I’ll Halve S’more Please!I’ll Halve S’more Please!By Cindy Jackson

Lesson Plan Analysis by EDUC 524 Group B:

Angela Coleman, Christine Masters, Megan Pagnotti, and Derek Dunn

http://www.pbs.org/parents/cyberchase/show/episodes/311.html

Lesson Introduction and OverviewLesson Introduction and Overview

 In the lesson, “I’ll Halve S’more, Please” students in grade levels 3 through 5 gain a greater understanding of fractions. Spanning three, 45 minute class periods and utilizing a variety of activities including a television program and web pages and games, students will be able to accomplish the five following objectives:

Describe fractions as parts of a whole

Understand the meaning of a denominator and numerator

Subtract and add like fractions

Use fractions to solve problems

Represent fractions geometrically by recognizing and using equivalent fractions

Standards AddressedStandards Addressed

Number and Operations Focus Areas for Grades 3-5: Mathematics instructional programs should foster the development of number operation sense so that all students:

1. Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems;

2. Use computational tools and strategies fluently and estimate appropriately.

(Standards obtained from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, which is available online at http://standards.nctm.org./documet/chapter5/index.htm.)

Apply: Predict the answer to solve the problem for the Three-Headed Dogs.9. How would you divide the apples to feed all three dogs? Students are asked to makepredictions based on gained knowledge

Synthesis: A question on the Zeus on the Loose worksheet specifically asks the students to” On a separate piece of paper, draw a picture of the gold bars that shows how theCYBERCHASE kids divided the gold evenly.”

Linguistic: Play on words of the title and repetition of the title by the teacher “I’ll halve S’more Please”Make the students who listen the best think about halving the s’more

Spatial: Seeing the S’more beingphysically divided by the teacherinto several parts helps cator to the students who learn the best through spatial features

Bodily Kinesthetic and Naturalist: Having the students carefully break their own S’more into parts Helps students who learn the best via tactial function

Musical: Watching and listening to the Zeus on the loose video helps the students who learn the best via music

Logical-mathematical: Dr. Marble’s 13 combination game and the vortex games are focused on the logical pattern learner.

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal: Were not part of the lesson

Number Ability: learning of how fractions come about by the division of a S’more into pieces helps the student to learn this numerical idea

Spatial and Perceptual Ability:Vortex game develops the students ability to visuallyrecognize fractions in a fastpaced game.

Inductive Reasoning: Dr. Marble’s13 combinations of one halve gamehas students reason which eighths of the square need to be filled and which do not to reach 13 ways to make one half

Verbal comprehension ability: The teacher’s lecture about S’more’s help the students to develop the verbal comprehension ability.

Memory: the assessments either online or on the Zeus on the loose worksheet help Students develop the ability to quickly pick out fractions

Play on words of the title and repetition of the title by the teacher “I’ll halve S’more Please”makes the students think about howto halve the s’more

During both the Vortex and Dr. Marble’s game students are required to think about how they use fractions to succeed in the game.

Dr. Marbles Game:trying to find 13 combinationsof eight pieces of a square will equal one half.Scored online

Vortex Game: Speed game which Requires students to visually pick out fraction matches. Scored online

Students fill out the Zeus on the Loose worksheet while thevideo is being played.Teacher Graded

Teacher demonstration on fractions by dividing up a s‘more Lecture on fractions

Guided practice by having the students make and divide a s’more into several fractions

Convergent questioning like: How can we write the number that represents a part of thewhole?

Multimedia Presentations:1) Zeus on the Loose video with

worksheet2) Dr. Marble’s 13 combination’s

of one half website3) Vortex the fraction Game

Students are chosen to divide the smore. They will be happy to be chosen

Students are chosen to draw the three-headed dog, as part of the discussion about how would you give each head part of 2 applesbecause they are good artists

The familiar connections to food,games, drawing and cartoons will help their self esteem. They will be more likely to interact if the knowledge is presented in a familiar fashion.

Involving the entire class in a communal activity raises self esteem because the student feel like they are part of a group.

Groups of students are selected to build and divide s’mores into fractions.

As a class, students answerMany questions about fractions like: How to divide S’mores into fractions?

Teacher Lecture about fractions based on questioning of the students about dividing s’mores

“Zeus on the Loose”internet video and worksheet

Internet based games:Dr. Marble’s 13 combination of Halve Game and Vortex Game

1. Students take a multiple-choice exam at the end of the unit to assess learning

2. A more engaging alternative assessment

strategy could be included, such as having students develop a multimedia presentation about what they learned.

Lesson Enhancement SuggestionsLesson Enhancement Suggestions

ConclusionConclusion

This lesson, “I’ll Halve S’more Please” uses a combination of media elements and parallels to a favorite treat to create enduring understanding of fractions for students. Incorporating such instructional strategies as critical thinking skills, intelligence attributes, metacognition, alternative assessments, direct instruction, cooperative learning, and self-esteem building tools, educators can differentiate instruction effectively and increase learning for their students while engaging them in fun activities!

Since media components in the classroom can contribute many positive elements, and references to real-life illustrations help students realize the value of what they are learning, this lesson is very effective at capturing and maintaining the interest of students. Using this lesson in the classroom would aid students in understanding numbers, ways of representing numbers, the relationships amongst numbers, and number systems while allowing them to utilize computational tools and strategies confidently and estimate properly.

For educators that wish to expand on this effectiveness, the lesson suggests cross-curricular extensions in art, history/english, and technology that would provide additional instructional strategies for increased learning in the classroom.