A Lesson Two Ways

Original MAE5347 Lesson Plan Without Technology

Grade: 1st

Subject: Mathematics

1. Learning Objectives

What are your objectives for student learning in this lesson? That is, what do you intend students to learn?

Students will be able to fill in a blank in a three number addition equation with a whole number to make that equation true.
Students will be able to fill in a blank in a three number subtraction equation with a whole number to make that equation true.

Why have you chosen these objectives?

I have chosen these objectives in order to provide my students with the instruction and practice they need to master the ability to determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers.

What Standards (National or State) relate to this lesson?

1.OA.D.8 – Operations & Algebraic Thinking – Work with addition and subtraction equations: Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = ? -3, 6 + 6 =

2. Content Knowledge

What is the underlying content knowledge that the teacher must help the students understand? What are the tricky pieces in the content? When you deconstruct the content you are teaching what are the pieces that are essential for children to understand?

For this lesson, students must have basic addition and subtraction skills. Students also must understand that you can use addition and subtraction knowledge to determine a missing factor in an equation in order to make the equation true. This game will strengthen their ability to identify correctly, through addition and subtraction, what the missing factor in a given equation is.
The tricky part of this content is helping students understand the numbers on either side of the equal sign and how to fill in the blank on one of those sides to make them equal. This is less straightforward that your very basic addition and subtraction questions and may throw a few students off at first. I will be considerate of all my students and I will differentiate instruction by making accommodations to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn as much as possible from this lesson.

3. Student Grouping

How will you group students for instruction?

Students will be working in pairs to play this game. The students will pick a game board, take turns overturning number cards, and identify if the number can correctly complete any of the number sentences on their board.

Why have you chosen this grouping?

I decided to have students work in pairs for this lesson in order to give them sufficient hands-on practice with completing these subtraction and addition equations. Working in pairs ensures that students all have ample practice opportunity. It also allows students to peer monitor one another. Students can ask questions if they get stuck or make suggestions if they don’t agree with an answer.

4. Methods

What students need specific accommodations in this lesson? What specific accommodations have you made for these student needs?

To accommodate the ELLs in my class, I will provide them with written instructions in addition to the oral instructions I give. I will sit down with them one-on-one after whole group instructions to explain the directions again in a slow and clear manner so they truly understanding the task at hand. Additionally, if it is possible I will pair these students with a student who speaks their first language but who is also fluent in English. This will allow the ELL to communicate clearly and may provide them further insight into the activity. This could also help the student feel more comfortable.
I will accommodate for students with behavioral issues by putting them with a responsible, well-behaved partner whom they respect. Additionally, I will talk with the student one-on-one after given the class instructions to repeat the instruction and to share my expectations for behavior during the activity. I will make sure to closely monitor this students as I am walking around the classroom and will talk with the student if he/she seems to be acting out.
For students with visual or hearing disabilities, I will provide them with oral instructions in addition to written instructions. I will take the time to sit down with them after the whole group modeling and instruction to review the instructions so they truly understanding how to play the game.
For students with mobility disabilities, their partner will help them overturn the number cards and can assist them in filling in the number sentence blanks when they have found the correct number card.
To accommodate advanced students, I will challenge them to complete more complex number sentences by increasing the range of possible number cards and incomplete number sentences from 1-10 up to 1-16. This will challenge students to use bigger numbers and will activate their knowledge of addition and subtraction with bigger numbers.

5. Activities

What activities have you planned?

Opening: (10 minutes)

Before beginning instruction I will share my expectations with my students:
- I expect students to try their best at this activity and follow the directions. They will be respectful and will work together to help their partner if they are struggling. Students will do their best to identify the number sentences that the chosen number card accurately completes, if there is one. They will write in the correct number if it is found and will check their work by making sure the number sentence is correct. If the number card they draw does not accurately complete a number sentence on their board, they will return the number card facedown to the row and their partner will begin their turn.
Before the students do the activity in pairs, I will model how to correctly overturn a number card, examine my game board, and determine if the number card accurately complete one of the incomplete number sentences.
After modeling how to play the game for the class as a whole, I will have students work at their tables of four to discuss number sentences that are missing a factor that are similar to the number sentences on the game boards. I will put these three incomplete number sentences on the board and provide the class with three number cards to work with. Each number card will fill one of the incomplete number sentences. Student will discuss which number cards they think fill the number sentences. If they disagree they will discuss their reasoning and explain their thought processes to one another so they can come to a unanimous agreement. We will then discuss their findings as a class.

