Appreciation of Human Diversity
Transcript of Appreciation of Human Diversity
AppreciationofHumanDiversity
Curriculum & Assessment Lesson Plan and Math Journal
Curriculum & Assessment Lesson based on Radioactive
This artifact is a lesson plan I created, and then performed for other students, in my Curriculum and
Assessment class during the first semester of my masters program at The State University of New York at New
Paltz. As a class we were asked to imagine we are all teachers of the same high school, each teaching our
respective subject. The principle asked all of us at a staff meeting to each read Radioactive: Marie & Pierre
Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Laura Redniss. This is because we are expected to include the book in our
classrooms, by creating our own lesson plan and curriculum assessment for our students based on the novel
Radioactive. It is our job to connect our subject to the novel by finding passages and concepts in the book to use
as a launching point, then create a lesson inspired by it. We need to show our students what they can learn from
the book, and beyond the book, using the lens of our subject. Then since we are using this book as a school, the
students will also be able to see the connections one book can bring to the rest of their subjects from other
classrooms’ various lessons. This sheet is my lesson template that consists of the big picture, where my lesson
fits in the grand scheme of the year, my essential question, a description of the lesson, learning targets, learning
strategies, procedures/timing, and so forth.
This lesson plan is important in showing my respect for human diversity because the lesson and the
curriculum assessment I developed to go along with has many different strategies for teaching diverse learning
styles. Every child is different, a topic I am learning more and more about in my many classes, and therefore
they each learn in a variety of ways. In this class in particular we learned about Blooms Taxonomy and the idea
of stages of learning, as well as Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. My lesson provides many
multi-modal strategies for learning, as well as the different cap trends the lesson projects. For example, my
lesson uses a “Math Journal” where the students cut and paste different paper foldable concepts, definitions, and
worksheets into a composition notebook that is considered their journal for the year. They can color, doodle,
fold and un-fold, the many parts of their journal, as it is solely theirs. In my lesson we created more foldable
parts to add to their journal, highlighting spatial, visual, and kinesthetic intelligences. Practicing and solving
mathematical equations also allows for the logical and mathematical learners to thrive. In addition math journals
create private learning time, serving intrapersonal intelligences. Therefore just my one lesson serves a variety of
learners in my classroom, which is what I sought out when brainstorming my lesson.
This lesson plan is important as I go on in my education, as well as when I become a future teacher,
because the process and final product required the use of many different skills crucial to the art of teaching. Not
only was I able to use to a very creative and abstract book as a jumping off point for a lesson and a curriculum
assessment, but I did it in a way that allows for my students to be creative as well. I created a lesson that
connects to the novel, applies the Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics, provides for multiple
learning styles, and is applicable in math class and the outside world. I used the concept of isolating variables in
formulas, a way for scientists and mathematicians to create equivalent expressions but in a way that is
applicable for their research. We essentially do that in our own lives by performing operations in our day to day
activities in a certain order to achieve a result. I can see myself using the many skills in lesson planning:
connecting lessons, providing for diversity, allowing for creativity, allowing for multiple learning styles, and
creating a culminating assessment, in my future lesson planning. It overall was a very educational and
rewarding experience.
Math Journal Images:
Heroux 1
LESSON PLAN: ISOLATING VARIABLES JUSTINE HEROUX
Date: November 26, 2012 Class: Grade 9 Algebra 1
Big Picture: This is a high school algebra class. So far they have learned the properties of equality: equals
added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided by equals are equal. They then moved to; recognizing what
operation they are performing, combining like terms, solving with variables on both sides of the
equation, and the distributive property (A.REI.3). These previous lessons led up to this lesson, Literal
Equations, which deals with rearranging formulas. This lesson will help them move onto topics in the
future such as solving systems of inequalities, graphing solutions for linear equations and inequalities,
and eventually using and solving polynomial equations (F.LE.1, A.REI.4).
Essential Question: Are we always capable of solving for the unknown?
Lesson Description: Students will learn how to isolate a given variable in linear equations and formulas
that have multiple variables. This lesson is based off of themes represented in the novel Radioactive.
The first is what it takes to be a mathematician and scientist, they both use and create many different
formulas to analyze and help their research. For example, p.30-31 discusses Pierre Curie’s experiments
with heat and magnetism, ultimately formulating the Curie Point, which has its own formula. Other
topics discussed within this book that have formulas are; Half-life, piezoelectricity, energy, evolutionary
fitness, and radioactive decay. However these formulas are not much use unless scientists and
mathematicians know how to isolate variables and solve for the unknown, like on p.42 “X for unknown.”
