Backwards Design Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Finding Volume Teacher: Laura Montes

Subject: Math Duration: 30-40 min
Grade: 5th
Summary of unit:
Objects can be measured and compared by their attributes (length, width and
height)
Student Friendly Objective:
I can find the volume of a rectangular prism and cube using the
measurements of its length, width, and height.
Language Objective:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to solve for the volume of
a rectangular prism and cube by engaging in conversation with their study
buddies by asking questions as well as explaining their thinking using
declarative sentences with indicative verbs.
Indicative verbs state facts:
I worked this problem out by _________. (multiplying/adding)
He trabajado/solucionado este problema ___________.(multiplicando/aadiendo)
I will allow students to be able to communicate their findings depending
on their individual needs (orally, written, drawn) to ensure that all
students are fairly able to explain their understanding.
I will also encourage students to utilize their prior
education/knowledge/language from their L1 to help enhance what they
retain from their L2.
Learning Strategy Objective:
I will utilize a PowerPoint in order to
incorporate our goal/student friendly objective
for the day (we will read it aloud together) and
visuals. Reading aloud the goal as a class will
allow all students to have a clear focus for the
entire lesson. The visuals will allow students to
connect the formula we are using to the
dimensions as well as layers within a rectangular prism or cube.

I will have students paired up with a study buddy (paired by low and medium,
and medium high) for additional support during the gallery walk. They will also
be given the opportunity to explain their thinking which will help students see
new ideas as well as retain their thinking process for future use.

I will supply students with supportive sentence stems in order to get them
comfortable with asking each other open-ended questions as well as how to
respond to those open-ended questions.

Stage 1 Desired Results

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Content Objectives/Standards: Essential Questions:

TEKS: ELPS What is volume?
(3) Cross-curricular second o Qu es
(6) Geometry language acquisition/speaking.
volumen?
The ELL speaks in a variety of
and modes for a variety of purposes How do we measure
measurement. with an awareness of different volume?
The student language registers o Cmo
applies (formal/informal) using
vocabulary with increasing
medimos
mathematical volumen?
fluency and accuracy in
process language arts and all content How can we use
standards to areas. ELLs may be at the area to help us find
understand, beginning, intermediate,
volume?
recognize, and advanced, or advanced high
stage of English language o Cmo
quantify
acquisition in speaking. In order podemos
volume. The for the ELL to meet grade-level utilizar el rea
student is learning expectations across the para
expected to: foundation and enrichment
curriculum, all instruction
ayudarnos a
delivered in English must be encontrar el
(B) determi
linguistically accommodated volumen?
ne the (communicated, sequenced, and How can we find the
volume of a scaffolded) commensurate with
volume of cubes
rectangular the student's level of English
language proficiency. The and rectangular
prism with
student is expected to: prisms?
whole
o Cmo
number side
lengths in (E) share information in podemos
problems cooperative learning encontrar el
related to interactions volume de
the number cubos y
of layers prismas
times the rectangulares
number of ?
unit cubes in
the area of
the base.
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Factual Knowledge Procedural Conceptual Knowledge

Students will know:
Why we use the length, width
and height of a 3-Dimensional
shape to find the volume.
Knowledge Students will understand:
Students will be Why we use cubic units
able to: when measuring volume.
Utilize the
formula length x
width x height to
find the volume
of a rectangular
prism and cube.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: Unit Pre-Assessment:
They will be filling out their Activating Prior
worksheet and also doing the work Knowledge:
in their journal/on the paper to Students will complete a pre-
show work/thinking assessment/warm up over the
Work in partners, explain your previous days lesson in order to
thinking to your partner after you focus their attention on the
finish each problem. knowledge they already know about
o Questions to ask each other: volume.
o How did you get that?/
Cmo conseguiste eso?
o Why did you solve it this
way?/Por qu lo resolviste
de esta manera?
o I worked this problem out by
_________.
(multiplying/adding)/He
trabajado/solucionado este
problema _______.
(multiplicando/aadiendo)

