Grade level: 5

Introduction
Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Mathematics, 45 minutes

Materials needed

Math attack! By Joan Horton

SMARTBoard lesson
Jumbo magnetic numbers with operations
Magnetic white board
White board marker
Paper

Preparation

Get all the materials ready ahead of time and put on the students desk.
Arrange the desks into groups of 4 or 5.
Make room on the front carpet for reading the book.
Prepare the opening problem on the SMARTBoard.

Areas of Child Development

Cognitive development is shown because children learn to make sense of

operations through the use of word problems
Linguistic development is shown because children must explain their thinking in
groups and to the class after word problems are presented
Social development is shown because children must work together in order to
ensure classmates understand their thinking

Standards

Common Core Standards for Mathematical Content - 5.OA: Operations &

Algebraic Thinking
o 5.OA: Write and interpret numerical expressions.
1. Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and
evaluate expressions with these symbols.
2. Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and
interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them. For example,
express the calculation add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2 as 2 (8 + 7).
Recognize that 3 (18932 + 921) is three times as large as 18932 + 921,
without having to calculate the indicated sum or product.
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice #1
o Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts - 5.1.D: Comprehension

and Collaboration
o 5.1.D Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics
and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
1. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of
information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Standard 2A Safe and Healthy Environment
o Elementary Health Education - 1. Students will demonstrate personally
and socially responsible behaviors. They will care for and respect
themselves and others. They will recognize threats to the environment and
offer appropriate strategies to minimize them.

Enduring Understanding
Using algebraic thinking in everyday life is important. Being able to understand
simply word problems and transforming them into math problems either on paper
or in your head will always beneficial.

Essential Questions
1. Do you think it is easier to understand which math operation to do when there
is parenthesis?
2. When would someone need to use algebraic thinking?
3. Why is it important to understand how to make a word problem into an
algebraic math problem?

Objectives
1. Students will use parenthesis, brackets, and evaluate expressions
2. Students will be able to convert a word problem represents a mathematical
problem
3. Students will be able to convert a mathematical expression represents a word
problem

Body of the lesson

Anticipatory Set
I will begin by allowing the students to play with the letters and numbers on their
desk for a few minutes. I will then instruct the students to come to the front carpet
and listen as I read a story, Math Attack! After I get everyones attention with the
story, I will begin the story problem. This should motivate all childrens interests.
Students will review the key ideas addressed in the story and discuss on what
they liked best about it or interesting parts to them.

Procedures and Activities

Story Problem:
Maxwell bought a new pair of skis for $350. He put $110 down and received a
student discount of $30. His mother gave him 1/2 of the balance for his birthday.
Write an expression that you would use to find out what he still owes for his skis.
A brief discussion will take place on order of operations to refresh the students
minds. A common misconception that will be avoided is that multiplication and
division dont have equal priority, and dont have to be performed in order from
left to right (Some misunderstandings, 2011). The order of operations are
parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.
Operations must remain in order. This would activate the knowledge part of
blooms taxonomy that they should come into the lesson with.
Students will work in groups of 4 or 5 to try to solve the problem in a way that
makes sense to them. After a group is finished, I will ask them to solve it another
way that makes sense to them. If any group finishes finding two ways, they will
continue on and think of as many ways as they can to solve the problem.
Students should make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
When all groups have at least one expression, students will share with the class
and explain their way of solving the problem using expressions. If there is time,
all groups may have the chance to share.
Prior to working together in groups, students are instructed on collaboration and
the right things to do while working in groups. If someone is not following the
rules of working together, they will be told the rules again and asked to make
better choices. This involves respecting others opinions and caring for others in
the group.
I will then present the mathematical way of solving this problem step-by-step.
o Using the SMARTBoard, I will show the original amount the skis cost
which is $350.
o Next I will show that Maxwell paid $110 by subtracting it from the original
$350.
o I will show them that $350-$110=240.
o The new cost is 240, and he receives 30 dollars off which then brings us
to 210.
o Maxwells mom gives him half of the remaining balance. This would bring
us to 210 divided by 2. Maxwells mom gave him 105 dollars.
o [(350-110-30) / 2] would be the correct expression for this word problem.

Another misconception that would be correctly taught in this lesson is that order
of operations applies also to whats inside the parenthesis (Ashlock, 2010, p.
141). You cannot add and integer with a variable to another integer. They do not
have the same variable (like terms) and therefore cant be combined. I suspect
that students should come into this lesson knowing this but it will be briefly
touched upon when reviewing order of operations.

Differentiation of Instruction
Differentiation is built into the design of the lesson because students are
encouraged to solve in whatever way makes sense to them. Students are
able to choose their own method, which allows for various pathways to the
answer. Accommodations will be made for students who have hearing or
vision difficulties by making appropriate technologies available to them.
Students with IEPs will receive individual help to ensure that their goals are
constantly being met. Students who lack in motor skills will be guided through
the assessment process.

Assessment/Evaluation
After students understand how to get to this answer, we will move on to the
manipulatives. Each group of students (of 4 or 5) will receive a bin of
magnetic numbers, enough for all students to have their own, and dry erase
boards. They will be given a word problem up on the SMARTBoard that they
will have to try and figure out using the numbers on the white board. It will
allow them to put the numbers and operations in the correct place to show the
expression when they have figured it out. This is an individual assessment. I
will walk around the room and check to see who is understanding and who
still needs some help. This is an informal assessment and I will be walking
around with a clipboard to allow me to score the students based on the rubric.
Students should have full understanding of expressing word problems into
math expressions. This is the application part of blooms taxonomy where the
students apply what they have learned throughout the lesson.
Fred bought a soft drink for three dollars and six candy bars. He spent a total
of twenty - one dollars. How much did each candy bar cost?

Scoring Rubric:
Students
Name:
Correctness
5
of Answer
points
Accuracy of
5

1
Incorrect
answer given
Explanation
leads to

Correct answer Given

Explanation
includes some

Explanation
leads to

Explanation

points

incorrect
answer if
followed
exactly

Correctness
of Expression

15
points

Expression is
incorrect.

unclear or
correct answer
ambiguous
when followed
steps or may
exactly
not lead to the
correct answer
Expression
Expression is
has one error.
correct.

Closure
Ticket out the door will include the essential questions listed above that they
will have to answer (shown below). These essential questions activate the
analysis and synthesis parts of blooms taxonomy and allows them to draw
conclusions and offer alternative solutions (Blooms Taxonomy).

Magnetic numbers and operations:

Math Attack! By Joan Horton

Ticket out the door

Sources

Ashlock, R. B. (2010). Error patterns in computation: using error patterns to

help each student learn (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Blooms Taxonomy. (n.d.). Blooms Taxonomy. Retrieved September 25, 2014,
from http://www.bloomstaxonomy.org/Blooms%20
Comon Core. (n.d.). Engage NY. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from
https://www.engageny.org/sites/default/file
Some misunderstandings about order of operations. (2011, January 2).
mathblag. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from
http://mathblag.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/some-misunderstandingsabout-order-of-operations/