Describe the lesson plans from the four Web sites that support the standard.
I visited four websites and came up with lesson plans titled spiders have 8 legs, take away, sum search, and let’s count to ten. All these lesson plans support the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. The standards are developed to ensure that students acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills in mathematics. Mathematics is a core subject in schools and is subject to close supervision through standards. NCTM has developed numerous standards within the curricular of Mathematics and expects that teachers meet the standards when giving instructions in Mathematics (Clements & Sarama, 2009). It is therefore appropriate that teachers prepare lesson plans that will confine their instructions in meeting the NCTM standards.
In the lesson plan Spiders have 8 legs, the teacher offers instructions on how students can represent number eight in writing. The teacher uses a variety of manipulative to assist students in developing number eight in writing. NCTM standards require that Pre-k-2 students develop a sense of whole numbers and use them in a flexible way. The lesson plan assist students develop number sense for whole numbers by enabling them develop number eight in writing.
Take away introduces elementary students to subtraction. It assists students in developing appropriate skills in subtraction of numbers. The teacher has the main objective of creating a link between the student’s experiences and mathematics. NCTM standards require that students understand the effects of adding and subtraction of whole numbers. The lesson ensures that at the end of the lesson, students will have developed a deep understanding of subtraction and how it relates to the real world.
The lesson plan titled sum search, students use sums of 5, 6, 7 and 8 to practice addition. The practice of addition is based on a game format that uses dominoes. The teacher offers instructions on how to generate sums of given numbers using a calculator and recording the results on a hundreds chart. Subsequently, the students look for patterns created on the chart in order to enforce the understanding of addition of numbers. NCTM standards expect pre-k-2 students to compute figures using various methods such as calculators. The lesson enables students use calculators in computing addition.
The teacher uses lets count to ten lesson plan to develop number objects that will assist students in counting from zero to ten. Students develop groups of objects corresponding to numbers from zero to ten. MNTC standards require that pre-K-2 students understand counting of numbers and recognize quantities in set of objects. The lesson provides for students to record the size of each group and assign each size to a specific number between zero and ten. The lesson provides for the use of diagrams, audio and kinesthetics to assist students develop a sense of number.
How the methodology of number sense is used in each of the lesson plans
Number sense refers to the ability of students to use and understand numbers. It relates to knowing the relative values of numbers, how to make judgment using numbers, and how to develop meaningful approaches in counting, estimating and measuring. Number sense also enables a student use different and flexible approaches in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (Anghileri, 2006). Each of the four lesson plans uses different methodologies of number sense as it will be explained in the subsequent paragraphs.
In the lesson plan spiders have 8 legs, the teacher introduces the lesson by narrating a story about the spider. He uses a book containing pictures of spiders and their respective environments. The teacher then asks the students to draw pictures of the spider on a piece of paper. The students use black construction paper to construct eight legs for the drawings of spider. The teacher opts to assist students develop each leg and also monitors the drawings of each student to ensure they are making the appropriate drawings. After finishing the drawings and cutting legs for the spider drawings, each student holds the 8 legs and counts them together as a class from one to eight. The students then use glue to attach the legs to the drawings.
In the following lesson, the teacher reminds the students on what the students prepared the previous day and the number of legs. He then asks the students to use round crackers and pretzels to come up with a spider. The students are then required to count eight spiders and put them in a spider web. For each number they place on the web, the whole class conducts the counting. Later on, the teacher asks the students to empty the webs and place different numbers such as three and two on the web. The lesson plan allows for continuous practice in counting the number of spiders from one to eight. This ensures that students become proficient in counting numbers from one to eight.
Take away ensures provide for students to record subtraction experiences in a chat with headings of Start With, Take Away and Have Left. Subtraction is referred to as Take Away in this lesson plan. The students are given snacks and are required to eat a given number and save the rest. However, eating in such a case basically represents the portion that is removed from the original number of snacks. The students then record their respective results in a snack chart. For instance, Jessica starts with six snacks, eats three of them and will remain with three snacks. The snacks help students make connections to numbers.
Sum search, uses the game of dominoes in making sums. The teacher places tiles with a given number of dots on the floor and calls on the students to randomly pick two tiles. If a student picks two tiles with the same number of spots (sum), then the student will keeps the tiles. The teacher then, presents the students with a hundreds chart to record different sums by the use of a calculator in making computations. Students ring the different sums using different colors and describe the pattern on the Hundreds board. This enables the student to focus and memorize the facts of addition.
In the lesson plan let’s count to ten; the teacher uses an activity sheet in which students are required to write different numerals ranging from one to ten. The student is further required to draw a number of objects that match the numeral. For instance, a student may draw two sticks to match numeral two. This enables the student to count objects and relate the results to a given numeral. It provides them with proficient skills in counting numbers (Anghileri, 2006).
What mathematical operations are used in these activities?
The activities used mathematical operations mainly including addition and subtraction (Clements & Sarama, 2009). The lesson plan on Take away involves subtraction where the student is supposed to take away ‘eaten’ snacks from the number he started with. Sum search uses addition using a game of dominoes. The students generate sums to given numbers using a calculator and make records in a hundreds chart.
For what grade level(s) are these Web sites appropriate?
The web sites are relevant to the Pre-K-2 grade level. They provide lesson plans with instructions that create a foundation in the pursuit of mathematics. These instructions are characterized by simple mathematical operations like addition and subtraction. The lesson plans also provide for simple mathematical activities such as counting. The Pre-K-2 grade level is the lowest grading level and requires the simplest mathematical operations and activities (Clements & Sarama, 2009).
What part of the lesson plans contained differentiated instruction? If there is none, how would you differentiate the instruction to a targeted diverse group of your choice?
The instruction plan part of the lesson plan contains differentiated instructions. In sum search, the lesson plan contains instructions that the teacher provides students with the game of dominoes. It further instructs that the teacher introduces the game to students who have never played the game. Lesson plans provide for differentiated instructions in order to ensure that the diverse group of students gets a common understanding of the subject (Bassarear, 2007). The teacher can differentiate instructions by giving general instructions, and further offer additional instructions to students who do not understand the general instructions.
Why are these lesson plans important to student understanding of mathematics?
The four lesson plans are important to the student understanding of mathematics in two ways. They provide for differentiated instructions that cover a diverse group of students. These instructions ensure that all the students get an understanding of mathematics. Teachers are instructed to tailor instructions in order to meet the different abilities of students. For instance, weak students require additional instructions compared to average and above average students (Clements & Sarama, 2009). Another reason why these lesson plans are important is that they use manipulatives in teaching. Manipulatives have been found to enable students to think about math concretely, and thus improves skills in abstract thinking.
Were manipulatives used? If not, how would you integrate manipulatives within each lesson?
The lessons used manipulatives in giving mathematical instructions. For instance, Take away lesson plan provided for the student to use snacks in conducting operations in subtraction. Such manipulatives aid in making the student apply abstract thinking in mathematics. Teachers used appealing manipulatives that could be easier to associate with mathematical operations and activities (Bassarear, 2007). For instance, it is easy to remember the association between snacks and subtraction.
References
Anghileri, J. (2006). Teaching number sense. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Bassarear, T. (2007). Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers. New York: Cengage Learning.
Clements, D & Sarama, J. (2009). Learning and teaching early math: the learning trajectories approach. Chicago: Taylor & Francis.
Spiders Have 8 Legs, retrieved from http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L870
Sum Search, retrieved from http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L58
Take Away, retrieved from http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L192
Let’s Count to 10, retrieved from http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L501
