Lesson 2: Creating Your Own Lesson Plan

Return to: Unit 3: Creating a Lesson Plan to Teach The Mathematician's Plan

Return to: Mini-course: The Mathematician's Plan: Promoting Thinking In Math

Continue to: Lesson 3: Implementation and Next Steps

Learning Objectives

Participants will use the lesson plan structure provided to create a lesson plan around one step of the Mathematician’s Plan.

Do Now

List the 4 parts of the lesson to teach the Mathematician's Plan.

Mini-Lecture

It is your turn to plan and subsequently implement a lesson. Your lesson plan should follow the structure outlined in lesson 1 of this unit. You will need to submit a typed lesson plan along with the worksheet you intend to use with all the problems solved completely. Below you will find useful resources from previous lessons.

The Mathematician's Plan

Teaching Points

Read and Interpret the Question

• Mathematicians interpret the question by asking: What is this question asking? What is my plan to solve?
• Mathematicians sometimes draw a model, write an equation, or make notes to help them understand what's happening in a problem.
• Mathematicians always make a plan before starting to solve a problem.

Use Your Plan to Solve

• Mathematicians label what each calculation represents in the problem as they solve.
• Mathematicians organize their workspace and write neatly.
• Mathematicians leave space to solve the problem using a second strategy and write neatly so anyone can see how they solved.
• Mathematicians choose a strategy that works best for them to solve each problem.

Check Your Work

• After solving, mathematicians re-read the question and ask themselves: Did I answer the question completely?
• After solving, mathematicians re-read the question and ask themselves: Does my answer make sense?

Lesson Plan Structure

Guided Practice

• Teacher states the teaching point very clearly.
• Teacher demonstrates the teaching point through an example question for students to watch. Teachers should be doing think alouds to narrate the teaching point and the thinking behind it.
• This should take no more than 10 minutes.
• Teacher focuses on teaching point, not necessarily the math.

Independent Practice

• Teacher launches independent practice by setting expectations around student thinking, reiterating the teaching point, as well as the environment.
• Students should have their worksheets and pencils. Teacher should have a checklist with student names, question numbers, and space for notes. Teacher should also have completed worksheet.
• During this independent work time the teacher is doing two things. First, the teacher is quickly marking on the checklist which students got the questions right or wrong. Second, teachers are going to pre-determined students for on the spot coaching. Students do not raise their hands. The teacher only coaches the students identified prior to the lesson.
• The tone should be positive but urgent. This should take no more than 20 minutes.

Discourse

• The teacher strategically selects a question that many students answered incorrectly AND demonstrates the teaching point.
• Teacher must select two samples of student work for the discourse. One should have the correct answer and one should have the incorrect answer
• The teacher leads the discourse by asking the two sample students how they got their answer. The teacher should ask open ended questions and guide discourse around the teaching point.
• At the end of the discourse the teacher should clearly state the teaching point again.

Score and Reflection

• Teacher facilitates a trade and grade. Students trade worksheet with a peer, teacher gives all answers, students grade peer papers and pass back.
• Teacher allows students to reflect on their work, make goals for the next lesson, and celebrates students who achieved their goals.

Your Lesson Plan Submission

1. Click HERE
2. Create a new slide
3. Share your lesson plan