OPERATIONS AND ALGEBRAIC LESSON PLAN

Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan

Dr. Misty J. McDowell

Grand Canyon University: SPD-570

March 7, 2018
 Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 1

GCU College of Education

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
03/2014

Teacher Candidate: Dr. Misty McDowell

Grade Level: Second Grade
March 7th, 2018
Date:
Math
Unit/Subject: Operations and Algebraic Thinking—Solving for Unknowns
Instructional Plan Title
I. PLANNING
Lesson In a few sentences, summarize this lesson, identifying the central focus based on the content/skills
summary and you are teaching.
focus: This lesson focuses on students using word problems, to solve for unknowns, with addition and
subtraction.

Classroom and Describe the important classroom factors (demographics and environment) and student factors
student factors: (IEPs, 504s, ELLs, non-labeled challenged students), and the impact of those factors on planning,
teaching and assessing students to facilitate learning for all students.

This lesson can be used with nearly all student populations, although some adaptations may need
to be made, such as shortening the length of the assignment.
National / State Identify the relevant grade level standard(s), including the strand, cluster, and standard(s) by
Learning number and its text.
Standards: Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards: Mathematics, Second Grade
Standard: 2.OA.A.1: “Use addition and subtraction with 100 to solve one- and two-step word
problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and
comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., b using drawings and equations with a symbol for
the unknown number to represent the problem.”

Specific learning target(s) / objectives: Teaching notes:

Specify exactly what the students will be able to do
after the standards-based lesson.
1. Organize a story problem, to identify the
known information, function to be
performed, and unknown factor.
2. Solve addition and subtraction problems for
an unknown.
Agenda:
Identify the (1) opening of the lesson; (2) learning and
teaching activities; and (3) closure that you can post
as an agenda for the students that includes the
approximate time for each segment.
Clarify where this lesson falls within a unit of study.
Once addition and subtraction have been mastered, this
lesson works well to expand on those concepts and develop a
sense of relationships between the same numbers in
problems using different functions, connect language with
the correct function to be performed, and correctly solve a
problem. This lesson provides an organizational tool, for
students to use, to support further growth and organization of
story problems.
Formative assessment:
Identify the process and how you will measure the progress
toward mastery of learning target(s).
Assessment will be through completion of the worksheet,
interaction in in-class examples, and student performance
during work time (as the teacher circulates around the room).

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 Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 2

Academic Key vocabulary: Function: Form:

Language: Include the content-specific terms Clarify the purpose the Describe the structures or
you need to teach and how you language is intended to ways of organizing
will teach students that achieve within each subject language to serve a
vocabulary in the lesson. area. Functions often consist particular function within
of the verbs found in the each subject area. What
Terminology: standards and learning goal kinds of structures will you
statements. How will your implement so that your
1. Data
students demonstrate their students might demonstrate
2. Command
understanding? their depth of
3. Solve
understanding?
4. Addition
5. Subtraction This terminology is needed to
solve mathematical problems Interaction in class
and understand math discussion and problems
These terms will be reviewed and
terminology. solving, completing
discussed at the start of and
worksheets, and answering
throughout the lesson.
questions as the teacher
circulates the room, will
help students demonstrate
their depth of
understanding.

Instructional List ALL materials, equipment and technology the teacher and students will use during the lesson.
Materials, Add or attach copies of ALL printed and online materials at the end of this template. Be sure to
Equipment and address how you will teach the students to use the technology in Section II. INSTRUCTION.
Technology: 1. Worksheet
2. Projector
3. Pens/Pencils
4. Counting blocks or stones
5. Story problem grid sheet
6. Teacher stamp or stickers
Grouping: Identify grouping strategies that will support your students’ learning needs.

This lesson can be taught to the whole class, and problems can be solved as a class. In addition, it
may be taught and/or solved independently or in small groups with peers who are have similar or
varied skill levels. This lesson is quite flexible and can be adapted to meet the needs of a wide
variety of student needs.

