirements such as including using a switch or a conductor. They will then use that knowledge to work on a collaborative challenge to solve a relevant problem related to elephant poaching. Students will create a containment system that will have an alarm system, a lighting system, and a way to pass through. Finally, they will review the other projects and discuss similarities and differences in the design.
Cooking Up Word Problems
Students rotate through four stations, collaboratively utilizing different strategies and manipulatives to analyze, explore, solve, and generate real-world culinary problem situations.
Are You in Your Place?
Students will be able to use concrete and pictorial models to compose and decompose numbers with place value.
Fractions with Multi-Step Problems
Students will be able to work collaboratively while baking to find the least common multiples of fractions with unlike denominators and create equivalent fractions, then add or subtract.
Earth’s Movements
Students will work in small collaborative groups to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth as it revolves around the Sun which creates a day and night cycle.
Place Value Party
In learning stations, students prepare for a birthday party by using their knowledge of place value to compose, decompose, and represent numbers using standard, word, and expanded forms.
Solving Word Problems with Friends
Students will work in groups and solve one-step word problems using a protocol to guide their thinking.
Particular Polygons
Students will be able to classify 2D figures by analyzing their attributes.
Step Into the Problem: A Strategy for Visualizing a Math Problem
Teachers will show students a tool to help them understand a problem situation. The tool called Step into the Problem, will walk students through the steps of comprehending a problem: Read the problem, Turn and Talk, Act it Out, Notice and Wonder, and Reflect. Students will be given a problem situation and will go through the steps to show that they understand the problem situation.