Session 1

Educator: Carol Session: 2 9:10

Date 28/05/2019 Duration: 40 min Year Level: 2
Brief Topic Introduction: Problem Solving On and Off the Bus
Key Words: problem solving, word problem, addition, subtraction
ACARA: Solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of efficient mental and written
strategies - ACMNA030
Context: Children have had 2 lessons about skip counting by 3s. They have been practicing adding on and
taking away, as well as understanding the steps to solve a maths problem. This lesson is intended to apply
their knowledge in solving a word problem that involves counting by 3s, adding on and taking away.
Materials
Students maths book, counters Teacher Smart board, Notebook document
Expected Learning Objective (Learning Intention) Recourses Required:
 Students will think and work out the steps for  Smart Board
solving a maths problem  Notebook document
 Students will be able to explain their thinking
Keep an eye on the time:
 10 min to warm up and introduce the problem
 20 min during phase
 10 min to share strategies and thinking
Preparation Assessment
 Open the files on the computer Criteria:
 Print out problem instructions  Understood the problem
 Showed the steps to solve the problem
 Solved the problem
 Make notes about the support that was given to
children during independent working time
Activity: On and Off the Bus
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Warm up
Play even and odd game. ‘Stand up even, sit down odd’. Assess children’s understanding of even and odd
numbers as it is part of the problem.

Before
Open up the problem on the Smart Board
Begin with a related but simpler task:

The bus driver noticed that at every odd stop, 3 people got on the bus and that at every even stop, 2 people
got off the bus.
How many people were there at the bus stop number 3?

Demonstrate with students hopping on and off the bus

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modelling

Task:
On and Off the Bus
The bus driver noticed that at every odd stop, 3 people got on the bus and that at every even stop, 2 people
got off the bus.
At the last stop, there were 8 people left on the bus, and they all got off.
How many stops did the bus make?
(Baker, A. & Baker J., 2006)

Have children explaining what they notice about the problem. Remember to use ‘Lucky Dips’ and ask
students randomly, not only the ones that put their hands up.
Think aloud and guide children through the start of the problem, highlighting the question and some of the
things they will have to think about.
Remind students that they can use counters, draw pictures or use numbers as they wish.

Independent working time

‘Tell me what you are doing’
‘I see that you have ___. Can you tell me why you ___.’
‘How does your diagram connect to the problem?’

‘What do you know about the problem?’

‘Where did you get stuck?’
‘What if you used counters?’

Extending thinking:
‘Would that same idea work for… ?’

Review and closing

‘It is okay if you have not worked out the answer yet. We will come together as a group and share the thinking
and strategies that you have used.’
‘Do you agree or disagree? Why?’
‘Do you see a connection between ___ and ___ ideas?’
‘Who can share what ___ said but using your own words?’

Answers
S1 = 3 S2 = 1 S3 = 4 S4 = 2 S5 = 5 S6 = 3
S7 = 6 S8 = 4 S9 = 7 S10 = 5 S11 = 8 S12 = 6
S13 = 9 S14 = 7 S15 = 10 S16 = 8 S17 = 11 S18 = 9
S19 = 12 S20 = 10 S21 = 13 S22= 11 S23 = 14 S24 = 12
S25 = 15 S26 = 13 S27 = 16 S28 = 14 S29 = 17 S30 = 15

Differentiation:
Enrichment – How many people were there at stop 30?
Support – At every stop, 2 people got on the bus. How many people were there at stop 10?
How many stops did the bus make?

Notes about children

Took notes on their books and uploaded it onto OneNote.
Reflection/Evaluation
It was a very interesting experience to go around the room, scaffolding children without saying too much, to
allow them to do the thinking. Next time I will print the problems for them to stick on their books as I had not
done it this time and they had to keep looking at the board. It was a surprise to see all the different levels of
abilities and how being ‘good’ at maths does not mean being ‘good’ at word problems, it requires practice
and instruction. There were quite a lot of things to consider for the children to be able to solve this problem
and we did not get to finish it. I initially thought that we had chosen a problem that was too hard for the
children, but Lynne said that we were not necessarily looking for them to be able to get to the exact answer.
What we were looking for was to see, assess, and understand their thinking processes.

