AmyBoothSchofield

ConstructivistLessonOct2014

Theimageontheleftisanexampleofhowatraditionaltextbook/curriculumteachestheconceptsofprime
andcompositenumbers.Theimageontherightisanexcerptofalessoninatextbookthatuses
constructivemethodstoteachthesameconcepts.

Day,Roger,PatriciaFrey,andArthurC.Howard.
MathConnects:
Concepts,SkillsandProblemSolving
.Columbus,OH:
Glencoe/McGrawHill,2009.Print.

Lappan,Glenda.
ConnectedMathematics3
.Boston,MA:Pearson,
2014.Print.

TheconstructivelessonisfromthetextweuseintheSiouxFallsSchoolDistrict.Overtime,Ihavelearned
thatthisearlyintheschoolyear,thevaguequestionsoverwhelmthestudentsmosthavelittleexposureto
learningbydiscoveryversusdelivery.Theyhaveworkedinmanipulativerichenvironments,butmanyofthe
lessonswerestillteacherdrivenandhadanoverallfeelingofrightway/wrongwaytothem.

Inatrulyconstructivistatmosphere,whenthestudentsdiscussedB)1.andB)2.,theywouldhavetimeto
deliberatehowtodefinemostandfewestandbeallowedtoerroneouslydecidenumberslike1,9and25
shouldbegroupedwith5and11asprimenumbers.Iwouldneedtointroduceacounterexampleinafuture
scenariothatcausesthemtoquestiontheirdecisionandmakeadjustments.Forexample,Imightdirect
studentstoresearchhowmathematicianshaveagreedtoclassifynumbersusingthewordsprimeand
compositeandthenaskingthemtoevaluatehowthatchangesthegroupstheyoriginallyestablished.

Ithasbeenmyexperiencethatconstructivelearningdoesntcomenaturallytokidswhoareusedto
traditionalmethodsofteaching.Also,withsomanyelementaryschoolsfeedingintomy6thgradeclasses,
thestudentspriorexperienceswithfactors,multiplesandmultiplicationfactsareimmenselyvaried.So,
eachyearItryahybridversionofthelessonthatbeginswithmanipulatives,movestoopenended
discussionofsimilarities,differencesandgroupingoptions,andendswithadefinitivemethodfornumber
classifications.Ihavenevertaughtitthesamewaytwice,butthisiswhatItriedlastweek:

Part1Introductionoffactors,factorpairsandtheir
connectiontorectangles.Theystartedwith12tiles,
thenIhadthemtake4more.ThenIhadthemtake
3more.Finally,theyusedall24tiles.

Part2Studentslookedatallofthenumbersfrom
125displayedassetsoffactorrectangles.
Discussionsabouttheircharacteristics,similarities,
differences,etc.ledtolabelingthemwithpostit
notes.

Part3Withthepostitnotesremoved,students
willcompleteguidednotestoconnectthetextbook
definitionsofprime,composite,andsquare
numberstothevisualrepresentationsdisplayedas
setsoffactorrectangles.

SeeattachmentA.

Thisyear,alargernumberofthestudentshadpriorknowledgeoftheterms
prime
and
composite
,whichisa
GOODthing!Itmeansthetransitiontocommoncorestandardsisbeginningtotakerootintheearlier
gradesandweareseeingthebenefitsinmiddleschool.Ontheflipside,kidscannotreadilygeneratealist
offactorsorfactorpairsbecausetheyarenotfacilewithbasicmultiplicationfacts.

Theconstructivepartofthelessongeneratedsomegoodahhamoments.Studentcommentsbeganwith
simpleobservations:
Allofthenumbershave1asafactorsotheyallhavelong,skinnyrectangles.
Everyothernumberhasrectanglesthataretwounitstallortwounitswide.(ledtoadiscussionof
evenandoddnumbers)
Somenumbershavelotsofrectanglesinthem.(ledtoadiscussionoffactorrichnumbersandhow
couldwegroupthem)

 Ilikethepinkones.Dotheyallbelongtogether?(No,thecolorswererandomandnotacluetoany
correctanswers.)

Someofthemorejuicystatementskidsmadewere:
Someofthenumbershavesquaresdrawnontheminsteadofrectangles.
Alloftheoddnumbersareprimenumbers.
Youmesseduponthe2posterbecauseitisevenandnoneoftheotherevennumbershaveonlytwo
rectangles.
IfIcountby7s,thereisalwaysarectangleonthatnumberthatis7tallor7wide.
Sowhatdowedowiththeone?

Myjobduringthattimewastogivekidsequalchancestomakecomments,askstudentstorephrasewhat
anotherstudenthadsaid,requestthatsomeoneprovideadefinitionofatermfromoneofourresources,
andaskforclarification(akapretendconfusion).Theclassof22studentshadtrulyrichdiscussionsandgot
moremeaningfromtheexercise,andIwasenergizedbytheendofclass.Theclassesof2830students
cameawaywithatleastthecorrectgroupingsofnumbersandafewkeypoints,andIwasexhaustedbythe
endofthoseclasses.

Ifthislessonremainsapartofthedistrictpacingguidenextyear,Iplanonnotonlydisplayingthefactor
rectanglesonthewall,butalsoreproducingthemsomehowassetsofcardsthatcanbesortedand
rearrangedforsmallergroupdiscussions.Seeingthenumbersgroupedtogetherinsteadoftryingtomake
visualconnectionsbetweenthemwhiletheyarestagnantonthewallmightprovidesomegainsin
conceptualmeaning.

Part3ofthelessonwilltakeplaceonMonday,afterIhavereturnedfromourSiouxCityAreaLCclass.My
hopeisthatourdiscussionwillhavesimmeredintheirthoughtsforafewdaysandtheuseofthetextbook
andguidednoteswillhelpcementthekeyconceptsastheylookatthegalleryofpostersonelasttime.