Lesson Plan for Micro Teaching

Shan, Amandeep, and Pari

Subject: Probability of independent event                      Lesson Number: 1 of 1

Grade: Grade 8                                                         Time: 15 minutes

Big Idea for the Lesson: Finding probability of independent event.  

PLOs:   Student would be able to learn about the following topics:

• Data Analysis - critique ways in which data is presented
• Chance and Uncertainty –To solve problems involving the probability of independent events    

Objectives:   Students are expected to learn about how to find the probability of an event by using the definition of probability.     

Materials: paper, pencils, and laptops or tablets.

Hook: (about 1 min)

Showing the 1-die situation using MIT Scratch

Introducing the pattern that all numbers increased together.

Development: (about 13 min)

·      Teacher-led: (about min 4)

*Demonstrate sample space, outcome, event, probability, experiment, and trial. (2min)

             Demonstrate the MIT Scratch simulation and the EXCEL simulation (2 min)

·      Class activity: (about 9 min)

* Inviting students to explore the 2-die situation and share their solutions. (4 min)

             

  More questions: (5 min)

  Toss a coin, toss two coins, and 3-die situation and their sample space.

Assessment: Students would be assessed on their participation and work throughout the lesson (Fist of five).

Closing: (about 1 min): Students would be advised to write down key points of the lesson on their notebook.

2 Column Solutions

Right Angles:
Given the number of sides of a polygon, what is the maximum number of
right angles it can have? (p.173)

Exit slip: Hewitt’s video reflection

The video we watched during the class showed me an interesting way of teaching math: a balance between the teacher-centered approach and the student-centered approach. By asking questions Hewitt engaged all students in learning math and by asking the whole class to answer at the same time made the class active and enjoyable. This way also allows the teachers to assess their students’ understanding as well. Long wait times and repetition help the teachers to make sure all students are on the same page.  

 

Arbitrary vs. necessary in the math curriculum

According to Hewitt, something is arbitrary “if someone could only come to know it to be true by being informed of it by some external means” such as books and teachers. That is, there is no further reason about why it is the way it is, thus anyone who wants to know it needs to be informed by external means. Arbitrary cases include, for example, naming conventions (calling squares, “square” or using Hindu-Arabic numerals for numbers). The arbitrary conventions are based on choices which have been made at some time in the past and they could have been different. In contrast, “the necessary is dependent upon the awareness students already have”. That is, the student should be able to work it out without the need to be further informed.

For a particular lesson, I will see if students do have the required awareness for the subject I am supposed to teach. If so, I will consider it necessary and introduce tasks that help students to use their awareness to work it out. Otherwise, I will consider it as arbitrary and explain the rules or terms.

Knowing what is necessary and what is arbitrary helps me make math more enjoyable for students.  Helping students to use their awareness to work out the math problems would let the student enjoy doing math (that is the most interesting part of learning math) and would not see math as a boring subject consists of numerous formula that need to be memorized.

Exit slip: SNAP math fair

I was impressed by the students’ presentations. They worked together and took turns in presenting their math puzzles to us. I really liked the stories behind the puzzles and the way that students related their puzzles to the artifacts in the museum. It made their puzzles more interesting and engaging.

I’ve also found it interesting to put students in the position of teaching and helping others to solve the problems as the best way to understand a concept/problem is to explain it to someone else; teaching is the best way of learning.

Math Fair

Math is part of our every day life. It is used to perform many different daily tasks such as packing a suitcase, planning a travel route, making strategic decisions.

Many students fear math and think they are not able to solve math problems successfully. Problem solving, which is practiced in math fair, is a great way to engage students with math in a different way from they way that math is taught in the traditional classroom. It could especially help those students who fear math.

Surely, I think it is possible to do a math fair at school. One way to do that could be finding other math teachers who are interested in doing math fair and set up a math fair in proper place at school. Another possibility could be setting up a math fair for each class separately. But the first one, I think, would be more interesting.

Nov 9.

Today, we (STs from UBC and SFU) had a meeting with the president and vice-president of Windermere. The purpose of meeting was to get more information about the school’s rules and regulations and to get familiar with each other.

Nov 10.

I’ve decided to do some inquiry about garden based learning in Windermere as I’ve heard from my FA that Windermere has a big garden. I toured around the garden. The garden includes a student-built 16' by 20' greenhouse, thirteen beds and a composting system. They have also sowed over-winter ‘cover crops’, which restore fertility and humus, and enrich the soil for planting next spring. The garden provides vegetables for school cafeteria.

Although this provides a great hands-on learning opportunity for students, unfortunately the leadership program is the only one that uses the garden.

Nov 12.

Today, I attended a food and nutrition class that had planed to cook Clam Chowder soup. Teacher distributed the recipe, explained each of the ingredients and explained how to find or select them. She also shared some tips and techniques regarding food and kitchen safety and hygiene. Students first were asked to observe how their teacher cooks to get ready to cook their own soup. It was a hands-on experience that helps students participate actively in cooking process. Each group used tools with different colors so that the teacher could recognize how each group did their job.

Nov 13.

Today, I attended a presentation on working with students with learning disabilities presented by the Special Education Department Head. A student who graduated from special education program at Windermere was asked to share her life experience with us. She is attending college and living her life independently, just with a small help from her family. That was an interesting presentation that showed us how students with different learning abilities should be taught. 

Nov 5.

Today, I have attended a food and nutrition class to see how students are taught cooking skills. However, I found that they were not cooking anything today. I talked to the teacher and I am going to attend this class again next week the day they will cook soup:)

I found the teacher supper organized and asked her to give me some tips on class management. Here are some of them:

Using folders with different color for each class

Keeping students assignments in different place while the grading is in progress

Planning detailed lessons

Having extra activities in the lesson plan in case there is extra time.

 

Nov 6.

Today, my FA came to Windermere to meet up with my SA and join me in a visual art (painting) class. The class included four different levels of students (grade 9,10,11, and 12). The teacher explained that having mixed class is not unusual in Vancouver. Each grade had and was working on different assignments. I found one of the assignments very interesting. This assignment was about identity and encouraged students to think about themselves, who they were and who they wished or wanted to be.

Nov 2. First day of short practicum:

 I got to school around 7:45 am and met other STs from UBC at schools’ office. We met the vice-principal in his office. After a detailed orientation, we toured around the school and met the staff and teachers.  They were very warm and welcoming. The school atmosphere was very friendly.

I have attended three different math classes including my sponsoring teacher class.  We have also planed what lessons I would cover during the second week. I also got free math textbooks :)

Nov 3.

Today, I have attended a Mandarin class as my SA recommended. That was an interesting experience. I didn’t know the language, but the teacher and students actions attracted my attention.

Nov 4.

In the education system I attended, we as students were assigned to a classroom and different teachers came to our classroom and taught different subjects. But here is the opposite of what I experienced. Students go to different teachers’ office for different subjects. I found it quite interesting that each teacher has an office. The teachers have the opportunity to design their classroom suited for their method of teaching and the activities they are going to conduct.