Lesson Plan #3 Title: Using CUBES to solve our problems.
Performance Objective: Using a reference card, students will be able to explain the process of solving a math word problem, including each of the five components of the CUBES method in their explanations scoring a 4 out of 6.
Resources or Materials Needed: Projector, CUBES reference cards, pencil, paper.
Time: 75 minutes
Step 1: Pre-Instructional Activities: The teacher will ask students to share out loud their experiences with solving math word problems. The teacher will have some of the sentences used from prior lessons on the board asking students to recall the math words they used and how they identified important information from the sentence. After reviewing these sentences for 5-7 minutes the teacher will begin the lesson.
Step 2: Content Presentation: The teacher will have an anchor chart displayed on the board with the CUBES method. Each student will also be receiving their own laminated card with the same CUBES method as it is printed on the anchor chart. CUBES stands for Circle important numbers, Underline the question you need to answer, Box key math words, Evaluate and eliminate unnecessary information, Solve and double-check your work. The teacher will begin with a math word problem that is grade appropriate placed on the board very large. The teacher will explain how the CUBES method works by reading the anchor chart. The teacher will then demonstrate how the CUBES method works by using illustrative examples and think aloud while solving the math word problem. This will take the teacher 5-7 minutes as the teacher will need to explain in detail what she is doing and why she is doing it all the while following the CUBES method. After the problem has been solved the teacher will place another math word problem on the board that is at a lower grade level and ask the students to help solve the problem together as a class using the same method as the teacher just used. During this time the teacher will be engaging students in deeper thinking by asking them why they chose this next step, asking if anyone has anything they would do different, why they are doing it this way, and anything else they could add to the descriptions. This will take a large amount of time to go through as the teacher will be asking the students many questions and engaging them in a lengthy discussion on the CUBES method.
Step 3: Learner Participation: The students will be placed in groups of 5. Each student will be responsible for one of the CUBES methods for example, one student will have to Circle important numbers, another student will Underline the question you need to answer, another student will Box key math words, another student will Evaluate and eliminate unnecessary information, and the fifth student will Solve and double-check their work. After all of the groups have finished the teacher will break the students up again but this time placing all “C” numbers in one group, “B” numbers in another group and so on until each group now holds the CUBES method they used together. Now the students will check their work to see if they all answered the same way. If they did not answer the same way they are to explain their answer and how they got it. This will give the students the opportunity to explain, demonstrate, and model their new knowledge. After all of the students have had a chance to share in their groups the teacher will place the same question on the board and once again explain, demonstrate, and model how to solve this math word problem using the CUBES method.
Step 4: Assessment: The students will be given a math word problem in the form of an exit ticket. They will be asked to explain each step of the CUBES method and how it is used in the given math word problem. Students must use proper academic language as well as produce the correct answer. Using a reference card, students will be able to explain the process of solving a math word problem, including each of the five components of the CUBES method in their explanations scoring a 4 out of 6.
Step 5: Follow-Through Activities: Math word problems come up on a weekly basis in our class already. It will be imperative that the teacher continues to use the CUBES method in instruction and continues to expect the students to do the same.
Lesson Plan Summary: The lesson starts off by the teacher activating prior knowledge of the student's learnings by asking the students to recall how they have been solving the math sentences this past week. The information given to students this past week has been presented in a way that the information can be stored in memory in a meaningful way. This lines up with the cognitivism theory on knowing how to organize knowledge. The cognitivism theory supports explanations, demonstrations, and modeling. Next, the teacher explains a new process on solving math word problems by demonstrating how it is used. The teacher models by solving a math word problem on the board, thinking out loud, and using academic language. Finally, the students are placed in groups where they are to solve a math word problem. The students will be asked to explain, demonstrate, and model to their peers one portion of the CUBES method. These all line up with the cognitivism theory because students will have to explain the process required to solve math word problems. Explaining will require students to understand the process not just memorize the steps. The students will show this in their assessment when they have to explain their reasoning for each step.
Assessment
The students will be given a math word problem in the form of an exit ticket. They will be asked to explain each step of the CUBES method and how it is used in the given math word problem. Students must use proper academic language a