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Varty, All in all, this is a well planned lesson.

I like the way you are encouraging them to make sense of the compare situations. My biggest concern is that you also help them see the relationship between combining and comparing. Most kids, when modeling the situation, will count up to to solve a compare problem. If it is comparing 4 and 9, they would count up from 4 to 9. So you need to allow them to do that and show them how that is just looking at subtraction in a different way. See my notes below. Janine Varty Yeremian November 9, 2012 Core Decisions of Lesson Design What
The content of this lesson builds on the students understanding of subtraction from previous lessons and allows them to extend their knowledge of subtraction beyond part-part-whole relationships of numbers and separating problems to ones that ask them to compare two quantities. This lesson is specifically intended to present students with the operation of subtraction as a way to compare two different numbers. One of my goals for this lesson is to teach students how to model comparison problems by using manipulatives. Connecting cubes will help them see that comparing two parts can show how many more or how many less each group of cubes has. Another goal is to help them use their knowledge of subtraction to make sense of comparison problems by writing subtraction number sentences. Finally, I intend to teach my students the importance of precision in giving answer statements and using the appropriate vocabulary when verbalizing their answers. According to Chapin and Johnson (2006), comparison problems involve a comparison of two distinct, unconnected sets (p. 58). It is important for students to understand that the number relationship that exists in comparing two numbers deals with two distinct sets. The lesson focuses specifically on difference unknown comparison problem types. I like how specific and focused this is and how it builds on and extends something they already have learned. Can you say a bit more about what is involved in understanding comparison, what is difficult about it, and why it is important for them to learn?

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How
The lesson will be taught mainly through modeling and discourse. I will first present the students with different numbers of crayons in each hand and ask them to think about which hand has more. The students responses will give me a good exposure to the strategies that they employ and the kind of language they use to verbalize their answers. I will then introduce them to the words more and fewer explaining that our answer statements become clearer when we use those words to answer questions about comparisons. Then I will present to them a problem and model how the question can be represented by using unifix cubes. Subtraction number sentences and answer statements will also be modeled for that particular problem to help students see the relation between comparing and subtraction. Students will be asked to work on a comparison problem using their cubes and whiteboards as supporting material for their

learning. Students will be asked to raise their whiteboards when they have a complete answer, a norm that they often practice in class with the rest of their classmates. Student misconceptions about comparisons will be addressed during the discussion, as they share their answers. The discourse will center around the students not only answering the question, but also explaining and demonstrating the strategies they use to get the answer. I want students to explain their thinking process, listen to others explain their strategies, and comment on their peers answers.

Why
I chose this topic for the lesson because I believe it would be a natural and logical progression from what the students have been learning and practicing in class so far. Their classroom curriculum in math is already having them explore the relationship between addition and subtraction, so it would be appropriate to introduce to their existing knowledge and use of operations the idea that subtraction can be used to compare different quantities. The second grade standards under Operations and Algebraic Thinking, mentions the use of subtraction to solve problems that involve situations of comparing, and since the students have not been exposed to comparison problems, I think it would be an appropriate time to introduce the concept. I also want the students to employ some of the mathematical practices listed in the CCSSM such as modeling with mathematics, making sense of problems, using tools, and attending to precision while they work on comparison story problems. Working with manipulatives can help them build a conceptual understanding of comparison subtractions and provide them with the visual support to make sense of the problems. In the classroom, they are used to having the teacher model for them by giving clear instructions of what is expected of them when they attempt to solve problems. Therefore I believe that by giving them a familiar way and model of working through the problems will support and structure their learning experience. Furthermore, it has always been my personal belief that children learn best through modeling a behavior; this provides one of the underlying reasons for the teaching method that I have decided to employ in this lesson. Finally, I chose this particular lesson because it allows for discourse to take place throughout the lesson, which can be used as a formative type of assessment tool to gauge for student understanding. The lesson also addresses my overarching Term III inquiry question of the types of formative assessments that teachers can employ that directly link to student learning. Very nice explanation and rationale.

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Pedagogical Focus
The pedagogical focus of this lesson is to assess student understanding through listening to and making sense of student solution strategies and explanations.

Lesson Plan
Second Grade 30-35 minutes Goals/Objectives Students will be able to: use unifix cubes to model story problems. write subtraction sentences to solve stories about comparing groups. use the words more and fewer when writing answer statements.

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Do you want them to understand that comparison problems can be solved through subtraction?

