Planting the Seeds of Perimeter
Students will create planters that meet specific perimeter dimensions. The students will need to determine the number of sides and the perimeter for their planter.
Spending Money
In this lesson, students use the Understand, Plan, Solve, and Evaluate (UPSE) problem-solving model to first identify and organize relevant information, and then devise and carry out a plan to solve one-step mathematics word problems with a missing addend. The lesson was designed with English learners (ELs) in mind and includes instructional strategies designed to make linguistic and content input comprehensible: a focus on vocabulary, manipulatives, visuals, cooperative learning, anchor charts, graphic organizers, technology applications, and sentence stems/frames.
Utilize Strip Diagrams to Solve Multi-step Multiplication and Division Word Problems
Students will utilize manipulatives to create concrete and pictorial strip diagram representations in order to solve multi-step multiplication and division word problems.
Step Into the Problem: A Strategy for Visualizing a Math Problem
Teachers will show students a tool to help them understand a problem situation. The tool called Step into the Problem, will walk students through the steps of comprehending a problem: Read the problem, Turn and Talk, Act it Out, Notice and Wonder, and Reflect. Students will be given a problem situation and will go through the steps to show that they understand the problem situation.
Decoding Word Problems
This lesson focuses on multi-step word problems involving division along with addition or subtraction. The students chunk word problems into each individual step and learn how to choose a familiar strategy.
Puzzling Place Value
Students work collaboratively with a variety of different manipulatives to compose and decompose numbers in more than one way.
Building a Watershed
Students will model the effects of human activity on watersheds.
Area of Composite Figures
Student groups will work collaboratively using the appropriate formulas to find the area of simple figures and combine the area of each shape to find the area of composite figures in real-world situations.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Comparing Fractional Parts
Students will participate in whole-group and small-group instruction as they collaborate and use manipulatives, visuals, and hands-on activities to explore fractional parts. Ultimately, students will understand that when dividing a whole into fractions, the smaller the fractional part, the greater the number of parts, and the larger the part, the fewer the number of parts.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Models of Multiplication
Students will solve one-step multiplication problems using various multiplication strategies such as objects, pictorial models, arrays, equal groups, repeated addition, and number lines.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Modeling the Path of Digestion
Students model the path of digestion using household items.
Diagramming Dinosaurs
Students will use a verbal representation to explore a constant rate of change in the size of dinosaurs over a period of time and represent their data by graphing.
Distributive Property
Students break an array apart to represent the sum of two multiplication facts, showing the distributive property.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Related to the Unit
As we looked at the vertical alignment document available to teachers through the Texas Education Agency and regional TEKS resource pages, it became evident why students struggle with this standard. The skills and knowledge within this standard are not addressed in the second-grade TEKS. Students are also required to use multiple skills to correctly calculate the answer using the distributive property. The chosen standard is identified as a third-grade readiness standard, which means that the intent is to help students develop a deep understanding of how to effectively use these skills in mathematics. This deep understanding is desired to help students at the fourth-grade level since the standard is identified as a supporting standard.
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Let's Talk Turkey
Students will work collaboratively to apply different strategies such as pictorial representations, part-part-whole, number sentences, and open number lines to solve Thanksgiving-themed one-step and multi-step word problems.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Subtraction on the Move
The students will participate in a number talk focused on subtraction with the subtrahend of nine. Then they will be paired to rotate around the room working subtraction problems with and without regrouping.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Analyzing Data Using a Dot Plot
Students will construct a dot plot using data collected on the faces of a cube after it is rolled. Students will then use a key to change the data to represent a larger population.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Modeling and Solving Two-Step Equations
Students will use various materials to create models of two-step equations. Then, they will take an equation, create their own model, and solve for the variable from the model.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Related to the Unit
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Equations and Inequalities
Using a graphic organizer, students will write and solve a one-variable, two-step equation using the distributive property. They also will draw a picture and justify their solution.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Does Paper Have Volume?
Students will be involved in a problem-solving lesson to determine if paper has volume, find the volume of a piece of paper and a ream of paper, and determine how many pieces of paper will fit inside their classroom.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Related to the Unit
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Discovering the Ratio of Pi
Students will discover the ratio of pi by relating the circumference to the diameter of various circles. Students will use this ratio to approximate the formulas for circumference.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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