Clip 5/10: 4th Grade Lesson 2 - Part B

Overview

Michelle introduces a new card, a contextualized or word-problem representation. She begins by having students create a visual representation matching a contextualized representation, and a verbal representation identifying the mathematical quantities. She emphasizes the importance of the discussion between students that proves that the cards match. She circulates around the classroom, engaging pairs in conversation about their discussion and their representations. Students use tape loops on the back of their cards so that they can rearrange them as needed. She explains the importance of students debating and discussing their representations. Students engage in identifying patterns, structures, and connections between the representations.

Teacher Commentary

MICHELLE MAKINSON: If I'm looking at a blue card that's a word problem representation, and if I were making the green and the white cards to go with them, what would I make? That solved two problems, one to reacquaint people with what they did a day or so ago, because it just sort of flies out of their head, and it also causes them to think about it in another way. It's not given to you, so the idea of making a card becomes solidified and getting them refreshed into that. Then once they've made all those connections by drawing it out, and writing it out themselves, it's that much easier to find it in the existing cards, and it might also prompt them to think about things in a different way.