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Common Core State Standards in Mathematics Domain: Operations and Algebraic Thinking Cluster: Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction Standard: Use addition and subtraction within 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. by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

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Mathematical Practices [glad to see you including practices.] Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Model with mathematics. Use appropriate tools strategically. Attend to precision. Materials and Preparation 1 small whiteboard easel 3 colored dry erase markers (for teacher) 12 crayons 80 unifix cubes 6 dry erase markers (for students) 6 erasers 6 portable mini whiteboards Classroom Arrangement and Management Issues 1 The lesson will take place in a small pod area outside of the classroom, which will provide the teacher with a more quiet and private space to conduct the lesson. The six students intended for this lesson will be removed from the classroom, so they are not distracted by their classroom teachers instruction and the remaining students. Throughout the lesson, students will sit on the rug in a semi-circle, so they have enough space to work with their materials. Prior to starting the lesson, the teacher will set up the small whiteboard easel across from where the students will sit. 2 Students will be asked to take with them their dry erase markers, erasers, and portable mini whiteboards prior to going outside to the pod area for their lesson. The unifix cubes will be handed out to the students when it is time to work on the lesson activity. 3 Some management concerns might arise while students are working in pairs. Conversations about subjects other than math might start to emerge as the teacher attends to others. The teacher might consider giving students extra work if they finish early and time the activity, so they are aware of the time constraint and stay focused on the task. Plan

The Hook (5 mins) Teacher will start by setting the purpose of the lesson and engaging the students by connecting to their prior knowledge about subtraction. So far you know how to solve word problems about separating two quantities by writing subtraction number sentences. In todays lesson you will learn how to solve stories about comparing using cubes and writing subtraction number sentences. Subtraction can also be used to compare two numbers. For example, if I have 5 crayons in one hand and 7 in the other. Which hand is holding more crayons? The teacher will then review the words more and fewer with the students. What does it mean to have more crayons? The hand with the lesser number of crayons has fewer crayons. Im a little uncomfortable about this approach, given what we know about kids understanding of basic operations at this level: they focus on the action. Heres a slightly different approach to introduce comparisons. Start with a separate problem on the board (say it involves 12 something at 5 leave) and have them solve it by modeling, counting up to or down from, and writing the number sentence. You can talk about what the numbers mean in the number sentence. Then show a compare problem that involves the same numbers as the previous problem. (12 compared to 5.) Have them solve by modeling and counting. When it comes to writing the number sentence, some will write/say 5 + __ = 12 others will write 12 5 = ? This when you can introduce terms like more and fewer and talk about what these two different number sentences mean and how they are similar. I think what I am suggesting here moves you right into the guided practice below. I would give them another to solve as you watch before turning them lose to do the independent practice. The Body (25 mins) Guided Practice (10 mins) The teacher will pass out the unifix cubes (20 per pair) and pose the problem (already written on the whiteboard): Michael has 7 brown puppies and Yana has 12 brown puppies. How many more black puppies does Yana have than Michael? (Note: Students actual names will be used to further engage them in the problem) How can I use cubes to find the answer? The teacher will allow time for students to think about how they can use the cubes to get the answer and invite a volunteer to share their solution. The teacher will then model the problem using the cubes. You can use the cubes to show the two different groups of puppies. How many cubes should each group have? What are we trying to find out in this problem? Use the cubes to help you compare the two amounts. How many more brown puppies does Yana have? Encourage students to share their strategies for finding the answer. The teacher will then explain how to use the subtraction number sentence to represent the problem (12 - 7 = 5) and encourage students to use the word more in their answer statements: Yana has 5 more brown puppies than Michael. The teacher will then slightly change the question: What if I asked how many fewer puppies does Michael have? How would you answer that question? Take a minute to think about it. After a short pause, the teacher will encourage students to share their answers. We use the word fewer when we are referring to a lesser amount. Michael only has 7 puppies, and since 7 is less than 12, we say that he has 5 fewer puppies than Yana. She will then write on the board the statement: Michael has 5 fewer brown puppies than Yana.

Comment [GE1]: Why dont you start by putting one of these old types of problems on the board, so they known what you are talking about.

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Comment [GE2]: I recommend removing the brown at this point in the instruction. It may complicate things at first. Comment [GE3]: See, you are actually confusing yourself with the colors! Comment [GE4]: I think the teacher has an important role in modeling, but if a student can do it, Id build on his or her example, rather than modeling it yourself.

