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Four Shift Protocol: Lesson Plan Analysis

Introduction

This lesson is from the Grade 2 Unit 1 Bridges in Mathematics Curriculum. Bridges in

Mathematics is the chosen curriculum for math in grade two in Baltimore County public

Schools. This lesson is from Unit 1, Module 2, Session 1 and is titled “Getting to Know the

Number Rack”. The objective for this lesson is represent and create numbers in different ways

by examining and utilizing a number rack in order to use math tools strategically. In this lesson,

students build their own number racks. They will continue to use their number racks throughout

the remainder of Unit 1, or as needed. Each number rack has 10 red beads and 10 white beads

(see Appendix A for a visual). Students divide the beads into groups of 5 to be sure they have 5

white and 5 red on the top row and 5 white and 5 red on the bottom row. The process of building

their own number racks reinforces students’ number skills. These skills include one-to-one

correspondence, sorting, grouping, pattern recognition. This lesson allows the teacher to

informally assess the children individually on these early math skills that should be mastered in

first grade. After they assemble their number rack the teacher will pose thinking questions about

the students’ observations of the number rack. How many red beads do you see? How many

white? How many beads on the top and bottom row? How many in all? The children spend the

remainder of the lesson playing the game Show Me where they show a number on their number

rack. They are then challenged to show combinations of numbers 0 to 20 in multiple ways on

their number rack.

Higher Order Thinking

Higher order thinking allows for deeper learning to take place. Shifting to higher order

thinking means that students are more engaged in tasks of greater cognitive complexity. This

means they are being creative, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaborating, and
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communicating. This lesson is the building block that students need to continue to build their

number sense and begin problem solving on their own. By allowing students to make their own

number racks, it allows them to be creative. In building the number rack, they are able to explore

develop a deeper meaning of how to use the number rack. As they place their beads on the

number rack, they are counting and understanding that there are 10 beads on the top row, and 10

on the bottom, making 20 in all. These hands-on activities allow the students to build their

metacognition. Students show their unique ways to make combinations of various sums but

utilizing the top and bottom rows of the number rack. For example, one student may see 10 as 5

beads up top and 5 beads at the bottom, others may think that just pushing ten over on the top

row is the easiest way to make 10 (See Appendix B). Teachers can gather great informal data on

how quickly the students are able to show ten. Do they move beads over one by one? Are they

able to see 5 and 5 makes ten automatically?

Students are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned about the number rack

to show combinations for a given sum. The children can use their number racks to write

combinations of 10 as an informal assessment at the end of the lesson. To guide the students in

their inquiry, the teacher can ask the students to slide over 9 beads on the top and then ask them

to slide beads over on the bottom to make 10. Students will see that 9+1=10 and record their first

combination of 10 on a piece of paper. While this part of the lesson is an extension, it is great

day to gather in order to proceed and allow the children to have meaningful learning.

Authentic Work

According to Deeper Learning Schools: 4 Big Shifts, authentic work means that students

are more engaged with and contribute to communities. Students begin fostering networks with

individuals and organizations. While my students on second grade level are not contributing to
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the community with this lesson, they are contributing to the classroom. They are sharing their

thoughts with each other allowing for peers to learn from each other. This lesson demonstrates

that student work is authentic and relates to others. In our adult minds, we naturally have

developed number relationships by subitizing and making connections. Children learn in

different ways at different paces. By fostering their learning using the number rack with colored

beads, we are allowing them to shift from counting one-by-one to automatically see numbers.

For example, if I say show me 7 on the number rack, they will soon begin to see 5+2=7. If they

know there are 5 red beads, they can shift over 5 automatically and then count on 2 more to make

7. Whereas some students may see 3+3+1=7. For the part of the lesson where we play Show Me,

students can share their thinking with a partner. This allows the children to learn from one

another, which takes an authentic role in learning. This lesson, as written, does not utilize any

technologies. However, the assessment for this specific unit does have both a written and a

digital assessment. The digital assessment reads the problems to the students and lets the children

manipulate tools to show what they know.