II. INSTRUCTION
A. Opening
Prior Identify how this lesson connects to previous lessons / learning (prior knowledge of students) and
knowledge students’ lives.
connection:
Do you remember how that we have been working on story problems for a while? Do you remember
how we have been starting to solve our math problems to answer a question? Today we are going to
continue with this and combine the two ideas together.
Anticipatory Identify how this lesson is meaningful to the students and connects to their lives.
set:
The math we are going to do today, can be used by you every day. This math is especially important
because it will help you buy things in the store, figure out how much pizza you need to buy, even help

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 Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan
you decide how much money you can spend or how many toys you have. What do you think, does
this sound like something fun and important to learn? Great let’s get started!
B. Learning and Teaching Activities (Teaching and Guided Practice):
I Do
Your “I Do” instructional
procedures should include:
The teaching strategy you will use to
teach each step that includes
modeling and formative assessment;
transition statements you will make
throughout your lesson and essential
questions you will ask; and
academic language of vocabulary,
function, and form.
Script detailed, step-by-step
instructions on how you will
implement the instructional plan.
Use a numbered list of each step;
bold every example of modeling;
italicize every formative assessment.
1. I know you are curious
about the worksheets and
tools that you have in front
of you, and you really want
to try them out. But right
now you can put your hands
on the table and look up
here at me. I have a
problem that I need you to
help me solve. Are you
ready to help?
2. I was thinking about giving
out a package of candy to
each student in the class
today, but I don’t know if I
have enough. I have 4
packages of chocolate kisses
and 8 packages of candy
hearts. (Teacher shows the 4
packages of chocolate kisses
and 8 packages of hearts to
the students on the
projector). Can you help me
to double check that this is
what I have?
3. Now sometimes I get
confused and forget
numbers, so I am going to
write them down in this
chart. Do you see that there
is a section called “data”?
Does anyone know what
data is? The teacher
interacts with students and
gives feedback o their
answers.
Students Do
Your “Students Do” procedures should
describe exactly what students will do
during the lesson that corresponds to
each step of the “I Do.”
Please use a corresponding numbered
list.
1. Students put pencils, counting
blocks and paper down.
Students place hands on desk.
Students nod that the are read to
help teacher solve a problem.
2. Students help the teacher to
count aloud, the number of
candy packages of each type that
the teacher has.
3. Students respond to what they
think that data is.
4. Students agree and help the
teacher to write down the correct
information in the data section.
5. Students respond to how they
could solve the problem and
teacher continues to
respond/interact with them.
6. Students respond to the teacher
and explain what “command”
means.
7. Students will agree or disagree
with how the teacher wrote
down the function or command
that needs to be done to solve the
problem.
8. Students answer that the teacher
needs to ADD 4 + 8.
9. Students give ideas on how to
add 4 + 8.
10. Students help teacher to solve
the final problem by using any
of the tools discussed at hand.
11. Students discuss with teacher
ways to use the grid sheet and
solve the problem.
12. Students interact with each other
and the teacher in a discussion of
how to determine the number of
additional candy packages
needed to provide one for every
student.
13. Students agree or disagree and
follow along
3
Differentiation
Describe methods of
differentiation, including
accommodation or
differentiation strategies for
academically, behaviorally and
motivationally challenged
students.
Please use a corresponding
numbered list.
Also include extension activities:
What will students who finish
early do?
2. Instead of candy, as an
example, other physical
objects such as pencils
or blocks can be used.
Consider having
students measure
something active, such
as the number of claps
that the girls made and
claps that the boys
