Rich, open-ended Math Problem

Today's Math Problem was deliberately sequenced following the same math lesson used by Dr. Cathy Fosnot with a Grade 6 class in New York. As soon as I viewed the webcast, I knew that my Grade 5 students would have been able to solve the problem without major difficulties and I was right!

The 22 students that were present today were paired and of the 11 pairs, only two pairs experienced difficulty solving the problem.

Below are the steps that were taken to teach the lesson:

1. Activating knowledge about context - use context as a way to invite students to explore and see Math as part of everyday living/make connections to their lives

2. Setting the context for the problem

3. Solving the problems in Different ways

4. Coordinating the sharing of solutions using a Math Congress (this is where we stopped)

Tomorrow, the lesson will be focused on .....

5. Analyzing the Mathematics in the problem

6.Anticipating response to the problem

7. Understanding students' mathematical thinking

8. Coordinating students discussion using a Math Congress

9. Landscape of Learning for Fractions, decimals, ratios - Proportional Reasoning (teach how everything is related)

10. Designing the next problem