Overview of the lesson plan

Question:

Discuss About The Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting?

The student should be able to represent mathematical situation in a variety of way by the use of mathematical terminologies, apply appropriate strategies in solving problems including technology and lastly give a reason for supporting his or her answer. In addition to this, understanding pattern as well as basic algebra related to pattern enable them use in practical scenario. Change in pattern how influence several situation can also be understood upon completion of this lesson. 

Group participation and curriculum activities, observation and participation and reviewing the math journals. Playing quiz, observation game, etc will also consider as assessments for this lesson.

An interactive whiteboard, Mathletic’s teacher login, computers, Math journals and a Marian’s Small’s Pyramid Prediction handout. Wool frame alpha can also be used if required in any stage.

Before starting the lesson, the teacher should pick a student to pray for the class. Thereafter, the teacher should introduce the topic explaining each term associated with the topic and then play a video (Pyramid Prediction) from the Marian Small’s Pyramid Prediction. The video has two parts and the teacher should play each part and asking questions at the intervals. Students should study, investigate and calculate the possible answers for the patterns displayed. The teacher should ask prompting questions on what is happening to the sections of the pyramid and the student’s knowledge of the pattern rule.

With the help of the teacher, the students should form balanced groups (in terms of abilities) of four students in each. A table in the classroom should be designated where the teacher will call each group to work with them on the Pyramid Prediction handout sheet which is found in the Marian Small’s eBook. In the groups, the teacher should determine how well the students are grasping the concepts and if a student has special needs he or she can be attended to. The teacher should guide the students using the questions found in the eBook. The teacher should make sure each student is able so solve a pattern and understand what is happening to the pyramid. After the group work, the teacher should provide an independent activity where the students would journal their response and ideas.

The teacher can spend this time playing math games with the students on the interactive whiteboard and award the students with most points. Also the teacher can discuss with the students some interesting facts about patterns and algebra. In addition to this, while discussing some of interesting facts about patterns and algebra; the teacher can ask them what kind of pattern it is. The teacher can add properties, facts related to the pattern so that student can comprehend and conceptualize the specific pattern discussed.

Assessment tools used

The teacher should choose a student to pray for the class. He or she should then briefly recap the previous lesson with the students asking questions based on the objectives of the lesson. The students should report any real life evidence they encountered with respect to patterns and algebra. The teacher should also introduce the lesson’s concepts, explaining the difference between fractions, decimals and whole numbers, and the expected outcomes at the end of the lesson.

The teacher should then describe and create patterns with fractions, decimals and whole numbers. The number patterns should involve addition and subtraction. The teacher should introduce terms like ‘increase’ and ‘decrease’ in the patterns, he or she should also demonstrate using local examples how the ‘increase’ and ‘decrease’ occurs. Using the interactive whiteboard, the teacher should create a variety of number patterns with fractions, decimals and whole numbers and then solve with the students. A number line can be used in patterns involving fractions or decimals. At this point the teacher can begin explaining the difference between a variable and a constant and how their addition and subtraction works. The teacher should use charts and marker pens to do a class activity on patterns and algebra. This should be done in groups of four to make sure each student participate. The group can build their own strategies to deal with such aspects.

The teacher can spend this time responding to any clarifications from students. He or she can also provide a two minute individual activity and award whoever reasons according to the teacher’s expectations. The class with the help of the teacher should also stick the charts they prepared during the lesson on the classroom notice board.

As usual, the lesson should be started with a word of prayer. The teacher should also ask the students if they remember what they did in the previous lesson. Also, the teacher should explain the expected outcomes to the students. He or she should start introducing the day’s sub-topic explaining to the students what number sentences are and how they look like. If required, the teacher can re-cap the previous lessons before proceeding with today’s lesson.

