Running Head: Peer Teaching Module 1

Peer Teaching Module:

Chapter 14- Algebraic Thinking: Generalizations, Patterns, and

Functions

Rebecca Whitters

St. Thomas University

January 18th, 2016

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Textbook Chapter Summary:

Chapter 14- p. 253-281

This chapter begins by explaining that many students struggles

with mathematics often begin when they are introduced to algebra.

Although this is common, this does not have to be the case, and there

has been much research in recent years to support students through

their learning of algebraic concepts. The textbook explains that

algebraic thinking begins at a young age and continues through

students academic careers. The textbook claims that the study of

patterns, relations and functions is one of three strands of algebraic

reasoning.

The textbook focuses on generalization, patterns and functions.

Generalization with operations is explained using an image of monkeys

and trees. The students are asked to describe all of the ways that

seven monkeys could play in a big tree and a small tree. The students

will continue until all of the solutions have been found. With this, it

explains the meaning of symbols such as the equal sign and the

meaning of different variables.

Furthermore, it focuses on patterns. The chapter explains that a

great way of introducing patterns to students is by using examples of

objects or things that can be found in the students everyday life. It is

important for students to recognize AB patterns, and if a student uses

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everyday life to create these it could be easier for them to recognize

their pattern. It is also important for students to realize where the

relationship occurs in patterns. This can be done by focusing on the

pattern itself, or by using a table to help.

Finally, the textbook emphasises important aspects for the

teacher to consider while teaching algebra. The teacher must make

sure to use the appropriate vocabulary, and make sure to explain them

accordingly. Examples of vocabulary words are independent and

dependant variables, discrete and continuous, domain and range,

context, table, graph, etc.

Peer Teaching Focus: Patterns p.267-271

In this lesson plan, students will demonstrate an understanding

of repeating and increasing patterns. Students will also recognize the

core of a pattern, and will receive practice extending them. Since it is

so important for teachers to link algebra with everyday lives, this

lesson will include objects and ideas that students are familiar with.

Students will also be asked to create their own patterns using objects

of their choosing. For example, using two of their favourite animals,

etc.

Students are introduced to algebraic patterns beginning in

kindergarten and they continue to learn about this in different ways

throughout their middle and high school years. This lesson will be

focusing on algebraic patterns in grade two. The goal at this level is for
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students to demonstrate an understanding of repeating patterns (using

three to five elements in a pattern)(PR1). Students will be asked to

demonstrate an understanding of increasing patterns by describing,

reproducing, extending and creating patterns (PR2). As students go

into higher-grade levels such as grade three, they will be asked to

describe patterns using numbers to 1000. Students will use patterns

with bigger numbers once they demonstrate that they can describe

patterns using lower numbers.

As previously mentioned, this lesson will be used for a grade 2

class. The teacher of this class has already gone over what students

should remember about patterns from grade 1 (using patterns with two

to four elements), and the students have shown that they are ready to

move on to patterns for the grade 2 level. Students should be able to

identify and describe patterns using everyday objects. This will allow

students to relate the patterns that they are working with to their lives.

Lesson Plan:

Demonstrate an understanding of repeating and increasing

patterns

Subject: Grade: 2 Length: 1 hour Date: January

Mathematics 18th, 2017
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Before the lesson:

Title: Describing increasing and repeating patterns.

Objective: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate

an understanding of repeating and increasing patterns by describing,
extending and comparing different patterns. The examples that students
will be given will be relatable to the world around them.

New Brunswick Curricular Objectives:

GCO: Patterns and Relations (PR). Use patterns to describe the world
and solve problems.
SCO: PR1: Demonstrate an understanding of repeating patterns
(three to five elements).
PR2: Demonstrate an understanding of increasing patterns by
describing, extending, creating and comparing patterns using
manipulatives, diagrams, sounds and actions (numbers to 100).

NCTM: Grades K-2 Expectations:

Students should be able to:

Sort, classify, and order objects by size, number, and other
properties.
Recognize, describe, and extend patterns such as sequence of
sounds and shapes or simple numeric patterns and translate from
one representation to the other.
Analyze how both repeating and growing patterns are generated.

