Three-Part Lesson Planning
The three-part math lesson offers up countless benefits for all learners in my opinion. This form of lesson planning seeks to activate students' prior knowledge, offers up multiple entry points to the problem-solving approach, encourages students to actively engage in the math concepts with peers through hands-on, collaborative strategies, and promotes the communication of findings and learning. Students are active participants in their learning and discoveries, and the teacher assesses student understanding through open-ended questions while guiding children to deeper comprehension of the concepts, and planning for future instruction.
Format of the Three-Part Lesson
Getting Started (10 - 15 minutes): Building on and activating prior knowledge, the teacher presents an open-ended problem to the class. The range of entry points offered to our diverse population of students through this initial segment of the lesson enables all students to find a means of engaging in the problem-solving session. "Students learn concepts and skills more deeply through a problem-solving approach, when the ordinary steps to solving the problem are not taught at the beginning of the lesson." (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 11). Rather than being told exactly what formula or strategy to use in order to solve the problem at hand, students gain deeper understanding by engaging in the problem-solving process themselves during the next phase of the lesson.
Working On It (30 - 40 minutes): Children delve into the process and can experience the benefits of perseverance during the middle portion of the lesson while they work together to problem solve and try to make sense of the math before them. Hands-on exploration and communication - in pairs, small groups and during whole-group sessions - is an integral part of the process. "There is extensive evidence that if students are engaged in mathematics communication in which they are expected to explain their ideas clearly and follow other students' reasoning (rather than just the teacher's instruction), they are much more likely to develop a deep understanding of the concept." (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 13).
For example, the above provocation might seem entirely straightforward and simple when looked at initially by an adult. A group of young learners, however, might come at this problem in a variety of ways. I.e., one might suggest that the group members compare the shoe sizes as per the shoes' labels. Another might say they should all put their shoes beside one another to compare size in that way. One student might decide they should use Unifix cubes or links to measure each shoe and compare the length in that manner. Yet another might suggest the group members use rules to measure each shoe accurately. Allowing for all of these diverse entry points engages each learner, and creates an environment in which peers are learning from and with one another.
Consolidation and Practice (10 - 15 minutes): During the final portion of the lesson, the class comes together to share and examine the "range of solutions . . . common elements . . . patterns" as a "community of learners" (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 15). The teacher, acting as facilitator, guides the class through their shared discoveries in a purposeful manner, using thoughtful questions and thus highlighting a variety of possibilities and strategies to support the students' understanding.
This approach to teaching math helps to create a safe environment within which students feel free to explore through trial and error, attempt a variety of strategies, take risks in their learning, communicate their mathematical thinking, and dig more deeply to make sense of the mathematics.
Resources
"Sketch of a Three-Part Lesson". Professionally Speaking: The Magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers. Source: Capacity Building Series, The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, May 2007.
Format of the Three-Part Lesson
Getting Started (10 - 15 minutes): Building on and activating prior knowledge, the teacher presents an open-ended problem to the class. The range of entry points offered to our diverse population of students through this initial segment of the lesson enables all students to find a means of engaging in the problem-solving session. "Students learn concepts and skills more deeply through a problem-solving approach, when the ordinary steps to solving the problem are not taught at the beginning of the lesson." (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 11). Rather than being told exactly what formula or strategy to use in order to solve the problem at hand, students gain deeper understanding by engaging in the problem-solving process themselves during the next phase of the lesson.
Working On It (30 - 40 minutes): Children delve into the process and can experience the benefits of perseverance during the middle portion of the lesson while they work together to problem solve and try to make sense of the math before them. Hands-on exploration and communication - in pairs, small groups and during whole-group sessions - is an integral part of the process. "There is extensive evidence that if students are engaged in mathematics communication in which they are expected to explain their ideas clearly and follow other students' reasoning (rather than just the teacher's instruction), they are much more likely to develop a deep understanding of the concept." (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 13).
For example, the above provocation might seem entirely straightforward and simple when looked at initially by an adult. A group of young learners, however, might come at this problem in a variety of ways. I.e., one might suggest that the group members compare the shoe sizes as per the shoes' labels. Another might say they should all put their shoes beside one another to compare size in that way. One student might decide they should use Unifix cubes or links to measure each shoe and compare the length in that manner. Yet another might suggest the group members use rules to measure each shoe accurately. Allowing for all of these diverse entry points engages each learner, and creates an environment in which peers are learning from and with one another.
Consolidation and Practice (10 - 15 minutes): During the final portion of the lesson, the class comes together to share and examine the "range of solutions . . . common elements . . . patterns" as a "community of learners" (Teaching and Learning Mathematics, p. 15). The teacher, acting as facilitator, guides the class through their shared discoveries in a purposeful manner, using thoughtful questions and thus highlighting a variety of possibilities and strategies to support the students' understanding.
This approach to teaching math helps to create a safe environment within which students feel free to explore through trial and error, attempt a variety of strategies, take risks in their learning, communicate their mathematical thinking, and dig more deeply to make sense of the mathematics.
Resources
"Sketch of a Three-Part Lesson". Professionally Speaking: The Magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers. Source: Capacity Building Series, The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, May 2007.
Teaching and Learning Mathematics: The Report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Education: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2004.
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