UMU Lesson Plan Template

Name: ​Lindsay Gundlah Date:​ October 7, 2019

Grade Level: ​7th grade Class Period: ​9
Subject:​ Mathematics Lesson # & Title: ​Lesson #2: Mean as a Balance Point
Function of the Lesson (check all that apply):
✓ Introduce New Skill or Content
✓ Practice
□ Review
□ Remediation/Re-teaching

Context for Learning and Planning Rationale:

- The classroom will be set up with desks arranged to become a ‘table’. There will be four desks for each of four
students in each “table team”. The seating arrangement is pre-determined and the students will already know where
there assigned seat is when they come to class.
- Each table team will be assigned and the students will be made up of diverse learners. This will include some
high-performing learners, middle-performing learners, and low-performing learners. This inclusive nature of these
clusters will allow students to help each other and learn from one another whenever possible.
- Since this lesson introduces a brand-new concept, statements such as, “You should know this”, “This is easy” or
“You should catch on quickly” will not be used. This could defeat students and make them not want to give up on
the concept right away. As the students are in 6​th​ grade and are going through adolescence, it is important to not
defeat their self-confidence. Instead, to help raise their self-confidence, words such as, “If you don’t understand right
away, that is okay!”, or “This is the first time we’re looking at this, so don’t be discouraged” will be used instead.

Content Standards:
-Ohio: 7.SP.3a: ​Summarize quantitative data sets in relation to their context by using mean absolute deviation
(MAD), interpreting mean as a balance point.

-ISTE:​ Empowered Learner

1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve
them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1b. Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning
process.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs, improves their practice and demonstrate their
learning in a variety of ways
Rationale: ​These ISTE standards are associated with this lesson to allow students to have a better sense of
technology and how it is integrated into their education. The Empowered Learner standards allow students
to develop their abilities to use technology as a tool to further their education and support their learning.

Learning Objectives:
-The students will be able to ​develop​ strategies for determining the balance point with more precision. (Bloom Level
6)
-The students will be able to ​interpret​ mean as a data point. (Bloom Level #3)

Academic Language:
-Balance:​ ​an even distribution of weight enabling something to remain upright and steady
-Balance Scale:​ a device for weighing two things to be equal
-Balance Point:​ ​the point on which a balance rests or is supported
-Desmos:​ online activity for educators and students to complete math simulations
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 -Chromebook:​ Google computer device that runs on Chrome
-Google Form:​ Google survey resource used for quizzes and surveys
-SmartBoard:​ White board projection device that allows a teacher to write on the board without changing the
document begin projected

Assessment Plan, Formative Assessment:

-The lesson will begin with a balance scale problem projected on the ​SmartBoard​.
-If one side of the scale has 5 items, how many items must be on the other side in order for the scale to
balance?
-The teacher will be walking around the classroom with a clipboard and checklist with student names on it.
If the student is getting the right answer, the teacher will place a checkmark next to their name.
-This will serve as an informal assessment of student knowledge that is quick and manageable for
the teacher to gauge students' prior knowledge before beginning the lesson.

Assessment Plan, Summative Assessment:

-When students have completed the Desmos activity they will be directed to go back to ​Google Classroom​ for their
exit task.
-The students will be directed to look back up at the ​SmartBoard​ that will have the same problem from the
beginning.
-The student will be given an exit task to complete via a ​Google Form​.
-The ​Google Form​ will ask, “Where should the balance point be placed on this scale?”
*The data from this assessment will determine the following day’s lesson. If more than 80% of the class got the
correct answer, the teacher will continue on in the sequence of lessons. If not, the teacher will provide remediation/
reteaching of parts or all of the lesson.

Procedures, Lesson Introduction: ​(3-5 minutes)

-The lesson will begin with a balance scale problem projected on the ​SmartBoard​.
-If one side of the scale has 5 items, how many items must be on the other side in order for the scale to
balance?
*Note of prior knowledge when beginning lesson:
-In 6th grade, students should have learned to interpret the mean as a “fair share”. Now, in 7th grade, they
should be able to interpret the mean as a balance point or fulcrum to help lead them toward understanding
the mean absolute deviation.

Procedures, Lesson Body: ​(43 minutes)

1. The lesson will begin with each table group receiving a paper bag with different numbers of blocks inside.
-Team #1’s bag will have 1 block
-Team#2’s bag will have 2 blocks
-Team #3’s bag will have 8 blocks
-Team #4’s bag will have 4 blocks
-Team #5’s bag will have 4 blocks
-Team #6’s bag will have 1 block
-Team #7’s bag will have 1 block
-Each student will receive a handout that has a balance scale on it.
→ 2 minutes
2. The teacher will project the same handout on to the​ SmartBoard​ so that the whole class can see it. The teacher will
then ask the student groups to call out how many blocks they had in their bags.
-The students will be recording these numbers on the number line scale worksheet along with the teacher.
→ 5 minutes
3. Once all of the data points are recording onto the number line scale, the teacher will ask, “If we want to make these
two sides balanced, where should we put the balance point?”

