Georgia Southwestern State University Lesson Plan Guidelines

Created by GSW School of Education

Name: Raylee Clack
Lesson Date: Sept. 30, 2015
Lesson Start Time and End Time:
1st Block 7:55 AM - 8:55 AM
2nd Block 9 AM - 10:05 AM
3rd Block 10:10 AM - 11:45 AM (lunch 11:25 -11:40)
4th Block 11:50 AM - 1 PM
Classroom/Lesson Context
_X_ Whole Group _____ Small Group _____ One-on-One
_____ Students with IEPs/504s _X_ ELL Students
____ Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________)
Please specify the number of students:
1st Block 7:55 AM - 8:55 AM
2nd Block 9 AM - 10:05 AM
3rd Block 10:10 AM - 11:45 AM (lunch 11:25 -11:40)
4th Block 11:50 AM - 1 PM
Learning Central Focus
Lesson Plan Title: Adding and Subtracting Scientific Notation
Grade Level: 8
Central Focus:
The students will understand exponents and how to use them in mathematical processes.

Content Standard:
MGSE8.EE.3 Use numbers expressed in scientific notation to estimate very large or very
small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other.
MGSE8.EE.4 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers expressed in scientific notation,
including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Understand scientific
notation and choose units of appropriate measurements of very large or very small quantities.
Student Learning Goal(s)/ Objective(s):
The students will show how to add and subtract scientific notation by individually answering
questions on an iPad to a game on the program Kahoot.

Skills/procedures:
The students will practice how to add and subtract scientific notation by playing a game on the
program Kahoot.
Prior Academic Knowledge and Conceptions:
The students need to know what Scientific Notation is and have knowledge of the basic rules of
Scientific Notation and exponents. The students will also need to know how to add and subtract
decimal numbers.
Common Errors, Developmental Approximations, Misconceptions, Partial
Understandings, or Misunderstandings:
The students may have trouble remembering how to add and subtract with decimal numbers,
particularly with where to put the decimal. They may also need a quick review of the exponent
and Scientific Notation rules. The video that the teacher will show at the beginning of class will
serve as a quick review of Scientific Notation. The worksheet that the students will receive
before the teacher begins teaching will have the basic Scientific Notation rules at the top for
students to refer back to throughout the lesson.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Launch: 5 10 Minutes (depending on class period)
As the students come into the classroom they will complete their SPONGE for the day, which is
the same thing as a bellringer or do now. A SPONGE is typically three to five review
questions to get the students brains thinking about math and what theyve been working on in
the previous days. The SPONGE will be projected on the Smartboard. The teacher will go over
the answers to the SPONGE once she gives the students about five minutes to complete it. If
time permits, the teacher will show the video Scientific Notation by Colin Dodd off Vimeo. This
is a brief three minute and thirteen second review of the Scientific Notation rules. Even if the
video is not showed in a particular class, the teacher will verbally review the most important

rules that apply to todays lesson such as the coefficient in scientific notation must be between
one and ten. The teacher will also review the rules of how moving the decimal left or right either
increases or decreases the exponent depending on whether one is going from regular form to
scientific notation or from scientific notation to regular form. The rules for the lesson are for the
students to actively listen and fill in their worksheet while the teacher introduces how to add and
subtract scientific notation. The students will then participate in a game by responding to the
questions of the game on their individual iPads.
Instruction: 30 Minutes
The teacher will pass out a worksheet that has the rules of scientific notation at the top and an
outline of the lesson with examples that the students can follow and fill in as the teacher
introduces the topic on the Smartboard. This worksheet will serve as a source for the students
to refer back to for the rules of scientific notation or for the steps of how to add and subtract
scientific notation. The students have already learned the rules for exponents and have a basic
understanding of scientific notation, so today will build on their knowledge of scientific notation
as they learn how to add and subtract numbers in scientific notation. The teacher will use the
Smartboard to first teach how to add numbers in scientific notation by teaching the steps in
which one must follow to add two numbers in scientific notation. The teacher will then teach how
to subtract two numbers in scientific notation by teaching the steps in which one must follow,
which are almost exactly identical to the steps of addition. The only difference in adding and
subtracting numbers in scientific notation is whether there is a plus or minus sign between the
two numbers. All of the other steps and rules are the same. The most important rule of adding
and subtracting numbers in scientific notation is that the base (10) and exponent of all numbers
are equal to each other. If the exponents do not match, then one must use the scientific notation
rules given at the top of the students worksheet to make the exponents equal before he adds or
subtracts. The teacher will assess the students knowledge of adding and subtracting numbers
in scientific notation through a game on the program Kahoot.
Structured Practice and Application: 20 Minutes
The teacher will pass out an iPad to each student and pull up on the Smartboard a game for
practicing how to add and subtract numbers in scientific notation on the educational gaming
program Kahoot The students will each answer the questions from the game on their individual
iPad. The teacher will be able to determine which students have grasped the concept of adding
and subtracting numbers in scientific notation and which ones need more practice.
Closure: 5 Minutes
The teacher will give a two-question ticket out the door to assess the students understanding
for todays lesson. Before the students put away their iPads and personal belonging, the teacher
will review the key points of adding and subtracting scientific notation and tell the students what
they will do tomorrow.
Differentiation/ Planned Support
The initial introduction and instruction of the topic will be given as a whole group. The students
will be assessed individually through their answers on the game. The teacher will be able to see
which students need more practice and which students can progress further into the topic. The
teacher will review the rules of scientific notation or how to add and subtract decimal numbers

