Lesson Plan Title: Code-Breaker

Date: Feb. 16, 2018

Subject: Foundations of Math 30 Grade: 12
Topic: Permutations and Combinations Essential Question:

Materials:
-Code-Breaker Worksheet
- Laminated Numbers and Letters
-Deck of Cards

Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language

What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?

Students should be able to solve problems using the fundamental counting principle. This lesson will teach the
students about probability. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to determine the number of
possible permutations in the code exercise and determine the maximum number of cards selected from a
deck based on certain criteria.

Broad Areas of Learning:

- Lifelong Learners: By participating in this lesson, students will begin to think about how they can use
Counting Methods in their own life. They will begin by exploring situations where these techniques
would be useful while gaining a deeper understanding of the course content
- Sense of Self, Community, and Place: Students will recognize that they may have varying ideas about
the topics covered in this class but will respect their peer’s opinions. This type of respect can be
applied to the world around them when encountering others who may view aspects of the world in a
different lens.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
- Developing Thinking: This lesson allows student to think about counting problems and how to solve
then as a way of introducing them to the unit. They will have to apply prior knowledge to the
problems presented to them and think critically about how to solve them.
- Developing Identity and Interdependence: The students will interact with each other and the teacher
throughout this lesson which will help them to gain life experience. They will learn to value other
opinions and critique them as to find a solution to the problem, as well as understand that their peers
respect their ideas
- Developing Social Responsibility: This lesson focuses around working as a team to determine the
result of each code-breaker activity. These team working skills will help them to develop life skills
applied in the real world when engaging with others around them.

Outcome(s):
FM30.6 Demonstrate understanding of combinatorics including:
 the fundamental counting principle
 permutations (excluding circular permutations)
 combinations.
PGP Goals:
- 1. 1 the ability to maintain respectful, mutually supportive and equitable professional relationships
with learners, colleagues, families and communities
- 1.2 ethical behaviour and the ability to work in a collaborative manner for the good of all learners
- 3. 1 the ability to utilize meaningful, equitable, and holistic approaches to assessment and evaluation
- 3.2 the ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to
accommodate learning styles of individual learners and support their growth as social, intellectual,
physical and spiritual beings
- 4. 1 knowledge of Saskatchewan curriculum and policy documents and applies this understanding to
plan lessons, units of study and year plans using curriculum outcomes as outlined by the
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next steps.

- Students will summarize the key learning points covered during the lesson with the guidance of the
teacher which will help them to understand what they should take away from the lesson
- This lesson is the introduction to the bigger topics covered throughout the unit. By determining each
student’s understanding of this activity, the teacher can continue the unit based on the levels of
knowledge

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate what they have learned.

- At the end of the unit, the content learned in this lesson will be evaluated on the unit exam through
both multiple choice and short answer type questions. These different styles will help to determine
whether or not the student understands the “why” behind solving counting problems
- The students will partake in a performance task creating a type of lock. This will allow them to use
permutations and combinations to determine the style of the lock and what options exist for the code
for it.

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students) (10 min)

Write on the board: Learning Objective:

- Represent and solve counting problems using a graphic organizer.
- Solve situational questions involving probability and permutations
Video: Counting Techniques in Real Life - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTw_ZO6kpZ4
- Helps cover the question of where can this unit be applied to the real world

Discussion: Where do the students use codes in their everyday life?

 Prompt: Lockers
 Main Procedures/Strategies: (45 min)
- Code-Breaker Handout
Task 1 (Individually)
- Explain the code-breaker activity using 3 letters
- Students will work individually to discover how many codes are possible
- Prompt: Is there a logical way of coming up with the codes?
- Have students volunteer to share what codes they discovered
- Prompt: Did the students think there would be more or less arrangements?

Task 2 (ATM Pin) (Partners)

- Provide the students with 4 numbers

- Handout the Activity sheet
- Have the students work in partners to solve the number of arrangements
- As a class determine how many arrangements there are using the 4 numbers
- Have the students consider how many arrangements there would be using all the digits

Task 3 (Groups of 4)

- Provide the students with 3 letters and 2 numbers

- In groups of 4 have the students discover how many arrangements they can make
- Prompt: Is there a logical method of determining this answer?

Task 4 (Probability) (Groups of 3)

- Arrange students in groups of 3 providing them with a deck of cards

- Have the students pull 4 specific cards out of the deck and place them on their desk
- How many ways can these 4 cards be arranged?

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- Explanation of the different cards in the pack
- Allow students to work together or individually
- Journal entries to replace discussions for student who don’t like speaking in class
- Digital version is available for students who

Closing of lesson: (5 min)

- Students determine the key learning points of this lesson with guidance from the teacher as a class

Personal Reflection:
- Have not taught this lesson yet

M. Wilkinson ’16 *Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)

Teaching and Learning Plan – Permutations, Combinations & Probability. Retrieved from
www.projectmaths.ie. Accessed January 20, 2018.