Backward Design Planning

Student Name:
Date: April 15, 2015
Group Size: 6

School: Parkland High School

Grade: High School (9th-12th)

Subject: Math
Title: Calendar Math
PA Core Standard(s):
PA Alternate Standards for Mathematics2.1.11A. Count using whole numbers (to 10,000) and by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 25s and 100s
PA Alternate Standards for Reading1.1.11.F. Understand the meaning of and apply key vocabulary across the various subject areas.
PA Connector (if available):
Strand:

Family:

Stage 1: Desired Results

Understanding(s):
Calendars are used to help us keep track of the date and are extremely important.
Essential Question(s):
What is the current date?
How can we state the current date?
How can we use a calendar to keep track of the date?

Established Objective(s):
When presented with two communication cards, the students will be able to identify the day,
month, and complete date for the current day, by the use of eye gaze or touch to select the correct
response.
The students will demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of a calendar by listening and
attending to the lesson for a full 25 minutes.

Foundational Knowledge:
Ability to rote count to 15
An understanding of the order of the days of the week
An understanding of the order of the months of the year
Ability to identify and make choices

Ability access VOCA

Key Knowledge/Competencies/Skills:
An understanding of the months of the year and days of the week, in order
The ability to rote count, stopping at 15
Key Vocabulary, Concepts, and/or Symbols:
Calendar- a chart or series of pages showing the days, weeks, and months of a particular year, or
giving particular seasonal information.
o The teacher will present the students with the calendar
o The teacher will ask if the students understand why a calendar is used
o The teacher will explain the definition and purpose of a calendar
Duration: One 25 minute lesson

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
Students will use eye gaze or touch to correctly identify the day, month, and date for the current day
Students will use the VOCA to state the day, month, and date
Other Evidence:
Summative Assessment- After repeated practice, the students will be assessed on their ability to correctly
identify the 7 days of the week and 12 months of the year
Students will say the days of the week, months of the year, and count to the current date, while playing
instruments to keep a beat

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Materials:
A calendar
VOCA
Communication cards for the days of the week, months of the year, seasons, and numbers through 15
Instruments, such as handbells, for each student

Suggested Instructional Strategies:

Direct and explicit instruction
Whole group instruction with individual and one to one support
Instructional Procedures

Anticipatory Set:
The teacher will hand out instruments to each student
The teacher will explain that they can use a calendar to keep track of the months of the year and days of
the week
The teacher will give the students the definition of a calendar
The teacher will give examples of when it is useful to use a calendar, such as when keeping track of
important dates
The teacher will explain that since yesterday was Tuesday and tomorrow will be Thursday, then today
must be Wednesday
The teacher will discuss what will be happening in the upcoming week, sharing information such as
specials and trips
Model:
The teacher will again state that today is Wednesday
The teacher will explain that it is currently April
The teacher will reference the calendar, and point out that yesterday was the 14th of April, which means
that today would be the 15th of April

Guided Practice:
The teacher will ask the students what the day of the week is today
The teacher will instruct the students to shake their bells and say the days of the week
The students will shake their bells (with the help of instructional aides) while the teacher and the aides
will say the days of the week
The teacher will provide praise to the students and ask them to say the days again and listen for what
comes after Tuesday
The students will shake their bells (with the help of instructional aides) while the teacher and the aides
say the days of the week, stopping at Wednesday
The teacher will explain that today is currently Wednesday
The teacher will ask the students what the current month is
The teacher will instruct the students to shake their bells and say the months of the year
The students will shake their bells (with the help of instructional aides) while the teacher and the aides
say the months of the year
The teacher will provide praise to the students and ask them to say the months again and listen for what
comes after March
The students will shake their bells (with the help of instructional aides) while the teacher and the aides
say the months of the year, stopping at April
The teacher will explain that it is currently the month of April
The teacher will ask the students what the current day is
The teacher will instruct the students to shake their bells and count to the current date (15)
The students will shake their bells (with the help of instructional aides) while the teacher and the aides
count to 15
The teacher will explain that it is currently the fifteenth

Independent Practice:
The teacher will present each student, individually, with two communication cards, and prompt the

student to select the correct answer to her question

ex- The teacher shows the students two communication cards, one with saying April and one saying
December. The teacher will ask the student to select the current month. Through the use of eye gaze or

pointing (depending upon the students skill sets and needs) the student will select their answer.
If the student does not answer, the teacher will move through the prompt hierarchy (example attached)

until the student produces a response.

If the student selects an incorrect response, the teacher will correct the student and allow the student to

view the communication card that symbolizes the correct response.

After selecting the correct answer, the students will say their response aloud through use of the Voca
The teacher will continue this questioning process until each student has correctly identified the day of
the week, month, and day of the month.
Closing:
The teacher will review with the students what was discussed during the lesson
The teacher will go over the days schedule, while restating the current day, month, and date
The teacher will instruct the students to remember the date when they go to sign into their workbooks
Supports and Scaffolds:
Teacher and aids will use hand over hand assistance to help all students
Students will use the Voca to read and respond to questions
A visually impaired student, Matty, will respond soley through the Voca, rather than referencing
communication cards
Related Materials/Resources:
http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/4327/view.ashx
Teacher Reflection:
This lesson went well, but was rather dry, in my opinion. The students responded well to using the
instruments to list the days, months, and numbers, but they lost enthusiasm throughout the lesson. The
students were able to correctly identify the number and the days of the week, but seemed to struggle more
with the months of the year. In the future, I would spend more time reviewing the month and explaining
the information better. I thought the students had a stronger grasp on this concept than they actually did.
In addition, I thought that this lesson could have been more interesting for the students. There was a lot of
downtime for the students while they waited for their classmates to respond. I think I could have done a
better job of keeping the students engaged throughout the independent practice portion of the lesson.
Perhaps I could have had a worksheet for the students to look at, or an activity for the students to
complete with the help of an instructional aid. In the future, I hope to make this concept a more exciting
lesson.
I also included a link to a SAS module that could be used for remediation of this concept. Unfortunately,
due to time constraints within the classroom, I was unable to use this resource with the students.
However, I think it would be a great way to work with a student one-on-one with the concept of calendar
math. The students can use a switch button, connected to the computer, in order to operate the mouse and
complete the activity. The activity is self-correcting, as the students only receive a response when they

select the correct answer. I wish I had time to use this resource with my students. I think they would have
really enjoyed it.