Lesson Plan 5 - Save a Baby Kangaroo

TL 9: What is the benefit of reflecting at the end of the Case, if we have already reflected at the end of each individual lesson.

This vignette considers the benefits of reflection throughout the case from the points of view of the author, a trialing teacher, some pupils and an observer.

From the author:

While teachers are encouraged to use the reflection at the end of each lesson to develop the pupils’ awareness of where the lesson sequence is heading and how each lesson is building towards the overall aim of saving the joey, it is not until the end of the series that this aim can be fully realised. If, as intended, a sense of ownership, pride and achievement is developed through the case, then pupils should be willing and able to look back at the whole series with some enthusiasm and see more clearly:

why each activity was necessary in achieving the aim;
how the sequence of activities followed a logical sequence (“Can you see why we couldn’t have done B until we completed A?”); and
how much maths has emerged through the series.

It is only at the end of the series that teachers will also be able to address two other important issues with their pupils:

How this approach to learning maths has been different to other ways pupils have experienced (a question which also raises the pupils’ awareness of their own place in the learning process);
Whether mathematical skills might also reside in other day-to-day and practical activities which pupils are engaged in through the normal course of their lives (sport? computers? pets? hobbies? parties? music? food? travel? and so on).

From the trialing teacher:

In Lesson 5, I asked the pupils to self-reflect. The purpose of this activity was two-fold: one, for the pupils to reflect on their learning and two, to provide me with some valuable insight into what the pupils thought of the Case. This provided me valuable ‘food for thought’ on my teaching practice and how I could improve the lessons, as well as giving me an insight into what pupils think about doing lessons that are not traditional text based. I was encouraged (and a little dismayed, sometimes) at the variety in their responses.

Did I enjoy the activity? Explain why/why not.

I enjoyed this activity because it wasn’t so stressing (sic) compared to normal maths work. I think it was also interesting learning about extrapolation
I enjoyed the activity because it involved many different ways of doing maths into (sic) 1 fun topic
Working in groups was lots of fun. Making the graphs was also a lot of fun
Yes and No. Yes, because it was something different, no, its maths
Yes it is fun doing something that doesn’t involve much maths
I didn’t like the activity that much, I didn’t think it has a lot to do with maths

Observer Comments

For many pupils this was a very different way to learn maths. The unexpected nature that this could be learning maths needed reinforcing. At this age pupils were well indoctrinated to the approach that maths learning means working on 'sums' from a textbook. For some pupils who have success with the textbook and 'sums' based approach such new learning situations can be threatening. For others this can be a welcome relief from a routine where they often experience failure, confusion and sense of dissatisfaction with learning.

Close Box

TL10: How do I facilitate the pupils’ ideas in the final reflection task?

This vignette illustrates how one teacher used specific questioning techniques to help her pupils focus on effectively filling in the maths skills table. She had an observer in the class, whose notes are italicized.

In this task, I wanted to try to have the pupils realise how many different maths skills that they had actually used throughout the case. I was hoping that they would be able to gain some appreciation of how relevant maths is, to help solve every day problems.

Having asked the pupils to turn to the Maths Skills Reflection sheet in the last page in their booklets, I asked a pupil to read out the instructions at the top. Then I waited, expecting them to get instantly to the task without hesitation. Some pupils immediately started writing; some asked their friends for clarification of the task, others appeared to lose interest almost immediately.

After a few minutes, thus giving the pupils some time to try to understand the task, I realized that I would need to give them a little more direction. I refocused the group so that we could take an example and fill in the first row together.

Observer notes: The teacher asked the class, “As an example, what sort of maths did you use in the task?” A boy casually said, “Graphs”. Pia jumped on that and said, “What did you do with the graphs?” Then she led the pupils through, by questioning the class as a whole, the sorts of things that they might write to complete the table about how they used graphs. This was good because then the pupils could complete the rest of the table as they had a sense of what was needed.

I then asked the pupils to Think/Pair/Share the activity – I gave them a few minutes to work in silence and to think individually of as many maths skills they could. Whilst they were thinking, I intermittently asked them to try to remember back to what we did in Lesson 1,2,3,4. I was hoping that this would help them organise their thoughts. They were then asked to share their ideas with the person sitting next to them (sharing in groups of 2 – Pair). There was a lot of discussion between the pupils and additions to their tables. Some pupils erased their previous work and rewrote a better example. Others discovered that they had misinterpreted the task and thought that they needed to reflect on the whole year’s work. They asked for a new worksheet. I asked the pupils to share their ideas with the rest of the group on their table. All pupils were engaged on the task. Some were quite excited about identifying skills that others had not written down. Other pupils wanted to discuss their ideas with me, or were keen to show me their completed work.

Following is an example of how a teacher can stimulate and sustain reflection. These are teacher comments, leading questions.

