Part e - Planning Commentary

Middle Childhood Mathematics
Task 1: Planning Commentary
TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.
1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and purpose of the content you will teach in the learning
segment.
[ The central focus of this learning segment is to build upon student’s knowledge of
mathematical vocabulary to where students can create expressions in real life situations using
numbers and symbols. Students will be creating addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division expressions. Students will then create expressions involving addition and multiplication.
Students will be interpreting real life situations in forms of words, charts, and tables. When
looking at word problems, charts, and tables, students will be finding patterns and using the
patterns to create expressions. The learning segment will lead students to make connections
between the word problems, charts, and tables into expressions that represent the pattern
applied within them using numbers and symbols. ]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within your
learning segment address
 conceptual understanding,
 procedural fluency, AND
 mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills.
[ Conceptual understanding will be focused on with the students interpreting multiple
representations of models that we can create expressions from. In Lesson One, students will be
interpreting variables and placing units with them. In previous lessons, students were working
with variables that had no other meaning than just a number. Within the real life situations, the
variables have more meaning that just a number. They will be working with problems in word
form, charts, and tables. The word problems, students will have to use their use of mathematical
vocabulary to interpret what the problem is saying into words and symbols. Students will find the
values for the charts and tables. The charts and tables are where students will observe patterns
and use those patterns to create expressions with numbers and symbols. Procedural fluency is
applied through students being able to create expressions from word form only using
mathematical vocabulary, and not in real life situations. For example, if a problem stated “the
quotient of a number and 4,” students would have to be able to interpret that statement and
convert it into an expression using numbers and symbols. Students will be using these same
methods of identifying important mathematical terms to identify what operations are occurring in
a word problem. Mathematical reasoning is focused on finding the relationship between the
numbers in the problem and giving meaning to them. Students have to identify what the
numbers in the chart or table mean, and the numbers and variable in their expression. I have
students do so by rereading the real world situations over, then substitute numbers into their
expressions and justifying if they make logical sense or not. Making sure their expression works
for all cases and not just one. ]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students make connections between
concepts, computations/procedures, AND mathematical reasoning and/or problem-
solving strategies to build understanding of mathematics.
[ In Lesson One, students will be identifying variables and specifying units for them. This is
building on previous lessons, where variables did not have meaning besides a number. Now,
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variables stand for something more than just a number. They stand for a number of units; units
being anything related in the real world situations within the problems given. Students will also
be working with short story problems, where they are given a real world situation, and have to
identify and interpret the mathematical language used, then create an expression. The
interpretation does not go further than the mathematical language used within them. The
following lesson, Lesson Two, students will begin working with tables. The table information that
relates to a real world situation is given to them, and students have to begin recognizing
patterns within the table. Students are taken through a series of questions that guide them to
finding a pattern. Once they find a pattern that represents the table, they are to create an
expression for any case in the table. Students focus on both addition and subtraction
expressions in Lesson Two. Lesson Three, students are working with finding patterns in tables
again, but they are not given the information in the table. They are given a description of the real
world scenario, and have to use that information to complete the table. Again, they are taken
through a series of questions to help guide them interpret the information. Students are
identifying patterns and relationships within the tables, and generating expressions from those
as well. They are working with specifically multiplication and division expressions in this lesson.
In Lesson Four, students are still focusing on tables and finding patterns in the table, and
creating expressions from there. Students are generating expressions that involve both addition
and multiplication. Students are given a model to use to lead them finding a pattern. The models
are very useful in finding the expression to represent the situations. In the first four lessons,
students are evaluating the variables for certain contexts. The lessons will have them evaluate
the variable for specific situations. The last lesson, Lesson Five, focuses on students applying
their knowledge of creating expressions with multiplication and addition to a real life situation.
This activity focuses on students using expressions, to solve for pizza costs. Students have to
identify the variable and constant in the problem. They are to apply their knowledge of
mathematical language to this activity as well. ]
d. Explain how you will help young adolescents make interdisciplinary or integrative
connections between the central focus of the learning segment and other subject areas.
