Why Minds on Matters

Part of Sarika's Annual Learning Plan this year is to become more familiar with, and use more regularly, the three part lesson in her math class; and to become more comfortable with (and consistent with) teaching through problem solving.  Her Grade 5's are currently learning how to make a table of values and how to recognize patterns.

She has modified problems from her text to use as the "action" part of her lessons for a week.  She was able to break down the problem into multiple parts so that the problem is not only extended, but the students can use information they already know from a previous problem and apply it to the problem they are working on.

In this lesson her minds on activity was having the students identify the pattern and extend it on a table of values.  The first table was a simple growing pattern that increased by 5 each time.  The class talked about what the pattern rule would look like in words and recorded that beside the table.

For the second table of values the students were only given two terms then they were asked to talk to their partner about what thought the next term value would be.

When the students were done they gave us a "thumbs up" sign, and when the majority of the class was showing "thumbs up" the students shared what they thought the next term value would be.  One student said it would be "93" and another justified that by saying that "the pattern rule would be start at 31 and add 31 each time".  This was recorded on the board.  (We used initials and a chart to record their answers and thinking). The students were asked if this could be the only possible number.  They were then shown 124 and asked to discuss if they thought it was possible or not to be used as the next term number.

At first there were a few puzzled looks.  The majority of the class could not see that multiplication was also a way to extend patterns.  A few then began to think of "doubling" and then one student put up his hand and said that it could be the next term because if we "multiplied 31 x 2 we would get 62...62X2 we would get 124..We could then do 124x2 and get 248 for the next term."  The light bulbs went on.

Why this Minds on was important for Sarika is that it gave her a lot of information about her class.  She knows that they are able to identify and express in words what a pattern rule is, they can extend a numeric pattern, and are working on making predictions about growing patterns.  She knows that for her next few lessons, she will have to include problems and activities that involve using multiplication and addition in the patterns, and encourage the students to use these tools to help them solve problems.