EDMS 4121

NAME: Kimberly Kuhlman

October 15, 2015

Math Lesson Plan for Problem Solving

Common Core Math Content Standard: (Copy/paste the complete standard, and the
identifiers) 2.MD.8. -Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels,
and pennies, using $ and symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3
pennies, how many cents do you have?
Common Core Math Practice Standard: (Just write which standard it is)
2.MP.4. Model with mathematics.
Specific Objective: Students will be able to(just have one clear and focused objective)
After learning about the value of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, students will be
able to use their knowledge of money and coins to problem solve and show three
different ways to make the value of $.25 as evidenced by three drawn models and number
sentences to match the model.
Grade: 3rd
I should be able to follow and teach your lesson plan exactly, from the written description below.

Before
I.
CONTEXT AND PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Attention grabber:
Who likes money? Money is something that we use every day in order to buy items
and it is important we understand the value assigned to each coin and dollar. This will
help us when were at the store and we want to buy something such as a chocolate bar
or ice cream cone. Although each coin as a set value given to it, there are multiple
ways that you can use the different coins to create a value.
State objective/goal:
Today we will be completing a word problem that involves using pennies, dimes and
quarters in order to make and show three different ways to create the value of a .25
cents. You will show your way by drawing a model (drawing and labeling coins) as
well as creating a number sentence to match the model.
II.

QUESTION AND ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS

The problem question:
Jimmy wants to buy a yo-yo that costs 25 cents. In his pocket he has 4 nickels, 1 quarter, 5 pennies,
and 2 dimes. Find 3 different ways that Jimmy can use his coins to make the sum of 25 cents. Show
your work by drawing a model for each answer as well as writing a number sentence to match the
model.

Answer and Explanation: There are several different ways to use the allotted coins to make the sum of
25 cents so that Jimmy can buy the yoyo.
- 1 quarter
- 2 dimes and 5 pennies
- 4 nickels and 5 pennies
- 1 dime, 2 nickels, and 5 pennies
- 2 dimes and 1 nickel
- 3 nickels and 1 dime
Warm-up: I will explain to the students that they will be reviewing the value of coins.
I will use magnets to post the pictures of large printed coins onto the white board. I
will then ask the question who knows the value of a penny? A nickel? A dime? A
quarter? This will allow the students to use their prior knowledge of coins to answer
the questions. I will write the students responses on the white board next to the
corresponding visual. If the students are incorrect with guessing the value the teacher
may respond by saying that was a great guess but not quite accurate? Can anybody
help our friend? After reviewing the different values of the coins I will explain that
there are multiple ways to add the coins together to reach a sum. Lets practice some
ways that we can add values together. One way is through mental math. Ask students
to add 2 nickels together mentally. What value do you have if you add two nickels
together? Ask a student to share their mental math. Another strategy that we can use
when adding values is to add the large coins together first. For example, lets add all
our dimes together first by counting by tens. Then we can add on the smaller coins.
These are a few strategies that may be helpful when adding coins. I will then explain
that today we will be doing a word problem that involves adding coins together. Word
problems can sometimes be tricky because we have to make sure we understand what
the problem is asking us to do. I will explain that in todays problem not everyone
will get the same answer. There are multiple answers to this problem. In order to
complete our problem today it is important that we think of strategies to help us
accomplish the problem.
Materials: Learning objective written on paper, fake coins (pennies, nickels, dimes,
quarters) for each pair of students, pencils, worksheet (10 copies), sentence frames,
large printed coins, dry erase markers, magnets.
Expectations/Directions for students: I will explain that the students will be doing a
word problem that involves adding coins together to find different ways to reach 25
cents. I will then read the word problem out loud to the students. At this point I will
pass out the worksheet to the students and have them read the problem chorally. I
will then ask the students to brainstorm with a partner and come up with one strategy
that will help them to answer the problem. For example, it may be helpful for the
students to group the coins into groups that equal the value of ten cents. Another
strategy can be counting by fives or tens to figure out how many of each are in the
number 25. Group the students into pairs and allow 1-2 minutes to brainstorm ideas.
(EL adaptation) I will pair my beginning English language learner with a more
advanced English learner in order to make them feel comfortable and help with the

