Ashley Prindle

Rivier University
ED 513
4/11/2016

Lesson Plan

Day: Any day Date:

Duration: 45 min. Grade Level: 4th

Subject: Math -Algebra

Petals Around the Rose Lesson from Illuminations

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.5: Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. Identify
apparent features of the pattern that were not explicit in the rule itself. For example, given the rule ''Add
3'' and the starting number 1, generate terms in the resulting sequence and observe that the terms appear
to alternate between odd and even numbers. Explain informally why the numbers will continue to
alternate in this way.

NCTM Process Standards:

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Look for and make use of structure

Objectives:
Students will:
Determine a rule for Petals Around the Rose.
Consider various problem-solving strategies.
Use an organized list to identify patterns.

Resources/Materials List
Five standard dice per pair of students
Overhead dice (optional) Link: http://illuminations.nctm.org/lessons/petals/p

Hook:
In order to grab students attention and spark their curiosity, simply stand in the front of the
classroom and role the five dice. Continue rolling until a student finally asks, What are you
doing?
When students ask you, What are you doing, state that the name if the game is Petals Around
the Rose. The name is important. I will role five dice, and I will tell you how many petals appear.
Ashley Prindle
Rivier University
ED 513
4/11/2016

Continue to role the dice so that all students can see the results. If possible, use transparent dice
on the overhead (or use the link) so that all students can see each role. After each role, tell
students how many petals are showing. For example, if you roll the following, inform students
that there are ten petals:

Continue for several rolls. As necessary, repeat the lines above, especially when students ask for a
hint: "The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose. The name is important. I will roll five
dice, and I will tell you how many petals appear."

Procedure:
Now that the students are hooked and engaged in the lesson, tell them that it is now their mission
to discover the rule to determine how many, Petals are Around the Rose.
Tell students that they must continue to pay close attention to each role and the number of petals
that appear. Ask students to keep track of each role somehow by making a table of their findings.
Explain that a table of results will make it easier to identify any patterns and discover a rule.
Ask students if they are noticing anything? Encourage dialogue and conversation. Remind
students that if they have discovered the number of petals, to not share the rule with the entire
class. Invite students to identify the number of petals on their paper.
In order to get students involved in the process have them ask questions that they would like to
know the answer to:
o What happens when you only roll one die?
o What happens when the dice are rearranged from least to greatest? ...or vice versa?
o What happens when only red dice are rolled? ...green dice? ...blue?
o What is the least number of petals possible in a roll? ...the fewest?
o What happens if you change the value of just one die but leave the other four alone?
Tell the students that you will do 10 more roles before stopping and having a discussion on what
information had been learned that can help is to solve this problem.
Invite students to share with the entire class what they have learned. Some students might say
that:
o The name of the game is very important.
o The answer is always even.
o The color of the dice has no effect.
o Answers are generated by rolling the dice.
o The game uses five dice with pips (dots).
o The word "around" is important to the rule.
 Ashley Prindle
Rivier University
ED 513
4/11/2016

Tell students that you will continue with this task the next day, but before then the students should
reflect on their experience and share what the rule is if they have discovered it.

Plans for Differentiation:

Extension
Some students might excel at this task and could benefit from completing a more challenging question:
1 What are the possible 5 dice rolls for a 6 petals?
2 What is maximum number of petals that could occur in one roll? What is the minimum
number?
3 In how many different ways could zero petals result?
4 What is the average number of petals per roll? How do you know?
5
Ask students to invent a similar game.
Play Bears and Fishes, a game that uses similar rules. With each roll of the dice, repeat the
following: Polar bears come in pairs. They sit around a hole in the ice like petals on a flower. A
center pip represents a hole in the ice. The number of pips around it is the number of polar bears
who "sit around a hole in the ice." (Note that if a 1 is rolled, there is a hole in the ice, but no polar
bears.) The number of fish refers to the number of pips on the bottom of the dice; consequently, a
roll of 1 has 6 fish, a roll of 3 has 4 fish, and a roll of 5 has 2 fish. For the following roll of five
dice, there would be 4 bears and 14 fish. (Note that it is only possible to see the fish on those dice
with a "hole in the ice.")

Students will quickly realize that the rule for determining the number of bears is the same as the
rule for determining the number of petals around the rose. Students will have a more difficult
time determining the rule for finding the number of fish.

Assessment:
Students will independently write a paragraph (if possible in their math journals) about the
strategies that they used to determine a rule. Even students who did not discover the rule should
write about what they tried.
Additionally, students should roll 5 (or less) dice, and ask students to find the number of petals
around the rose. Also, have them write why they think that is the number of petals around the
rose. This will further solidify each students understanding.

Plans for Accommodation/Modification:

Students who need guidance and assistance on coming up with the rule, will be given a table that
is already made and coaches them through the steps to find the solution
Ashley Prindle
Rivier University
ED 513
4/11/2016

Whats Next?
Students will continue on with a lesson on patterns and understanding the relationship between
patterns and sequences.

Post Instruction Reflection: