Lessons on Variables - Lesson in Grade Four

The fourth grade videos are about a lesson covering variables. The students will be building a "variable machine." Prior to this lesson, the students did not have a good understanding of variables. The teacher taught the concept of variables through the use of the variable machine that each student made. The variable machine was made up of two strips of paper, one with the alphabet on it, and the other strip with the numbers 0-25 on it. The students took the two strips of paper and placed them next to each other to create a ring. The two strips of paper placed next to each other matched a number with a letter. The letter acted as a variable. The students worked together in groups and determined the value of the names of all members of their group using the variable machine. The students had to work together to figure out how they could increase the value of their names using the machine.

• Reflective Task 1: Describe how the teacher’s questioning, and the manner in which student responses are handled, contribute or do not contribute to a positive classroom learning environment. During the lesson, the teacher would ask the students many questions about what they had found. The way the teacher would ask the questions enabled the students to explain what they had found and how they had found it. The questions that were asked did not allow the students to fail. She would use answers that were not correct to teach the students the correct answer. The teacher created a more relaxed and friendly environment with the students in the classroom so when they were answering the questions they would feel comfortable, and not intimidated. I believe that the questioning contributed to a positive classroom environment. It allowed the students to feel confident in the work they had done, as well as allowing them to talk through the difficult parts of the work as a group to fully understand every part of what was being done.
• Lesson Analysis 1: Identify several strategies the teacher used to orchestrate and promote student discourse in this lesson. As the students are working in groups, the teacher is walking around to each group and asking them questions. She asked the question "what are you finding out?" After the student answered that question she said "you need to think about when you put one on 25 what that does to others." She says these things so that the students in the group would begin thinking of different ways to achieve a higher value. She also mentioned other ideas that might enable them to form a higher value. The students would then begin discussing what would make the value the highest. They would begin forming connections between the proximity of the letters and the value of the numbers. The teacher also promotes discussion in the lesson by continually asking the students what each other them are finding and having them explain how they found that result.
• Lesson Analysis 2: Describe what the teacher does to support learning while students are working in groups. As the students are working in groups the teacher is walking around and listening to the discussion each group is having. As she walks around, she stops at each table. She does many things while speaking with the groups. She asks them how they are achieving each answer. When the teacher asks that question it is supporting what the student learns because it makes them explain how they found the answer. When they have to explain how they found the answer it gives them a better understanding of the concept they are learning. The teacher also is watching what each group is doing to ensure the activity is being conducted properly. This supports learning because it is keeping the activity consistent. The students are supposed to discuss different ways to raise the value of their names without adding any letters to them. When the teacher clarifies what is being done, the students will be able to understand the concept better.

I found that watching these video clips were very reassuring to me. I have always felt intimidated

about teaching mathematics, especially those topics that can be confusing to students. When I

watched the experienced teacher in the videos teach the students about variables I felt more calm

about teaching mathematics. While watching the teacher in the videos, I noticed many of the

principles that were discussed in class being used. I liked being able to see the principles being

used effectively. I really liked the activity used in the lesson, and I liked being able to hear the

teachers justification of how certain things were done.