language barrier. I will then allow the groups to share strategies that will be helpful
and write them on the white board for the class to see. I will prompt the students to
share in complete sentences by having them read off of the sentence strip when
sharing: One strategy that I will use is____________ (EL Adaptation). I will then
pass out the coins to each student (1 zip lock bag for each student). I will explain
that the students will stay in pairs and brain solve three different ways to use the
coins to reach the sum of 25 cents using the strategy that they came up with
beforehand. They will record their answer on a worksheet by drawing and labeling
the coins. I will continue to explain that each student will write a number sentence to
match their drawing. I will model this by drawing two dimes and one nickel on the
white board. Underneath the coins I will write a number sentence. For example, 10+
10+5=25.
During
III.
PROMPTING QUESTIONS: (at least 5) Make these specific to the problem!
1. What is the problem asking you to do?
2. What was one strategy that we talked about that might be helpful?
3. Can you explain why you got that answer?
4. How many nickels add up to 25 cents?
5. Would it be helpful to group the coins into values of ten cents?
Early Finishers Worthwhile Extensions: For the early finishers I will modify the
assignment and ask them to find different ways to make the sum of 35 cents. The
students will use the same coins but instead find different ways to create a larger sum.
This will allow the students to continue to work and stay on task. If the students
complete this task they can use the values in the number sentences to create a
multiplication problem.

After
IV.

WRAP-UP/DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS
I will ring a bell to get the students attention in order to have all eyes on me. At this
time I will tell the students that they have 2 minutes to review their work and discuss
with their partner what they will share with the class. This will give my ELs time to
prepare and rehearse what they would like to share with the class. At this point I will
ask the students for a volunteer to share their results. If no one volunteers to share I
will pull a stick with the students name on it. I will ask the student to share one way
that they used their coins to create the sum of 25 cents. I will then ask the student to
explain how he/she got the answer and why they believe it to be true. I will use
sentence starters to promote academic language and guide my ELs We arrived at our
answer by________ We know it is true because___________. I will then ask the
students to share the strategy that they used in order to solve the problem. Did they
group the coins into values? Did they count my fives? By tens? If the student is
unable to answer and explain their reasoning, they can ask their partner to help

explain. I will use the sentence starter One strategy that I used is _____________ to
promote academic language and support my EL students. I will continue to pick
sticks in order to choose students to share their results and their strategy. I will do this
until we get at least 3-5 different ways that the problem could be solved. I will then
explain that today we became problem solvers and found different ways to answer
todays problem. I will ask the students did all of you find the same answer? Did
all of you use the same strategy? I will restate the objective to the students and ask
them if it was true that there were multiple ways to find the answers to this problem. I
will then state that there was indeed multiple answers to this problem a minimum of
six answers that we discovered. We were able to find these answers, draw our models,
write our word sentences, and share our answers and strategies with the class.
V.

ASSESSMENT PLAN (This can also occur while students are working)
I will know the students have met the objective if they are able to find 3 different
ways to make the sum of 25 cents and present their work by way of a drawn out
model for each answer as well as a number sentence. I will use a grading rubric in
order to assess the grade they will receive after completing the assignment. I also will
observe the students as they problem solve and work together as a team to find the
answer. I will observe from a distance but will intervene if a student is stuck, always
reminding them to consider using the strategy they came up with. I will formally
assess whether or not they are working together as a team and equally participating
when solving the word problem as well as being willing to share with the class. I will
take note of who is and isnt participating in a gradebook. I will have the students turn
in their worksheet after class in order to grade section 2 per the rubric.
Rubric:
Section 1: Participation
3= Participated in group work, problem solving strategies, and sharing work with
class
2= somewhat participated in group work, problem solving strategies, and sharing with
class
1= did not participate in group work, problem solving strategies, and sharing with
class.
Section 2: Work Sheet: Draw Models and Write Number Sentence
3 = Student shows 3 different ways to make the sum of 25 cents by drawing 3
models (coins) and labeling the models as well as writing 3 number sentences to
match the corresponding models .
2 = Student shows 2 different ways to make the sum of 25 cents by drawing 2
models (coins) and labeling the models as well as writing 2 number sentences to
match the corresponding models .
1= Student shows 1 way to make the sum of 25 cents by drawing 1 model (coins)
and labeling the model as well as writing 1 number sentence to match the
corresponding model.