Comment [GE5]: It is VERY important to connect this to 7 + ? = 12

Independent Practice (15 mins) The teacher will turn the easel to the opposite side where she will have written the following problem: My Aaunt Sally has 14 fish, 6 birds, and 9 turtles at her house. [I like this question, but it is a big leap. How about one that it is a little more straightforward before introducing this one.] 1. How many more fish than birds does she have? 2. How many fewer birds than turtles does she have? Here is a problem that I want you all to work on in pairs. My aunt Sally has 14 fish, 6 birds, and 9 turtles at her house. While answering, make sure to use the cubes to show your answer, write down your subtraction number sentence and your complete answer statement on your whiteboards (these instructions will also be written on the board). Lets start with the first question: How many more fish than birds does she have? I will let you know how much time you have left as you work with your partners. You can raise your whiteboards for me to see once you have your complete answers. As the students work, the teacher will walk around to address questions, make observations, and listen in on conversations. She will then bring the students together for a discussion about how they solved the problem. She will have one pair of students come up to explain their answer. She will repeat the same procedure for the second question in the problem: How many fewer birds than turtles does she have? Here are some questions that can guide both discussions: What made you decide to use the numbers 14 and 6 or 9 and 6? What is the question asking us to find? How did you use the cubes to help you find your answer? Can you tell me why you wrote 14 or 9 first in your number sentence? What would happen if we wrote 6 first? How did you choose which group to subtract from? Does everyone agree with this groups answer statement? Why is it important to use the words more/fewer in our statements? Based on their answers, the teacher can remind students that the word fewer is used to compare a lesser number of things to a greater number of things. Throughout the discussion, the teacher will ask students if they agree or disagree with their classmates and encourage them to explain their answers. (The things that the teacher will be listening for and attending to during the discussion and activity will be addressed in the assessment portion of this lesson plan).

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Closure (5 mins) Teacher will close lesson by restating the objective and what they have learned. Today we learned that subtraction is a great way to compare two different numbers of things. We compared two different numbers of crayons, two different numbers of puppies, and you all did a great job with your partners comparing two different numbers of pets (fish, birds, turtles) using subtraction. Can anyone tell me which two important words we practiced using in our answer statements today? The teacher will then ask the students to put their cubes in groups of ten, leave them at their station, gather their belongings (dry erase markers and whiteboards), and quietly return to their classroom. Assessment 1. At the end of this lesson, it is important to know whether students have met the objectives for the lesson and whether they: can model the problem using manipulatives;

make sense of the problem by writing a subtraction number sentence ; can identify the number of objects in each group; show understanding that the lesser number is subtracted from the greater number (the correct sequence in which the numbers are written in the number sentence); use the appropriate vocabulary (more/fewer) when writing their answer statements. In addition to the above points, the teacher will also pay close attention to the order in which students work out the problem. Do they model it first and then write the number sentence or vice versa? If they write their number sentence first, how do they obtain their answer? Do they count backwards from the higher number or do they count on from the lower one? While modeling, how do they determine the difference between both quantities? Do they match up the cubes to see what is left over or do they count the cubes in each group? The guiding questions from the previous section will help assess their understanding of the problem and how they make sense of it. 2. The conversations that students have with their partners, their verbal and written responses, and the teachers observations during the lesson will all serve as evidence to assess students understanding. These different forms of evidence will be gathered primarily through active listening and making observations. The teacher will walk around as the students work with partners to listen in on their conversations by paying close attention to the strategies that they use to model and how they reason with one another. The evidence of student learning gathered during the lesson will help the teacher determine how well the students are progressing towards the goal for the lesson. Have they gained a basic understanding of comparing numbers? Do they recognize that between two numbers the smaller number represents a fewer quantity and the bigger number represents a larger quantity? How efficiently are they counting and modeling the problem? As she gauges their understanding, she will gain a better idea of where her students are on the continuum for being able to use subtraction to solve comparison problems. This will better inform her about what to focus on in trying to build that connection between subtraction and comparison problems. [Good] Anticipating students responses and your possible responses 1 A potential issue that may arise during the activity is the students reliance on their partners to find the answer and simply copying his/her responses. If this seems to be happening, the teacher may have one student model, as the other one writes down the number sentence then vice versa. 2 Below you will find some possible responses to some anticipated student responses that often come up in the classroom: a. Anticipated response 1: I put 14 first because its bigger than 6. Possible teacher response 1: Good answer. What would happen if we put 6 first? Can you tell/show me using the cubes why that wont work? b. Anticipated student response 2: I minused. Possible teacher response 2: Youre off to a good start! Tell me more about why you chose to minus. Can anyone share with us another word for minused? What made you decide to subtract those two numbers? Accommodations 1 Accommodations for students who may find the work challenging can be considered by making sure they are partnered with students who can help/guide them through the task. If further

Comment [GE6]: Are these the items in your assessment checklist?

Comment [GE7]: Im glad you are looking for these things. What will the evidence you collect about their strategies help you understand?

accommodations are needed, teachers may provide extra visual tools such as encouraging students to use drawings or number lines to figure out the difference. Questions such as If aunt Sally has 3 more hamsters than turtles, how many hamsters does she have? or If aunt Sally has 5 fewer mice than fish, how many mice does she have? can be posed to students who finish early to help extend their understanding.

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