Introduction

• What are the concepts and procedures that I want students in my classto learn at this time?Teachers refer to the unit plan that has been developed, select one of the conceptsoutlined in that plan, become familiar with the concept and how students bestlearn it, and use this knowledge to create lessons that are engaging and developmentallyappropriate. In some cases, a lesson may be found in an existingresource. Such a lesson should be reviewed with a critical eye and adjusted ormodified, if necessary, to ensure that its focus is on problem solving and communicationand that it supports students in achieving the curriculum expectations.(See the subsection “Providing Appropriate and Challenging Problems” inChapter 5: Problem Solving, in Volume Two, for information on reviewing andrevising problems from existing resources.)For grade-specificexamples of dailylessons in mathematics,see thelearning activitiesprovided in thecompanion documentsto this guidethat focus on theindividual strands.• How will I structure the learning experience to help students learn theseconcepts and procedures?When developing lessons, teachers should:– begin with a thought-provoking question or problem that will encourage studentsto reason mathematically;– plan learning experiences that allow students to connect new mathematical ideaswith concepts that they already understand;– structure the lesson to include “Getting Started”, “Working on It”, and “Reflectingand Connecting” segments;– consider which instructional groupings best suit the purpose of the lessonand meet the needs of all students, including English language learners andstudents with special needs;– use a balance of shared, guided, and independent mathematics (see Chapter 4:Instructional Approaches);– consider how students will use tools (e.g., manipulatives, calculators, computers)to investigate mathematical ideas and to solve problems;– determine ways in which students will represent mathematical ideas (e.g.,using concrete materials, pictures, diagrams, graphs, tables, numbers, words,symbols);– design probing questions that will help students focus on important mathematicalconcepts;– plan ways in which students will communicate their mathematical thinking,strategies, and solutions;– include time at the end of the lesson for a class discussion in which studentsreflect on and discuss mathematical ideas they have learned.52 A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6 – Volume One