David Knapp

Lesson Plan Enrichment 4th grade

Daily Lesson Plan for: J & A
Lesson # 5

Date:

Standards(s):
4.OA.C. Generate and analyze patterns.
4.OA.A Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.
4.OA.B Gain familiarity with factors and multiples.
SMP #1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
SMP #2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
*** Math ideas
Problem solving; Recognizing Patterns; Specializing (solution for a specific term);
Generalizing solution (finding an algebraic equation)
Goal(s)/Objective(s):
Develop students mathematical thinking skills in recognizing patterns, specializing and then
generalizing math ideas.

Materials

Student
individual
math journals

Activities

Review:
Quick review of concepts we discovered in the
locker problem.
Possible Review questions include:
Using the information we discovered when we
looked at the first 12 lockers and discovered that
the locker reaches the goal state with persons:
1,2,3,4,6 and 12 or the factors of 12 - consider
the following:
How did we find factors?
Why was knowing a locker numbers factors
important?

Teacher
Notes:

Review
Strategy of:
Using
Smaller
numbers in
problem
as a way
students
could attempt
to solve
difficult
problems in
the future

Did the number of factors a locker has matter?

What two factors does every number have?
What are prime numbers & their characteristics?
Did the number of factors determine if a locker is
open or not?
Student
individual
math journals

** Check for understanding; as we leave the

locker problem make sure to give students time
to record their thoughts in their journals.

Teacher Instruction:

Chocolate Bar Game Problem

Use Linking
Cubes and/or
counters
Note: Cubes
can more
closely
resemble the
candy bar
look and the
action of
breaking
apart, but
Chips are easy
to move into
varied shapes

There are two players who take turns

Every turn a player picks up a section of the
candy bar and breaks it along one of the lines
Every break must go all the way across the
section
This continues until all the pieces are separate
Whoever makes the last break is the winner

ALSO:
Paper model
of different
sizes of
chocolate bars
(including
pieces)

Procedure:
We will begin with a 3 by 3 chocolate bar.
Play the game (as directed above) a few times.
Prompts
Looking at the chocolate bar we used in the
game, how can we determine who wins?
What are things you notice about the bar?
Is there a way to always win?
Does this strategy work with all candy bars?
What about candy bars of other sizes?
How can we come up with a generalized
statement?
What is the mathematical expression for an even

number? (** Using x to represent a number;

an even number = 2x)
What is the mathematical expression for an odd
number?
(** Using x to represent a number; an odd
number = 2x-1 or 2x+1

Extension Prompts
How could we discover a strategy where we
can know/predict if we will win or lose?
What aspects should we look at/consider when
finding a strategy?
Would the strategy be the same for smaller bars
and larger bars?
** Record your thoughts in your journals

Assessment/Evaluation:
Student
individual
math journals

The assessment will be students explaining their

thinking at the end of each problem.
Concluding activities: students will write (math
journals) and verbalize (to peer and teacher/tutor)
their thinking related to today's problem(s).

Lesson Closure:
* We will discuss the math ideas/concepts
entered in the student journals in the tutoring
series.