Math Unit

Lesson Plan
OVERVIEW
In this lesson, students will work collaboratively on a problem solving puzzle. While working students learn to
persevere, but then must be guided to reach out to another nearby group. In order to complete the
challenge, it is necessary to combine two groups’ card sets! Students then complete a follow-up worksheet
that helps them to identify the team skills they used and link these skills to bigger ideas in math class.
PREPARATION
STAND ALONE UNIT: If you are not teaching this mini-unit along with the other courses, you’ll want to copy
the following materials:
o A set of 9 number cards for each team of 2-3 students (Be sure that half of the teams have the
first set of 9 cards, and the other half have the second set. Also, without making it obvious to the
students, make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the room, so a team with the first set
can reach out to a nearby team that has the 2 nd set when they collaborate.) The best way to do
this is to print pages 7 and 8 of this file on two different colored papers. Students will hopefully not
notice that the two sets work together (at least at first), but you will easily be able to differentiate
between the sets. Once the sets are combined, the two different colors will also help you to resort
them into separate sets for next year.
o A class set of follow-up “Team Building Activity” worksheets (p. 9-10)
o “Hint Cards” if you want to use them (p. 11)
INTEGRATED UNIT: If you are teaching this mini-unit along with the other courses, you’ll want to copy the
following materials in addition to the items listed above:
o
A set of the bookmark version included in this file (p. 12) along with the versions in the other files
(links to those are back on p. 2). Distribute the bookmarks so that each student in a team of 4
has a different version.
LESSON
1. Distribute the card sets, ensuring that each team has a different set from the group beside them without
pointing it out. Ask students to cut apart the cards if you have not already cut them. Explain the goal of
the puzzle. You can display / project the directions and sample photo for students to review (p. 6) Allow
students to begin working.
2. After about 10 minutes, ask everyone to pause and listen (or start distributing “hint cards” at your
discretion, using the first hint for groups who need it, then the second if they still do not reach out to
combine with another group). At this point, they are probably getting frustrated at the seemingly
impossible challenge. Ask a few students or groups to share a strategy they have tried. Some may
express frustration that they wish they could just trade a number 2 card for a 3, and then it would all work
out, or something along those lines. Compare different strategies and approaches as a whole class (or
continue giving hint cards as needed). Subtly suggest that although they cannot trade a single card,
there is no restriction on the number of rows or columns. Show them that nearby groups are having the
same struggles, and maybe they can find a way to work together….
3. Once students are led to think outside the box in terms of a little bigger collaboration, they can team up
to combine two sets of cards and complete the puzzle successfully. Discuss.
4. Distribute the follow-up worksheets and allow students to complete them in class or as homework.
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