Candidate Name: Alex Dailey Host Teacher Name: Susan Craig

School: Blatchley Middle School Grade Level: 7 # of Students: ~20

Date & Time of Lesson: ~ Length of Lesson: 90 minutes
Topic of Lesson: Sampling Content Area: Mathematics
Materials: Graph paper, glitter, hula-hoops marked with a ring of tape, clipboards, 100ft measuring tape

Alaska Content Standard:

Phys. Ed.
C Participate regularly in physical activity

Mathematics
7.SP.1. Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a
reasonably sized sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid
only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends to
produce representative samples and support valid inferences.

(Transfer) Goal(s) - Unpacked Standard:

Students will make a connection between physical activity and math.
Students will use random sampling in order to make inferences about an unknown population.

STAGE 1 Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings

Enduring Understanding(s) What Essential Questions will be Considered? (Q)
Students will understand that. What does physical activity have to do with math?
Logical inferences can be made about an unknown Whats the difference between a guess and a
population from data collected through random statistical inference?
sampling
Math is not always purely academic and is often
tied to physical activity in real-world situations.

STAGE 1 Objectives
What students should know What students should be able to do.
How mathematics is often connected to physical Students will be able to use the ring-toss method of
activity. sampling to determine an estimate for an unknown
population.

STAGE TWO: Assessment (Identify Desired Results)

Student results may differ greatly, but that is the nature of random sampling. Apart from formative observation
during the lesson, have students turn in their work for review. This work should be assessed to determine whether
or not students were taking the correct steps in the correct order.
Examine student responses to the exit ticket responses to determine whether or not they understand the concepts
of the lesson. Look for responses that show they understand the power of random sampling and how real-world
math requires physical activity.

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to Learn

Introduction/Hook
Begin the lesson by handing out a sheet of graph paper to every person (including yourself) and sprinkling
glitter (evenly) across the paper. Ask your students to count the glitter on their papers without moving or
touching the glitter itself they will of course find this very difficult. After a few moments suggest that these
numbers can be estimated without counting each and every unit of glitter. This will get them thinking. Give
them a moment to think and then solve the problem on your own graph paper (Figure the total number of
squares on your sheet of graph paper and then sample the number of glitter pieces in several randomly selected
squares. Combine these samples to produce a mean and multiply that number by the total number of squares on
your graph paper). Exclaim with confidence that you just solved the problem and there are about ~340 pieces of
glitter on your graph paper. Students will be awed and will no doubt be curious as to how you found an answer
so quickly. Explain to them that you solved using area and mean math topics that were previously covered in
this class. Now tell them that youre going to show them how to do this same thing!

Processes and products Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications

Break students up into groups of 3-5. Try to diversify
each group by ethnicity and gender if possible. You
should also try to place lower achieving students in
groups with higher achieving students so that they may
benefit from teaching to, and learning from each other.
Now that I've told you that there is a way to estimate
these numbers using our math skills, answer me this. If
all you had was a Hula-Hoop and a football field, how
would you go about making an estimate about the
number of weeds on the field?
Once students have had the chance to discuss, in their
groups, the way in which they would estimate the
number of weeds, have students suggest a list of actions
that we would need to take in order to make a good
estimate. Make a bullet list on the board of these steps
help fill in the blanks when necessary. The list should
resemble something like this:
-Calculate the area of Hula-Hoop
-Calculate the area of the football field
-Lay the Hula-Hoop on the football field and count the
weeds in the hoop.
-Calculate how many Hula-Hoops fit into the football
field
-Multiply the number of weeds counted accordingly
If students cannot hula-hoop, they should be
encouraged to circle the hula-hoops themselves
with their foreheads touching the hoop for 10
seconds. This will cause them to be a little dizzy
for their toss adding the random element. Most
students will also find this fun.
Students who are physically unable to hula-hoop do
to a physical limitation, have them close their eyes,
spin in a circle and point. This will be the direction
they should toss.
The cooperative aspect of this lesson should help
with differentiation. Higher achieving students
should be grouped with lower achieving students in
order to provide both support and enrichment for
the students in those groups. Students who might
have more difficult will have added support, and
students who might not feel as challenged will have
the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding by
acting as peer-teachers.