The teacher should use number sentences that involve multiplication and division to find the unknown values. Through reasoning and communicating the teacher should describe strategies of solving the number sentences.  Thereafter, he or she should justify the solutions by calling each group to the designated table in the classroom using teaching aids like balls or pegs. The teacher should make sure that before the group work is over, all the students have a grasp of the concept. The teacher should then carry out a class activity by writing the number sentences in words and letting the students reason. For example, ‘I am thinking of a number that when I double it and add 6, the answer is 14, what is the number?’. The teacher should also include number sentences that involve division and multiplication including those that give simple fractions or decimals. However, using balls to solve a decimal problem can prove to be difficult since there is no, for example 5.7, of a ball. Here, the teacher should explain the relationship that exist between a fraction and a decimal. In this context, the teacher can refer the concept of rounding off a number and in what circumstances the rule for rounding off will be applied. He or she should then provide room for any questions or clarifications the students might have since the first lesson. The teacher can also begin to explain the various applications of the topic they have covered. The teacher can ask the client to build such number sentence to the student their own and can share with other students. Here, group can be formed to play this number sentence game developed by their own.

Lesson procedure for teaching patterns and algebra

The teacher can discuss some of the strategies they used in the day’s lesson to solve the problems.  Also, he or she should summarize the whole topic of patterns and algebra since the first lesson putting emphasis on the important areas of the topic.  The teacher can have the students express their views and feelings towards the topic. Finally, each student can ask a number sentence in words and the others try to solve it as they leave the classroom.

One of greatest misconceptions that students have about patterns and algebra is the notion that assuming algebra makes math harder. Many students go into their first algebra class with the preconceived idea that algebra is difficult and it is not related to anything they have done in the past. The name itself is scary and daunting. What the students fail to realize is they have been using algebra in their day-to-day lives and describing patterns. It has seen that although students are taking interest in learning numbers, addition or subtraction of numbers, even multiplication or division; there is very few students who find it difficult.  However, problem started when it comes to identify the pattern first and then do the activities like sum, subtraction, etc. it has seen that majority of them consider all aspects as similar and do the addition, substation with count separating according to the pattern. Taking the example of combining non-like terms, many students take 6x + 4 equals 10x. Based on their knowledge of integers, it is understandable to give such an answer failing to recognize x as a variable. However if we ask the students to substitute a random value for x, say coffee, to the expression proves that non-like terms cannot be combined. Therefore, with the lesson plan above, students are able to see mathematics as something to talk about, to discuss and solve together in groups and to connect school knowledge and outside life, thereby do away with the misconception. The lesson plan incorporates the use of group discussions, use of common stuff like coffee and relating what they have learnt with what they encounter outside school to make patterns and algebra look easy.

The lesson plan also incorporates differentiation strategies that enable students with special needs to get and understand the concepts being taught just like other students. Taking the example in our context, only one student with a hearing problem is disadvantaged. The rest of the students are understand English as the language being used. Provisions have been put in place that take advantage of other senses, for example sight, in the case of the student with a hearing problem. The use of an interactive whiteboard plus videos from Marian’s Small’s Pyramid Prediction allows the students with special needs to see and understand what is being explained. To supplement this provision put in place, direct contact between the students and the teacher during the group activities also plays and important role in making sure the needs of the disadvantaged are taken care of. The teacher is able explain and assess whether the students have clearly master the concepts and also respond to any clarification needed. However, this does not imply that the needs of the special needs students are fully covered. A lot can be done to provide superior differentiation strategies that will improve their learning.

The lesson plan makes sure that the students engage with cross-curriculum priority. One of the priority that they engage in is Asia and Australia engagement with Asia. It is concerned with literacy of Asia for Australian students. The priority nurtures social inclusion in the community and enables students to communicate, during the group work. By playing Asian games before the lesson ends, students investigate concept of luck and also explore how they apply mathematical concepts, for example patterns in architectural designs. Also, another cross-curriculum priority engaged in the lesson plan is sustainability. Sustainable patterns of living means that students are able to meet their present needs without compromising their ability to meet their future needs. Giving students education for sustainability develops their knowledge and skills required for them to add to sustainable living. Students gain skills to investigate and evaluate data (while playing the video on patterns from the Marian’s Small’s Pyramid Prediction). Later the students communicate their findings and make predictions on sustainability based on the findings. It is therefore important that students engage with cross-curriculum priorities through various activities in the lesson plan.

Reference

Board of Studies New South Wales. (2012). Mathematics k-10 syllabus Retrieved from https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/mathematics/mathematics-k10/content/1138/

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] (2016). Australian Curriculum (version 8.1) Retrieved 12 September 2017, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/mathemati10

Chesney, M. (2013). Mental Computation strategies for Addition: There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom