Appendix A.

Sample Common Core Aligned Unit and Lesson Plan To illustrate the instructional priorities outlined above, Appendix A is a sample Common Corealigned unit and lesson plan with relevant assessments in a core subject area. 3rd Grade Geometric Measurement Unit NYS Common Core Standards for 3rd Grade Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition. 5. Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement. a. A square with side length 1 unit, called a unit square, is said to have one square unit of area, and can be used to measure area. b. A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units. 6. Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units). 7. Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. a. Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths. b. Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole-number side lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning. c. Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a x b and a x c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning. d. Recognize area as additive. Find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing them into nonoverlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the non-overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real world problems. Geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures. 8. Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters. 4-Week Unit Outline The following unit describes a 3rd grade classroom embarking on a 4-week learning experience to explore, solidify, and deepen their conceptual understanding of area and its relationship with perimeter, multiplication and addition. This unit addresses the New York State Common Core Mathematics standards 3.G.5, 6, 7 and 8. The unit also builds upon the foundational work recommended by the K-5 Geometric Measurement Progression. (http://commoncoretools.me/wpcontent/uploads/2012/07/ccss_progression_gm_k5_2012_07_21.pdf)

Page 1 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

The unit is situated in a real-life, urban problem commonly found in highly populated cities like New York: housing. Through cross-disciplinary work with literacy and social studies, students will learn about the real needs of a real situation and think through currently suggested solutions through exhibits, interviews, and readings. At the same time, students will experience, discuss, reflect upon and puzzle over the concept of area and its implications in geometric measurement. These learning experiences are designed to help both within and outside the classroom walls. These carefully designed experiences will help each and every third grader to meet and solidify the New York State Common Core Math standards. Simultaneously this unit, through its rigorous conversations and expectations, will continue the habits of Common Core Mathematical Practices such as sense-making, reasoning, mathematical modeling, and perseverance. This unit hopes to cultivate learning individuals and learning communities. Session Prior to Session 1 Learning Experience Formative Assessment on Area and Perimeter is given. For ELL students, a Google translator may be used with the laptop or iPad. Previous Standards: - At the end of 2nd grade, students should be able to Partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same-size squares and count to find the total number of them (2.G.2) and, Generate measurement data by measuring lengths of several objects to the nearest whole unit (2.MD.9). - 3rd Grade teacher team and Math Coach will sit to analyze student work to revise unit according to formative assessment data. Introducing the Context for Investigation: From our map and data studies, we have learned that the City of New York is the most populous city in the United States. It has a population of over 8.3 million people (2012 Census estimate)! And the number is growing everyday! Yet, we have also been learning that the city, even though it has 5 boroughs, is very small in land space. It has only about 300 square miles in area. Because we live in the most densely populated areas in the world, land space or area is always an issue. And city leaders and planners are always thinking about how to solve that problem so that everyone can have a place to live. That is why we see so many apartment buildings and condos people are trying to find space to live! - To understand this problem better, we really need to have a good understanding of the space in which we live. Teach: - Mathematicians use the word area to describe the land space or flat space inside of a bounded region. So for this classroom, there is also land space, the flat space where we learn and work everyday, and the region is bounded by our classroom walls. To find out how much land space or area we have, Mathematicians measure. Teacher designating the rooms perimeter we measure around the region to help us find the area inside the region thats how we know how much space we have inside to live and work and study. Investigation: - In small groups or partnerships, students will investigate rectangular regions first by measuring around spaces in the classroom, the coat closet and the hallway to
Page 2 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

1-2

3-4

figure out how much space, how much area we have. How will we start to find out how much space? What can we do? - Students might suggest, or teacher may offer, we can walk around a space or use inch tiles or centimeter cubes to measure around a region. Certain structures in the room and regions would already have been enclosed with electrical tape. - As students are measuring the perimeter of their regions, teacher will take note of their measurement development Do students note that length geometric measurement is to measure from endpoint to endpoint? Do students know to do this without gaps or overlap? Discussion: - May talk about how Students will share out how partners are working together and how their partnerships have helped them. - Or if the teacher notices that Certain partnerships are not being supportive with one another, not giving each other to share their thinking, the teacher may decide to share strategies for better group work such as taking turns and learning to share disagreements. The teacher may choose to model this collaboration with another group of students or by fishbowling a partnership that are demonstrating good collaboration. - As students are measuring areas on the floor, where there are square foot tilesthen this investigation will help the understanding of tiling as described by the standards and begin a discussion on the concept of area. Reflection: - Students will reflect in their math journals: Because we can only measure around a space how do we find out how much space in all? Assessment: - Teachers will utilize the notes from small group conferences and student math journals and student work for ongoing assessments in planning. Teach: - Students will gather in the hallway or in the classroom where the floor tiles have been marked off for a 5x3 rectangle. The teacher questions: Yesterday, we counted 5 feet along one side and then 3 feet along the top, how do we find out how much space there is inside this rectangle? What is the area? - Students may suggest finding out by counting the number of tiles. Students may also begin to see that the tiles total equals to the product of 5 and 3. The teacher or students suggest this strategy that multiplication may be helpful. Investigation: - Students are sent off to work in partnerships to investigate if the space tiled from yesterdays investigation is truly equal to the product of the sides, every time. Discussion: - The class comes together to discuss this more efficient strategy the class listens closely to a partnership as they justify this new strategy of finding area. The partnership will explain their strategy and their examples. The class will have the chance to ask clarifying questions to their strategy. The class will also have the chance to give counter examples or ideas on when the multiplication strategy may not always work (such as when we need to find out area of a non-rectangular space). - With the classs help, the teacher or another partnership tries out the strategy by
Page 3 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