with individuals or as a whole group as the teacher deems necessary. The students will also
have their handout to refer back to at any time.
Student Interactions
The students will not be working in groups or partners in this particular lesson. The game
questions will be displayed for the entire class and each student will respond individually.
What Ifs
The Smartboard may not be working for the teacher to use for instruction, so the teacher may
have to use a whiteboard instead. There are typically enough iPads for each student to have
one, but there may be an issue with one or more iPads, so a few students may have to share
iPads to respond to the questions. Instruction may take longer than planned, so the students
may not be able to play the game for as long as allotted. The teacher will use as much time as
necessary to teach the lesson then play the game with the class for the remaining time, even if
its for a short time.
Theoretical Principles and/or Research Based Best Practices
The game the students will play makes the practice fun for them and allows the teacher to
assess the students knowledge and progress.

Materials
The teacher needs the handouts for the students and a Smartboard. The teacher will also have
needed to check out the iPads from the library for the students to use for the game. The
students will need scratch paper and a pencil.
Academic Language Demand(s)
Language Demand
The students will listen to the teacher and speak aloud in the classroom to use the language
related to todays lesson.
Language Function
The students will prove their understanding of adding and subtracting numbers in scientific
notation by answering questions from the teacher aloud in class and by answering the questions
to the game on adding and subtracting scientific notation.
Vocabulary
Content: exponent, coefficient, power, scientific notation, adding, subtracting, base,
regular/standard form

Language Syntax
The handout that the teacher will give the students at the beginning of the lesson serves as the
language syntax in that it is an organizer for the entire lesson that includes fill in the blanks and
questions to be answered. It also includes a review from the previous day to refer back to as
needed.
Language Discourse
The students will listen to the teacher while she is teaching the lesson and will be asked
questions throughout the lesson and be encouraged to respond and ask questions using the
appropriate content language introduced the previous day and today.
Support
When a student is speaking to the teacher or aloud in class, the teacher should make sure the
student is using the correct terminology by simply saying the correct content vocabulary words
as needed while the student speaks to guide him/her. The teacher will also give concise
definitions during instruction if she uses one of the content vocabulary words.
Assessments

Describe the tools/procedures that will be used in this lesson to monitor students
learning of the lesson objective(s). Attach a copy of the assessment and the evaluation
criteria/rubric in the resources section at the end of the lesson plan.

Type of
assessment
(Informal or
Formal)

Description of
assessment

Modifications to the
assessment so that all
students could
demonstrate their learning.

