Daily Intervention PBL Plans

Week # 1

Dates

___________________________
Monday
Pre-assessment
Math journal
describe how to
solve an algebraic
equation

ENTRY EVENT:
Using balance
scales, give
students an
unknown weight for
one side and
various other
weight values for
the other side.
Students
experiment with the
weights to make it
balance. Do a
number of trials.
Discuss strategies
and how do they
know if its
balanced. (If a
teeter-totter is
available, do
outside and use
people to balance
the two sides.)

Math Journal

Tuesday
Create mobiles

Wednesday
(Finish mobiles, if
necessary)

Using hangers and

found objects,
create balanced
mobiles.

Introduce In the
Balance: Algebra
Logic Puzzles by
Lou Kroner

Explain to the
group, how you
know your mobile is
balanced.

Math journal
draw a sketch of
your mobile and
write your
explanation of how
you knew your
mobile is balanced.

[Puzzles are
mobiles. Each shape
stands for a number
value or weight. To
solve the puzzles,
students must make
the weights in each
part of the mobile
balance from left to
right.]
Work on puzzles
together,
discovering how to
solve them and
developing a
common language
to describe the
process and
solution.

Thursday
Continue with
puzzles either as a
group, or as
partners, or as
individuals.
Students will need
to explain their logic
to defend their
solutions.
Teacher facilitates
where needed.

Friday
Continue with
puzzles.
By the end of
todays class, each
student or group will
present one of the
puzzles and explain
its solution.
The audience will
ask questions to
clarify anything they
didnt understand.

Math Journal List

at least 3 things that
you must consider in Pre-assessment:
order to solve the
5 problems involving
balance problems.
order of operations
to correctly solve.

describe the process

the group used to
make the two sides
balanced or equal.
(If time, start
mobiles.)
Daily Intervention PBL Plans

Week #2

Dates

___________________________
Monday
If needed, review
order of operations.
If not needed, skip
and go to the next
lesson.
Write original
mnemonics to help
them remember
PEMDAS, such as
Phyllis elephant
Mable dances and
sings.
Do practice
problems on white
boards.
(Check for
understanding at
the same time.)

Tuesday
Write algebraic
expressions starting
with words and
translating it into
math symbols. (Use
ones from 5th or 6th
grade math book.)
Students work on
white boards.
As students become
more comfortable,
have them write
their own problem
and give them to
each other to
translate into math
symbols.

Wednesday
Write algebraic
equations
representing the
less complex of the
balance problems.
Start with using the
symbols in the
puzzle. Insert the
solutions that we
discovered and find
out if the solutions
still work.
Then move to
replacing the
symbols with
variables.

Thursday
Take some relatively
simple one variable
equations. Draw
mobiles to illustrate
them.
Then solve.
Discuss how the
sketch of the mobile
helps create a
picture of the
algebra problem.
Math Journal:
Draw several
examples of the
sketches and their
solutions.

Friday
Continue to work
with equations,
drawing a mobile
and solving.
Then right next to it,
show how to solve it
algebraically.
Make connections
between the
drawings and the
steps to solve the
logic problem with
the algebra solution.

Exit Ticket:

Math Journal:
Record favorite
mnemonic for order
of operations.

Math Journal:
Record several
original problems
and translate them
into math symbols.

Solve 2 algebraic
equations using any
method (such as a
sketch) that you
wish.

Math Journal:
What is a variable
and what is its
purpose?

Exit Ticket:
Solve 3 problems
following order of
operations.

Daily Intervention PBL Plans

Week # 3

Dates

___________________________
Monday
Math Journal:
Discuss together
and then record
what strategies that
weve discovered
are helpful when
solving the balance
problems and
equations:
1. to stay
balanced, do
the same to
both sides
2. combine like
terms (like
shapes)
3. follow order of

Tuesday
Review and practice
more problems.

Assessment:
Solve 10 onevariable algebra
problems

Wednesday
Apply strategies that
weve been working
on by writing and
solving algebraic
expressions for story
problems and
puzzles in Beginning
Algebra Thinking for
Grades 5-6.
(All of these
problems can be
acted out with
objects, solved with
a table or an
organized list or
diagram in addition

Thursday
Continue with more
problems.
(Book includes 8
different types of
problems.)

Friday
Together discuss
what do these
problems have in
common and what
we would have to
include in order to
write our own
problems.
With a partner or
individually write a
story problem or
puzzle that could be
solved using
algebra.

operations

to a written
equation.)

Do more practice
problems as needed,
depending upon the
exit ticket from
Friday.

Math Journal:
What strategy is the
most helpful in
figuring out what
the algebraic
equation is for the
story problems?

Quiz:
Solve ____ problems
representing the
different types
weve practiced.

Trade and solve

each others
problems.
Debrief:
What made a
problem solvable or
unsolvable?
What suggestions
can you make to
help someone adjust
the way a problem is
written so that it can
be solved?

Daily Intervention PBL Plans

Week # 4

Dates

___________________________
Monday
Begin project:

Tuesday
Review what makes
an effective
presentation.

Design a
presentation (visual
art, song, dance,
rap, skit, poster,
etc.) that would
Work Time
teach a younger
student how to solve
algebraic equations.

Wednesday
Work Time

Teacher facilitates
where needed.

Thursday
Present for each
other.
Conduct peer
evaluations stating
at least 3 things the
student did well and
1 thing the student
could improve upon
the next time he/she

Friday
Final assessment:
Solving equations
and writing original
stories/problems to
accompany
equations.

Focus on the
strategies and
methods that have
helped you the
most!

Math Journal:
Make a sketch or
describe the idea
that you have
decided on for your
presentation.

presented.

Teacher facilitates
where needed.
Math Journal:
Do a self-evaluation
stating at least 3
things you did well
and at least 1 thing
you could improve
upon the next time
you present.