TE 406 - Spring 2016

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Project 2-C: Math Lesson Template
Lillian Marshall

Write this lesson with enough detail so that anyone could imagine exactly
how the lesson is supposed to go!

Background
Lesson Topic (be specific): The subtraction symbol
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Common Core Standard (number and textual description): SMP1
make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
GMP1.2 Reflect on your stinking as you solve your problem.
SMP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
GMP2.1 Create mathematical representations using numbers, words,
pictures, symbols, gestures, tables, graphs and concrete objects.
SMP4 Model with mathematics.
GMP4.1 Model real world situations using graphs, drawings, tables, symbols,
numbers, diagrams, and other representations.
Source (Curriculum Name, Lesson Name, Page #; Website URL; etc.):
McGraw Hill, Lesson 6-8 The Subtraction Symbol (-), pg. 398-401
# of Students in Class: 23
Gender Demographics of the Class (% breakdown): 47% boys, 53%
girls
Racial Demographics of the Class (% breakdown): 87% white, 13%
minority
Time Allotted for Lesson: 40 Minutes

Task(s)
Include the mathematical task(s) around which you built your lesson:
Students will create their own take-away stories, using two dice and
counters, to practice subtraction themselves and then have a partner solve.
An example of this could be:
12 - 6 = 6
12 ducks were sitting in a pond and 6 flew away. How many were left?

Mathematical Goals
State the specific mathematical goals for this lesson:
1. Students will be able to recognize and identify how use the

subtraction symbol when the encounter it

TE 406 - Spring 2016

2. Students will be able to write and solve single-digit subtraction

number stories using manipulatives

Monitoring Sheet
Complete the monitoring sheet (see Smith, Hughes, & Engle, 2009) you plan
to use in your lesson. Build on the work you did in 2-B to anticipate student
thinking. Label (e.g., A, B, C) and describe each strategy and describe each
strategy you anticipate a student using. Also, enumerate the sequence (e.g.,
1st, 2nd, 3rd) in which you plan to sequence them in the Discussion. (Note: the
Who & What will be blank, since you will fill it in while you are actually
teaching).

#
Strategy
A Counting down
B Using fingers
C Taking away, using manipulatives

Who & What

Sequence
3
2
1

TE 406 - Spring 2016

Launch [5 minutes]
Using bullet points, specifically detail exactly what you will do in order to
launch the task (i.e., First, Then, Last). Remember that the launch
should accomplish 3 things: a) explicitly build on students prior
mathematical knowledge; b) Connect to students relevant life
experiences; and c) prepare students to engage with the math in the task.
Youtube song?
Introduce the subtraction symbol by asking students to tell me what remove,
take away, minus, and subtract mean. Once we establish that when you use one of
these terms we are doing a subtraction problem, I will show them the subtraction symbol
( - ) and tell them that it means the same thing as all of those words
I will then tell them that we will be working on writing our very own math
problems and writing the numbers out using the subtraction symbol

Explore [25 minutes]

Using bullet points, specifically detail exactly how students will be working
during the Explore part of the lesson (e.g., in groups of 3, independently):
Launch: 5 minutes
Large group: 5 - 10 minutes
o I will present a story problem to them: Ms. Marshall (I) have 6
cookies and I give 2 away. How many do I have left? I will present it using
unifix cubes, as well as writing it out as a math problem, 6 - 2 = ? I will take a
volunteer to tell the answer and show how she/he arrived at that answer. Then I
will tell them that this kind of question is called a story problem.
o I will present a couple of other story problems that are in the lesson
using unifix cubes, as well as writing it out
Youtube video: 3 minutes
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziGG_L9C12o
o I will talk about how a lot of the songs we learn from have story
problems! Showing students that we see math in this way very frequently will
make the idea of them writing their own more reachable to them
Individually: 10 minutes
o Students will go to table groups (that I will establish to make sure
that everyone is in a good learning spot) and write their own story problem and
draw it on their paper. Then they will read it to up to 3 people and have those
individuals sign the back of the paper
o I will be walking around making sure students are on task and
answering any questions they may have