Ticket out the Door

None all students wrote on

Showed if students knew how to add and
a scratch piece of paper,
subtract numbers in scientific notation
didnt have to show work

Game kahoot.it

None all students used

Showed results for the class as a whole
iPad to answer the questions instead of individual

Informal

Informal

Analyzing Teaching

Evaluation Criteria

What evidence of student learning (related to the learnin

objectives and central focus) does the assessment provi

Worked/Didn't Worked
The students were very enthusiastic about answering questions and helping their
classmates understand the material. The handout helped the students to stay focused on the
lesson and also made the practice problems easier because they had something to refer back
to. Repeating questions and reviewing the steps several times in different ways helped the
students learn the material and allowed them to be able to help each other on the practice
problems as needed. I had not originally planned on the students working in groups to do the
practice problems, but I made a last minute decision to let them work with groups when I walked
into the classroom and saw that the desks were moved from rows into groups of four. Letting the
students work in groups really helped them to be engaged in the material. Not only did the
students enjoy working with their friends, but they were also able to help each other with the
practice problems, which gave the students the opportunity to teach their friends. All of the
students enjoyed playing a game on kahoot.it to practice adding and subtracting numbers in
scientific notation. Although there wasnt an incentive to winning besides bragging rights to their
friends, the students were very competitive because they all wanted to win.
Although I had originally planned to show a video at the beginning of class to review how
to convert numbers into scientific notation and vise versa, I ended up not showing the video in
any of the classes. I intentionally didnt show the video in first period because that period is
always cut short because of announcements, but when we didnt even have time to play the
game in first period, I decided it would be best to cut the video out all together. There wasnt
enough time to play the game in first period, and third period was only able to play the game for
about five minutes. Although second and fourth period did have about fifteen minutes of game
time, there wasnt enough time to do the ticket out the door. Instead I just gave a verbal review
of the lesson as the students were packing up their belongings.
All of the students really enjoyed the game and were enthusiastic about answering
questions throughout the lesson. I was trying to be sure to repeater steps several times to allow
the ELL students to easily understand the material because that is what Mrs. Collins, the ELL
teacher, told me to always do. I wasnt able to tell if the ELL students understood the lesson,
and we didnt have time to do the ticket out the door in second period for me to check their
knowledge. I could tell on the game results that about 85% of the class correctly answered most
of the questions. There isnt a way to see who missed which question, so I dont know which
students got which questions correct. Next time I will be sure to stop the game early enough to
check the class understanding in some way.
Adjustments
I need to be sure to always assess the students knowledge in some way. Although the game is
a great way for the students to practice while having fun, I was not able to check the knowledge
and understanding of each individual. The game gave me a good indication of the class
understanding as a whole rather than on an individual basis.
Proposed Changes
Whole group:
The assignment for lesson one was to use a lot of technology, so I chose to use the Smartboard
to teach my lesson. I had originally planned to use the pad that allows the teacher to write on

the board without standing at the front of the room. However, when I went to use the pad I
wasnt able to get it to work because I had not had an opportunity to practice with it. Instead I
used the markers that go with the Smartboard and had to stand at the front of the room to write
on the board. Even though this was easier than using the pad, the board doesnt calibrate well
enough so my writing wasnt always in the correct place. Next time I will either use the white
board or make sure the Smartboard is calibrated better.
Group of Students:
I didnt think about the students working in groups to do their practice problems until I walked
into the classroom and saw that the desks had been moved from rows into groups of four. It was
then that I decided to let the students work together to complete their practice problems.
Although most students worked well with their group members, next time I will be sure to assign
students to groups to reduce talking not related to the assignment and to equally distribute the
students who understand the material so that they can help those who need more help and
practice.
Individual Students:
Although playing a game on kahoot.it gave me a good indication of each class understanding
as a whole, I was only able to check individual understanding in first and third period. I would
have liked to check the knowledge and understanding of the topic for each individual student. I
would be sure to give some form of assessment in each class period to check for individual
understanding, even if it meant the game was cut short.
Justification
The students will be able to better understand the teacher if she is using a white board or a
Smartboard that is correctly calibrated. Its difficult for the students to understand and follow
what the teacher is trying to teach when its hard for the students to read what she has written.
The students will also benefit by having an assessment that checks for each individuals
understanding because it shows the teacher whether she needs to move on or allow the
students to practice more problems of the particular topic. The students will also greatly benefit
from having pre-assigned groups because they wont be distracted by talking with their friends
and all groups will have students who do and do not understand the material so that they can all
help each other. This gives the students who do understand the material the opportunity to
teach and help those who do not understand instead of just sitting there and waiting for them to
understand.
Resources

Attach each assessment and associated evaluation criteria/rubric.