Future Steps:
Do another lesson to have a closer look at the problem, think aloud and have children having another go at it.
 Session 2

Educator: Carol Session: 2 9:10

Date 29/05/2019 Duration: 40 min Year Level: 2
Brief Topic Introduction: Problem Solving On and Off the Bus
Key Words: problem solving, word problem, addition, subtraction
ACARA: Solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of efficient mental and written
strategies - ACMNA030
Context: 1st Lesson – The problem was introduced and children had time to reason and try to solve it. Maths’
books were assessed using the criteria: understood the problem, showed the steps and solved the problem.
Just one child was able to solve the problem. The number of children who demonstrated understanding of the
problem and showed the steps to solve it varied.
Materials
Students maths book, counters Teacher Smart board, Notebook document
Expected Learning Objective Recourses Required:
 Students will think and work out the steps for  Smart Board
solving a maths problem  Notebook document
 Students will use the CUBES strategy
 Students will be able to explain their thinking Keep an eye on the time:
 10 min to discuss the problem and strategies
 20 min during phase
 10 min to share strategies and thinking
Preparation Assessment
 Open the files on the computer Criteria:
 Problem printed out  Understood the problem
 Showed the steps to solve the problem
 Solved the problem
Make notes about the support that was given to
children during independent working time
Activity: On and Off the Bus
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Before
Initial discussion about the Learning Pit and children’s feelings when trying to solve the problem.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modelling

Read the problem again and introduce the problem solving strategy CUBES (Circle the numbers; underline the
question; box the mathematics words/concepts; evaluate the steps; solve the problem) (See Appendix), as
well as possible ways of solving the problem.
Children will come up to the board and demonstrate the strategy with teacher’s support.
Solve about 1/3 of the problem. Have children actively contributing in this phase. I will think aloud and guide
them through the first steps to solve the problem.
Give students the problem to glue on their books.
Send students off to have another go.
Remind students that they can use counters, draw pictures or use numbers as they wish.

Independent working time

‘Tell me what you are doing’
‘I see that you have ___. Can you tell me why you ___.’
‘How does your diagram connect to the problem?’
‘What is the question asking?’
‘What happens on even/odd stops?’
‘How does it help you to solve the problem?’
‘How do you know how many people were on Stop 2?’

‘What do you know about the problem?’

‘Where did you get stuck?’
‘What if you used counters?’

Extending thinking:
‘Would that same idea work for… ?’
‘How many people would be at stop 20?

Review and closing

It is okay if you have not worked out the answer yet. We will come together as a group and share the thinking
and strategies that you have used.
‘Do you agree or disagree? Why?’
‘Do you see a connection between ___ and ___ ideas?’
‘Who can share what ___ said but using your own words?’
Did you try something that did not work? How did you figure out it was not going to work?

Answers

S1 = 3 S2 = 1 S3 = 4 S4 = 2 S5 = 5 S6 = 3
S7 = 6 S8 = 4 S9 = 7 S10 = 5 S11 = 8 S12 = 6
S13 = 9 S14 = 7 S15 = 10 S16 = 8 S17 = 11 S18 = 9
S19 = 12 S20 = 10 S21 = 13 S22= 11 S23 = 14 S24 = 12
S25 = 15 S26 = 13 S27 = 16 S28 = 14 S29 = 17 S30 = 15
Resource:
Reflection/Evaluation
It worked well talking to the students about the learning pit and the emotions people feel when going
through a challenge. I gave them the opportunity to raise their hands to show me how they were feeling. At
the end of the session they signalised if they thought they were ready to climb up the learning pit and most of
them signalised they were. The session went well and children seem to be grasping how to solve this problem.
I could see the ‘Oh! Now I got it!’ in their faces. My mentor also showed them another strategy they could use
(tally marks) so the children knew there were more than one way to solve the problem. I will keep this in my
bank of strategies. We ended up not having enough time for the children to have a go at solving the problem
again, which we will do in the next math’s lesson.

