Teaching Experiment Lesson Plan Template

Formative Assessment Activity: Create the Problem

Planned Date of Implementation: Feb. 11
Common Core State Standard(s):
7.RP.2b Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams,
and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships.
7.RP.2d Explain what a point (x, y) on the graph of a proportional relationship means in terms of
the situation, with special attention to the points (0, 0) and (1, r) where r is the unit rate.
7.EE.3 Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative
rational numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically.
Apply properties of operations to calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as
appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation
strategies.

Mathematical Practice(s):
SMP.1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
SMP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
SMP.3 Model with mathematics.
SMP.7 Look for an make use of structure.
Explain the grouping structure (i.e., individual, partner, group) and the reasoning for this
decision?
The students will be working individually. The activity will be used as a launch to a lesson where
the students use what they have learned about single linear relationships and make connections
between multiple linear relationships. This will help us assess what each student took away about
the structure of a linear graph and how it relates to the real world and what connections they
make between the representations of multiple linear relationships.
Goal(s) of Activity (i.e., Students will be able to and I canThese should include
mathematical content and process learning goals.)
Students will be able to identify that the point (1,r) in a proportional graph and use that unit rate
to create a real life scenario that could be modeled by the graph they are given. I can use the
context of the problem to decide where a graph and table starts. I can use a graph to determine
and rank rates of change.

How will you elicit thinking from the students?

As students are working I will monitor to make the task more accessible to students who need a
hand getting started. I will do this by asking students who are having difficulty getting started
what they notice about the graph. I will follow up by asking how they can turn those
observations into basic questions. I will ask these students what real-world connections they can
make from these basic questions. I will ask students what they know about the structure of each
relationship individually and how those aspects of each relationship compare to similar aspects
of the other relationships.
I will push students who are not working to their potential to be specific in the questions they
create and ask if they were to pass their problem to another student, would that student be able to
perfectly replicate the graph they were given. I will also as students to think of a more difficult
question to pose that involves deeper thinking using ideas that are composed indirectly from the
graph.
After the students are given five minutes to create their problem we will discuss the question
creating process the students went through. We will begin by discussing initial observations the
students had from the graph. I will ask how these observations developed in to questions. Next I
will ask about the deeper connections that students made between the three representations and
how those could contribute to a more thoughtful question. Finally I will ask if there are
statements that can be made that cannot be directly seen from the graphs. We will share a few
questions of this type. I will ask what types of questions do the students think are the hardest to
answer and which take the most thinking and if those mean the same thing.
What data will you collect? How will you analyze the data you collect? (i.e., How will you
determine students have understood the material/content of the activity or reached the goal of the
activity? This should tie back to your above learning objectives.)
I will collect the questions students create. I will see how many of the three unit rates represented
in the graph are used in the problem they created. I will see if their question incorporates using
the slopes to determine an answer. I can also see that a student understands the point of
intersection if they use it in correct context in the question they create. Their informal
understanding of y-intercept will come in to play in their question for one of the linear rates in
the graph. If a student correctly incorporates one of these aspects in to their problem I can see
that they have some understanding of it. If they do not incorporate it at all I will not be able to
assume their level of understanding of that particular concept from the lack of evidence.
How and what kind of feedback (written/verbal) will you give students? What is the
purpose of your feedback?
I will give written feedback that asks students what strategies would be used to solve the
questions they posed. If there question points to one strategy (like finding the point of
intersection) I will ask if there is another method so solve their problem. I will ask questions in a
way that makes the student think about the ideas they gathered from the graph and how those
were incorporated in their question. I will ask if they left out ideas or connections that the graph

made them think of. I will write questions asking how much thinking their problem requires. I
will ask what ways they can increase the amount of thinking needed to solve their problem. The
purpose of the feedback is to get the students to think about the process of noticing structure in
the graphs and making connections between the graphs and the real world. The feedback should
make the students think about how the demands of the question make the person think. Is their
question something that can be directly seen and answered or do they have to dig for connections
within the structure of the graph and then make connections to the real world.

Name:________________________________________Date:_________________Hr:_______
Directions: Create a word problem where the provided graph can be used as a solution method.
Be sure to incorporate all the linear relationships on the graph in your problem. If you are using
information from the graph which is not explicitly stated, please include an explanation of how
you gathered that information.