[ A major key component to writing expressions is reading. Students are to use their skills and
practices they use in reading for interpreting the mathematical vocabulary, short stories, and
real world situation problems. I have students complete what we call “CBUNZ” to the directions
and/or the short story and real world situation descriptions. This is an acronym where the “C”
stands for circle the power verbs. Whenever there is a power verb telling them an action, they
circle it. “B” stands for box; they box any numbers they see, whether it is numerical or written in
words. The next step is to “underline” important information. Usually this information follows the
power verbs. The “N” stands for number. Students are to number the steps in the problem. This
may not be always applicable to this learning segment. The “Z” stands for zero points, if the
student does not complete them for the problem. We have students complete these steps to
focus on their reading and comprehension of everything that is going on in the problem. ]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2a–d), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge,
and/or gifted students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focus—Cite
evidence of what young adolescents know, what they can do, and what they are
still learning to do.
[ Students are able to identify words that relate to certain operations. For example, they know
that a product is an answer to a multiplication problem and an answer to a division problem is
called a quotient. The lessons leading up to this learning segment have shown students can
create these types of expressions. Students are able to identify these words and relate them to
the operation they stand for. Students can be given an expression and word form and translate
that into an expression with numbers and symbols. Students who are on IEPs may struggle with
associating the vocabulary words with an operation, then creating an expression using numbers
and symbols. Those students are still capable of identifying commonly used mathematical
vocabulary terms with operations, as opposed to less frequent terms. Students with 504 plans
are given more time on their work when needed; these students need a few more minutes to
process the questions and their thoughts. Students are able to write expressions involving just
mathematical vocabulary, but not in real world situations. Students will be focusing on creating
those types of expressions in this learning segment. All students are able to notice patterns
within mathematical problems. They are able to analyze tables and find patterns within tables.
Students have an understanding of what a variable is and how we use them. Students with IEPs
are able to notice the patterns within the tables, but struggle with determining what the pattern
means and how we interpret the pattern. We are working on how to incorporate variables into
real life situations and defining the variable in the real world situation. Once we can place
variables in real life situations, we will work on how to evaluate the variable in certain situations.]
b. Personal, cultural, and community assets related to the central focus—What do you
know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural and language
backgrounds and practices, and interests?
[ Students bring various backgrounds into the classroom. Whether my students realize it or not,
they use expressions in their everyday lives. They are solving for ‘variables,’ for example if they
have $5 to spend on lunch, they need to figure out what they can buy for $5 and not spend over
that amount. Most of the students live within the area around the school, and have similar
culture dynamics. Majority do not have computers at home, but they have cell phones. Being
aware of things they have at home and access to is important. When interpreting real life
situations, it helps to have experience within those situations. A lot of the problems in the
learning segment all relate to things they are well aware of. For example, ordering a pizza or
figuring out a bus fare. Most students in my class have all been on public transportation and
have an idea of how a fare works. My students who are on IEPs may not have as much of this
knowledge as other students, but they have the general concept and idea down. One student
with an IEP is quieter than most other students; her interests and hobbies are not as obvious or
expressed as her classmates. The students with 504s have very similar interests with the class
as a whole. The students all have exposure in their daily lives of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. This is the basis of algebra and creating expressions and all
students have it. Students all live within a relative distance to the school and have similar
community views. There are many local businesses around their homes that they are all familiar
with.]
c. Young adolescent developmental assets related to the central focus—What do you
know about your students’ cognitive, physical, and social and emotional
development?
[ The class as a whole has a lower cognitive development. Their test scores from the previous
grade, and current ones we have taken, prove that they are below grade level. Students with
IEPs have a much lower cognitive development than other students. This can be shown through
their IEPs themselves, also, their accommodations and modifications they receive. The students
on 504s have minor challenges to their cognitive developments, if any. Students physical
development is scattered throughout the class as a whole and students who are on IEPs and
504s. They are all growing at different rates and their bodies are changing. As for their social
development, students are becoming a lot more social with their peers. Students social
development is growing at faster rates than others. I do notice the students on IEPs have a
lower social development than the rest of the class. They are seen as more quiet than their
classmates and to themselves. Overall, students are becoming very social with each other at a
fast rate. ]
d. Mathematical dispositions—What do you know about the extent to which your
students
 perceive mathematics as “sensible, useful, and worthwhile”1
 persist in applying mathematics to solve problems
 believe in their own ability to learn mathematics
[ Students are coming to a realization that mathematics is useful and sensible in life. They
started off the year with the attitude that education does not matter in life. They can still end up
with a job. Slowly, they are coming to a point where they feel they will need mathematics in their
everyday lives. Such as budgeting money, paying for bills, and simple everyday tasks. A
majority of the class has an interest in sports, and they are noticing that mathematics is involved
in playing sports. It has taken them a while to put in the effort and come to the conclusion of
mathematics being useful. My class struggles with persisting to apply mathematics to solve
problems. They have a hard time applying their knowledge of mathematics to problem solve.