6-7

measuring the sides of a piece of paper and then multiplying it for the area. Literacy: - Students will participate in an interactive read-aloud of Making Room, a January 2013 Dwell Magazine article by Sara Carpenter which says, the city expects an increase of nearly one million residents by 2030the need of the growing population wouldnt be met by the current housing supply. (http://www.dwell.com/post/article/making-room) Investigation to Solidify Concepts: - Students will have the chance to solidify their ideas of finding area by finding the products of the sides. This was an idea shared yesterday. Students may be called on to summarize and restate the strategy again. The question is posed: will this strategy always work? - Students will be given square 1-inch math tiles. With them, they get to construct a variety of models. A design with the area of 24 square inches what are the different variations? - Students will also have the chance to see the relationship between perimeter and area that sometimes the area of a space may stay the same but the perimeter, the outer dimensions of the space changes. For example, students may notice that a 1x24 space has the same area as a 6x4 space but the dimensions and the how the space looks may not be alike at all. Reflection: - During the middle and then at the end of the Math Workshop, students will reflect in their math journals, after discussing within their partnerships, their ideas and noticings about area and perimeter. What happens with spaces as they have the same area? Do we notice anything about the dimensions of the rectangles? What happens with spaces when they have the same perimeter? Can you have the same perimeter, but result in different areas? Give some examples! What are some questions you still have about area and perimeter? Flipped Classroom: - For Homework: watch http://www.brainpopjr.com/math/measurement/area/ at home jot down questions and discussion points for class. Discussion: - Flipped classroom experience class discussion about BrainPop Jr video clip. Investigation: - Area and Perimeter space and dimensions students will continue to investigate spaces around the room, of faces of objects and with tiles the relationship between area and perimeter. If given a set area how many different variations can one discover? If given a set perimeter are there difference spaces one can configure? Share: - The teacher also defines perimeter is it just the dimensions like a 5x3? But that doesnt give us the whole length around the space what would that be? Teacher begins to represent on paper a model of a 5x3 rectangle. And asks how we can find the space/area inside and the perimeter around the shape? - Students return to the previously outlined areas around the classroom and the hallway to decipher the spaces perimeter. - Partnerships will share out how they came up with the strategy for finding the
Page 4 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

8-9

perimeter of a space Again, through discussion, listening, students engage in mathematical practices of listening and critiquing each others reasoning. Investigation: - Students, in partnerships, will get a map of NYC and have them determine what the area of NYC is. They can box out the boroughs, by making squares or rectangles around parts of the city and then add up all of them to see what area they get. This is open-ended and will give students a chance to explore the area of different boroughs, bodies of water, etc. Share: - Together, the class will hear each others ideas about the area of the different boroughs, rank their size orders draft truth statements that can be made about the boroughs. This will help to develop the transitivity principle for indirect measurement (If A>B and B>C, then A must be > C). The Area and Perimeter of Rectangle Challenge Teach: - Using 1 inch tiles, how can we find all the rectangles with the perimeter of 12 inches? - Remember that perimeter is the length of the path around any shape. This means I can wrap the edges with a string. Take the string out, and then measure it to find the perimeter. - Whats one way to make a rectangle with the perimeter of 12? (figure this out together through discussion as a whole class - 1x5) - Turn and talk. - Use string as a tool. Lets see how long the string would be if we made it 12 tiles across (which is 12 inches!). So yesterday, we talked about how we can measure around with a string and just measure the string to find the perimeter! So, here, I have one piece of string thats 12 inches long (or 12 tiles long). That means I should be able to wrap this 12 inch string to see if the perimeter is 12 inches, or less or more. - Model on Rectangle Challenge Poster - Shade in final answers onto 1 inch graph paper - Students go off and do perimeter of with string: o 14 3 ways o 16 4 ways o 18- 4 ways o 20 5 ways o 15 (not possiblegive to highest kids and have them prove why it wont work) - Have you found them all? How do you know? Congress: Kids share out what they found for each number. Write out the dimensions, so they see the pattern. Talk about: What do you notice about the dimensions and the perimeter? Is there a pattern? Why is this happening?

