Problem Solving yr 2 - Feedback on my lesson plan please

Hello,

I have a job interview for a year 2 class. I have been asked to teach a 1 hour numeracy lesson with the focus being problem solving. I have chosen to teach a lesson about Granny's quilt - Granny wants to maKe a small patchwork quilt for her 12 year old granddaughter and she wants to create a special design based on the number 12, the problem being - Can you arrange the 9 shape patches so that the number of sides of the shapes in every row and column on the patchwork quilt add up to 12.

Learning objectives - To Solve mathematical problems
To count the number of sides on a variety of 2D shapes.

Differentiation: higher ability - rows and columns add up to 12 with support to extend learning
Middle - rows and columns add to 12
lower - row to add to 12

Children to have a patch of felt with a 3x3 grid marked out and a set of 9 shapes.
White boards to record their addition of sides if required
Children to trial ideas and when happy glue onto the grid

I have been trying to think of other differentiation that i could incorporate???

children to be told that i am going to send all the completed designs to granny and she will decide which one she ig going to make,

Extension - each table to have laminated 3 X 3 patchwork grid and a selection of 2D shapes, ch'n to work in 2's to design an patchwork with shapes that add up to a chosen number


At the end of lesson - refer back to L/O share and reward work, AFL

There is a story granny quilt which i thought would be a nice intro but i feel i need to keep the numeracy focus - any ideas how i could introduce granny's quilt?


Thank you

 

bump

 

Hi,
I'll try to help, but this is only based on my experience and opinion. Of course there are lots of ways to do things and no 'one' right way.
I teach year 2. One of the objectives in unit A3, which I will be starting with my class when we are back at school, is:-
Pupils can present solutions to puzzles and problems in an organised way; explain decisions, methods and results in pictorial, spoken or written form, using mathematical language and number sentences
I can show and explain clearly how I solved a problem
Assessment for learning questions are listed as:-
How did you know what information to use?
Where did you decide to start? Is there a pattern in your results? Could you record your results in order to help you see patterns? Have you found all of the ways?
Is there a different way to solve the problem?
I like your idea of setting the problem in a context of granny's quilt - I know my class would like that. You have also thought of a good activity as the more practical the better.
I often ask my class a question to start with, e.g, Can you explain how to solve a maths problem? Can you record how you would solve this? Relate it to what you are doing, but hopefully not a lot will put their hands up, and if they do ask them to explain. This way you have a good chance of being able to show a lot of progress within the lesson and you can show the success criteria needed to be able to do this.
Could your gran have written you a letter about making a patchwork quilt for your 12 year old sister? You could then share the letter with them and ask for their help. Are you going to use talk partners for this - well, 'turn to the person next to you'?
It will be good to do some problem solving with shapes related to numbers, but make sure your main focus is on the problem solving steps. Levels 1,2, and 3 of the APP statements for MA1 using and applying are really useful when thinking about what different children will need to do.
My level 3 pupils would need the challenge of 'Can you find all the ways?' and being encouraged to work on this systematically. Can they explain that if they choose a pentagon, then they need two shapes with 7 sides between them, to complete that row? Likewise my level 1 pupils would need support to talk about their thinking, and probably a few pointers such as myself or my TA placing a shape on the grid and then asking for them to place one, before discussing how many sides this was and how many more were needed. They find 3 numbers quite tricky still, although once they had the idea they would be able to move onto this.
It might be that you won't have any as poor as my lowest few.
Remember to ask the question you started with at the end and check the success criteria.
Anyway, well done on getting the interview and I think your lesson sounds really interesting for the children
Good luck

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to feedback you comments are SO helpful and im feeling a lot better about it now. I am currently a RTP in a special school for children in year 1 and 2 with MLD which i why i wanted to share my ideas.

In terms of the mental warm up activity i was going to display number square in IWB and do so counting in 1's, 2's 5's and 10's perhaps going some actions and movements.

I have also read about a ping pong number bonds activity - for which i was thinking a could pull stars out a magic box with numbers 0-10 on them i hold up the number and children call out the number bond to 10.

Is this a suitable starter?

Thank you

 

bump

any other comments

 

Both starter activities sound fine, but I would probably be inclined to go with the more active one. My class love to do body counting when counting on and back in 2's, 5's, 10's (and 3's and 4's at times). We count on and back in ones when going through the 10's or 100's barriers.
The advantage of body counting is that you don't have to make any additional resources

 

Thank you again - i'm just working on it now actually.

Could I have you opinion on my chosen learning objectives

1. To count forwards and backward in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s

2.To solve mathematical problems

3 To explain methods and reasoning

Hmm just not sure about these - do i need to be more specific.

I share learning objectives to children using IWB so need to think of child friendly objectives too.

I do this all the time but have gone into shut down at the thought of my first interview observation

 

Whats body counting?

 

It is things like - Counting claps of hands, marches, stamps of feet, jumps

 

Choose one very clear specific learning objective and make the success criteria very clear and succinct.

 

Thank you pinkflipflop so would something like this be suitable

1? To count on and back in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s.

2? To solve mathematical problem (using addition)

3. To explain methods and reasoning to solving a problem.

I've been using the numeracy framework to support but know I just feel confused with my problem solving objectives.

 

Thank you pinkflipflop so would something like this be suitable

1? To count on and back in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s.

2? To solve mathematical problem (using addition)

3. To explain methods and reasoning to solving a problem.

I've been using the numeracy framework to support but know I just feel confused with my problem solving objectives.

 

bump

Other comments please

 

.bump

 

At the moment you don't seem to have a clear objective for the children's learning.

 

thank you for your comment, would you be able to offer any advice?

How about something like:

1. To solve counting problems involving shapes.

2. To explain reasons and methods used.

 

bump