Objectives
The overall objective is to offer students information on how the brain works, and its impact on the types of learning activities that are most effective to strengthen problem-solving skills and building mastery. I want students to become critical about their learning and confident in their attempts to solve complex word problems. Above all, by using the technique of writing in math, they will acquire meta-cognition skills to help them understand how to clearly communicate their mathematical thinking. Student writing will include a math journal and a detailed problem solving explanation incorporating numbers and words. They will become aware of their dominant learning style. They will learn how to select the appropriate strategy to solve problems. As a result, this curriculum unit will serve as an integrated unit that includes activities connected to the content areas of literacy, math, and science. I will collaborate with the science teacher for implementation of applicable activities. Students will have numerous practice opportunities to expand analytical skills, improve math comprehension, enhance written expression, and connect math to real life experiences.
Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School is an urban public school that features a small learning environment. I teach a part-time learning support class for grades fifth through eighth, which incorporates all content subjects. These classes are organized into five 50 minutes periods per day. This math block will enable me to incorporate the unit over the course of six to eight weeks, which is equivalent to one grading period. Therefore, the unit will be taught primarily during my math block. It will extend across the content areas to achieve the goals and objectives.
I want to teach lessons that have students utilize meta-cognitive skills. I will incorporate hands-on interactive lessons to reach the various categories of learners that Howard Gardner describes in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile. 2 6 The unit incorporates a range of learning styles and abilities, which is an educational approach that was developed by Howard Gardner. Students arrive in the classroom with numerous strengths and deficits; educators are encouraged to incorporate differentiated instruction as part of the routine learning environment.
- Teachers can facilitate a lifetime of successful learning by
- equipping students with a repertoire of strategies and tools for
- learning.
- David A. Sousa
Math Journal
Writing in mathematics will be an integral strategy that I will implement in the classroom. Popular researchers' such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and others have stated the benefits of utilizing writing to improve student comprehension. According to NCTM "writing in mathematics can also help students consolidate their thinking because it requires them to reflect on their work and clarify their thoughts about the ideas developed in the lesson." 2 7 Student will implement writing in mathematics applying two formats.
First, to get student acclimated to the idea of writing, I will utilize "mathography prompts," which is an autobiography of their history with mathematics. Examples of the prompts include the following: When you were in first, second, or third grade what did you like about math? What didn't you like? Draw a picture of all you know about mathematics. What year in school was math the best for you? What made it a good year in terms of math? 2 8 Student responses will provide me with background knowledge to assist me in planning future lessons and responses are an indicator of student learning styles.
Second, I decided to use "Read, Imagine, Decide, Do" (RIDD), a four-step process to analyze word problems. RIDD was created by Fay Balch Jackson in 1997 for students who have difficulties in both reading and mathematics. Since the majority of my student population has disorders in both subjects, I believe this strategy is ideal. In addition, the steps are simple and with perfect practice they should be easy to remember and understand. Step 1: Read the problem from beginning to end to ensure that students focus on the entire task. Step 2: Imagining the problem requires students to create a mental picture of what they have read. "Using imagery when learning new material activates more brain regions and transforms the learning into meaningful, visual, auditory, kinesthetic images of information." 2 9 Step 3: Decide what to do. Students need to decide upon the operation that is required. Step 4: Do the work. Students solve the word problem. Students provide a written response for steps 2 through 4 to document the process they utilized to solve the problem.
Cognitive Closure
Because my unit places a significant emphasis on meaning, a cognitive closure activity to help students focus on what was learned and whether it made sense and had meaning is valuable. Students will keep a journal and document their responses when new learning is presented at the end of the school day. They will be required to answer the following questions: 3 0 What did you learn today? How does what we learned today connect or add to something we already have learned? How can what we learned today help us in the future? I predict this writing assignment should take approximately five to ten minutes. As this journal is maintained throughout the school year, students will have a record of their progress and a tool to use for reflective inquiry.
Cooperative Groups
Establishing cooperative groups as part of this unit will offer positive outcomes for my students. Cooperative Groups will provide a learning environment where students can help, assist, encourage, and support each other's efforts to learn. Student will engage in cooperative groups during a jigsaw activity and a walking tour. In the case of the jigsaw activity each group will be assigned a math problem based on their ability. This is one of the many opportunities when I will incorporate differentiated instruction. After completion of the problem, each group will assign a classmate to present results using RIDD. Next, the walking tour allows students to work in small groups. I will use this strategy as a review. Questions related to the skills discussed are written on chart paper around the classroom. Each group is given a few minutes to write their responses. When the signal is given, the groups move to the next chart. At the end of the activity, the group assigns a classmate to present their responses.
Graphic Organizers
A picture is worth a thousand words. Graphic organizers illustrate the concepts and it helps students to read and understand difficult text. Consistently I use graphic organizers to enhance my lessons. Graphic organizers provide multiple benefits. First, it helps them focus on specific math skills as opposed to becoming overwhelmed with a multitude of expectations. Second, it allows them to work in shorter chunks. Third, it allows time to digest new or difficult ideas. Fourth, it is a visual tool for improving understanding, meaning, and retention. The graphic organizers applicable to this unit are word problem maps, charts, diagrams, and graphs.
Technology
Using technology in the classroom will appeal to my visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learners. "Research studies show that, particularly in middle-grade mathematics, technology can have positive effects on students' attitudes toward learning, on their confidence in their mathematics, and on their motivation and time on task." 3 1 Students will use math software, graphing calculators, and the Internet. For instance, students will access websites such as "Neuroscience for Kids" to view diagrams of the brain and read factual data. This will give students the opportunity to view an animated explanation of this complex structure, which will bring alive the intricacies of the human brain. In addition, they will integrate Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to complete class assignments and projects. A project may include students researching a mathematician to analyze how this person contribution impacts our lives today. The mode of presentation will require students to develop a PowerPoint slide show.
Choice Boards
Providing special education students with options is essential. Choice boards are one way to differentiate. Presently, we use this strategy in our school and it has been successful. Students are required to complete one assignment out of approximately four choices. Nunly's method improves on my previous implementation of the strategy. Nunly refers to this strategy "as 'three steps to layering the curriculum', which is a simple way to differentiate instruction, encourage higher-order thinking, prepare students for adult-world decision making, and hold them accountable for learning." 3 2 What I like is that all students are expected to complete each layer of an assignment. They may not demonstrate advance competency at the highest level, however all learners are required to attempt each level. There are three levels beginning with level C that is the lowest on the continuum progressing to level A, the highest. Nunly's technique is comprehensive and forces students to scaffold their learning.
Assessments
To provide students with numerous opportunities for success, student overall assessment will be based on a portfolio collection of the above assignments and completion of lesson plans activities that follow. In addition, students will be assessed on what Sousa states as "level of learning mastery." Cognitive research findings promote that students should transition through six levels of mastery to truly learn and retain mathematical concepts. 3 3 Typically, my students have extreme difficulty following directions based on countless reasons. Therefore, to help them remain focused they will consistently need to refer to a checklist to ensure adherence. Levels of learning mastery are included in the appendix C.
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