Lesson Plan 1

PLAN PREPARED BY: Lucy Anderson s4486525

Date of lesson: 19 May 2015
Unit of work (title): Cars in a Garage
Topic of this lesson: Multiplicative Thinking

This lessons specific mathematical learning objectives for the students:

- For the students to come up with mathematical strategies for a solution of the problem (Reys et al 2012)
- To actively participate by acting out the problem ( this lesson will be conducted outside the classroom to enhance
learning)
- Using concrete materials to find and document their strategies and solutions
- To learn and familiarize themselves with different ways of how to record data
The data collections here are a great stepping stone to introduce the students to the next level (Level 5) in Data
Representation and Interpretation (Ausvels 2015). In level 5 the students need to collect and interpret data in different ways
without the use of digital technologies so this activity will be a good introduction.

Your other teaching objectives for this lesson:

1 To provide the students with a chance to firstly discuss the problem and to brainstorm ways in which they can
potentially solve the problem
2 To get the students actively participating
3 To get the students doing the problem. First they will discuss it, then act it out, and here supplying them with concrete
materials to do it
4 To get the students to work collaboratively to find a solution
5 If students find this too challenging or too easy, this lesson can be adapted to cater for the range of abailities (please
see appendix)

AusVELS:

Year Level: 4
Mathematics Strand and Content Description:
Chance
1. Describe possible everyday events and order their chances of occurring (ACMSP092)

Number and place value

1. Investigate and use the properties of odd and even numbers (ACMNA071)

(Ausvels 2015)

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Key vocabulary to be developed:
Problem Solving
Visual Patterns
Active Participation
Data Collection
Concrete Materials
Solutions

Materials, resources and equipment to be used:

The problem on paper (POP)
Printed copies of the different colored cards (lamination optional)
Matchbox cars (or small colored playing blocks as a substitute)
Car spaces on paper (can be drawn)
Pen
Paper
Sticky tape

References/sources used in planning, and a brief description of how they have influenced your lesson plan:
I got the idea of this activity from the Maths300 website, and this particular activity really influenced my choice as it involved
active participation from the students which involves them to stand up and move around. It also requires the students to
use three different approaches which I believe will help aid their mathematical understanding and knowledge.

REFERENCES

- Ausvels, 2015, Level 5, Mathematics, viewed 17 April 2015 http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level5

- Ausvels, 2015, Level 4, Mathematics, viewed 17 April 2015 http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level4

- Maths300, 2010, Supporting Excellence in Mathematics Teaching, Cars in a Garage, viewed 17 April 2015
http://www.maths300.esa.edu.au/index.php/component/content/article/259.html#01

- Reys, R, Lindquist, M, Lambdin, D, Smith, N, Rogers, A, Falle, J, Fris, S & Bennett, B 2012, Helping Children Learn
Mathematics, John Wiley and Sons Australia, Milton, Queensland.

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.
Part 1: INTRODUCTION Warm up Activity CARS IN A GARAGE

Students need to be in groups of 3 or 4 (depending on how many students works evenly. If it works with 3 students to a
group then you only need to use 3 cars for the activity. For the purpose of this lesson plan I have used 3 students per
group).
Have the students sitting in their group. Hand each group the Problem on Paper (POP) and then read the whole class
the problem. Ensure they understand their task.
Ask Question 1
Allow the students 5 minutes in their groups to discuss where they would start.
After the 5 minutes, gather the groups attention and now seek from the groups their ways of thinking. Groups may
have different strategies which is great. If theyre strategy does not work, facilitate the discussion of why not?

QUESTIONS:
Q1 - As a group, you need to come up with a way you would start to find the answer. We dont need to find the answer
just yet, but we need to come up with a way we can start to figure it out. Does that make sense? Does anyone have any
questions?

