Centipede's 100 Shoes: A Lesson Plan for Engaging Students in Repeated Addition | Lecture notes Mathematics

How$to$Write$a$Mathematics$Lesson$

1. Always$think$about$“what$is$it$that$I$want$the$students$to$learn?”$

a. These$should$be$your$lesson$objectives$

b. AND$they$should$reflect$what$is$on$your$assessment$à$You$can$create$your$assessment$

first$so$that$you$know$exactly$at$what$“end”$you$want$to$be,$what$you$value,$and$what$you$

ultimately$want$the$students$to$know$

c. KUD’s:$What$you$want$your$students$to$Know,$Understand,$&$Do$

2. Then$try$to$think$of$why$this$is$important$

a. Is$it$a$foundational$idea$in$which$other$concepts$will$build?$

b. Does$it$have$great$historical$or$practical$importance?$

c. Where$is$it$used$in$the$real$world$or$how$will$it$help$the$students?$

3. This$“why”$should$lead$you$to$how$to$formulate$your$lesson$$

a. Have$this$be$the$starting$off$point$to$motivate$the$students$to$learn$

b. This$should$be$a$theme$throughout$your$lesson$

4. ALWAYS$start$with$something0concrete$that$the$students$can$relate$to$and$grab$hold$of$–$this$is$

your$opportunity$to$create$a$“problem”$so$your$students$can$become$better$“problem$solvers”$

a. This$is$also$your$opportunity$to$spark$curiosity$and$instill$motivation:$show$the$power$

and$importance$of$math$

b. Hopefully$this$will$avoid$the$“why$do$we$have$to$know$this$anyway,”$“what$is$the$point$of$

this,”$and$the$“why$should$we$care$about$this”$

5. Once$you$have$their$attention$and$motivation$use$it$to$empower$them$and$teach$them$math!$

a. Think$about$all$of$the$ways$you$can$engage$the$students:$does$this$topic$lend$itself$to$

group$work,$pairs,$or$whole$class$instruction?$

b. Can$you$create$enough$scaffolding$so$that$the$students$can$be$the$center$of$the$lesson$

(you$do$the$least$amount$of$talking$as$possible)?$ALWAYS$think$to$yourself$–$“how$can$my$

students$understand$this$topic$without$me$telling$it$to$them?”$

c. Always$want$the$students$to$be$doing$more$“work”$than$you$in$the$classroom$(outside$of$

the$classroom$is$a$different$story)$

6. After$you$have$created$positive[minded,$motivated,$and$enthusiastic$students$you$can$move$

towards$the$abstract$and$practice$“math$problems”$

Figure$out$the$importance$of$HW$–$why$should$they$do$it:$practice?$Extension?$$You$as$the$teacher$need$

to$determine$the$value$you$place$on$HW.$$Just$don’t$give$them$HW$for$the$sake$of$giving$HW,$make$it$

meaningful!$$If$you$are$going$to$assign$it,$and$you$expect$your$students$to$do$it,$then$you$better$be$

prepared$to$spend$adequate$time$on$it.$$If$you$do$not$have$adequate$time,$make$it$optional$–$say$these$

are$practice$problems$that$would$behoove$you$to$do,$especially$if$you$need$the$practice.$$For$a$student$

looking$in$the$math$textbook,$all$of$the$problems$look$the$same,$so$lead$them$in$right$direction$of$where$

you$want$them$to$focus$their$attention$and$energy.$

! !

Centipede's 100 Shoes: A Lesson Plan for Engaging Students in Repeated Addition, Lecture notes of Mathematics