The students have the knowledge to apply, they just do not know how or choose not to do so. A
good chunk of my students have a very negative mindset. They are always doubting themselves
and telling themselves they cannot do something. I also have the flipside of that, some of my
students began the year with that mindset and have done a complete turnaround and change of
mindset. These students have persevered and worked hard to believe that they can do the
mathematics, and they have.]
3. Supporting Students’ Mathematics Learning
Respond to prompts 3a–d below. To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Planning Task 1. In addition,
support your justifications using principles from research and/or theory, including how
the research/theory reflects elements of young adolescent development.
a. Justify how your understanding of your students’ prior academic learning (from prompt
2a above) guided your choice or adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit
about the connections between the learning tasks and students’ prior academic learning
and research/theory.
[ I based my students prior knowledge off of previous lessons we have completed in this school
year, and information they have learned in the previous grade. The learning materials I chose
for the learning segment is from my schoolwide curriculum. We have a scripted curriculum, and
are required to follow these lessons. The lessons scaffold each other, and research shows that
students learn best from scaffolding. Students were creating expressions by only using
1 From the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
mathematical vocabulary terms and not with real world situations. Now, the lessons in this
learning segment build upon those, and are having students create expressions in real life
situations. Though the lessons are already planned out, they do a nice job of building on each
other. The lessons take writing expressions in steps. Some of the lessons focus on students
using tables to create expressions, and they have had experience with tables in the beginning of
the year when learning about rates and ratios. Research showing, that students need constant
exposure and review of material to keep it fresh in their minds for long term retention. ]
b. Justify how your understanding of your students’ personal, cultural, community, and
developmental assets (from prompts 2b–c above) guided your choice or adaptation of
learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between the learning
tasks and students’ assets and research/theory.
[ I am aware of my students’ personal and developmental assets that they bring to the
classroom. With this knowledge, I know my students can have an understanding of the contexts
used in the real world problems. The real world situations are carefully thought over to make
sure my students will have an understand of what the scenario is within the problem. This is
shown though Lesson Five. In Lesson Five, students are working on ordering pizzas and
comparing prices with number of toppings. This directly relates to students personal interests
and their community. Every student has heard of pizza and has ordered a pizza before, so
students have background knowledge for this activity. ]
c. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and groups of young adolescents with
specific learning needs.
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (e.g., young adolescents with IEPs or 504 plans, English
language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ For my students who have a 504 plan they receive extra time on their exit tickets. This is a
planned support that is in place for those specific students. Exit tickets are part of students
assessment, so they can receive extended time to complete these. Students who are on IEPs
have small group interventions with the intervention specialist. They will get taken out during
direct instruction time or during their independent work. We complete what we call “CBUNZ” to
our directions. This is an acronym where the “C” stands for circle the power verbs. Whenever
there is a power verb telling them an action, they circle it. “B” stands for box; they box any
numbers they see, whether it is numerical or written in words. The next step is to “underline”
important information. Usually this information follows the power verbs. The “N” stands for
number. Students are to number the steps in the problem. This may not be always applicable to
this learning segment. The “Z” stands for zero points, if the student does not complete them for
the problem. This is in place for all students and more specifically for those who struggle with
reading. All students benefit from doing this breakdown process to their directions. During
students independent work I am available for individual one on one help as well. ]
d. Describe common mathematical preconceptions, errors, or misunderstandings within
your central focus and how you will address them.
[ Common misconceptions within this learning segment may include students associating the
wrong operation with the mathematical vocabulary. For example, a problem may say “increased
by 2,” and a student could interpret that as multiplication and not addition. To prevent this,
students have vocabulary sheets on them with the operations and terms that define it. They may
use these sheets in the beginning with their independent work to identify those terms correctly.
When students are analyzing tables and charts, they may incorrectly recognize a pattern. To
prevent this misconception, students are to read through the real world situation and to check
their answers. They know they can check their answers by substituting values in for their
variables and evaluating them. ]
4. Supporting Mathematics Development Through Language
As you respond to prompts 4a–d, consider the range of students’ language assets and
needs—what do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to
them?
a. Language Function. Using information about your students’ language assets and
needs, identify one language function essential for young adolescents to develop
conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and mathematical reasoning or problem-
solving skills within your central focus. Listed below are some sample language
functions. You may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your learning
segment.
