María Cristina Alvarez

EDUC 531
Term III assignment

Introduction:

The first draft of this lesson was sent to my classroom mentor, who offered me the following
comments. After I changed the plan, the text, which you see here, was submitted to my
professor. She made comments that are visible as track changes in this document.

Classroom mentor comments made on first draft:

Good morning! So here's a few thoughts on how to get things running as smoothly as possible...

1) Keep your end-goal in mind, and keep it small & focused -- what EXACTLY do you want the
kids to be able to know or do by the end of the lesson?

2) Thinking about this part of your plan... "Then I can judge whether to have them work on more
2 bean recipes, or move them straight to 3 bean recipes. The extension for students who finish
early will be to create their own bean salad recipe cards."

This ties into my first thought: how will you know which kids can do 2-bean, and who can move
on to 3-bean? There are a number of ways to assess this, both formally and informally, but you'll
want to have a crystal-clear idea of what you're looking to see from a kid who either "gets it" or
doesn't quite understand.

2) If you haven't thought of this already... a tool for the kids to group things will go a long way.
For example, a paper with "bowls" (circles) printed on it, or actual cups/bowls for each pair.

3) I can't emphasize this enough for an inquiry-based, hands-on math lesson: Overplan, overplan,
overplan. Have absolutely everything created, divided up, labelled, sorted, etc. ahead of time.
Script out your norms/rules/expectations, and practice them. Practice your "hook" a few times in
front of a mirror, a colleague, or a trusted friend. Think about what will be on the tables already
before you even start the lesson. All of this prep will allow you to truly focus on the math
content, assessing the kids' knowledge, and responding to misconceptions, rather than having to
figure out the housekeeping things on-the-fly.

Hope this helps! Of course feel free to reach out with any questions as they come up. Commented [MOU1]:
First draft available here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_PtciZM_rOT6Iiqe5qE18LddhQHjb4-E12gg-
3XClAQ/edit?usp=sharing

Goals/Objectives:

The mathematical concepts I wish to explore with this activity is to use physical objects
to represent ratios and proportions. These bean salads represent an complex algebraic activity
that can be explored using physical objects. The task will draw from their previous skills with
additive, multiplicative, and fractional thinking but present them with a different context to use
them in.

The mathematical practices that are the main focus for this activity are:
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

The PA Core standards and eligible content include:

CC.2.1.6.D.1 Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.
Represent and/or solve real world and mathematical problems using rates, ratios, and/or percents.

The students will not be writing their work out in terms of formal ratios, but they will be
exploring ratios in a real world setting.

The Task:

Three Bean Salad:

The students will be working in partners with dried beans and small plates to make Commented [c2]: I have highlighted the important
“salads” that follow recipes written down for them. The dried beans will include: Lima, red, and contextual information they will need to understand to be
able to engage with these problems. These are terms and
black beans. ideas that you should introduce and discuss in the launch.
This will be a challenging activity for my students. They will have limited experience
with thinking about proportions and algebraic thinking in general. However, their recent work
with fractions as well as previous experience with additive and multiplicative thinking will assist
them. Similarly, it will be helpful to have them work on part-whole relationships in a new way,
to help support their fractional reasoning. The beans will allow them to manipulate the objects
directly and use trial and error to create the salads if they need to. From this activity, they can
begin to notice patterns and develop the thinking that will lead them to understanding of ratios.
I plan to introduce the students to the activity by demonstrating one bean recipe to the Commented [c3]: Rather than demonstrating, can you
whole group. Then I will have them do one in pairs. The rest of the activity will be independent engage them in understanding the situation and developing
strategies for figuring it out?
until we share out at the end. I will be moving around the space checking their work and asking
them about strategies. After 5 minutes or sooner if they seem to be struggling, I will have them
share in pairs about any strategies they have found so far. The extension for students who finish
early will be to create their own bean salad recipes. After 20 minutes (or less if the students are
frustrated), we will discuss strategies as a full group.

