COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO LESSON PLAN Teacher Candidate: Ariana Thomas Date Taught: Friday, April 26, 2013 Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Lucero Magallanes School / District: Talman School Grade: 3 Field Supervisor: Edward Podsiadlik Unit / Subject: Math Lesson Title / Focus: Estimating Costs
I. Prior Knowledge and Background of Students
For this lesson, it is necessary that students have adequate background knowledge on estimation and how to round numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. Additional requisite skills related to estimating costs include add up to three addends through the hundreds place with and without regrouping, subtract, multiply multi-digit numbers by a 1 digit number, and identify place values. Students have been working on multiplication for the past week as this is the seventh formal lesson in the sequence of the unit.
II. Lesson Rationale (Why?) Learning Goals and Focus:
Students will be able to… Estimate prices and total costs of a purchase. Use multiplication and estimation strategies to solve number stories. Use subtraction to calculate change
Illinois Common Core State Standards:
3.OA.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.
Targeted Academic Language:
Estimate, round, change, cost, place value
The targeted academic language function of the learning tasks in the lesson is to estimate. This language function is directly associated with deep content learning and essential for student understanding. Within the major language function of estimating, there are several additional content specific vocabulary terms essential to understanding the central focus of the lesson. I will explicitly teach the following terms as I believe they are necessary for students to develop an understanding as they work through the lesson’s learning activities: estimate, round, change, cost, and place value. These language demands will be taught using a variety of strategies to support the broad range of abilities and multiple intelligences within the classroom. After initially introducing the vocabulary terms and their meanings to the class, students will “repeat-after-me” using the word wall display with graphics included to support auditory and visual learners. This whole group structure choral structure is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment without fear of making mistakes. Next, students will be instructed to stand and perform a designated gesture for each word to better clarify meaning and support kinesthetic learners. Scaffolding strategies that will be used include a spiraling strategy to review and reiterate meaning of the terms, visualization and drama, as well as embedding the vocabulary into discourse throughout the lesson.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES Orientation/Engagement/Motivation: 5 min.
The students will begin in a whole group structure seated at the desks to begin the lesson as a community of learners with a shared knowledge base. I will begin my instruction by introducing the topic of estimation. Students will then be presented with the lesson objectives as I make explicit what it is we will be learning using the written display to be made both auditory and visual. Next, I will activate the background knowledge of the class while assessing their current level of understanding by asking: What is an estimate? Several student volunteers will be selected to share their responses. If students have difficulty responding to the prompt, I will then scaffold and adjust as necessary by providing further prompts to guide thinking.
Presentation/Explicit Instruction: 10 min
Before moving forward, I will establish rules, procedures, and address expectations for the following learning activity. Next, students will be introduced to the academic vocabulary using a visual display accompanied by oral explanation. Students will repeat after me and perform the gestures associated with each term to support the meaning of the vocabulary. Students will review the vocabulary using the visual display, verbal interactive participation, and physical gestures to cater to multiple intelligences within the classroom. This vocabulary discussion will employ strategies such as spiraling to review and reiterate the meaning of the vocabulary as well as visualization and drama to better support student understanding. I will emphasize that students should be using the vocabulary in their discourse as we progress throughout the lesson.
Next, students will be further introduced to the focus of the lesson of using estimation to calculate costs and solve number stories. To better support understanding for multiple intelligences and make direct instruction accessible to all learners, I will present an “Estimating Costs” anchor chart as I explain the content. Today we are going to talk about different situations where it would be appropriate to estimate in order to figure out a problem and when to find an exact answer. Sometimes when working with numbers you do not need to find an exact answer. Presenting the “Knowing When to Estimate” reference, I will explain the concept of estimation further by discussing when it is appropriate to estimate using familiar examples. I will describe how in some situations it is appropriate to estimate because an exact answer is not needed describing various examples. When can we make estimates? We make estimates when we don’t need an exact answer. What are some situations where it is appropriate to estimate instead of finding the exact answer? Estimating is very useful when making purchases. It is a helpful way to quickly calculate the total. When we go grocery shopping, we can estimate to figure out if we have enough money for the items we’d like to buy. But when we are done shopping and go to the cashier to pay, we need an exact answer to know how much money we need. I will provide the following example to support understanding of when estimation can be used as I continue to explain: Let’s take a look at an example: Carlie has $5.00. Is it enough money to buy a $1.39 bottle of juice and a $2.89 salad? Carlie can estimate because she does not need an exact answer. She can use simple numbers that are close to the exact prices to determine if she has enough money to buy both the items she wants. If the total cost of the items is less than the total amount of money she has, then she has enough to buy them both.
I will then discuss why estimation is useful as to provide a purpose for learning and a value for the knowledge. I will open with the following question to incorporate opportunities for student voice: Why do we estimate? After, I will explain: We do not and will not always know or have the exact answer to a question or problem. However, estimates provide people with a way of making reasonable, intelligent guesses when the exact answer is unknown. By using estimation, we can work out answers to math questions quickly. As a means of assessing student understanding before moving forward, I will call upon several students to pose questions related to the concept of estimation in which they will be encouraged to respond using the academic vocabulary.
Structured Practice/Exploration: 10 min
Next, I will tell the class, “Let’s take a look at some examples to continue practicing estimating costs.” Students will be directed to use their whiteboards to follow along as we complete the problems.