Compare/contrast Describe Explain Justify Prove
Please see additional examples and non-examples of language functions in the glossary.
[ The language function essential for student learning within my central focus is create. Students
must be able to create addition, subtraction, multiplication and division expressions from given
scenarios. Students will also be creating expressions that involve addition and multiplication.
They have to be able to read a real world situation and create an expression based off of that
real world situation. ]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides young adolescents with
opportunities to practice using the language function. Identify the lesson in which the
learning task occurs. (Give lesson day/number.)
[ In Lessons One, Two, Three, and Four, students are creating expressions. This whole learning
segment is around students creating expressions to represent real life situations. A key learning
task occurs in Lesson Four. Students are combining what they know about creating expressions
with addition and what they know about creating expressions with multiplication, and they
combine them into one expression with both operations. They are analyzing real world situation
and using a table to organize their thoughts. From there, they are creating their expression that
involves multiplication and addition. ]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
young adolescents need to understand and/or use:
 Vocabulary and/or symbols
 Mathematical precision (e.g., using clear definitions, labeling axes, specifying units of
measure, stating meaning of symbols), appropriate to your students’ mathematical
and language development2
 Plus at least one of the following:
2 For
an elaboration of “precision,” refer to the Standards for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards for
Mathematics (June 2010), which can be found at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf.
 Syntax
 Discourse
[ Vocabulary terms students will need to know are addition, sum, more than, total, all together,
increased by, subtraction, difference, fewer than, less than, multiplication, product, double,
triple, division, quotient, each, split and per. Students will have to know addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division symbols. Students will be specifying variables units and in the
expressions. They will also be interpreting the operation vocabulary term and representing that
with a symbol. Students will be taking phrases of words in real world scenarios and putting them
into structures with variables and numbers. ]
d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt below.
 Identify and describe the planned instructional supports (during and/or prior to the
learning task) to help students understand, develop, and use the identified language
demands (function, vocabulary and/or symbols, mathematical precision, syntax, or
discourse).
[ Students have previous lesson that has vocabulary terms organized for them for each
operation. They are allowed to use this as a reference sheet during their independent work.
During direct instruction I will model how to correctly label the variables units and within the
expression. For each example I will complete, I will model how to do so. Another support I have
in place for creating the expressions themselves, is for students to read everything carefully and
show all of their work. I will model this during each lesson. Additional supports for this would be
allowing the students to look back in their notes and follow along my examples. I show the
students an example that is correct and an example that is incorrect. Research shows that
students learn from mistakes and going step by step finding what went wrong. ]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Planning Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence of young adolescents’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, AND
mathematical reasoning and/or problem-solving skills throughout the learning segment.
[ My planned formal assessments include students completing an exit ticket at the end of the
lesson. I am following my schoolwide curriculum in doing this. Students are to complete the
lesson and complete an exit ticket. They are able to show what they have learned in the lesson.
The exit tickets cover exactly what we did in the lesson, they are able to show their
mathematical reasoning and how they problem solve. It is able to show where students are at
and how I can adjust the next day’s lesson. My informal assessments include my observing how
students are performing on their independent work. I am able to do so by seeing if they are
asking questions, showing their work, and analyzing their work. If students are struggling or not
understanding, I am able to help them one on one and give them more practice. I am able to
assess students conceptual understanding through my observations during their independent
work. Students have to be able to apply the procedures we completed during the direct
instruction to their independent work, then they have to be able to apply those procedures they
practiced to their exit ticket. In Lesson Five, students are able to show their problem solving
skills within that activity. They are to apply what they have learned about expressions in the
lessons leading up to it. This is the last step for student mastery is to be able to apply their
knowledge to a real world situation that is not laid out for them. ]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows young
adolescents with specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider the variety of young adolescent learners in your class who may require
different strategies/support (e.g., young adolescents with IEPs or 504 plans, English
language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ Students who are gifted have additional practice in Lesson Five. There are challenge
questions in all of the lessons that they are able to complete if they finish before the majority of
the class. Students with 504s are allowed more time to complete their formal assessments.
Students on IEPs are able to work with the intervention specialist. Students that are
underperforming can receive more practice examples before they take their formal assessments
and feel comfortable taking it. ]

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Middle Childhood Mathematics

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

1 From the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Compare/contrast Describe Explain Justify Prove

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