I want a cell phone

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)

• Formative Assessment

  
  

  The teacher will introduce the lesson, then allow the students to work either individually or in small groups to complete the first task. Teachers will ask questions to gauge students understanding of the task before students begin working on the task.

• Feedback to Students

  
  

  After the first task, the teacher will ask the students reflection questions (set 1) as a whole group. The teacher will give feedback specific to each group (or individual) regarding their process and/or procedure for solving the problem.

• Summative Assessment

  
  

  The teacher will determine if the students have reached the learning targets for this resource by repeating the educative assessment after the second data set. If the students have explained their procedure in detail and defend their choice verbally, they have met the target for this lesson. With MEAs, the answers are open-ended. This means that all solutions should be generalizable. The solution to an MEA is a process and a "way of thinking" that we would like the students to achieve.This resource should demonstrate the students' improvement in conceptual difficulties and should thus allow the teacher to measure the impact of this resource on student learning.

  The teacher will use the attached rubric to assess students' math problem-solving in a group.

  Mathproblemsolvingrubric.docx
   Mathproblemsolvingrubric.pdf

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  The student will be able to use prior knowledge problem solving skills to solve non-routine problems of real world situations, using mathematical and scientific models.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students will need to know how to read a chart/table. Students will need to know how to write a basic business or friendly letter.

• Instructional Suggestions

  
  

  Part 1

  1. Students read the informational text and a class discussion follows. The purpose of the text is to introduce students to the topic and improve their reading skills.
  2. Students receive client letter 1, data set 1, and additional materials<
  3. The teacher can ask the readiness/comprehension questions to the class or have students complete them individually on paper. After students understand the task, they can begin to work in teams of approximately 3-4.
  4. In teams, students work on the problem and respond to the client with the requested deliverable.
     
     • As students are working, the teacher circulates to each team to ask the Reflection Questions and address any issues that may arise.
     • Teachers can provide guidance using the reflective questions to help students determine the important factors and start thinking about how they can find a mathematical way to determine and present those important factors.

  Part 2

  1. Students receive the client letter 2, data set 2, and additional materials (figure of intersections, worksheet, and template letter), along with their work from part 1.
  2. Teams test, evaluate, and revise their first procedure as necessary with the second data set and provide the requested deliverable as specified in the second letter.
     
     • If teams finish early, they can begin preparing their presentations.
  3. After all of the teams have completed their second letters to the client, the teams will present their results to the rest of the class. Peer critique using the rubric and classroom discussion follow.

• Guiding/reflective Questions

  
  
  1. What criteria will your group look at to make your decision?
  2. Considering your audience (parents) what is most important to them and will motivate them to buy a cell phone?
  3. Why is having a plan important when working in a group?
  4. How do you think your team is going to "think like engineers" for this task?

• Reading Passage 1

  
  

  Letter1Ineedacellphone.docx

  Letter1Ineedacellphone.pdf

• Readiness Questions

  
  
  1. Who is the client for this problem?
  2. Why does the client need our help?
  3. What do you think will be difficult about solving this problem for the client?

• Data Set 1

  
  

  DataSet1Ineedacellphone.pdf

  DataSet1Ineedacellphone.docx

   

• Letter Template 1

  
  

  Lettertemplate1Ineedacellphone.pdf

  Lettertemplate1Ineedacellphone.docx

   

• Comprehension/readiness questions

  
  
  1. Who is the client for this problem?
  2. Why does the client need our help?
  3. What do you think will be difficult about solving this problem for the client?

• Reading Passage 2

  
  

  Letter2Ineedacellphone.docx
   Letter2Ineedacellphone.pdf

• Data Set 2

  
  

  DataSet2Ineedacellphone.docx
   DataSet2Ineedacellphone.pdf

• Letter Template 2

  
  

  Lettertemplate2Ineedacellphone.docx
   Lettertemplate2Ineedacellphone.pdf

• Additional Instructions or Materials

  
  

  Students can write a persuasive letter to their parents explaining why they need a cell phone and the reason they chose the brand that they did.

  PersuasiveessayIneedacellphone.docx
   PersuasiveessayIneedacellphone.pdf

  RubricPersuasiveEssay.docx
   RubricPersuasiveEssay.pdf

• Reflection question 2

  
  
  1. Did you use a new strategy or procedure to determine which cell phone parents would be most interesting in purchasing?
  2. Was the company that you recommended the second time the same company that you recommended the first time?
  3. If it was not the same company, why do you think that it changed?
  4. Did you use more than one strategy or procedure to help you determine which company to recommend?