MAIN LESSON/MENU
AN APPROACH TO LESSONS
CHARACTERISTICS OF MAIN LESSON/
MENU
Provides connection to prior knowledge
Supports struggling learners through inclusion
Supports struggling learners through differentiation
Provides reflection for deeper learning
Offers opportunity for formative assessment
MAIN LESSON/MENU STRUCTURE
Launch
Main Lesson
Menu
Closure
THE LAUNCH
Short introduction to the Main
Lesson
Connects to prior knowledge
THE LAUNCH
A short problem
A number talk
A SHORT PROBLEM LAUNCH
Kyle and his friends were baking
cookies to raise money for a new
playground.
Kyle bought 8 dozen eggs for his
cookies.
How many eggs is that?
A NUMBER TALK LAUNCH
18
x 5
Hold up one finger when you have one strategy.
Add your thumb when you have two. You dont
need an answer yet.
THE MAIN LESSON
The focus of the lesson
Often taken from the school math program or text
Focused on developing concepts (not skills)
Uses problems and student-student conversation
ELEMENTS OF A MAIN LESSON
PROBLEM
Main Lesson problems should:
help to deepen conceptual understanding of a
specific topic
allow for multiple solutions and/or strategies
THE MAIN LESSON: AN EXAMPLE
This summer (2012) Sandy got her first
two Junior Ranger badges at
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons
National Parks. Sandy and her family
are planning to visit two national parks
every summer until they have seen
them all. There are 59 national parks.
In what year will Sandy finish visiting all
the national parks?
MENU
Independent work or in small groups
Work includes must-dos and optional activities
Work is differentiated
Teacher is free to work with small groups or
individuals
Time for practicing skills
WHATS IN A MENU?
Work from the Main Lesson to be
finished
Problems/investigations
Skills practice
Games
Math Journal Prompts
Optional activities
SOLVING PROBLEMS IN THE MENU
There should be a range of problem to solve:
Juan was helping his tennis coach get ready for
practice. He and the coach set out 24 cans of
tennis balls. If each can holds 3 balls, how many
balls did they set out?
Guang wants to buy carpet for a room that is 14
feet wide and 25 feet long. If carpet is $1.50/square
foot, how much will it cost her?
SKILLS PRACTICE IN THE MENU
GAMES IN THE MENU
Damult Dice Game
Player rolls 3 dice.
She chooses 2 to add together and then multiplies that
sum by the third die. This is her score for the round.
Players take turns. They add on scores for each round.
First player to 400 is the winner.
[Link]
JOURNAL PROMPTS IN THE MENU
Victor and Sam are doing a math problem that
says:
38 children are going on the field trip. Each car can
hold 6 children. How many cars are needed?
Victor says this is a multiplication problem.
Sam says it isnt. Who do you think is right?
Why do you think so?
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Should be highly engaging
Not just more of the same
Be available to everyone
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY EXAMPLES
Geometric Origami
There are numerous resources for exploring geometry
concepts using paper folding.
[Link]
Geogebra ([Link])
This is an interactive program for exploring algebra
and geometry concepts
Math Doodling ([Link]
These youtube videos explore interesting math
concepts with doodling and humor.
CLOSURE
Provides reflection and wrap up for students
Provides formative information for the teacher
Includes sharing, and/or an exit slip, and/or a probe
CLOSURE WITH SHARING
Choose something from the menu for students to
share (math journals are good for this)
Ask a new question/problem and have students
Using questioning to help students make
connections
CLOSURE WITH AN EXIT SLIP
Exit slips should focus on a specific concept the
focus on the lesson
Exit slips should be used by the teacher for
formative assessment
Exit logs (or journals) provide an ongoing record of
student thinking
EXIT SLIP EXAMPLE
Sara needs 5 dozen treats Halloween.
How many treats is that?
Explain your math thinking.
CLOSURE WITH A PROBE
The class has 64 cookies to put into bags to sell at
the school bake sale.
John says: You can put them into bags with 6 in
each
Theresa says: You can put a dozen in each bag.
Lisa says: You can put them into bags with 8 in
each.
Jean says: Any even number will work. You can
make bags with any even number.
Who do you agree with, and why?