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 -The teacher will allow for student guesses but will not give a correct answer. The teacher will leave the
students on a cliff-hanger and direct the students to the main activity of the lesson.
→ 3 minutes
4. The teacher will direct students to get out their ​Chromebooks​ and head to ​Google Classroom​. In Google Classroom,
the student will find a link to ​Desmos.com​ along with a class code.
-The students will have used ​Desmos​ activities multiple times so they will be familiar with this activity.
-The activity that the students will be completing is titled, Make It Balance.
→ 3 minutes
5. The students will be working on the ​Desmos​ activity for the majority of the class period.
-The teacher will be walking around the classroom providing assistance to any students that need as well as
to ensure that all students are staying on task
-The teacher is also allowed to view all of the student screens from the main computer to monitor all
students screens at once.
→ 30 minutes

Procedures, Lesson Closure: ​(3-5 minutes)

-When students have completed the ​Desmos​ activity they will be directed to go back to ​Google Classroom​ for their
exit task.
-The students will be directed to look back up at the ​SmartBoard​ that will have the same problem from the
beginning.
-The student will be given an exit task to complete via a ​Google Form​.
-The ​Google Form​ will ask, “Where should the balance point be placed on this scale?”

Differentiation, Individualized Instruction, and Assessment:

Individuals:
-Joe: Will be given enlarged copies of the handout; will be seated near the front of the room
-Josh: Preferential sitting near the teacher; his group is predetermined; pre-warned him about transitions
-Jen: Given the opportunity to try another simulation on her ​Chromebook​ if completed ​Desoms​ activity
early. Will be given a ​Geogebra​ activity to extend learning.
-​https://www.geogebra.org/m/SJmxRvKC

Class:
-Process: The teacher presented the material visually, orally, and kinesthetically.
-Product (output): Students were able to work at their own pace and think about the problems in their own
way.
-Content (input): Scaffolding was used in the Desomos activity as the problems became increasingly more
complex.
-Environment: Students were able to work individually at their seat, with their table teams, and with the
whole class.

Instructional Materials and Support:

-SmartBoard
-Paper bags
-Small blocks/cubes
-Handout
-Desmos Make it Balance Activity
-Exit Task
-Pencils

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Research and Theory Commentary:
-Bloom’s Taxonomy will be used during this lesson.
• The teacher will provide the ‘understanding’ and ‘applying’ aspects of the lesson as they will directly
teach the students a new concept. The teacher will also show students the application of mean as a balance
point using scale models.
• The students’ role during this lesson includes the ‘analysis’ and ‘evaluation’ parts of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
When it is their turn to solve problems on their own during the ​Desmos​ activity, they will have to draw
connections among what the teacher had them begin to think about and the problems that they have to solve
on their own. The students will continue to evaluate their learning by completing the exit ticket on their
own at the end of the class period.
-Jerome Bruner’s Constructivist Theory:
• According to Bruner, the instructor should try to encourage students to discover principles on their own.
• The teacher will begin the class providing students with a thought or idea. The teacher will then allow
students to work on their own using the ​Desmos​ activity in hopes that they reach the principle of mean as a
balance point on their own. Without explicitly telling the students what the answer to the beginning
problem, the students are able to explore and discover on their own.

Cultural Responsiveness, Equity, and Inclusion Commentary:

-All students are included in the lesson regardless of their level of thinking. All students will be able to access the
beginning problem with the application of a balance scale. However, as the lesson continues, there is an opportunity
for the more advanced students to reach higher with the extension problems and for the lower students to feel
comfortable as well with the ability to work at their own pace.
• Low floor, high ceiling
-Students are placed in table teams that include each of the three types of learners, higher, middle, and lower-level
learners.
-Problems that will be worked on in class included in the ​Desmos​ activity will be both attainable and extension
problems.
-All learners are included in every aspect of the lesson and all students are treated equally regardless of their
abilities.

Use of Technology Commentary (if applicable):

-Three E’s:
-Engagement:​ Technology will be used not as a distraction for students but to engage their learning in an
interactive way. Technology in this lesson motivated the students to start the learning process for
understanding the mean as a balance point.
-Enhancement:​ Technology will be able to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of a mean as a
balance point because the students will be able to physical move the balance around on their screens to gain
an understanding of what a mean truly is. Technology creates a way to make it easier for students to
understand this concept.
-Extension: ​Technology will bridge the gap between school and daily life situations as students will be able
to see how technology and activities/ simulations such as this Desmos activity can impact their learning.
-Tools of Technology:
-​A Google Slideshow​ will be displayed on the classroom ​SmartBoard.​ The Google Slideshow will be used
to project slides that will lead into the beginning of the lesson. The ​SmartBoard​ allows every student to see
the teacher’s work at once.
-​Google Classroom​ will be used as a way for students ot quickly access the activity as well as the exit task.
-Students will be using their individual ​Chromebooks​ to access the ​Desmos​ activity that will be the main
component of the lesson. ​Chromebooks​ allow each student to have access to technology aspects of a lesson.
The ​Desmos​ activity allows students to simulate learning situations including this balance scale idea that is
important for students to grasp.

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 -​Google Forms​ will be used during this lesson for the Exit Task at the end of this lesson. Students will be
using ​Google Forms​ to submit their answers before they leave the classroom. Using ​Google Forms​ allows
the teacher to quickly see which students understood the lesson and which students did not.

Reflection and Instructional Commentary (if applicable):

-Not Applicable

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