Model: Michael wants to purchase 3 bags of erasers at $2.64 each and a T shirt for $6.96. Estimate the total cost of the items. I will think aloud to model estimating the total cost of the purchase using the following steps: • First, round the price of the erasers at $2.64 each to $3.00. • Next, round the price of the T shirt at $6.96 to $7.00. • Now multiply $3.00 by 3 because that is the total number of erasers he will be buying at that price, then add $7.00 for the T shirt • Michael’s total purchase will be approximately $16.00 • Students will use calculators to calculate the exact price.
Guided: Jean would like to buy 2 pizzas at $8.88 each, 4 sodas $8.64 per display, and 2 Mini Fish Erasers at $4.44 per bag. What is an estimate for the total cost of the items? How much higher or lower is the actual price than the estimate? I will think aloud to model estimating the total cost of the purchase using the following steps: • Round the sharpener price of $8.88 to $9.00. Multiple $9.00 by the quantity of 2 for a total sharpener estimate of $18.00. • Round the pencil price of $8.64 to $9.00. Multiply $9.00 by the quantity of 4 for a total pencil estimate of $36.00. • Round the eraser price of $4.44 to $5.00. Multiply by the quantity of 2 for a total eraser estimate of $10.00. • Add the three individual estimates for a total estimate of $64.00. • Jean’s total purchase will be approximately $64.00. • The actual price is $61.20 – only $2.80 less than the estimate
Independent: Mary wants to purchase 4 Each box of pencils costs $8.64. Quickly determine an estimate of the total price Mary should expect to pay. Compare this to the actual total price. • Round the price of $8.64 to $9.00. • Now multiply $9.00 per eraser by the total quantity of 4. • Mary’s total purchase will be approximately $36.00. • The actual price is $34.56 - only $1.44 less than the estimate.
Next, I will assess students’ levels of understanding of how to round using a questioning strategy to elicit responses. Student volunteers will be asked to provide explanations for the class. Prompts include: Why do we estimate to this and not that? Would it be ok to round to…? Why or why not? What about to…? Why or why not? Then, I will review the rules of rounding using feedback based on my assessment of student understanding to further guide instruction and adjust additional instruction on how to round as necessary.
Guided Practice/Feedback: 15 mins Next, I will explain the next activity to the class by saying, “We are going to continue exploring estimation and since shopping is an appropriate situation to use estimating, we are all going to go shopping for school supplies right here in our classroom.” Using clear, concise directions, I will describe what students are expected to do for the activity as well as review rules, procedures, and expectations.
Shopping Activity Directions: Each group will be given a school supply list and a set of question cards. Students will select a card and answer the question using the school supply list. Students can use their white boards as space to complete their work. If the student responds correctly, they will receive a coupon that can be later redeemed to purchase an item from the classroom store.
Then, students will be divided into 3 small collaborative groups based on their varying levels to continue participate in a guided practice activity. Each group will be led by an instructor (either myself, Ms. Ramirez, another student teacher, or Ms. Magallanes, my mentor teacher.) Before group work begins, rules, procedures, and expectations will be addressed again while students are still seated in a whole group structure to reiterate the importance of responsible behavior.
Group 1: “Addition” – basic This group will be seated at the front table as to allow for easy access to the reference resources displayed from the beginning of the lesson. These students can also use further supports as necessary such as multiplication charts, manipulatives, and/or other supplemental materials to assist in completing the activity. Each student will be select at least 3 problems to complete. Group 2: “Subtraction” –proficient This group will be given 4 problems to complete.
Group 3: “Multiplication” – advanced This group will be given more challenging content including multistep problems that require taking more than 2 steps and round up to place values of a thousand. Each student will be given 5 problems to complete.
Independent Practice/Application: 5 min To conclude the lesson, I will facilitate a discussion to review key concepts and the purpose for completing the lesson’s activities as well as for learning.
So today we have learned when and how to estimate. What did we learn? What is rounding? When you are shopping, why might you make an estimate? How would you make the estimate?
Lastly, students will be given an exit slip as an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and serve as a learning reflection. This independent activity will also serve as an assessment to collect evidence used to guide further instruction in the following lessons. Students will also be given a worksheet with practice exercises to complete for homework.
IV. Assessment Formative Assessment (Process): Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson as I observe student engagement, participation, and evidence of learning. Engagement will be assessed based on whether students are following along during direct instruction, as well as during activities as directed by the teacher (for example, making eye contact with the speaker, following given directions, actively listening, etc.) Students are also expected to be engaged in the learning activities by actively participating in whole group discussions exhibiting critical thinking and asking questions to clarify misunderstandings when necessary. Participation is also required throughout the lesson in completing practice exercises within the various group structures. Throughout the lesson, classroom discourse should include students using academic language in both teacher-student and student-student dialogue. This won’t be expected from the beginning of the lesson, although self- correcting should be heard as the lesson progresses as evidence of learning development and application of the targeted academic vocabulary. Observation will mainly be focused on finding evidence students can demonstrate their understanding of estimation. Summative Assessment (Product):
V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology Calculators White boards and markers Anchor Charts Student Practice Worksheets School Supply Lists Cards for shopping game Store Prices Lists Coupons for accuracy and appropriate behavior