made, the number of
push-ups, or even a
certain number of
“stomps” on the floor.
This is very useful for
students who struggle
to focus or need support
in connecting written
numbers and functions
with actual physical
quantities and/or
functions.
10. Students can use a variety of
tools: counting stones, blocks,
hash marks, fingers, the physical
item or movement. This can be
adjusted to the interest and skill
level of the student. For some
students who struggle with
number facts, an
addition/subtraction chart or
calculator may also be
appropriate.
11. For students who struggle to
copy down information, a grid
sheet with a couple fill-in-the-
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Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan
4. Now that I know what data
is, maybe I should write
down in the data section,
what I know: I have 8
packages of hearts and 4
packages of kisses.
5. Great job! Now I need to
know how many pieces I
have all together. How
would I do that? (Teacher
gives feedback about using
addition or subtraction or
another function).
6. Those are great ideas! Like
what you said, I will add the
two together, because the
words “all together” and the
word “and) tell me that I
would add. So now,
because I don’t want to
forget, I’m going to use the
next section on the template
called ‘command’. What is
a “command?” (Teacher
will comment and respond
to ideas about the meaning
of command.)
7. Good answers, now I will
write those two command
words/phrases “and” and
“all together” in the
command section and write
“add” or “plus” to remind
me what I need to do. Did I
write that down correctly?
8. So now, what is my math
problem that I need to
solve? The sheet I have
says that I have 2 data
points, 4 and 8. It also tells
me that I need to . . . what?
. . . ADD, that’s right.
9. Good, in the section called
solve, I will write out my
problem of 4 + 8 = ______.
Now what is 4 plus 8? How
do we add those numbers?
Do we use our fingers, toes,
blocks/stones, or calculator?
You are right, we could use
all of those tools---I could
count on my fingers, I could
count the candy, I could use
the counting blocks, and I
could even draw pictures or
tally marks to count.
14. Students will discuss with
teacher if this is a subtraction or
addition problem and why.
15. Students agree/disagree and
discuss.
16. Students will follow along and
agree or disagree and discuss.
17. Students will do the subtraction
problem and provide the teacher
an answer.
18. Students help the teacher to
count and double check their
team answer.
19. Students all clap and cheer.
20. Teacher and students discuss if
this is good and useful or not.
21. Students agree and tell the
teacher how man problems to
solve as a group.
22. Students get to work.
4
blank spaces, may be more
appropriate, instead of asking
them to copy down all the
information on the screen.
22. Once students have
completed the group task, they
may go on to work
independently, using the grid to
solve the problems. This may be
best done by having either the
teacher go to groups to double
check their work or having
students come to the teacher to
double check their understanding
of the concept. Another option
is to review the group problems
together as a class, before
proceeding to independent
practice and work. This can be
adjusted depending on class
dynamics, number of adults, size
of class, and student needs.
*The teacher may consider
pointing out to students,
afterwards, that they are solving
grown-up math problems called
Algebra, and how great this is.
This could be a motivator for
some students who feel that this
is “baby” math or that the grid
sheet is silly.
It would be a good idea to have
more than one set of problems
available for during independent
work time, so that the teacher
can provide the appropriate level
of math problem to students,
based on need and ability. For
instance, one set could be single
digit problems with simple
words, another set could be
double digit, and still one more
set could be addition and
subtraction, while another is
total one function or another.
Additionally problems could be
represented in words and/or
numbers.
For less skilled students, or those
who are struggling with reading,
the problems could be
represented in pictures and
numbers only, also.
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Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 5