Text source:
Van de Walle, et al. (2015)

Materials Needed:
Pencils & eraser
Notebook for anecdotal notes
Math sheet with questions on it
Extra paper in case students need it to show their work
Manipulatives for students to create their patterns

Lesson:

Students will begin by doing a think, pair, share brainstorm with

their peers. The teacher will begin by asking, What is a pattern?
Give an example of what you think a pattern could look like. What
do you think the core of a pattern is? They will be able to think back
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to their lessons on patterns from previous years. When the students

have finished discussing with their peers, they will be given an
opportunity to share their ideas. (5 mins)
The teacher will explain that they will be focusing on developing an
understanding of repeating and increasing patterns. They will also
be focusing on extending patterns and finding the core of a
pattern.
The teacher will begin by writing 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3 on the board. Is
this an increasing or a repeating pattern? Repeating. Ask the
students to tell you why. The teacher will then write 1,2,3,4,5,6 on
the board. Is this an increasing or repeating pattern? Explain. The
teacher will then give the students a repeating pattern to continue:
12341234 Ask them to say what is in the 5th place of the pattern,
and to predict what number will be in the 10th and 15th place of their
pattern. Tell them to explain. (10 mins)
The students will then be asked to create their own patterns using
manipulatives or drawings of their choice. They will be asked to
describe each of their patterns. They can then give the patterns they
have created to a friend and allow them to extend their pattern. (10
mins)
The teacher will give the students manipulatives that are different
colours. In groups of 2, the students will be asked to create a pattern
that repeats at least 3 times. Ask the students to describe what the
core of the pattern is by looking at one section of their pattern
(p.268). (5 minutes)
Finally, the teacher will ask the students to stay with their partners
and create a pattern using sound. Explain that patterns can be found
in sounds such as clapping hands, stomping feet, snapping fingers,
etc. Ask the students to share their pattern for the rest of the class.
(10 minutes)
After the whole group instruction part of the lesson is complete and
the teacher feels that the students are ready, the teacher will give
the students their first worksheet on patterns. As the students are
working, the teacher will circulate the class and take anecdotal notes
of student progress, and will make notes of which student the
teacher feels is understanding and who they feel is not. After they
have completed their work sheets, the teacher will go over the
answers as a class. (20 mins)
To end the lesson, the teacher will ask the students to complete an
exit slip showing one thing about patterns that they have learned in
todays class. They will pass in their exit slips before they leave.

Differentiation:

During this lesson, the teacher focused on including group work and
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whole class instruction so that students who may feel like they are
struggling can ask for support. If a student is struggling with reading
the questions on their work sheet, their partner can read the
question aloud to help them.
For students who may have ADHD, the teacher made sure to make
much of the lesson hands on by using manipulatives for creating
patterns. This will help deter the student from getting bored easily
and will hopefully help to keep their attention for the rest of the
lesson.
In the case that a student in the class is gifted, that student can be
given a separate worksheet that is more challenging for that student.
The questions will be similar, but the difficulty will increase. The
teacher will try to ensure that the level of difficulty will be enough for
the gifted student so that it takes that student the same amount of
time to complete their work as it does for the other students in the
class.

Assessment:

As the students are working, the teacher will be circulating the

classroom and taking anecdotal notes to track the progress of each
student. The teacher will record details such as whether the students
are understating repeating and increasing patterns, whether the
student can identify the core of a pattern and whether the student
knows how to extend a certain pattern.
The teacher will collect the students work sheets to verify the
process that each student is using while creating/identifying patterns.
The teacher will also ask the students to hand in an exit slip at the
end of the math class to ensure their understanding of certain
concepts.

After the lesson:

After the lesson, the teacher will examine the students worksheets
and exit slips to determine whether or not the students understood
the lesson.
If the teacher feels that the students did not understand the lesson,
the teacher will look to see where many of them are struggling based
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on their worksheets, and try to teach the lesson the next day in a
new way.
If the teacher thinks that the students understand the concepts from
todays lesson, then tomorrows lesson the teacher will focus on using
numbers to 100 in patterns.
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References:

Bay-Williams, J. M. (December 01, 2001). What Is Algebra in

Elementary School?. Teaching Children Mathematics, 8, 4, 196-200.

Earnest, D., & Balti, A. A. (May 01, 2008). Instructional Strategies for
Teaching Algebra in Elementary School: Findings from a Research-
Practice Collaboration. Teaching Children Mathematics, 14, 9, 518-522.

Van de Walle, K., Folk, S., Karp, K., Bay-Williams, J., & McGarvey, L.M.
(2015). (4th Canadian ed).
Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching
developmentally. Toronto, ON: Person.