Alina Rozenbaum Thompson Valley High School October 9, 2018

Lazy Lawnmower Problem

Content Area: Algebra II

Grade Level: 11th

Lesson #: _1_ of _4_

Content Standards Addressed by This Lesson

(Write Content Standards directly from the standard)

Create equations that describe numbers or relationships. (CCSS: A-CED)

Understandings
(Big Ideas)

Algebraic expressions naturally arise from numerical expressions and allow us to more easily handle
repetitive problems.

Algebraic expressions reveal information about a variety of situations that are not as frequently seen in
the context of numerical expressions.

Inquiry Questions
(Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from
standard)

What do proportional expressions reveal about a context and how do they make our work more
efficient?

What are some similarities in solving all types of equations?

Why do different types of equations require different types of solution processes?

Evidence Outcomes
(Learning Targets AND Success Criteria)

I can: construct an expression to symbolize a repeated phenomenon and utilize it to solve future
problems.

This means: I have a solid grasp of my geometry knowledge and understand how to construct algebraic
expressions to solve a problem.
Alina Rozenbaum Thompson Valley High School October 9, 2018

List of Assessments
(Note whether the assessment is formative or summative)

Formative: Throughout the lesson, the Desmos website will provide repeated feedback based on
individual responses from students. There will also be out-loud discussions of some of the more
subjective questions in the assignment.

Summative: Their exit ticket (closure) will give me a good idea of conceptual understanding. Also, not
during this lesson, but there will be two types of ways to check their understanding. One will be the
“packet” on Khan Academy for this unit and another will be in-class. Their final score will be an average
of how well they did with their entire Khan Academy “packet” and the in-class unit test.

Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and the students to associate with the activity. Think of the purpose as
the mini-rationale for what you are trying to accomplish through this lesson.

Name: Lazy Lawnmower Problem

Purpose: To help students understand the utility of proportional algebraic expressions, as well as
understand a context more deeply.

Approximate Time and Materials

How long do you expect the activity to last and what materials will you need?

Time: The anticipatory set should last no more than 10-15 minutes, and the main activity should take no
more than 30-45 minutes. In a block period that should leave more than enough time for homework
time and/or closure.

Materials: For the warm-up students should just need that day’s slip of paper to do the problem. Once
they are done, it will be gone over on a whiteboard/Smart Board with everyone. Students need
computers, as well as their interactive math notebooks to show work being done during class today and
for making notes while working through the Lazy Lawnmower and during class discussions.

Anticipatory Set
The “hook” to grab students’ attention. These are actions and statements by the teacher to relate the
experiences of the students to the objectives of the lesson, To put students into a receptive frame of
mind.

• To focus student attention on the lesson.

• To create an organizing framework for the ideas, principles, or information that is to follow
(advanced organizers)

An anticipatory set is used any time a different activity or new concept is to be introduced.

In this case it will be their usual warm-up problem, but for this lesson I want them to think a little
differently and stretch different mental muscles, therefore I will use more of a puzzle as opposed to a
problem to review their past knowledge. This is the first lesson in the expressions unit.
Alina Rozenbaum Thompson Valley High School October 9, 2018

The strategy I intend to use is: Working independently and quietly on a problem.

I am using this strategy here because: I want them to have some struggle mentally and try to work
through a tough problem independently. It is very evocative of the rest of the lesson so I want them to
have that practice from the very beginning.

Procedures
Include a play-by-play account of what students and teacher will do from the minute they arrive to the
minute they leave your classroom. Indicate the length of each segment of the lesson. List actual minutes.

Indicate whether each is:

• teacher input
• modeling
• questioning strategies
• guided/unguided
• whole-class practice
• group practice
• individual practice
• check for understanding
• other

When students arrive, the learning targets for the day, the date, assignments/homework and the
agenda along with the materials they need will be on the board in the form of a PowerPoint slide. There
will be a basket of little slips of paper which is their warmup for the day. They will complete it
independently and silently, and then afterward we will go over it as a class. Individual practice followed
by whole-class practice. (10-15 minutes)

Warmup: Can you solve it?

Warmup Answer: Did you solve it?

Once the students are finished with the warmup we will move into the main part of the lesson where
they utilize their laptops to go onto Desmos, log into their account and join the lesson using the class
code I will display on the board. Depending on the class and their proficiency level they will either all
work at their own pace with some catch-and-release scattered throughout, or we will move together as
a class one group of problems at a time. All work will be recorded in their interactive math notebooks.
Students will also have the option of working either independently, in partners, or as a triad. This
activity incorporates individual practice, guided/unguided, check for understanding, whole-class
practice, teacher input and partner work. (30-45 minutes)

Activity: Lawnmower Math

Once students are finished with the lesson, the only thing I want them to complete is an exit slip on a
post-it note detailing an example of another scenario where an expression can be developed and would
be useful. Other than that, they will have the chance to work on the homework on Khan Academy. This
is something that they are used to; every time we start a new unit they complete it on Khan Academy
and it is due by the time we take the in-class formative assessment. (20-40 minutes)
Alina Rozenbaum Thompson Valley High School October 9, 2018

The strategy I intend to use is: Self and/or class paced working through problems.

I am using this strategy here because: this is the start of the new unit and I want to allow them time to
really understand what is going on, and work through it in a way that makes sense to them.

Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher that are designed to bring a lesson presentation to an
appropriate conclusion. Used to help students bring things together in their own minds, to make sense
out of what has just been taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s move on” is not closure. Closure is used:

• To cue students to the fact that they have arrived at an important point in the lesson or the end
of a lesson.
• To help organize student learning
• To help form a coherent picture and to consolidate.

Closure will involve an exit-slip stuck on the board under their class period detailing another example of
a situation where using algebraic expression would be useful. They will have the remainder of the time
to start on their homework “packet” for the unit on Khan Academy.

The strategy I intend to use is: independent work time.

I am using this strategy here because: I want them to reflect on the lesson as well as have time to start
working through the extra homework and material to better understand the concepts and give them
other resources for the material. As well as giving them a chance to come talk to me if their minds were
really blown by the information.

Differentiation
Differentiation should be embedded throughout your whole lesson!! This is to make sure you have met
the needs of your students on IEPS or 504.

• To modify: If the activity is too advanced for a child, how will you modify it so that they can be
successful?
• To extend: If the activity is too easy for a child, how will you extend it to develop their emerging
skills?

If a student is too advanced the will have a chance to start on the homework even sooner and work
through most it, with adjustments made for subsequent lessons when they begin to work through the
material that is assigned to the class.

If a student is struggling with the material I will talk them through the various problems on Desmos,
breaking each one down for them. As the lesson goes on, if it is a group of students, I would pull them
aside to do the lesson step-by-step with them, while the more independent students work through the
problems on their own.
Alina Rozenbaum Thompson Valley High School October 9, 2018

Assessment Reflection (Data Analysis)

How will you know if students met the learning targets? Write a description of what you were looking for
in each assessment.

I will monitor responses on Desmos to see how well students are really grasping the information that is
provided to them. It is of course best to go through the information during the class period, but if I am
helping students that may be rather difficult, so I will at least be able to look over the results after class.
For the exit-slip, that will give me a good conceptual idea of whether or not students have grasped the
main idea of the lesson. With it being an introduction to the unit, I don’t expect full understanding just
yet.