Mathematics lesson plan EDMA262

Lesson Topic: Arrays

Date:

17/4/15

Year Level(s): 4

Lesson
duration:

60mins

Mathematical Focus
Exploring multiplication through the use of arrays.
Australian Curriculum (AC):
Year level(s): 4
Content strand:
Sub strand:

Number and Algebra

Patterns and algebra

Content descriptors(s):

Solve word problems by using number sentences involving multiplication or division where there is no remainder
(ACMNA082)

Proficiency strand(s) and statement:

Understanding includes making connections between representations of numbers
Reasoning includes using generalising from number properties and results of calculations

Background to the students current learning:

The students understand/know already:
Multiplication tables up to 10X10
The students understand/can do mathematically:
Explain and record their mathematical thought processes
Use productive struggle and team work to arrive at a solution

Learning Objectives/Outcomes:

Mathematics content/concept/idea learning outcome

At the end of this lesson students will be able to demonstrate
understanding of arrays and how they connect with multiplication.
Mathematics strategies/processes/ways of working and thinking
mathematically outcome
Use productive struggle to find their own solutions

 Explain and prove their thinking

Assessment:
What assessment strategy or strategies will you use in this lesson?
How are you going to get the information?
Roving
Collecting work samples at the end of the lesson
What will you look for, and analyse, in the evidence found in the assessment?
Look for
Collaboration between students
Students making connections between how an array is laid out, and how that
connects to multiplication
Students who make connections quickly, and students who require further
prompting
Listen for
Key vocab including plus, multiply, equal, rows
Ways that students justify their thinking
Analyse work samples for
Their level of understanding
Mathematical processes used

Whether students have linked arrays with multiplication

Resources:

36 of the same physical object for each pair of students (eg. Counters, lima
beans)
Computer
Projector
Minions cinema power point
Pen and paper for each student

Organisation for learning:

Whole class sitting on the floor for tuning in

Working in multi-level pairs for the investigation with teacher roving and
assisting/prompting where necessary
Whole class sitting on floor for reflection/conclusion

Key questions to guide learning and prompt student thinking:

Is there only one different cinema that could be made?
Can you prove that to me?
Is there an easier way to do what youre doing?
How could I write that down?

Lesson actions:
e5: ENGAGE, EXPLORE
Lesson introduction (Whole TUNING IN):
Show first power point slide (see appendix 1) and gather students on the floor.
Ask 3 students what they think the problem may be
Show slides to reveal the problem
Ask students to have a think inside their heads what they think the answer to this problem may be
Ask students what they think they might need to help them to solve our problem
Explain they will be working in pairs for this question and their might be more than one way to solve it.

e5: EXPLORE, EXPLAIN, ELABORATE

Development/investigation (Part - INVESTIGATING):
Students will be encouraged to go to their desks or a private part of the room and work out how many
rows of how many people are possible. It would be expected that they would use trial and error using
36 physical objects.
Once a majority of students have found a solution, ask the class to document what they have done
(by drawing/taking photo).
Then ask the students if they could come up with a way to prove to me that there are 36 seats in the
cinema, without counting all of them (prompting students whilst roving to come up with adding the
rows together eg. 12+12+12, and then expand into 12X3). Ask students to individually write down their
thinking next to their documentation of their formation.
Throughout this task, the teacher will be roving and collecting informal assessment data (eg. What are
they struggling with, what vocabulary is being used ect.).
They will also be prompting students to deepen their thinking by asking questions such as
How do you know?
Can you prove that to me?
Is there another way you could do it?
Is there an easier way you could do it?
Please note: It is important that it doesnt matter how quickly they can complete the task, the focus is
on them working out the patterns themselves.

Adjusting the lesson (strategies you will use to adjust the lesson):
Enabling prompt: The main way in which I would encourage students who are struggling would be
to ask many probing questions. If they were still really struggling, I would bring multiple pairs down to
the floor to work in a larger group.

Extending prompt: Ask students to see if they can find another possible cinema design, if not all of
them. How do they know they have found them?

e5: EXPLAIN, ELABORATE, EVALUATE

Plenary and conclusion (Whole REFLECTING and GENERALISING):

Previously chosen groups will discuss their work, and the strategies used within.
Ask students what easy ways they came up with to prove that there were 36 chairs in their cinema.
Use this time to summarize that we could say there are x amount of rows, and y amount of
columns/people in each row, so we could therefore write it as x X y = 36.
Discuss why some people came up with different designs for their movie theatre, but still had the
same amount of people in it.