Three Bean Salads

Each salad contains three counters or beans
1. This salad contains:
a. 2 lima beans
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

b. Twice as many red beans as lima beans

c. 10 beans in all
2. This salad contains:
a. 4 red beans
b. ½ as many black beans as red beans
c. 10 beans in all
3. This salad contains:
a. Lima beans make up ½ of this salad
b. The salad has exactly 2 red beans
c. The number of lima beans is double the number of red beans
4. This salad contains:
a. The same number of red beans as lima beans
b. 3 more black beans than red beans
c. a total of 18 beans
5. This salad contains:
a. 12 beans
b. ½ of the beans are red
c. Lima beans make up ¼ of the salad
6. This salad contains:
a. At least 12 beans
b. It has one more lima bean than red beans
c. It has one more red bean than black beans
7. This salad contains:
a. 3 times as many red beans as black beans
b. One more lima bean than red beans
c. 8 beans in all
8. This salad contains:
a. An equal number of red beans and black beans
b. 5 more lima beans than red beans
c. No more than 20 beans

(The italicized bean recipes are the ones that I imagine will be the most challenging to the
students.)
This activity and recipes have been found in and adapted from the book Family Math.
(Stenmark, et. al. 1986)

Unpacking the Mathematics:

Students in this class have not formally worked with ratios, but they have been working
with fractions and fractional reasoning all year (some started in 3rd grade and before). They have
experience with thinking of fractions as parts of a set, as this task will ask them to do. The 2 bean
salads can be solved with additive, multiplicative, and fractional thinking, and the manipulatives
will support their work.
Some of the 2 bean recipes give bean quantities which should be less complex to solve
for the students. For example, one recipe says that there are 6 red beans and 14 total beans. (This
is a “change unknown” addition problem, well within their ability.) There are also recipes that
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

requires division by 2. Some of the other 2 bean recipes require slightly more complex thinking.
The recipe that says that there are at least 14 beans and 5 more red beans than black beans
involves slightly more complex thinking. This requires them to balance two changeable
quantities of beans and a changeable total. They can use the manipulatives to visualize different
quantities of beans easily as the balance the quantities. This, in essence, is an algebraic problem
where:
If red beans are defined as r and black beans are defined as b,
r=b+5
r + b > 14, therefore (b + 5) + b > 14
However, with the manipulatives, the work will be more accessible to students with little
to no experience with algebra.
The 3 bean salads require more complex thinking. Some of the 3 bean recipes do
not have changeable quantities. One salad has 2 lima beans, twice as many red beans as lima
beans, and 10 beans in all. They can solve this in a relatively straightforward way, by
determining that there are 4 red beans and then using a “change unknown” additive approach to
find that there are 4 black beans. Other recipes involve changeable quantities of 3 beans, which
are more complex to solve. For example, on recipe says that there are at least 12 beans and one
more lima bean than red beans and one more black bean than red beans. This is an algebraic Commented [c4]: Ok, so you have identified ratios and
problem where: algebraic reasoning as important content—now go back to
the readings on this (Chapin & Johnson) and draw from
If red beans are defined as r, black beans are defined as b, and lima beans are defined as what we know about how students learn these ideas and
L: the difficulties they may face. As I explained in class this is
L + r + b > 12 an important part of the assignment.
L=r+1
r=b+1
Therefore, (r + 1) + r + (r - 1) > 12 and r = 4, meaning L = 5 and b = 3.
However, with the manipulatives, the work will be more accessible to students with little to no
experience with algebra.
Activities “such as this one help students link their prior knowledge of a fraction as part
of a whole to a ratio as a comparison of part to a whole…[They both] represent part-to-part and
whole-to-part comparisons”

Anticipating Student Strategies

 Demo:
 This salad contains 2 Lima beans, twice as many black beans as Lima beans, and 10
beans in all. How many of each bean could be in this salad?

Strategies Representations
Adding and Multiplying 2 lima beans
2 x 2 = 4 red beans
10 beans total
10- 4 – 2 = 4 black beans

Direct Modeling with beans or drawing

 Commented [c6]: Think through how they would come to
this solution. What would they do first?
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

Ratio Table Commented [c5]: This seems unlikely for this problem since
lima red black total the arithmetic is really simple
2 4 1 7
2 4 2 8
2 4 3 9
2 4 4 10

o Second demonstration recipe in pairs:

 This salad contains 4 red beans, ½ as many lima beans as red beans,
and 10 beans in all.