Future Steps: The following lesson will be a new opportunity given to children to solve the problem. Extra
challenge will be provided to the child who has already finished the task.
 Session 3

Educator: Carol Session: 2 9:10

Date 03/06/2019 Duration: 40 min Year Level: 2
Brief Topic Introduction: Problem Solving On and Off the Bus
Key Words: problem solving, word problem, addition, subtraction
ACARA: Solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of efficient mental and written
strategies - ACMNA030
Context: 1st Lesson – The problem was introduced and children had time to reason and try to solve it. Maths’
books were assessed using the criteria: understood the problem, showed the steps and solved the problem.
Just one child was able to solve the problem. The number of children who demonstrated understanding of the
problem and showed the steps to solve it varied.
2nd Lesson – Initial discussion about the Learning Pit and children’s feelings when trying to solve the problem.
Problem solving strategy (CUBES – Circle the numbers; underline the question; box the mathematics
words/concepts; evaluate the steps; solve the problem) was introduced, as well as possible ways of solving
the problem. Children actively contributed in this phase.
The following lesson will be a new opportunity given to children to solve the problem. Extra challenge will be
provided to the child who has already finished the task.
Materials
Students maths book, counters Teacher Smart board, Notebook document
Expected Learning Objective Recourses Required:
 Students will think and work out the steps for  Smart Board
solving a maths problem  Notebook document
 Students will use the CUBES strategy
 Students will be able to explain their thinking Keep an eye on the time:
 10 min to discuss the problem and strategies
 20 min during phase
 10 min to share strategies and thinking
Preparation Assessment
 Open the files on the computer Criteria:
 Print out problem instructions  Understood the problem
 Showed the steps to solve the problem
 Solved the problem
 Make notes about the support that was given to
children during independent working time
Activity: On and Off the Bus
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modelling
Read the problem again
Remind strategy CUBES
Ask students to come up to the board and demonstrate the strategy
Solve 1st and 2nd step
Send students off to have another go
Give students the problem to glue on their books
Remind students that they can use counters, draw pictures or use numbers as they wish

Independent working time

‘Tell me what you are doing’
‘I see that you have ___. Can you tell me why you ___.’
‘How does your diagram connect to the problem?’
‘What is the question asking?’
‘What happens on even/odd stops?’
‘How does it help you to solve the problem?’
‘How do you know how many people were on Stop 2?’

‘What do you know about the problem?’

‘Where did you get stuck?’
‘What if you used counters?’

Extending thinking:
‘Would that same idea work for… ?’
‘How many people would be at stop 20?

Review and closing

It is okay if you have not worked out the answer yet. We will come together as a group and share the thinking
and strategies that you have used.
‘Do you agree or disagree? Why?’
‘Do you see a connection between ___ and ___ ideas?’
‘Who can share what ___ said but using your own words?’
Did you try something that did not work? How did you figure out it was not going to work?

Answers

S1 = 3 S2 = 1 S3 = 4 S4 = 2 S5 = 5 S6 = 3
S7 = 6 S8 = 4 S9 = 7 S10 = 5 S11 = 8 S12 = 6
S13 = 9 S14 = 7 S15 = 10 S16 = 8 S17 = 11 S18 = 9
S19 = 12 S20 = 10 S21 = 13 S22= 11 S23 = 14 S24 = 12
S25 = 15 S26 = 13 S27 = 16 S28 = 14 S29 = 17 S30 = 15
Reflection/Evaluation
This time I decided to print out the problem for the students to stick on their books as they would not have to
be looking at the board and could have a go at doing the CUBES strategy on their own. However, for some
reason, when giving instructions, I wasn’t very clear about that and ended up giving them the option to do it
or not. I think I should have been more explicit about sticking the problem on their books and doing the
CUBES steps everyone together as we still are in the phase of introducing this strategy to the children. Two
lessons teaching about it is not enough time for them to work independently in doing it and fully understand
its purpose. In general, most of the children solved the problem and some of them had to be extended: how
many people at stop 20?
Both students with intellectual disabilities were not in the room during the lesson.
In general, it was great for the children to be able to work through the steps to solve this maths problem. I
could feel a sense of achievement in the room and we even sang a song to celebrate. Some of the children
kept asking me when we would do the ‘On and Off the Bus’ again.
I learnt so much through these lessons. Before, I had in mind that effectively solving a problem was the goal
of having children working through math word problems, now I gained the understanding that the process,
their mistakes, their thinking, and the collaborative process are the real learning. Therefore, selecting and/or
creating worthwhile math word problem is a task that need to be given a lot of thought.
Future Steps: The next step for their learning is skip counting by 4s, as well as keep working towards thinking
through the steps for solving a math problem, and consolidating the use of the CUBES strategy purposefully.