“Sally, would you please read out the instruction at the top of the table? (Teacher then slowly reads out heading of each column of table - no explanations necessary yet)
We have used many different maths skills the last 4 lessons. I want you to think carefully and quietly for the next 20 seconds or so about what skills you think you have learnt. Think about Lesson 1……2……3……4…..
Who would like to share an idea with the class………(wait 5 –10 seconds)…..…Peter?
Great idea Peter – we did use Graphs – so let’s all write graphs in the table (teacher also writes on board)
Now, next column says, ‘where I used it’, so where did we use graphs?…….(wait 5 – 10 seconds) ……Natalie?………excellent ……can you repeat that Natalie so that everyone can hear?…….(teacher writes Natalie’s idea on the board)
I am sure that you all have lots of other great ideas about how we used graphs …..(wait 5 seconds)……..Jonathon?………Andy? …..Alice?……..
OK, I want you all to write your own idea about how we used graphs ….…..which part of the table do I write in?……..good..…..off you go
For the next column, we need to give an actual example of where we used the graphs………yes, Matt,………. it can be a picture or it can be in words.
Who would like to give an example of a picture on the board?…....thanks Nick
Who would like to give an example of a sentence on the board?…..…thanks Alessia
Now, the last columns asks us to write if we understood the skill….Y….N…AB….Peter……you gave us the idea of Graphs at the start, how well did you understand the skill?...........great……..
Now everyone, put your hand up if you are going to write Yes…….A Bit……..No……..
What should you do if you have written ‘A Bit or No?’………..
Why is this an important question that I have just asked you?......

Close Box

	LESSON PLANS
	DETAILED LESSON PLAN 5
	(DETAILED LESSON INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS LESS FAMILIAR
	WITH PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING)