After students have completed

the warm-up, they will turn and
talk to their study buddies about
how it connects to the previous
days lesson. We will then go
over the answer and how to
solve for the volume. I will select
a student who has a unique way
of solving the problem to explain
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Vocabulary (with Spanish
Translations):
Will be shown with visuals and kept on
board for remainder of class and be
given the definition in context. If
students are having trouble
remembering or understanding the
their process and work to the
class.
Other Evidence/Assessments:
I will circulate throughout the
classroom as they are
working out the problems in
their journal.
I will ask students:
o How did you get that?/
Cmo conseguiste
eso?
o What other way could
you solve this?/ Qu
otra manera podra
usted solucionar esto?
o How could you help
another student solve
this?/ Cmo podra
ayudar a otro
estudiante a resolver
esto?
I will have students complete
a post-assessment/exit ticket
that asks them to solve for
the volume of a rectangular
prism
Differentiation Considerations:
I will provide studies for all
students in order to ensure
that all students have
support. They will be paired
up low-medium or medium-
high.
 Backwards Design Unit Plan Template

words, they will be asked to draw a I will provide visuals as well

picture with the word. as examples on the doc cam
Tier II so that students can always
Cube/Cubo refer to them when stuck.
Length/longitud For student who needs extra
Width/anchura support, I will provide the
Height/altura formula for volume on his pre-
3-Dimensional/3 assessment.
dimensiones Select students will also be
area/rea allowed to use calculators but
are encouraged to work out
Volume/volumen
their math as well.
Base/la base
Measure/medida
Attributes/atributos

Tier III
Rectangular Prism/Prisma
Rectangular
Formula/formula
Equation/ecuacin
Cubic units/
Unidades cbicas

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
Language and Content Input:
Throughout the lesson, I will have a PowerPoint
up that will have clear instructions the
students can always refer to if they ever feel
lost or need direction. The instructions will
allow students to always have a reminder of
what the directions are when participating in a
gallery walk, especially for those who may
have not previously participated in one.

Guided Practice:
I will begin the lesson by having the students complete a pre-assessment that
I will check with them to use as an example for the activity they will be
participating in. I will also be going over a few examples of the types of
problems they will be seeing in the gallery walk in order to scaffold the
material. I will be solving one as an example first (I do), then I will have them
work in pairs throughout the gallery walk, (we do), and finally I will have them
work on the exit ticket individually to show me their understanding of the
material (you do).
 Backwards Design Unit Plan Template

They will be put into pairs (study buddies) so that they can participate in the
gallery walk while also having support along with them. After we are done with
the gallery walk, they will go back to their desks to complete a post-
assessment/exit ticket on their own (formative assessment).

Summarizing:
After the gallery walk is done, some students will be chosen to present their
different strategies in pairs by explaining how their buddy worked out the
problem utilizing the declarative sentences their partner used.
_________ worked this problem out by ________________.(multiplying/adding)
________ trabaj/resolvi este problema ___________.(multiplicando/aadiendo)

Independent Practice:
Students will have to work out a problem for homework which asks them to
not only find the volume of a cube, but that also asks them to create another
cube with the same volume but with different dimensions. This will therefore
extend their thinking of the volume
of a rectangular prism or cube as
well as its dimensions. They will
also have to explain their thinking
which allows them to practice their
declarative sentence utilizing
indicative verbs.
Sentence Stems:
I worked this problem out by
_________.(multiplying/adding)
He trabajado/solucionado este
problema ___________.
(multiplicando/aadiendo)

Evaluation/Analysis of Lesson:
After I finished the lesson, I realized that there were a few things that I should
adjust or fix for next time, but some things actually worked better than
expected as well. To begin, the exit ticket included a rectangular prism that
looked different from the ones they had been practicing with which threw
them off a little. If I used one that had looked like what they were practicing
with earlier, they would have been better able to show me their understanding
of volume and how to utilize the dimensions to get the solution.

Something that surprised me, was that when I had students who finished their
work early work out some more challenging problems, they actually enjoyed
the extra practice. Differentiating the material allowed them to never be bored
 Backwards Design Unit Plan Template

and to always feel busy. It made me happy to see students enjoy working out
the problems and to continue working on their worksheets even after the
activity was over.

After every round, I would also have students who were not finished raise their
hands so I could give the class more time to work. This allowed students who
have a harder time with math to work out the problem with extra time while
the other students who needed to be challenged more had the time to work
out the more challenging problems on the back.

Next time I will have find a way to keep students accountable for
communicating with each other in order to encourage them to work together
and take the time to ask each other how they worked out a problem and why.