Strategies Representations
Fractional Multiplication 4 red beans
4 x ½ = 2 lima beans
10 total beans
10 – 4 – 2 = 4 black beans
Division (partitive)
4 red beans
4 / 2 = 2 lima beans
10 total beans
10 – 4 – 2 = 4 black beans

Direct Modeling with beans or drawing


Ratio Table
red lima black total
4 2 1 7
4 2 2 8
4 2 3 9
4 2 4 10

 Recipe 1:
o This salad contains:
 12 beans
 ½ of the beans are red
 Lima beans make up ¼ of the salad

Strategies Representations
Fractional Multiplication 12 total beans
12 x ½ = 6 red beans
12 x ¼ = 3 lima beans
12 – 6 – 3= 3 black beans
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

Division 12 total beans

12 / 2 = 6 red beans
12 / 4 = 3 lima beans
12 – 6 – 3= 3 black beans

Direct Modeling with beans or drawing


Ratio table
red lima black total
6 3 1 10
6 3 2 11
6 3 3 12
6 3 4 13

 Recipe 2:
o This salad contains:
 An equal number of red beans and black beans
 5 more lima beans than red beans
 No more than 20 beans

Strategies Representations
Table/ Guess and check red black lima total
1 1 6 8
2 2 7 11
3 3 8 14
4 4 9 17
5 5 10 20

Direct Modeling with beans or drawing



Algebra?

Materials and Preparation:

 2 small paper plates for each student. There will be one divided into halves and one
divided into thirds. 1 paper plate for each student divided into thirds Commented [c7]: Is that necessary?
 1 cup dried beans in deli Tupperware containers (can be others as long as they look
different)
o Black beans
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

o Red Beans
o Lima Beans
 Worksheets
 Scratch paper and pencils

Classroom Arrangement and Management Issues:

I am going to take 4-6 students from the 5th grade. We will work in the “pod” outside the
math classroom. I will have two round tables pushed together with the plates on them. Each
student will have a station with their recipe, a 3 bean paper plate and a pencil. The red, black,
and Lima beans will be available on the table. (If we have 4 students we will use one table. If we
have 6 students, 2 tables.
I will advise them to model each task with the beans. I will tell them to ask each other for
help if they need it and to work at their own pace. I will set an expectation for only having
talking related to the task at hand. I will also tell them to try not to lose track of their beans, and
use them as tools, not toys.

Part II: The Lesson Plan

Before (Launch)
 Establishing norms: Commented [c8]: Any norms having to do with
o Students should try and do their best. mathematics or problem solving?
o Students should be open to suggestions. Try new things!
o Use positive language. Support the students around you.
o Ask for help if you need it, and help people who ask you to.
o Try using the tools we have here! But remember, they are tools, not toys.
 Introduction and connections:
o So far in 5th grade, we have been connecting math with cooking. In today’s Top
Chef challenge, we are going to be making salads out of 3 different kinds of
beans. We have recipes but we don’t know how many of each bean to use—that’s
your job to figure out. Each recipe is different, with different amounts of each
kind of bean. Let’s get cooking!
 Explanations:
o Show demonstration recipe:
 This salad contains 2 Lima beans, twice as many black beans as Lima
beans, and 10 beans in all. How many of each bean could be in this salad?
 Define “twice as many” Commented [c9]: Ask, “what does twice as many mean?”
o Ask for strategies and list them collectively. (Beans, numbers, picture, table) Commented [c10]: Since this is a simple problem, I would
o Remind students of norms if needed let them come up with solutions here. Its going to be hard
o What does this make you think of? Does anyone have any connections? to have them talk about strategies in the abstract.
o How are the quantities of beans related? What order did you work in? Are there Commented [c11]: What are you anticipating they will say
other answers? here? I’m not sure what connections they would make…
o Second demonstration recipe in pairs: Commented [c12]: Ok, I guess you are having them come
 This salad contains 4 red beans, ½ as many black-eyed peas as red beans, up with solutions. This isn’t clear the way you’ve laid it out.
and 10 beans in all.
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