10. Great job. So we figured Consider that any stage of this

out that I have 11 packages process can be repeated multiple
of Candy. times as a group or individually.
11. But now I have another Also, this lesson can be broken
problem---how many down into much smaller steps.
packages of Candy do I Such as solving one simple
need, to give one to each problem instead of 2 problems.
student in the class? How do
we know that? Can I use Please keep in mind that the gird
my gird sheet to help me not sheet is a way of organizing
get confused? PERFECT story problems and student
Lets do this problem information, into a solvable
together. You write this format. This promotes students
information on your grid deciphering more complex
sheet too. problems with multiple data sets
12. Because there are 20 and functions, overtime. For
students in the class, I need some students, however, this
20 packages of Candy. So may cause more confusion. It is
now I have another only one tool that can be used to
problem. If I already have solve problems.
11 packages of candy and I
need to have 20 packages of
candy, how many more do I
need to have? How do you
think we would figure this
out? Would we add?
Would we subtract? As the
discussion occurs, the
teacher will help to figure
out a solution or why/why
not thinking is in the correct
direction.
13. Lets record our data in the
data section again. I know
that I need 20 pieces of
candy and I have 11. Did I
do this right?
14. The words ‘how many
more’ tell me that this is
what tpe of a problem?
15. This means that to keep
from getting confused I
need to write down ‘how
many more’ and ‘subtract’
in the command section.
Right?
16. Now I need to take all of
this information and solve
my problem. The grid sheet
shows me that I have 2 data
points 20 and 11 and that I
need to command them to
subtract to solve the
problem. Let’s write that in
the ‘solve’ section. Did I do
this correctly?
17. Great Job! Let’s solve the
problem. This time I’m
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 Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 6

going to use my counting

stones to double check (The
teacher lays out 20 stones
and subtracts 11, then helps
students to count how man
are left.)
18. You are right! I need 9
more candy packages.
Thankfully I happen to have
9 packages of Jelly beans
that I can share also.
(Teacher places the 9
packages on the overhead
and helps students to double
check and count that they
have the right amount).
19. Wow do you see what we
just did? We were like
scientists who took apart a
mess problem and found a
way to solve it. Great Job!
Give yourself a round of
applause!
20. Does this seem like an
important type of problem
to solve? Does this seem
like a good way to make the
numbers less confusing?
21. Great. So now, I want you
to work with your table
groups to solve the next 2
problems, using this grid
sheet. How many problems
do I want you to solve?
22. As I come around the room,
please ask questions and I
be ready to enjoy a package
of a candy, if you are
working hard. Does this
sound good?

II. ASSESSMENT
Summative Include details of any summative assessment as applicable and Differentiation:
Assessment: attach a copy with an answer key. Explain how the summative Describe methods of
assessment measures the learning target(s)/objectives. If you do differentiation for your
not include a summative assessment, identify how you will summative assessment, including
measure students’ mastery of the learning target(s)/objectives. accommodation or
differentiation strategies for
Summative assessments could be done, based on student academically, behaviorally and
performance on the worksheets. However, I personally would motivationally challenged
recommend waiting until the skill had been practiced further. I students.
would rely on formative assessments at this stage of the lesson.
Assessments can be done
verbally, written with numbers

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 Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 7

or pictures, by a student
physically acting out the
problem (such as jumping jacks),
or even through the use of
blocks or other physical objects.
Assessments do not need to be
done in a more classical written
sense, allowing students of all
abilities to demonstrate skills.
Closure: Explain how students will share what they have learned in the lesson. Identify questions that you can
ask students to begin the closure conversation. Identify how students will confirm transfer of the
learning target(s)/ objectives to application outside the classroom.
Great Job Today! What did you learn? (Students share information about what the learned or not.)
How can we use this today at lunch? Would you like to practice this more? You see anytime we are
doing math, to solve for a blank spot or box, like we did we are doing grown-up math or algebra,
which is really fun and important. Tomorrow we are going to practice this more and I will have you
make up your own problems. So start thinking about a couple problems that might be funny, really
important, or silly that you can share with the class tomorrow.
Homework: Clearly identify any homework tasks as appropriate. Elaborate whether the homework is drill- or
skill-practice-based and explain how the homework assignment supports the learning targets /
objectives. Attach any copies of homework.

It would be a good idea to give students one or two simple problems to practice at home with their
family. They could be family problems that they have to ask their family for data for (such as the
number of pairs of pants that each has, how much money a couple items cost, or hours they work each
day, etc).

