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Running Head: MODULE SIX

Module Six: Lesson Planning/Instructional Unit - My Class Jennifer Deluhery EDU 723, Summer A 2012 Laurel Ellis June 17, 2012

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This math mini-unit was created for a class of 12 kindergarten students, ages 5 and 6. There are 9 male students and 3 female students. Of the students in the class, 2 female students are ELL students and 2 additional male students are bilingual. One student in the class has an IEP which requires that he receive speech and occupational therapy services once a week, during class time. All the students in this class are from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, though there are several students who are from different countries including 2 students from Mexico, 1 student from Colombia, and 1 student from Portugal. The students also exhibit a great level of academic diversity. Three students in the class struggle with math concepts and receive additional support from the classroom teacher during math center time. One of the students who struggles with the math concepts is an ELL student. Four students perform most mathematical tasks at an enriched level and exhibit a better understanding of simple math concepts, particularly number sense. One of these students who demonstrates an above-level understanding of math skills is the student who has an IEP and has been diagnosed with autism. While he excels at performing math tasks, he does not communicate well and continues to work on speech skills, including answering simple questions. During this unit, though he can perform the task and on the advice of Jamie Long, his speech therapist, he will focus on communicating his understanding by answering questions that guide his thinking about the activity (J. Long, personal communication, June 13, 2012). Since the math skill being introduce consists of two applications, spotting differences in pictures as well as using math manipulatives and creating pictures to demonstrate the understanding of differences between two groups, the unit will have two separate lessons. To

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reinforce the skills, extension activities are also listed that can be used during math center time. For those students who master the skill quickly, the lesson will include more difficult versions of the same task. The first lesson incorporates a lot of language, which could be a struggle for those students who do not primarily speak English, as well as the student with speech delays. To better suit their needs, the classroom will have an additional aide present who speaks Spanish and the lesson will use several cues, visual and verbal, which can help guide the students thinking. The second lesson relies more on demonstrating the skill than communicating it, though students will still be expected to communicate their understanding to some extent. The student with autism is generally able to communicate when presented with yes or no questions and can sometimes communicate when given very direct simple questions (example: where is the bird in your picture? the tree; where is the bird in your next picture? the ground) and should be guided by the teacher during the communication portions of both lessons (J. Long, personal communication, June 13, 2012). In order to assess this unit, I have chosen to incorporate work samples preserved in student portfolio boxes and teacher observation. Though this unit is only two days, this skill will be incorporated throughout the school year and in other subjects. The students will have several opportunities to create similar graphic representations in their math journals throughout the year, which will be added to their portfolios at the end of the school year (Cohen & Spenciner, 2009). The introduction of this math skill will also help lay the foundation for comparison skills in reading, which is examined closely during a longer Reading unit that occurs later in the school year. That unit will also produce portfolio pieces which can be compared with this portfolio product to determine growth and understanding. Cohen and Spenciner (2009) note that teacher

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observation provides valuable information not only about the material the students are learning but also how the students interact with their learning environment, as well as peers and educators, which greatly influences student achievement (p. 419).

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Lesson Plan - Spotting Small Differences; Day 1 Time: approximately 20 minutes; additional activities during math center time (generally about 15 minutes later in the school day) Objectives: To identify subtle differences in a picture. To compare similarities and differences and communicate them in whole sentences.

* This falls in line with the Common Core standards CC.K.CC.3, CC.K-12.MP.4, and CC.K-12.MP.5 Materials: Teacher Big Book (includes a comparison picture; if not using this math series, use an enlarged spot the difference picture puzzle - website is listed below in extension activities), Teachers Edition KA, pp. 27-28 (Math in Focus: Singapore Math by Marshall Cavendish series) Procedures: The lesson begins as whole group instruction, with students seated at the carpet facing the Math Big Book (pp. 6-7 displayed); Review & discuss what it means if something is the same and what it means if something is different. Ask students if anyone can point to differences in the picture. If students are hesitant, guide their thinking by asking questions specific to the picture (What is the bee holding in the picture? Is he holding anything in the other picture? How many bugs do you see in the first picture? Do you see a different number in the other picture? Is there anything different about the butterfly?) After finding all the differences (there

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are 5), have the class count the differences as the teacher points to each - this reinforces counting to 5) The class will then break into partners, the students have assigned math partners (the 2 ELL students are not partnered with one another nor with the student who has difficulty communicating). After the students have moved to sit by their partner explain that the next activity will require them to meet and talk about their differences, then to share those differences with the class. This should be modeled by the teacher and the classroom assistant (example: I have brown hair. Ms. A has blonde hair. I have a blue shirt. Ms. A is wearing a green dress. My shoes are black. Ms. As shoes are green.) At this point students will be given 3 minutes to spot 3 differences. Teachers should monitor this time and facilitate any students struggling with the activity by giving them specific aspects to compare (tell me about your partners shirt, shoes, hair, eyes, etc). When 3 minutes are up, half of the class will meet with Ms. A to share what they found was different from their partner and the other class will meet with Mrs. Deluhery to share. In these smaller groups, also discuss what is the same between partners. At the end of the activity, ask the students to compare themselves to the teacher they are working with and tell one more thing that is different and one thing that is the same. Assessment: This portion of the unit should be assessed by teacher observation. At the end of the lesson, both teachers should meet to discuss what the students were successful with and with what they struggled. Any necessary accommodations should be considered at this point and students who