Main Activity: (20 minutes)

The task at hand for the students is the “Finding the Missing Factor” game. Once I have modeled how to successfully play the game and students have practiced with a simpler version of the task, students will be broken up into pairs.
The students will first chose a playing card. They will then take turns choosing a number card from the overturned number card row on the table. The students will then look at their playing card to see if the number card will correctly complete any of the number sentences on their playing board. If the number card does correctly complete a number sentence on the student’s game board, they will complete the prompt sentence, “I can use ___ because…” to explain their thinking and defend their reasoning. They will keep the number card and write in the number in the correct space on their game board. If the number card does not correctly complete a number sentence on the student’s game board, the will put it back facedown in the row above the game boards. The students play until they have both filled in all of the number sentences with the correct number.

I will be monitoring the classroom by walking around the room to see how the pairs are doing. I will be looking to see if students are following directions and if they are accurately completing the number sentences on their game boards. I will also be listening for their reasoning with the “I can use ____ because…” to be sure their reasoning is sound. If students are having a hard time, I will work with them on identifying number sentences on their board that the number card correctly completes. I will then have them demonstrate their understanding by having them pick another card and practice identifying whether or not if correctly completes a number sentence on their board.

Closing: (10 minutes)

The students will complete the activity when all students have filled out their game boards. If students finish the game early I will ask them to check each other game boards so that we are sure they are completed accurately.
When each pair has finished filling in their game boards, we will discuss the activity and what was challenging for us. I will ask students how they determined whether or not a number card correctly completed a number sentence on the game board. We will talk about the different methods students used to determine whether a number card completed a number sentence. After this whole group discussion, we will have completed this lesson.

Important questions to ask students:What is addition?

What is subtraction?
How do we know what number we are looking for in the equation?
What are the important signs to look for in the equation? (+/- signs)
How can we determine what the missing number is?
How can we check our answers to be sure we are right?

6. Materials

What instructional materials will you use, if any?

The materials needed for this game are a variety of “Fine the Missing Number” game boards, one set of number cards (1-10), and pencils so students can write in their answers. I will have these supplies prepared and ready for each pair.

Why have you chosen these materials?

I have chosen these materials because they provide students with an interactive, hands-on game to play while practicing the skills they need to read the standard. Additionally, the game boards will be filled in as the students work which provides the teacher with a student product. I can use this product to assess student understanding and mastery of the material.

7. Evaluation

How and when do you plan to evaluate student learning on the content of this lesson?

To assess my students I will collect their completed game boards to check for accuracy as well as use my observations while monitoring the class. I will make a point to observe each pair while they are playing the game to determine each student’s understanding of the concept. I will look to see if each student has mastered determining the unknown whole number in an addition and subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. I will also be paying attention to their “I can use ___ because…” sentence to gain insight into their thought process and their reasoning for the decisions they are making. I will also use the completed worksheets to determine student mastery of the standard. Students who seem to be struggling will be pulled for individual or small group instruction to strengthen these skills.

Why have you chosen this approach to evaluation?

I have chosen this approach to evaluation because it allows me to assess students as they are working and thinking but also to assess the work that they produce as a result of the lesson. I can monitor student understanding and progress by walking around the room and observing student interactions and problem solving. The hard copy products students complete will allow me to evaluate each student’s ability to complete the addition and subtraction equations. The informal and formal combination approach to assessment will allow me to assess if my students can determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers.

Next Steps:

After completing this lesson with student and ensuring that all of my students have shown mastery of this concept, I will challenge them all to do this same type of activity but with a greater range of numbers. This will challenge them to use more of their number knowledge and addition and subtraction skills to solve the incomplete number sentences. I will also have the class as a whole discuss why knowing how to determine an unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers and how our knowledge of addition and subtraction can help us do this successfully. We will discuss how they will eventually be able to do this same sort of thing with multiplication and division.

Updated MAE5347 Lesson Plan with Technology