10-12

Page 5 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

What the poster at the end of the Math Congress might look like Perimeter of 12 14 16 18 20 22 15 10 Do as a 1x5 1x6 1x7 1x8 1x9 Do as a Cant class, with a 2 x 4 class, with a do! 2x5 2x6 2x7 2x8 partner on partner on 3x3 3x4 3x5 3x6 3x7 the rug first, the rug first, 4x4 4x5 4x6 after teacher after teacher 5x5 has made has made the rest of the rest of the poster the poster and and reflections reflections on their on their work. work. Teacher could write each of these on large post-it notes so that as students say them teacher can put them on the chart (in their order) and the work can re-arrange into this sequence as the students notice the pattern, or as teacher needs (Mathematicians often like to organize their lists so that they can make sense of them. Im going to try that in case it might help you...) Things we noticed: All the multiples of 4 have squares (3 x 3, 4 x 4, 5 x 5) Cool! Lets highlight (pink) that on the chart! Can you predict what the perimeter of a 6 x 6 will be? How could we check that? Every perimeter can be made using a 1 x __, a 2 x __and a 3 x __ Will that always happen? Hmmm Its like they are going up and down at the same time (width and length) Say more about that. Why would the width go up as the length went down? Anyone feel like that makes sense and you could explain it? If you add the width and the length you always get the same number Oh, wow. Lets try that. Show us what you mean. Interesting. So all the rectangles that have a perimeter of 16 add up to 8. Any idea whats going on there? Will it always be 8? Does this have anything to do with the perimeter? OR If you know the dimensions of a rectangle whats a quick way to find the perimeter?

Do on rug, or as transfer: How can we use the pattern to help us figure out all the rectangles with the perimeter of 12 inches? On another day, they can go back and find the area for all the rectangles they made. Then, they can think about the relationship between perimeter and area. If the perimeter of the rectangles, always stay the same, does the area stay the same as well? Why or why not? Literacy: - Students will participate in an interactive read-aloud of NYC.gov January 22, 2013
Page 6 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

13-14

press release on the Innovative Micro-Unit apartments. Students will then be given differentiated reading leveled articles such as http://www.dogonews.com/2013/1/30/are-micro-apartments-the-future-of-cityliving to read in small groups. Out of School Walls Learning Experience: - Field Trip: Museum of the City of New York. Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers. - At the museum students will see innovative design solutions for micro-studio apartments with just 325 square-feet. Students will also get to interview museum guides on how the architects were making the most use of the little space. Reflection: - Written and verbal reflection from the museum visit Since space could be so limited what did you see were some ideas that architects and city planners had to help solve the situation? What were some of the innovative ideas? Do you see any of them as helpful? What could be some of the problems? 15 Investigation: - Going to the playground or gym and measure out the 325 square foot with painter's tape (if gym) or chalk (if outside), so students get a chance to create the space and to see how big the small apartments are. - Students will work in groups, where some do the measuring, some are the architects (looking at the blueprint), surveyors, interior designers, etc. That way different students have different jobs and record notes in their math journals. Students can see what size bed they can fit, refrigerator, sofa, etc. Discussion and Reflection: - Back in the classroom, students gather ideas about the quality of living in a small size apartment, what are the pros and cons of living in such a small space? - Students can use Legos to make mini models. Introduce another Context: - Developing another Context the Small Apartment Problem. - This problem is used to solidify area of irregular shapes.
Three sisters are looking at new apartments. Each apartment has a different shape. They need to split up the apartment to have bedrooms. How can the sisters put up walls to divide up the space? You can try to: 1. Draw lines inside each apartment to show how the sisters could split each space into 3 or more rooms. 2. Shade in each part with a different colored pencil. 3. Find the area of each room. 4. Find the Total area of the entire apartment. 5. Challenge: Is the area of each apartment the same? Which apartment is larger? Which apartment is smaller is square footage?

16-17

Page 7 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

Apartment 1:

Apartment 2:

Apartment 3:

18-19

20

Discussion: - Conversation about the Small Apartment Problem What did you do to find out how much space each room had? Investigation and Assessment: - At the museum, we saw apartments in the future may be only 325 square feet! Investigation: What are all of the possible ways we can configure a room with 325 square feet? What are all the ways an apartment of only 325 square feet can be shaped? - Students will have a choice of graph paper, plain paper, some tiles (but no 325), to help them investigate this problem. Reflection: - Students will self-reflect What have I learned recently about area and perimeter? What have I understood? What am I still confused about? Assessment: - Teacher team and Math Coach will analyze the assessment and reflection data to tailor the next set of lessons. - Summative Assessment - Data is analyzed by teacher team and Math Coach to see if small groups may need to be formed to address misunderstandings or if unit needs to be extended with further investigations.