There is also a whole chapter of Radioactive dedicated to isolation and what comes out of isolation (p.
108-117).
Learning Targets:
Subject matter knowledge, concepts, and terms:
o Recall properties of equality and previous strategies for solving for one and two variable
linear equations (distributive property, etc.)
o Explain the concept of isolation
o Define: isolation, transposition, grouping like terms
Reasoning Skills:
o Evaluate the equations for the given variable
o Utilize, differentiate, and apply previous strategies to these new linear equations with
multiple variables
Performance Skills:
o Identify, recognize, and solve for given variables
o Select and provide the correct answers
o Have reasoning as to why it is the correct answer
o Construct foldables in math journals
Hope they come to appreciate:
Heroux 2
o Math is used beyond its subject, like in Radioactive.
o Solving for variables, or our unknown, is applicable in many uses beyond math class
equations.
o We can solve for any variable in a given equation, as long as we are able to perform the
correct operations with other variables.
o New information comes out of isolation.
Common Core Math Learning Standards:
o A.REI.1: Understand solving equations as a process of reasoning and explain the reasoning.
o A.CED.4: Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning
as in solving equations.
o A.REI.7: Solve a system consisting of a linear equation algebraically.
Materials:
Radioactive
“Foldables” worksheets: Isolating Variables in Formulas, Definitions
Pen/pencil/colored pencils
Scissors
Glue
Math Journals
Credits/ Citations:
The Arlington Algebra Project: http://teacherweb.com/NY/Arlington/AlgebraProject/hf3.aspx
Redniss, L. (2011). Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie - A tale of love and fallout. New York:
Harpur Collins.
Math=Love Blog: http://mathequalslove.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-peek-at-my-algebra-1-
interactive.html
Multi-Modal Strategies:
Constructing foldables highlight spatial/visual and kinesthetic intelligences
Practicing and solving mathematical equations allow for the logical/mathematical learners to
thrive
Math journals create private learning time, serving intrapersonal intelligences
Discussing and talking through problems helps verbal learners
Math journals also provide creativity and art in the classroom (Karen Gallas)
Academic Vocabulary/Concepts:
Variable: a symbol that may assume any given value, quantity, or set of values
Term: the product of a coefficient and a variable
Grouping like terms: combining terms that have the same variable with the same power
together to form a single term
Transposition of a formula: rearranging a formula in order to write it in a different, but
equivalent form
Heroux 3
Isolation: the act of setting something apart from others
Isolating a variable: separating a variable in a given equation from the other variables in the
equation in order to solve for that variable
Procedures/Timing:
Introduction: I will ask the students to recall Radioactive. Did Pierre and Marie Curie always know what
they were looking for on their way to their scientific discoveries? Do you as students always know how
your day will be (a good day or a bad day)? Or were they using known variables to solve for the
unknown? Similar to our lives, we do not know if our day will end up good or bad, but we have a certain
number of variables that can come into play (weather, homework) to help determine our final result, a
great day or an awful one. (3-5 min)
2nd: I will discuss that formulas and equations help scientists and mathematicians, like those in
Radioactive, solve for the unknown. I will then hand out a list of common formulas/equations seen in
Radioactive and in the scientific world. But in order to make an equation useful to us, we sometimes
have to use transposition and isolation of variables. Have the students get out (I will hand out) their
Math Journals and the foldable sheets we will be using in them. Explain we will be adding some new
definitions to our journals, as well as some practice sheets on isolating variables. (3 min)
3rd: I will ask the students to brainstorm definitions for grouping like terms, isolation, isolating a variable,
and transposition of a formula while they cut out, fold, and paste their foldables into their journals.
When they are finished we will go over the definitions and have them write them on their foldable
definition sheets. (5-7min)
4th: I will have the students recall from our last few classes the properties of equality and the rule that
what you do to one side of the equation/equality you must do to the other side (they can also recall
using their Math Journal). I will model how to solve the first few equations on their formula
transposition foldable for the given variable on the board, and then have the students do individual
practice in their journals. I will ask the students if they can provide me the correct answers, and work
through the problems together. (15-20 min)
Catch: Discuss with the students if the new equations are equivalent, and equivalent to the original,
after transposition and isolation of variables. Have them recall the Radioactive chapter on Isolation, and
how new meaning came out of Marie’s isolation. Is this process similar? Is this process useful? Thinking
back to the question I posed at the beginning of our solving for variables unit, are we always capable of
solving for the unknown? Think back on determining the outcome of your day, now think of your week,
your year….Remind them to finish the foldable worksheets in their journals for homework. (5-7 min)