AIMS	ACTIVITIES	NOTES	TEACHING AND LEARNING ISSUES
To clarify the outcomes from Lesson 4, including the nature of this approach to learning mathematics	1. Pupils review Lesson 4 through brief discussion – the determination of species and age from the graphs and of the feeding regime, aspects of this approach to learning mathematics, importance of remaining aware of and recording the mathematics as it emerges.	Brief discussion only, and should involve review of notes in pupils’ record booklets from Lesson 4.
To outline the whole process of identifying and nurturing an orphaned joey and update their posters.	2. Groups return to prepare their poster for submission (Task 5.1). Groups should now add to their poster a “How to” section for saving a joey and a sample rescued joey from their species. They may also include examples of tables and other data involved in the sequence of lessons 3. Pupils should also use this time to complete any unfinished sections from their Record Booklet.	Pupils may build onto the poster they already have or could be provided with more poster paper. It is likely that at least one person from each group will have “saved” a joey from their species. If this is not the case, a group may need to borrow a friend’s rescued joey for an example of their species.
To present a considered appraisal of this task as a way of learning mathematics by reviewing the list of tasks compiled in the booklet.	4. Pupils can give feedback and identify the differences between these lessons and normal lessons.	While views of this approach will vary considerably, discussion of the task is important. Encourage and accept all opinions.	TL9: What is the benefit of reflecting at the end of the Case, if we have already reflected at the end of each individual lesson.
To identify all of the mathematical skills used and developed in this case.	5. Pupils are encouraged to review their entries in their booklet and complete the final table considering all the maths they used. Pupils will also complete a self evaluation and submit their booklet, poster (one per group) and “rescue” for assessment.	It is important to allocate some class time to this task for pupils to realise they have used and learned significant skills	TL10: How do I facilitate the pupils' ideas in the final reflection task? TL 9: What is the benefit of reflecting at the end of the Case, if we have already reflected at the end of each individual lesson. This vignette considers the benefits of reflection throughout the case from the points of view of the author, a trialing teacher, some pupils and an observer. From the author: While teachers are encouraged to use the reflection at the end of each lesson to develop the pupils’ awareness of where the lesson sequence is heading and how each lesson is building towards the overall aim of saving the joey, it is not until the end of the series that this aim can be fully realised. If, as intended, a sense of ownership, pride and achievement is developed through the case, then pupils should be willing and able to look back at the whole series with some enthusiasm and see more clearly: why each activity was necessary in achieving the aim; how the sequence of activities followed a logical sequence (“Can you see why we couldn’t have done B until we completed A?”); and how much maths has emerged through the series. It is only at the end of the series that teachers will also be able to address two other important issues with their pupils: How this approach to learning maths has been different to other ways pupils have experienced (a question which also raises the pupils’ awareness of their own place in the learning process); Whether mathematical skills might also reside in other day-to-day and practical activities which pupils are engaged in through the normal course of their lives (sport? computers? pets? hobbies? parties? music? food? travel? and so on). From the trialing teacher: In Lesson 5, I asked the pupils to self-reflect. The purpose of this activity was two-fold: one, for the pupils to reflect on their learning and two, to provide me with some valuable insight into what the pupils thought of the Case. This provided me valuable ‘food for thought’ on my teaching practice and how I could improve the lessons, as well as giving me an insight into what pupils think about doing lessons that are not traditional text based. I was encouraged (and a little dismayed, sometimes) at the variety in their responses. Did I enjoy the activity? Explain why/why not. I enjoyed this activity because it wasn’t so stressing (sic) compared to normal maths work. I think it was also interesting learning about extrapolation I enjoyed the activity because it involved many different ways of doing maths into (sic) 1 fun topic Working in groups was lots of fun. Making the graphs was also a lot of fun Yes and No. Yes, because it was something different, no, its maths Yes it is fun doing something that doesn’t involve much maths I didn’t like the activity that much, I didn’t think it has a lot to do with maths Observer Comments For many pupils this was a very different way to learn maths. The unexpected nature that this could be learning maths needed reinforcing. At this age pupils were well indoctrinated to the approach that maths learning means working on 'sums' from a textbook. For some pupils who have success with the textbook and 'sums' based approach such new learning situations can be threatening. For others this can be a welcome relief from a routine where they often experience failure, confusion and sense of dissatisfaction with learning. Close Box TL10: How do I facilitate the pupils’ ideas in the final reflection task? This vignette illustrates how one teacher used specific questioning techniques to help her pupils focus on effectively filling in the maths skills table. She had an observer in the class, whose notes are italicized. In this task, I wanted to try to have the pupils realise how many different maths skills that they had actually used throughout the case. I was hoping that they would be able to gain some appreciation of how relevant maths is, to help solve every day problems. Having asked the pupils to turn to the Maths Skills Reflection sheet in the last page in their booklets, I asked a pupil to read out the instructions at the top. Then I waited, expecting them to get instantly to the task without hesitation. Some pupils immediately started writing; some asked their friends for clarification of the task, others appeared to lose interest almost immediately. After a few minutes, thus giving the pupils some time to try to understand the task, I realized that I would need to give them a little more direction. I refocused the group so that we could take an example and fill in the first row together. Observer notes: The teacher asked the class, “As an example, what sort of maths did you use in the task?” A boy casually said, “Graphs”. Pia jumped on that and said, “What did you do with the graphs?” Then she led the pupils through, by questioning the class as a whole, the sorts of things that they might write to complete the table about how they used graphs. This was good because then the pupils could complete the rest of the table as they had a sense of what was needed. I then asked the pupils to Think/Pair/Share the activity – I gave them a few minutes to work in silence and to think individually of as many maths skills they could. Whilst they were thinking, I intermittently asked them to try to remember back to what we did in Lesson 1,2,3,4. I was hoping that this would help them organise their thoughts. They were then asked to share their ideas with the person sitting next to them (sharing in groups of 2 – Pair). There was a lot of discussion between the pupils and additions to their tables. Some pupils erased their previous work and rewrote a better example. Others discovered that they had misinterpreted the task and thought that they needed to reflect on the whole year’s work. They asked for a new worksheet. I asked the pupils to share their ideas with the rest of the group on their table. All pupils were engaged on the task. Some were quite excited about identifying skills that others had not written down. Other pupils wanted to discuss their ideas with me, or were keen to show me their completed work. Following is an example of how a teacher can stimulate and sustain reflection. These are teacher comments, leading questions. “Sally, would you please read out the instruction at the top of the table? (Teacher then slowly reads out heading of each column of table - no explanations necessary yet) We have used many different maths skills the last 4 lessons. I want you to think carefully and quietly for the next 20 seconds or so about what skills you think you have learnt. Think about Lesson 1……2……3……4….. Who would like to share an idea with the class………(wait 5 –10 seconds)…..…Peter? Great idea Peter – we did use Graphs – so let’s all write graphs in the table (teacher also writes on board) Now, next column says, ‘where I used it’, so where did we use graphs?…….(wait 5 – 10 seconds) ……Natalie?………excellent ……can you repeat that Natalie so that everyone can hear?…….(teacher writes Natalie’s idea on the board) I am sure that you all have lots of other great ideas about how we used graphs …..(wait 5 seconds)……..Jonathon?………Andy? …..Alice?…….. OK, I want you all to write your own idea about how we used graphs ….…..which part of the table do I write in?……..good..…..off you go For the next column, we need to give an actual example of where we used the graphs………yes, Matt,………. it can be a picture or it can be in words. Who would like to give an example of a picture on the board?…....thanks Nick Who would like to give an example of a sentence on the board?…..…thanks Alessia Now, the last columns asks us to write if we understood the skill….Y….N…AB….Peter……you gave us the idea of Graphs at the start, how well did you understand the skill?...........great…….. Now everyone, put your hand up if you are going to write Yes…….A Bit……..No…….. What should you do if you have written ‘A Bit or No?’……….. Why is this an important question that I have just asked you?...... Close Box
	6. Encourage pupils to continue to care for their joeys at home, maybe providing time in a few weeks to report on their progress. 7. Consider having a celebration, now that the joeys have been saved - share ‘Kangaroo Biscuits’. 8. Pupils may like to hang their final posters around the school.