Support for English Learners and Special Needs

Describe how you provided support for English learners in this lesson. You must
have at least 3 support strategies, with rationale.
One way that I will support my English language learners is through the use of
visuals and realia. As I begin my lesson, the first thing that I will do is provide the
large coins and post them on the white board. This will help my English language
learners to follow along through my introduction of coins by giving them a visual
representation of what we will be discussing for the day. I will continue to discuss the
value of coins and how each coin has a separate value. In order to help my English
learners understand different strategies to use, I will model and practice strategies
with the class such as using mental math or adding the large coins together first. This
will help them to have a better understanding of different strategies they could use
when solving the word problem. I will also write on the white board how to create
the model (drawing out the coins) as is expected in the results of the word problem as
well has writing a number sentence. This will serve as a reference to my English
learners if they have confusion with the instructions of the worksheet. Another way
that I will support my English learners is through grouping. I will group my
beginning English learner with a more advanced English learner. This will benefit the
English language learner when the students are asked to come up with a strategy. The
more advanced EL will be able to help the beginning EL with any confusion by
pushing through the language barrier and helping them to feel more comfortable.
Lastly, I will support my English learners by providing a sentence frame. After
pairing the students into groups to brain storm strategies needed to solve the word
problem I will have each group share. I will post the sentence frame on the board that
reads, One strategy that I will use is___________. This will help guide the English
learners when presenting their answer as well as helping them to feel confident when
speaking in front of the class. This is an adaptation that will be beneficial for not only
my English learners but also every student in my class.
Describe how you provided support for special needs in this lesson (advanced,
below grade level, attention challenges.) You must have at least 3 support strategies,
with rationale.
The students in my class that are below grade level will also greatly benefit from the
visuals and realia. The visuals of the coins as well as the value written next to the
coins will help the below grade level students by giving them something to refer to
throughout the problem. Also, my below grade level students with benefit
tremendously from modeling. The model of how to draw the coins as well as how to
write the number sentence will be a strategy that will greatly help those students that
may not have experience writing number sentences. For my gifted and advanced
learners, I will provide support by modifying the word problem to make it more
difficult if they finish early in order to keep them engaged and on task. I will pair my
advanced learners together in order to allow them to push each other and focus on the
more difficult problem.

