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Lesson Study Cycle 1

We will, we will ROUND YOU

Our Lesson

The goal of this lesson was to provide third grade students with multiple paths toward showing and discussing their math work. In doing so, we sought to help students feel successful regardless of the way in which they expressed their thinking.  Melina Aguirre's third grade class of learners was in the process of using place value knowledge to round numbers to the nearest hundred. This lesson fell after students had been exposed to the concept, and had been provided time to practice and tools to help. Our lesson was designed to answer our question: How can students use a variety of ways to showtheir mathematical thinking so that all students experience success in showing and replicating a mathematical strategy?

In this lesson, learners first engaged in some warm-up activities. Students reflected on the midpoint between two hundreds (e.g., 700 and 800), and then applied their knowledge of rounding to determine the answers to a variety of rounding questions. They were given a blank number line and encouraged to sketch their thinking on a whiteboard. Students were also invited to participate in the discussion of their math activities through verbal discourse and physicality (for examples, "hands up high" to indicate a higher number). 

 

After discussing and debating their rounding thinking, students were asked to grapple with three problems on their own: two "select all that apply" multiple-choice questions and a word problem with a range of multiple correct answers. Students continued their discourse by reviewing these problems together as a whole class and discussing their strategies. Finally, students were given an informal assessment exit ticket to close out the lesson, where they were asked to complete one multiple-choice problem and one word problem independently. Additionally, students were asked to draw a face that represented their feelings about math on the back of the assessment.

Our Goals

Content understanding goal:

Students will be able to use place value understanding

to round whole numbers to the nearest 100

 

 

Equity goal:

Students will be encouraged to express their learning

in different ways (verbally, in writing and using body movement).

They will be provided with models and practice

before engaging with written tasks.

Our Research

Our Students

Focal Student #1

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Assets: Enthusiastic about school in general and math specifically. 

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Needs: SF 1 has been less inclined than others to share their math strategies with the whole class.

Focal Student #2

 

Assets: Creative thinker, comfortable asking for the tools they might need.

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Needs: Is helped by having clear directions and visuals. Can bring rigidity into math thinking, with the belief that there is only one correct strategy for some problems.

Focal Student #3

 

Assets: Strong desire to learn, tech savvy

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Needs: EL student, has some stuttering challenges

Student Work

Analysis and Reflections

The major takeaways that I have from this lesson study:

  • Draw all students into the spotlight - as Melina led the class through various outlets of participation, I watched students who were previously disengaged find pathways to show their learning to the class. Giving each student a chance to teach their peers elevates that child's self perception as a mathematician. My teaching practice will evolve based on this lesson to incorporate many more options for students to participate in discourse.

  • Find and explore disagreements - during one point in the lesson, two students disagreed about the strategy they would use to solve a rounding problem. This disagreement was settled by a quick explanation from one student, and on reflection we realized that a more thorough exploration of these kinds of disagreements would be another tool to move students through both teacher and learner roles simultaneously. My teaching practice was informed by this finding because it was clear to me that students need help navigating these kinds of disagreements, especially when there is one "right" answer to a problem. Role playing these kinds of disagreements can be fruitful so that our students can practice defending their opinion, listening to understand others, and coming to agreements about next steps.

  • Take a cue from children at play: variety is everything - children on the playground will use every piece of equipment provided to find their way to a fun outcome. In this same way, our lesson study found that giving our students more paths to participate in mathematics discourse helped more students participate. This is just more evidence to support a Universal Design for Learning, where all students are given the tools they might need to succeed. As evidenced by our informal assessment (below), students love math when they get to participate together! I will continue to refine my practice by searching for each child's access point, remembering that they will not all take the same path.

Research Links

Research question/equity theme: How can students use a

variety of ways to show their mathematical thinking

so that all students experience success in showing

and replicating a mathematical strategy?

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Theory of Action: If we address students not engaging in 

mathematics discussion through providing many different

opportunities to share, then we will see an increase in the

number of students participating as well as the frequency

of that participation.

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