Part 2: MAIN BODY Student learning Activities CARS IN A GARAGE

The main activity consists of 2 parts. The first is the Act Out and the second is Using Concrete Materials
ACTING CARS running time approx. 10-20minutes (depending on how they record their data)
Each group will need a pencils and 4 pieces of paper. Each group needs to label their chairs the same colour as their
cars. On the 4th paper they need to write at the top Data Recording. Seek examples of different ways of data recording
from the students and briefly draw these on the board so the students can see how they might do it. Ask question 1
Each group will need to get 3 chairs, find their own space and put them next to each other (tables may need to be
moved to create space). Each students then gets a laminated coloured car and stands in front of their garage (the chair
that matches their colour).
You will then be the traffic lights and when you say GO the students will drive their cars around their groups chairs
until you say STOP. When you say STOP each car needs to go to a garage (each student needs to sit on a chair). The
cars need to be in a different configuration each time. Before you say GO again, each group needs to record the
configuration the cars are in. Ask question 2
Continue with STOP and GO allowing the students to record their data in between each round.
They need to have them in a different configuration each time.
**Remember, each group only need to go around their groups chairs, otherwise students will be going all over the
classroom! This task may be noisy**
ACTING CARS QUESTIONS:
Q1 - Before we start, what are some examples of recording our data after each car park? Q2 - Which garage will you
go to next? Dont forget to communicate with your partners!

PARKING CARS
Use matchbox cars and the garages on paper. Now in their groups of 3, having just acted out the scenario now the
students will physically do it, again record the data and get the visual understanding. **The ANSWER is there are 6
different ways the cars can be parked in the garage. ** Ask question 3
This time their data collection is to be done in the form of branches (see appendix for example) and they are to use
mathematical strategies to find the answers
Draw up an example of the branches data collection table, this is how the students are to record their findings again.
This should take a few minutes, ensure the students are clear on the table before they commence
Allow them now to go back to their groups and begin the task, and explaining that this is a group activity. You could
have one person writing, one person moving cars and one person directing the cars. Ask question 4. Ask question 5

PARKING CAR QUESTIONS:

Q3 - What method/s can we use to find the solution? Q4 - Is there more ways than one? Q5 - How do we know when
we have explored all the answers?
PROMPTS:

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 What if we start with making the red car in the middle garage at all times?
Can we potentially repeat the process do you think? Lets give that a go and see if it works.**If many are struggling with
it gather the class together**
Part 3: CONCLUSION Sharing, Reflecting, Assessing
Once the task is finished, gather the group on the floor in a circle sitting next to their partners with their documentation.
Go around the circle and one group at a time will:
- share their first method of data collection and explain what strategies they used to collect it
- share what difficulties that came across, if any
- share what their solution was. Also see if they enjoyed the activity.

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Appendix 1
Explanations & images of activities

GREEN CAR
This car can go on an A5 size paper by itself and
laminated if possible. Students will use this in the main
activity of acting cars.

RED CAR
This car can go on an A5 size paper by itself and
laminated if possible. Students will use this in the main
activity of acting cars.

BLUE CAR
This car can go on an A5 size paper by itself and
laminated if possible. Students will use this in the main
activity of acting cars.

POP PROBLEM ON PAPER

This resource is for the warm up activity Cars in a
Garage. This is the first things the students will get with
the information they need for the 3 tasks set out for
them. During their group discussions on this encourage
open discussions, and remember we are not finding the
solution here, but just thinking how we can start the
process of finding the solution.

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CAR SPACES
These are the car spaces which are to be used in the 3rd activity called Parking Cars. These car spaces can also be used if
the activity needs to gear up or gear down. By gearing up, students have 4 or 5 car spaces with still only 3 cars. The aim
again is to use data collection in solving how many ways the cars can be parked.

BRANCH DATA COLLECTION TABLE

This is the table the students will conduct (something similar) when it comes to their data collection in the final activity
Parking Cars. This shows us a branch effect which makes it visible to see all solutions, and easy to read. Its also simply
another way to record the data.