Observations: The Final Stretch

For my last two observation assignments, I am using an Algebra II class that I observed at (blah blah) High School. By observing a lesson, I created a Lesson Plan and an assessment for the lesson to determine if students met the objective.

In both cases here, the objective is that "The student will be able to solve max/min word problems by determining the axis of symmetry and calculating the vertex." This involves middle level thinking, at the Application and Analysis levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. In order to assess the students' ability to meet the objective, I have created a 10 minute quiz consisting of two maximizing word problems.

Lesson Plan Template for SED 406 and 407 part 1 = planning
Teacher Candidate: Sarah Gilpatrick (obs. Ms. H)	Subject: Algebra II	Grade(s): Mixed (9-12)
Name of Lesson: Maximums and Minimums
Learning Objective(s), including Bloom's taxonomic level: (label A, B, C, *D) *optional Students will be able to solve maximum and minimum word problems by determining the axis of symmetry and calculating the vertex. (Analysis and Application levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy)
Student Standards (GSE or/GLE or Common Core-in draft for math/science- list which): CCSS.Math. HSN_Q.A1 CCSS.Math.HSF_IF.C1a CCSS.Math.HSF_BF.A
Teacher Standards (professional society and/or NETS  and RIPTS-list which): RIPTS 2: Teachers have a deep content knowledge base sufficient enough to create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of central concepts, vocabulary, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines/content areas they teach.
Rationale: Why this lesson? How does it fit into the curriculum and context? Is this the introduction, conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of the unit of instruction? This lesson occurs past the middle of the unit, where students apply their knowledge of graphs and formulas to generate an equation based on a given word problem and solve for an appropriate value.
Materials/Resources needed, including technology: Algebra II textbook, chalkboard/giant sticky note paper, markers, students’ notebooks & pencils
Accommodations and Modifications (special needs and learning styles) Students can work in groups of 2-3.
What content resources support this knowledge base? (list at least 2) Wolfram Alpha local maximum calculator,  graphing calculator
How confident are you in this topic as you start this lesson? I am a little shaky on the concept at the beginning of the lesson, but I recall the information fast.

(Boxes expand as you type)   Lesson Plan Template part 2 = action
Bell-ringer: How will you get students seated, and ready for academic work? (without your voice) Students have a daily routine in which they take a seat and begin the Do-Now activity on the board.
Anticipatory Set: How will you introduce the material, interest the students, show relevance of topic?
Phase (change as needed)/Time	Teacher action	Student action	Questions/Assessments
e.g. Intro/	Cleans up work from previous class; take attendance
Presentation or Open-ended/
Guided Practice or Convergent/ 70 min	Asks questions, does problems on her own (has no teacher book), answers student questions, sits with one student (who was absent) and works with her one-on-one while the rest of the class is still working on the TWO problems	Do-Now activity (2 textbook problems), work in groups	Where are you? What are your equations? What did you get for your answer? Do you understand what you do?
15 min	Asks step-by step clarifying questions	Work out problem on board, answer questions	What is the key word? What does it mean? What’s wrong with the equation? Can you fix it? How do we find the maximum? What do we have to do first? Tell me how you got that answer. What does that answer mean?
Closing/ N/A			Students leave when bell rings without any closing
HW/Application/ N/A			None assigned
Review and Reflection: How will you review for students who are still having trouble? Work one-on-one with students who are still struggling.
Extension: What will you offer to students who have mastered this? I would say offer more problems (but the issue doesn’t arise), ask students to write on board
*Closing: How will you review the material, and draw conclusions? (may be listed above) Asking clarifying questions as students work out problem together on board.

	Lesson Plan Template pt. 3 = reflection
WHAT?	What went well?   The students were able to work well in groups, and one-on-one time seemed helpful for the student who was absent.
	What area of weakness needs addressing? Time management needs to improve as well as classroom management. The students didn’t seem to take the assignment seriously, which is why I think it took so long.
	Which objectives were met? What is the evidence? The students were able to solve max/min problems by finding the vertex and axis of symmetry, as shown by the class working together to do the problem on the board.
	Which students did not meet objectives? From what I could tell, most students could do the work, but I am unaware as of how many actually finished and got a solution.
	Was time managed appropriately? NO, at least not in my opinion. It took over an hour for students to solve 2 book problems and the teacher wasn’t able to finish the problem at the end of class.
	Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson? The teacher had an empty water bottle that she kept blowing on for sound effects that contributed nothing to the classroom, but she thought it was fun. I thought it was unprofessional.
	*What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management? The students were able to work in groups, but they were not very effective at getting work done. The teacher did nothing to move the class along faster.
SO WHAT?	Was the lesson engaging? No. The students had the assignment, but many tried to do anything to put it off, like taking 5 minutes to sharpen a pencil. The assignment almost seemed like a joke and just busy work. It was not very productive.
	*What did I learn from my peer observation (address at least one aspect)   I learned that if you can’t move your class along in an assignment, then you are just going to be stuck where you are, without any progression in learning.
NOW WHAT?	How will this experience influence your professional identity?  I will make sure that I can motivate my class to get work done and take control of the clock by showing that I have the authority in the classroom.
	How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future? When I plan a lesson and actually teach it, I want to be able to mix it up, doing a few different things throughout the whole class, rather than just one type of assignment for the whole period.

 

Name: _________________________________                     Date: ___________

Quiz: Maximizing Word-Problems (10 pts)

1.         A car rental agency rents 200 cars per day at a rate of $30 per day.  For each $1increase in rate, 5 fewer cars are rented.  At what rate should the cars be rented to produce the maximum income (2pts)?  How many times is the rate increased (1pt)? What is the maximum income (2pts)?

Solution: f(x)=(200-5x)(30+x);  rate=$35;  income=$6125;  increases = 5

2.         A coach is hosting a charity sports tournament. Last year, he sold 500 tickets for $30 each. Each time he increases the cost by $2, he loses 5 ticket sales. What price should he charge for the tickets to maximize his income (2pts)? How many times is the cost increased (1pt)? What is his maximum income (2pts)?

Solution: f(x)=(500-5x)(30+2x); rate=$42.50; income=$33062.50; increases=6.26