Teacher Leadership Project:

Incorporating ELA + Math = Success

Presented to Barnard 4th and 5th Grade Level PLC by Lawrence Reyes April 17, 2019
Objective
 Create math instruction with a ELA focus to improve student
understanding of how to articulate their thoughts, and explain their
processes when applying their knowledge to the concepts they are
learning.
 Common Core State Standards:
 5.NBT.6 Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit
dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the
properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and
division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular
arrays, and/or area models.
 5.NBT.7 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using
concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties
of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction;
relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.
Educational Hook…
 Imagine for a moment that you are resident doctor being trained to hopefully
one day be a skillful surgeon. You go through your days of training observing
your master teachers and then doing. You are proficient and capable of
performing intricate procedures without much difficulty. However, one day
you are asked to lead a lecture amongst your fellow residents, and you find
that you simply cant articulate yourself and describe what you are doing.

 This is the same situation our students face everyday when presented with
the task of articulating their thought process whether it be simple basic
math operation or a real world story problem.
Quick Check
 Look at the following word story
problem and think about the
following:
 What do my students need to
know?
 What basic math facts they need to
use?
 What strategies can they use?
 What academic language do they
need to know?
 The new poetry book by
Mel Goldstein is 364 pages
packed of humorous
poems. Lily set a goal to
read the entire book in 25
days. She planned to read
15 pages a days. With this
plan, will she reach her
goal? How do you know?
Dual Coding: Memorization of Prior
knowledge and basic math facts.
 To complete this task students need to be proficient at the following:
 Estimation
 Addition
 Subtraction
 Multiplication: Standard algorithm or partial products
 Division
 Comparing quantities
 Place value
 Modeling
STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE

 SMP 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

 SMP 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
 SMP 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
 SMP4. Model with mathematics.
 SMP 5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
 SMP 6. Attend to precision.
 SMP 7. Look for and make use of structure.
 SMP 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Findings

 ELA instructions has a dramatic

effect student achievement in
the following years.
 Strong ELA instruction has more
cross discipline benefits
compared to math.
 ELA instruction develops skills
needed such as : reading
comprehension, organization,
and logic/reasoning skills.
Other Findings
Quick Check 2

 Talk
amongst yourselves and think about
how ELA can used to help improve students
math skills.
Big Idea for ELA Math Connection

ELA and Math instruction can be

interwoven.

Using reading time to build fluency and

comprehension using math vocabulary

Creating writing units for opinion writing

that require evidence and support

Connecting opinion writing with

defending math writing.
Lesson: Lessons Should be systematic
and build upon themselves.
 Lessons should be systematic and build upon themselves.
 Students should identify prior knowledge.
 Be presented with one question to analyze.
 Students are asked to identify the math concepts they will need to apply.
 Students determine what math strategies they know for solving different math
concepts.
 Students generate a visual model.
 Solve the problem however they choose.
 Complete the task by explaining the steps taken to answer the question and how
those steps support their claim.
Dual Coding: Structural Writing about: Opinion
Writing/Math Comparison

Claim • Supporting Evidence

• Connection to the claim

• Supporting Evidence: Models, strategies

Claim used, estimations, etc.

• How their evidence is relevant to the
supporting their claim and why it is used.
Now you try it!

 Instructions: Below is a question using the writing strategies outlined begin

generating the claim, reasons, and supporting evidence to answer the
question.

 The new playground equipment was delivered to Anywhere

Elementary School before the new fence was installed.
Thomas Fencing Company arrived the next day with 364ft of
fencing the school’s principal wanted an opening in the
fence every 25 feet. According to the principal’s
estimation the playground area would have about 15
openings. The Thomas Fencing Company workers estimated 20
openings around the playground. Who is correct? How do
you know?
Generating Responses
Claim

Reason 1 Reason 3
Reason 2
Estimation of Algorithm and
Model/Diagram
Product Strategies used

Evidence Evidence Evidence

Reason for Reasoning for

Reason for
creating a algorithm and
Estimating
model Strategies used.
 Create your written response using
the sentence frame below.
Dual Coding: __________ is correct. The reason
Generating why ______ is correct is because…
• Reason 1
Responses • Evidence
• Connection
• Reason 2
• Evidence
Now you try • Connection

it!!! • Reason 3
• Evidence
• Connection
Thank You!