TE 406 - Spring 2016

Next, write 2-3 mathematical questions related to your specific task(s) that
you plan to use either to probe students thinking or to engage them in the
mathematics of the task(s):
How did you solve your problem? (Show the students problem on the document
camera)
Did someone think of it a different way? (Provide unifix cubes for students to
show their strategies)

Discuss [Type # of Minutes Here]

Using bullet points, specifically detail the sequence of events that will take
place during the Discuss part of the lesson (e.g., student presentations of
solutions, whole-group discussion, teacher synthesis:
Arrival: 2 minutes
o Students will bring their story problem to the rug and sit on the
paper at their rug spots
Student sharing: 10 minutes
o I will choose randomly from the pick can and give students the
opportunity to share their problem on the document camera
o I will pick one or two student volunteers to show strategies for
answering the problem, or use the pick can if necessary

Rationale for Sequencing: On the Monitoring Sheet, you enumerated a

sequence in which you plan to discuss the student strategies. Explain how
this particular sequence relates to the mathematics you want your students
to learn/think about:
My goal is for students to familiarize themselves with the subtraction symbol and using
manipulatives to work through the problem. Also, this strategy is a tangible representation of the
problem that they will be able to use to help them solve the problem. The next strategy is to
discuss using fingers, which is similar to using unifix cubes. Lastly, I have listed counting down,
which is a more advanced strategy at this point because there is no one-to-one correspondence
with a manipulative.
Managing Participation: There wont be time for all of your students to
speak during the Discussion. Plan for the number of students of the total
number in the class you will target to participate, and determine the criteria
will you use for selecting these students:
# of Students Who Will Participate: I will have 4 students participate in sharing their math
stories with the class, then I will take 2 student responses to revoice the problem and explain
thinking

TE 406 - Spring 2016

Criteria: I want all of my students to have the opportunity to share, but if

someone is being particularly disruptive, their opportunity may be
postponed.

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Responding to Inequity
Based on our class discussions, readings, and your field experiences, plan for
inequities that might arise during your lesson and how you will mitigate
them:
Gender: List at least one specific way you anticipate a gender inequity may
arise during your lesson. For each gender inequity, specify whether you
anticipate it happening during the Launch, Explore, or Discuss part of the
lesson. Then, state either how you have already planned to preempt this
inequity, or how you will address it if it arises in real-time.
I have noticed that in group sharing there are a few girls who dominate
volunteering to share. I plan to use the pick can in order to protect the opportunity for
everyone to share
I will also be using the pick can to choose students to share a strategy for solving
a peers problem because very often the student who is sharing will pick a student of the
same gender to make a comment about whatever they are sharing.

Race: List at least one specific way you anticipate a racial inequity may
arise during your lesson. For each racial inequity, specify whether you
anticipate it happening during the Launch, Explore, or Discuss part of the
lesson. Then, state either how you have already planned to preempt this
inequity, or how you will address it if it arises in real-time.
Similarly to gender, I plan to use the pick can to allow all of my students the same
opportunity to share

Other Forms of Inequity: Marginalization goes beyond gender and race.

Think of the students in your particular classroom context. If there are other
forms of inequity that might arise (e.g., related to language proficiency,
disability), conduct a similar exercise in reflection and planning here:
Several of my students have some additional needs with the
amount of time that they can sit and focus. To counteract this, I am
adding the video element for the entire class to use as a brain break,
which my MT does frequently as well.
Some of my students may not feel comfortable telling their math
story to the whole group, so I am going first give my students the task,
then have them read it to 3 peers at their tables. Then, I will have 4
students share with the class, if they would like to. I will choose names
by using the pick can so that it is anonymous.

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Materials:
unifix cubes
popsicle sticks or unifix cubes for students to use as
manipulatives at their own seat (whichever are available)
story paper