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require additional instruction or practice should be noted for small groups during math center time. Extension Activities (during center time or for additional practice): On-line Spot the Difference games to play on SMART board with a partner or small group or at a computer individually: http://www.thekidzpage.com/learninggames/spotthedifference/ index.html Spot the difference picture puzzle worksheets (http://www.kidsfront.com/spot-differences/ 1.html). These can be used during rest time as well for students to practice this math skill. Additional Information: Extension activities can be used during the math center time and allow the classroom teacher or aide to work in small groups with students who struggle. The classroom aide is fluent in Spanish and can help the ELL students who may have difficulty expressing their ideas in English. Students who seem to grasp the math concept presented will be asked to share additional information about a third student when in small groups (finding a difference among three people).

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Lesson Plan - Spotting Small Differences; Day 2 Time: approximately 20 minutes; additional activities during math center time (generally about 15 minutes later in the school day) Objectives: To create subtle differences in pictures. To demonstrate understanding using manipulatives (counting cubes). To communicate differences between two or more objects using complete sentences. To create graphic representations of differences between two people. * This falls in line with the Common Core standards CC.K.CC.3, CC.K-12.MP.4, and CC.K-12.MP.5 Materials: Teachers Edition KA, pp. 28-30 (Math in Focus: Singapore Math by Marshall Cavendish series), counting cubes (5 per student; 3 red, 2 blue), crayons or colored pencils for each student, one large sheet of paper per student, model drawing of 3 differences between two classroom teachers/adults, Student Book A, Part 1, p. 23 (or simple teacher created drawings - if necessary for struggling learners)

Procedures: Materials should be at the students tables before beginning the lesson (have all materials for the lesson already in math baskets, ready to distribute). Students will work with their math partners for the first portion of the lesson in which they will be asked to use their counting cubes to individually create a tower, using all or some of their 5

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cubes. After creating towers, the students will then be asked to turn to their partner and discuss how their towers are the same and how they are different. If students created the same tower, they will be asked to create a second tower that should be different from their partners tower. During this activity, teachers should be monitoring the students and guiding their thinking by asking if their towers are different and how they think they are different. Students will have an opportunity to create 3 towers to compare with their partner. The next activity will require the students to recall the previous lesson in which they compared themselves to a partner. After taking a few minutes to review the activity and have a few volunteers share what they found different during the previous lesson, tell students they will be comparing themselves again today but will share their differences by drawing a picture. Each student being given a large piece of paper to draw a picture of him/her and a classroom partner, with the differences between them circled (3 - 5 differences, depending on student understanding of the concept). Teachers should walk around to pairs during this time and help students who may be struggling. If students are greatly struggling, they may draw a picture of themselves and their partner and have the teacher label the differences as they discuss them. Those students who may be advanced learners can also draw two simple pictures (example: of a sunny day with a house and tree) and color 5 differences between the two pictures. If there is time at the end of the lesson, allow a few students to share their pictures before all students should submit their drawings to their portfolio boxes. TEACHER TIP: A model drawing should be done by the teacher, before class time, and displayed when giving instructions.

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Assessment: The picture that the students draw should also be put in their portfolio boxes with a label matching the math unit (Spotting Small Differences - Day 2) Extension Activities (during center time or for additional practice): Possible center activity: use pattern blocks or counting cubes to create similar objects with a partner, then create differences. Working in pairs, students can use a large sheet of chart paper to create two similar pictures (using crayons, magazine pictures, stickers) with only 5 differences. Students who struggle with the concept will work in a small group with one of the classroom teachers to color 5 differences on Student Book A, Part 1, p. 23 (Math in Focus: Singapore Math by Marshall Cavendish series) - teachers can also use a simple drawing they have created to guide students to first color 5 things that are different in each picture (example: color the starfish red in the top picture and blue in the bottom; color the striped fish green and white in the top picture, but blue and yellow in the bottom), then color everything else exactly the same. The extension activities from Day 1 can also be used as reinforcement activities, if so desired. Additional Information: By giving the students a drawing to complete, it allows the teacher to assess their understanding of the math concept, without depending solely on their communication skills.

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References Cohen, L. G., & Spenciner, L. J. (2009). Teaching students with mild and moderate disabilities: Research-based practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Sharpe, P. (2012). Math in focus: Singapore math by Marshall Cavendish. (Kindergarten ed., Vol. A). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.