Instructional Strategies for Students

There are several types of learning disability, which can affect students in their ability to

perform math functions (Garnett, 2018). Students who struggle with memory and retrieval, often

find it difficult to memorize math facts, such as multiplication or addition tables. One tool, which

can be useful to support these students, is to provide them with multiple methods of answering a

problem, without having to memorize. For instance, in the lesson plan above, a student can use

physical objects or drawings, to solve the math problem at hand, instead of trying to remember the

solution to a problem. Also, the story problem grid sheet, provides a tool to help remind the student

how to solve a story problem, in a consistent step-by-step, organized fashion. This can be further

expanded on, by using the command words, identified, to create a vocabulary list or tool sheet that

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Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 8

the student can use to remember which words tell them which functions to perform. Although the

vocabulary list may be more helpful to a student who has a disability in the area of understanding

math terminology, it may still be a way to encourage a student with memory and retrieval

challenges to use their resources and take beneficial notes or create resource guides.

Students who struggle with attention and perception, may also find math very challenging.

Not only do they typically struggle to focus on a task or lesson, they also are challenged to organize

and comprehend their physical environment (Suomeksi, 2013). Frequently they struggle with fine

motor skills, understanding verbal instructions, and even sequencing tasks. Creating lessons which

offer opportunities to utilize multiple resources, such as manipulatives or physical activity (as

mentioned in the accommodations section of this lesson plan), may help them to stay focused on the

activity at hand, while working on motor skills and environmental awareness. Utilizing

manipulatives, physical body movement, and a variety of teaching techniques (writing, explaining

to a partner, shout-outs), may support focusing and gaining a greater understanding of number

concepts or rather what a number actual means. Also, providing a consistent pattern that the student

can follow, to solve a type of problem, can help to focus their attention, provide a consistent

sequence to follow, and improve student understanding of the task at hand. Hott, Isbell, and

Montani (2014) suggest using several different pneumonic tools, to help students constantly solve

word problems. Using the grid template, as in this lesson plan, can help students remember where

they are at in the process of solving a problem, even if the student becomes distracted. Also, the

repetition of the form, reinforces conceptual and perceptual understandings.

The lesson plan I created encourages students to discuss and think aloud, which is a strategy

that can support learning algebraic concepts (Hott, et. al., 2014). This can be modified to be

individual or in small groups, instead of whole class. Working through problems aloud, helps

support group learning, focus, and also demonstrates for students who they may go in a correct or

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Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 9

incorrect direction, when solving a problem, which can be especially helpful for those with learning

disabilities. Although advanced technology, was only used in the sense of a projector system, for

this lesson, advanced technology (videos, touch screens), may support students who are struggling

to learn algebraic concepts (Hott, et., al, 2014). Schoenfeld (1992) points out that well planned and

organized math problems, may be a way to teach students new skills that can breach the basic math

subject at hand. In addition, it provides a way of communication and improving social interactions

in multiple environments. This may be especially important for students with learning disabilities,

for typically those disabilities, as in the case of attention and perception, are not limited to one

subject area and have global academic consequences. Ensuring that student needs are being met,

through a variety of techniques may lead to improvement in multiple academic and social areas.

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Second Grade: Operations and Algebraic Lesson Plan 10

Resources:

Arizona Department of Education. (2018). K-12 Standards Section: Standards—Mathematics.

Retrieved from: http://www.azed.gov/standards-practivces//k-12standrds/mathematics-

standards

Hott, B.L, Isbell, L., & Montani, T. O. (2014). Strategies and Interventions to Support Students

with Mathematics Disabilities. Council for Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from:

http://www.cldinternational.org

Garnet, K. (2018). Math Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from:

http://www.Idonline.org/article/5896.

Schoenfeld, A.H. (1992). Learning to Think Mathematically: Problem solving, Metacognition, and

Sense-Making in Mathematics. Handbook for Research on Mathematic Teaching and

learning. NewYork: MacMillan.

Suomeksi. (2013). Perception problems and difficulty with Learning Mathematics. Aalto

University. Retrieved from:

https://into.aalto.fi/display/enopintopskologi/Perception+problems+and+difficult+with+lear

ning+mathematics

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