o Discuss results and strategy Commented [c13]: I don’t think a second example is
Instructions: necessary –let them start and engage in productive struggle
 Discuss norms to follow as a group and as we work with partners
 Introduce the lesson (see above)
 Some parameters to follow:
o All three types of beans go into each salad.
o Students can edit their thinking as needed
o They will read the recipe for each salad
o Students can use any tools they have and feel free to ask questions of the teacher
and students around them
o Students should try to have stamina
o Check with your partner and make sure you agree on the solution before moving
on to another problem
o Record your solution and your strategy
o Be ready to explain your thinking
 Ask students to review instructions and ask for questions

During (Explore). There should be adequate time for students to work on the task; students might
work in small groups, pairs, or independently.
 Students will work on the tasks independently and I will go around and monitor them. Commented [c14]: What will you be looking for?
They will receive two recipes at a time. When they are finished we will discuss each
problem as a group. I expect students to finish 2 recipes and discuss. If students are done
early, I will have them come up with another strategy. Commented [c15]: Or how about have them make their
 What parts are difficult for students? What strategies are they using? What operations are own recipe for someone else to solve
they using? Are they finding the manipulatives helpful? Do they understand the relative
language in the problems (twice as many)
 For a student who might be struggling, I will give them assistance or have them work
with a partner. If they are having a very difficult time, I can offer them a 2 bean salad
recipe. For a student who is moving quickly, I will have them think of other strategies or Commented [c16]: Or you could encourage them to use
ways of showing their work. trial and error. Try it with a certain number of beans and see
what happens, then adjust.
 Recipe 1:
o This salad contains: Commented [c17]: These seem like good open ended
problems to choose
 12 beans
 ½ of the beans are red
 Lima beans make up ¼ of the salad
 Recipe 2:
o This salad contains:
 An equal number of red beans and black beans
 5 more lima beans than red beans
 No more than 20 beans

 I will collect observations here, as well as taking photos.

Student Strategies for Recipe #1 Strategies for Recipe #2
María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

1. After (Discuss and Wrap-Up). End with a whole group sharing of strategies and discussion
of important mathematical ideas.
Discussion
 We will start sharing and recording strategies for the first recipe. Commented [c18]: I wonder if you want to focus the
o Ask students to explain their reasoning further discussion around the second problem. You will get multiple
solutions and then you can really highlight the ratios (there
o Ask prompting and probing questions: is always a 1:1 ratio of red and black beans) and also model
 Where did you start? writing an equation if it comes up
 Did you try anything that didn’t work?
 Are there more than one answer to any of these problems?
o Have students make connections with each others’ strategies. Commented [c19]: What will those connections be? Go
o Model ratio language throughout. We have 2 red beans for each black bean, etc. back to your anticipation of strategies and see what you
might want to highlight
o Make connections to fractions.
Wrap-up Commented [c20]: Just keep in mind that a ratio is
different from a fraction (see Chapin & Johnson for more on
We used all kinds of strategies in this activity to use information we had about one kind this). You could highlight that here.
of bean to inform our knowledge about the others. We were able to balance the number
of beans to follow the recipes, and let me in on a little secret. This is the beginning of
thinking algebraically. I am so happy with how we did today.
Exit Slip Commented [c21]: This is a nice idea. Make sure to leave
Please make up your own 2 bean recipe, and create instructions for someone else to make adequate time for this (not like we do in class!)
it. Can you write your recipe in such a way that it won’t give away the final quantities?
Don’t forget to write your answer.

Formative Assessment (used to inform your instruction)

María Cristina Alvarez
EDUC 531
Term III assignment

 Photos and notes during the task. Informal.

 Exit slip

Accommodations
 For students who need help: assist students with the steps involved to solve the problem.
 As an extension: Ask students for other strategies and provide with additional recipes.