Page 8 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

Appendix B. Professional Development Lesson Plan Day Four of Summer Professional Development: Assessments and Small Group Instruction, through the lens of... Reading Unit Planning 8:30-9:00 Whetting the Mental Appetite activity (aka Ice-breaker): Since this is the fourth day of PD, staff members should have already began to get to know each other, personally and professionally. However, a quick reflection and share-out by everyone on the staff can help to preview our topics at hand assessments, small groups and reading. A quick go-around asking everyone to share their previous experiences with assessments would be insightful and get everyone to get ready, mentally and physically it will give everyone a chance to learn a bit more about each other as people and also whet everyones mental appetite for todays work. 9:00-9:30 Research Study: Together the staff, either prior to this PD day, or during, will have a chance to read or reread pages 82-88 of Danielsons Enhancing Professional Practice (2nd edition). In particular, the reading will focus upon Component 3c: Engaging Student in Learning and Component 3d: Using Assessments in Instruction. To begin, the staff, in groups of 4, will do one round of the Final Word protocol from The Power of Protocols (2nd edition). The purpose is for everyone to get a chance to gather their thoughts in regards to the reading. This protocol also opens up the field of conversation for every staff member, regardless of experiences. It also sets the stage for professional collaboration, not letting the conversation to be dominated by one member and neglected by another, thus developing every staff member to grow in listening and understanding of anothers perspectives. 9:30-10:00 Revising our Thinking: After a guided discussion of these two components, we will begin to revise the evidence document we first began in day one of PD. Because CIA is a learning culture for all teachers and students, the reflective stance is a key practice that will be integrated throughout all professional development. We want to revisit, again and again, our living document of evidence or look/listenfors so that we are all on the same page in regards to assessments and small groups expectations in every learning setting. 10:00-12:00 As fitting with CIAs instructional best practices, students learn best through assessment-based instruction and targeted small group learning experiences. We believe that rich, lasting learning takes place when there is both high interest (by giving students voice, choice and responsibility) and reflective practices. Thus, when mapping out our first two units of reading one fiction and one nonfiction the entire staff is first asked to think about student engagement in learning. Units of Study in Fiction and Nonfiction:
Page 9 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas

A major purpose of the day is that staff will compile unit plans for the first two units in reading. These units will be based on both New York State Common Core Learning standards and the Teachers College Reading and Writing Projects Units of Study. These units of study are aligned to the Common Core and are conducive to student voice, choice and the mutli-dimensionality of literacy learning. Assessments in Reading: Other than formal reading level assessments throughout the year, the teachers are first asked to reflect and then construct assessments that will be meaningful for all parties in our school community students, teachers, parents, service-providers. Then, the staff will plan together, with discussion and on a common shared Google document about small group learning experiences that will target expected strengths and needs when students engage in the first two units of study. Ideally, teacher teams will plan for triangulation of data, asking, what are the different data sources to help us assess reading levels, comprehension, fluency and inference of text? Teachers could brainstorm the various data points: reading post-its of quick jots, reading notebooks, word study levels, role-playing and voice during reading, etc. The goal is to set up a culture that thinks carefully about assessments - as ongoing, flexible and to develop a common language of expectations. We will then return to the evidence document to revise and add new pieces of evidence or look/listen-fors that will document the assessment-based instruction and flexible groupings that are expected in every teaching and learning setting across the school. 12:00-1:00 Lunch 1:00-1:45 New York Public Library Visit: The staff will visit the nearest branch of the New York Public Library. Surrounded by a rich collection of resources, the staff will get to check out newest texts that will be helpful for our first units of study. The staff can also look into technological possibilities such as websites and e-books offered for free at the library. For instance, teachers often do not know that books can be held and sent to the local, nearest branch via the library website! During this time, we will learn from the librarians various programs they may possibly offer and also engage in a discussion of the various units coming up for us during the school year that we may need support from the local libraries. Using the librarys rich resources, the teacher teams continue to flesh out the details of the reading unit plans. 1:45-3:00 Finalize Unit Plans and Reflection: Back at school, teacher teams will meet to finalize their unit plans. At the end of the day, we will once more return to the evidence document to revise and add new pieces of evidence or look/listen-fors that will document the assessment-based instruction and flexible groupings that are expected in every teaching and learning setting across the school.

Page 10 R. Fong, J. Liao, B. Thomas