Agency

Classrooms are moving from overwhelming teacher-controlled learning to environments

that enable great student agency. I believe this lesson is highly student centered and allows the

students to take ownership and control of what, how, when, where, who with, and why they

learn. While the general lesson was teacher selected, curriculum based, the learning that takes

place comes from the students and their peers as they explore number relationships with their

number rack. This lesson allows a great amount of talk time. While the teacher guides the

students through the lesson by asking some prompting questions, the lesson moves to more

student centered where the students are talking to one another and answering inquiry-based
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questions. After they build their number rack independently, the teacher guides the students to

share what they notice. The teacher calls students up to demonstrate specifically how they

counted the beads. Students might share observations about the number of beads. For example,

“There are 5 red and 5 white which is ten, and if there is 10 on the top row and 10 on the bottom,

there are 20 in all.” Other students may still need to count he beads one-by-one. However, by

watching and hearing their peers count various numbers, learning is taking place. When you play

Show Me, have students share who the whole class their combinations. For example, if the

teacher says show me 8, some students may show 4 up top and 4 on the bottom. Others may

show 5 up top and 3 on the bottom. As they talk through these combinations, other students can

see their peers thinking process. This activity allows the students to take initiative and be self-

directed in their learning environment. Some students may be ready to share how many more. “If

I have 8 beads, how many more do I need to make 10?” The concept of how many more can be

very difficult for young children, but have a something physical in front of them to manipulate

and explore.

Technology

According to McLeod and Shareski, Technology Infusion is moving away from

traditional learning that generally involves paper and pencil and instead incorporating a variety

of technology to help learning happen for students (2017). This lesson, as written done not

require technology. However, the Bridges curriculum does have many digital resources that are

very beneficial to learning. In the upcoming lessons after the number rack, students learn a new

workplace called “Make the Sum”. Students choose a sum and work with a partner to make that

sum. The first player draws 2 cards, if they can make the sum, they collect the two cards. Player

2 draws another card, they use the same pile to see if they can make the sum. The player with the
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most cards at the end wins. There is a digital optional available for this game that is highly

beneficial. Students can share a computer, pick a sum, and go to work (See Appendix C). This

lesson is a great extension to the initial “Getting to Know the Number Rack” lesson.

McLeod and Graber state, “we see many teachers using technology simply for

technology’s sake”. I believe that this lesson, as written, does not require technology. If I had the

students use the digital number rack as shown in Appendix A, I would be using technology for

technology’s sake. However, I do love to model using the digital number rack. It makes it easier

for the children to see as I model when it is presented on the large projector. While I have a large

number rack to model with, I do believe the digital one is easier for the children to see. I believe

that I could use the digital number rack in small group when I extend this lesson. The children

may be engaged with being able to use their computers and show me number combinations on

their digital number rack. This would also allow for me to have a better informal assessment as it

would be less likely that the children are looking at one another’s number rack. They would not

be able to see each other’s computer screens. I could also give the students choice in if they

would rather use the digital number rack or the physical one. This is creating even more student

choice.

Summary

In reviewing the 10 building blocks for schools of the future, I believe that this lesson, as

well as the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum as a whole, is demonstrating many of these

elements. Bridges is very project and inquiry based. Students participate in many workplaces,

which are similar to games, and work with each other to problem solve. When students are

working with each other they are sharing math strategies with each other. When they are

connecting to peers, learning is likely to take place. While there are many assessments that are
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given, students are also given a lot of time to explore on their own, allowing for learning

mastery. 1:1 computing initiatives is one of the building blocks. Students each have access to a

device. They are able to utilize the learning looks on their computers, as well as physical tools,

depending on what they need. There is an entire “Math Apps” page that the students and teachers

have access too. I will attach a few examples in Appendix D. This adaptive software facilitates

great individualization of learning content and pace. By utilizing these resources, the teacher can

accommodate flexible, student-centered learning tasks.

Appendix A

The physical number rack.

Appendix B

Ways to make ten on the number rack.

Appendix C

If students want to make the sum of 10, they pick from the deck of 10 cards. This is an example of what it

would look like. As they draw cards they look for ways to make ten. On this screen, the students may see

that 4+3+3=10.

Appendix D
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References
AVID Center. (2020). AVID® / Closing the Opportunity Gap in Education.

[Link] Barreca, G. (2018, December 12).

McLeod & Shareski. (2017). Deeper learning schools: 4 big shifts. Dangerously

Irrelevant. [Link]

[Link]

Sleep? I've Got Too Much Worrying To Do. [Link].

[Link]

[Link].