Now explain that when we used the Hula-Hoop to count

weeds we were taking a sample. Explain the
importance of taking multiple samples and the
importance of those samples being random. (Maybe our
single sample didn't contain any weeds and there are
obviously weeds on the field... maybe our sample had
too many weeds... etc.)

Edit the bullet list on the board to fit our new criteria for
good sampling.
-Calculate the area of Hula-Hoop
-Calculate the area of the football field
-Randomly toss the Hula-Hoop onto the field several
times and count the weeds within each time.
-Calculate the mean number of weeds counted in our
hoop tosses.
-Calculate how many Hula-Hoops fit into the football
field
-Multiply the mean number of weeds counted
accordingly

OK, now that we have an idea of how to estimate the

number of weeds on the football field, what are some
 reasons that we'd want to know this information? Have
groups discuss why they might want to know this
information (amount of weed killer we might need, we
want to pick dandelions, get an idea for how infested the
football field is, etc.) and let them pick group names
accordingly (Weed Killers, Flower Power, etc.).
Divvy out 1 clipboard and 1 Hula-Hoop to
each group.
Take the class outside and walk to the most
suitable field/location. Have students carry
their equipment (dont be afraid to add extras),
explain that this is their field gear and like all
real-world mathematicians, theres going to be
a little physical work involved.
Use the measuring tapes or measuring wheel to
record the length and width of the field. Have
groups record this information on their
clipboards (groups can calculate the area of the
field and the Hula-Hoop back at the
classroom). Explain to students that, like in the
real world, were on a time-crunch and this
needs to be done quickly (not sloppily).
Instruct students to select one person at a time
and give that person the Hula-Hoop. Have
those students Hula-Hoop until the hoop drops
or until it's been ten seconds. From here each
student rolls their Hula-Hoop in the direction
of the tape on the hoop and counts the number
of weeds within the hoop.

I know, it's called the ring-toss not the ring-roll, but

let's avoid having students pelt each other with Hula-
Hoops...

Have students repeat this several times, at least

twice per person. Make sure they are recording
their results.
Once everyone has had at least two
opportunities to roll the Hula-Hoop, have each
group collect their materials and walk back to
class.
Once back in the classroom, have each group
use the checklist to make the calculations
necessary to determine the number of weeds
they think are on the field and have them use
that number to fulfill their group's purpose
(exp: The Weed Killers would use their
estimate of 380 weeds to determine how much
weed killer they would need.). Provide
assistance with calculations/order of
calculations if necessary.
When each group has come up with an
estimate, have each group share their findings
 with the class.
Have each student respond to the following
prompts on a scrap piece of paper as their exit
ticket: Why is it important that sampling be
random? Apart from the ring toss, what are
some other examples of how real-world
mathematics requires physical activity?
What makes random sampling a more
powerful mathematical measure than simply
guessing?
Students need to record their work and turn it
in at the end of the lesson for review.

Closure:
Note that each group will likely have different estimates about the number of weeds on the field explain the
variance that occurs when using sampling to create estimates. But then explain the benefit of using sampling for
a task like this, It only took us 20 minutes to figure out roughly how many weeds there were, it would have
taken us hours to count each weed individually!

Reiterate the importance of using methods like this for estimating large sampling problems. Review the steps
we took to arrive at our estimates (What information did we need? How did we use that information to produce
estimates?)

So now we know how to use samples to make estimates... and we know why using samples is helpful... what
about applying this principle to other problems? Can you think of any situations in which we might want to use
samples? How would we go about doing that?

Explain the fact that the ring-toss method is actually used by professionals on a regular basis for recording all
sorts of things (ranchers use this method to determine the amount and types of weeds in their fields in order to
monitor cattle feeding).