Teaching Reflection

Describe at least five things you learned from the experience of planning and teaching this
lesson. You may describe things that you already knew and were confirmed by this
observation or things that you just learned (Example: I knew that classroom management was
important, and in this lesson I saw ). For each conclusion, be sure to explain what
happened in the lesson that led you to that conclusion.
During the planning of this lesson I realized and learned how much work really goes into
preparing an interactive, hands on, and engaging lesson for your students. Before taking
this class and preparing for this problem solving lesson, I never realized the extent of
preparation that goes into preparing a lesson. What stood out to me while teaching the
lesson was how the hard work and preparation really paid off. Although everything may
not always go according to plan, it is important to have a plan and prepare to the best of
your ability. I also learned the importance of class management. This is something that I
have been working on when teaching my lessons and especially stood out to me when
teaching my problem solving lesson. I realized the importance of reminding the students
that I am the teacher and that when I am talking, all eyes should be on me and all mouth
should be silent. Once I reminded my students the importance of raising their hand when
I asked a question, the lesson began to move more smoothly and I felt more in control. I
also learned that even when you do plan a lesson extensively, it will not always go
according to plan. I realized this when I was explaining to the class the many different
strategies that they could use to reach the sum of 25 cents. This portion of the lesson was
a struggle to the students as they did not know how to brain storm different strategies.
Through this struggle I learned that it is important to have several different ways to
explain something if the students do not understand the first time around. This is an area I
need to work on as a teacher as I know that I struggle with explaining concepts in
multiple ways if it is not comprehended the first time. Through the teaching of this lesson
I also realized the importance of time management. At the beginning of the lesson I felt
pressure to move through the anticipatory set and the activation of prior knowledge
rather quickly in order to get to the word problem and worksheet. I was unsure if the
students were going to struggle with comprehending the objective of the lesson or if they
would catch on quickly. Because of this I wanted to spend the majority of the allotted
time working on and solving the word problem. To my surprise once the students
understood the objective they moved through the worksheet rather quickly and many
students were able to begin the extension worksheet. I realized that you do not always
know how long or how quickly it will take students to grasp certain concepts or solve
problems. Reflecting back now I realize that I could have spent more time in the
introduction of the word problem. Although my students caught on quickly to the
objective of the lesson, this may not always be the case and it is important to manage
your time wisely. Lastly, I learned the importance of not underestimating ones students. I
was excited when I realized that my English learner who speaks almost no English at all
caught on quickly to the word problem. By providing the visuals of the large coins on the
white board and modeling how to draw the models and the number sentences, my
English learner was able to understand the objective and work quickly to solve the word
problem. This was exciting and encouraging to learn that the adaptations that I created
specifically for this student were beneficial and helpful in their academic growth. This
helped me to better understand the importance of not underestimating ones students and
always remembering that each student should have equal opportunity to learn.

Describe at least three things that you did in this lesson that were not as effective as you
would have liked and that you would not want to do or would change when you teach this
lesson again or when you teach another lesson. For each conclusion, be sure to explain
what happened in the lesson that led you to that conclusion.
As previously stated above, one thing that was not as effective as I had hoped was the
attempt at brain solving different strategies to use when adding coins together. Reflecting
back, I do not think that I adequately modeled and explained to the students what a
strategy is and how it could be beneficial in solving the word problem. Although I did
model to the students that they could group the largest coins together first, this was the
only strategy that the students were able to come up with when they were brainstorming
together in pairs. If I were to teach this lesson again I would model another strategy to the
students such as having the students count out loud by fives and tens. The students were
able to grasp the objective of the lesson, and almost all of the students completed the
worksheet and began the extension. Although I had prepared an extension for the
students, next time I would include another section on the 1st worksheet that would
require the students to create a multiplication problem from the values in the number
sentence. Although this is not necessarily something that did not go according to plan
when I taught my lesson, it is something that I would change if I were to teach this lesson
again. Another thing that was not as effective as planned was grouping/pairing the
students together when completing the word problem. For some students this strategy
was helpful but for others it appeared to be a distraction. Towards the end of the lesson I
realized that some of the students did not realize their partner had some of the coins on
their desk. This meant that the student was working with fewer coins and therefore not
getting some of the answers that he/she should have been getting because he /she was
short some coins. If I teach this lesson again I will either give each student their own set
of coins (if resources allow) or I will clarify multiple times to the students that they are to
be sharing the coins as a team.
Overall, how will you use what you have learned in the experience of planning and teaching
this lesson that you will use in the future as you plan instruction? (1 paragraph)
Preparing this problem solving lesson taught me the importance of extensive preparation
when planning a lesson and the importance of adapting your lessons to meet the needs of
ones students. By teaching and planning this lesson I have learned specific tools to use in
my future classroom when working with English learners. I have learned the importance
of using realia and visuals when teaching a lesson in order to make it engaging and
exciting as well as to meet the needs of my English learners. This is a tool that I know I
will use in future planning of instruction. I also learned the importance of being flexible
and adaptable when teaching. Sometimes lessons do not always go according to plan or
students do not comprehend and understand concepts. Rather than becoming frustrated in
the moment, it is important to stop and think of alternative ways to explain the concepts.
This is something that I realized that I need to work as a teacher in order to grow in my
ability to explain and plan instruction for my future students.