Domain: Measurement and Data Standard Code: 2.MD.1-6,9 Teacher Name: Chris Martin and Carolyn Sweat
Adapted from: Smith, Margaret Schwan, Victoria Bill, and Elizabeth K. Hughes. “Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol: Successfully Implementing High-Level Tasks.”
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School 14 (October 2008): 132-138.
Task question:You and your friend are entering the School Olympic bean bag toss. You would like to practice before the event.
Each of you estimate how far your toss will be to the nearest meter and nearest yard. How far is your estimate in meters? Yards?
· How far is each toss in meters? Yards?
· How much difference was there between your estimation and actual toss measurement?
· What is the total distance of your groups tosses? Compare your total with another group?
· Show your thinking and prove your results.
PART 1: SELECTING AND SETTING UP A MATHEMATICAL TASK
What are your mathematical goals for the lesson? (i.e., what do you want
students to know and understand about mathematics as a result of this lesson?) / 2.MD.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
2.MD.2 Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen
2.MD.3 The students will be able to estimate the lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
2.MD.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
2.MD.9 Show the measurements by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in whole-number units.
· What are your expectations for students as they work on and complete this task?
· What resources or tools will students have to use in their work that will give them entry into, and help them reason through, the task?
· How will the students work—
independently, in small groups, or in pairs—to explore this task?
· How will students record and report their work? / Students will use estimating when measuring.
Students will measure accurately and create a representation of results.
Students will make comparisons between lengths and clearly express differences.
Resources and Tools
· Meter sticks and yardsticks
· Papers and pencils
· Bean Bags or item to throw
· Large enough area to work (Gym or Outside)
Students will work in partners or small groups
Students will represent their results using pictures and numbers.
How will you introduce students to the activity so as to provide access to all
students while maintaining the cognitive demands of the task? / Show a video clip of the Olympics that may include a throwing event.
Discuss different sports that include throwing.
What else requires throwing?
How far do you think you would be able to throw?
How would you measure your throw?
Today we are going to have our own Olympics and discover how far we can jump and which group can jump the farthest?
PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THE TASK
As students work independently or in small groups, what questions will you ask to—
· help a group get started or make progress on the task?
· focus students’ thinking on the
key mathematical ideas in the task?
· assess students’ understanding of
key mathematical ideas, problem- solving strategies, or the representations?
· advance students’ understanding
of the mathematical ideas? / · How far do you estimate you can throw the bean bag?
· Can you think of another way to estimate your throw in length?
· What will be the best way to measure your throw?
· Where is your beginning and ending point?
· What are you thinking?
· How are you going to show where each throw landed?
· How close was your estimate to your actual throw?
· How can you now measure the throw in yards?
· Explain the steps you used to get your results.
How will you ensure that students remain engaged in the task?
· What assistance will you give or what questions will you ask a
student (or group) who becomes
quickly frustrated and requests more direction and guidance is
solving the task?
· What will you do if a student (or group) finishes the task almost
immediately? How will you
extend the task so as to provide additional challenge? / If students are stuck, assess where the frustration is, and refer to the above questions.
If students finish early, add extension
Extentions:
· Challenge students to compare their throws
· Challenge students to create a picture or diagram of their estimates and throws.
· Talk about ways in which the students might get longer throws.
· Have the students do other “Olympic” events such as a standing long jump, running jump, “javelin throw,” etc.
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK
How will you orchestrate the class discussion so that you accomplish your mathematical goals?
· Which solution paths do you want to have shared during the
class discussion? In what order will the solutions be presented? Why?
· What specific questions will you ask so that students will—
1. make sense of the
mathematical ideas that you want them to learn?
2. expand on, debate, and question the solutions being shared?
3. make connections among the different strategies that are presented?
4. look for patterns?
5. begin to form generalizations?
What will you see or hear that lets you know that all students in the class
understand the mathematical ideas that
you intended for them to learn? / Teacher will observe students while working. (Make a note of any students you would like to have share).
What do you want students to share?
· Estimates of both throws
· Data of actual throws
· How students were able to find their measurements
(Have at least three groups share data).
Discussion Questions
· How close were your estimates to your actual results?
· What was the most challenging part of this activity?
· Why did we use different units of measurement?
· Compare to other groups. Were there any groups whose results were close to yours?
· If you were going to do this contest again, what would you do differently? Why?
Discuss as a class and create a line plot showing differences between estimations and actual measurements.