MATHEMATICAL

FOCUS

TUNINGIN

INVESTIGATIONS

REFLECTION&

(WHOLECLASSFOCUS)

SESSION

MAKINGCONNECTIONS

(ashort,sharptaskrelatingtothefocusof
(whatyouwantthechildrento
cometounderstandasaresult
ofthislessonshort,succinct
statement)

thelesson;setsthescene/contextforwhat
studentsdointheindependentaspect.e.g.,
Itmaybeaproblemposed,spiderdiagram,
anopenendedquestion,game,orreading
astory)

(INDEPENDENTLEARNING)
(extendedopportunityforstudentstowork
inpairs,smallgroupsorindividually.Time
forteachertoprobechildrensthinkingor
workwithasmallgroupforpartofthe
timeandtoalsoconductroving
conferences)

ADAPTATIONS

ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES

Enablingprompt

SESSION

(toallowthoseexperiencingdifficultyto

(WHOLECLASSFOCUS)

engageinactiveexperiencesrelatedtothe

(focusedteacherquestionsandsummaryto

initialgoaltask)

drawoutthemathematicsandassist

Extendingprompt

childrentomakelinks.NB.Thismay

(questionsthatextendstudentsthinking

occuratparticularpointsduringalesson.

ontheinitialtask)

(shouldrelatetoobjective.Includeswhat
theteacherwilllistenfor,observe,note
oranalyse;whatevidenceoflearning
willbecollectedandwhatcriteriawill
beusedtoanalysetheevidence)

Useofspotlight,strategy,gallerywalk,
etc.)

Session1
Classifyingalistof

Brainstormwordstodowith

Giveexamplesofeventsthat

Groupstudentsonmat.Make

Extendingprompt

Teachertoobserveif

everydayevents

chancee.g.willhappen,

willhappen,mighthappen,

aclasslistoftheeventsunder

Extendingstudentsthinking

studentsareidentifying

accordingtohowlikely

wonthappen,might,wont

andwonthappen.

eachheadingonalargechart.

byquestioningifaneventcan

eventswiththeappropriate

theyaretohappen,

etc.(seekeyvocabulary)and

Askstudentstoworkinpairs

Foreachsection,askstudents

bebothmightandwill

chanceofithappening.

putthemintoaprobability

andwritedown3events

toname3differentwaysof

definitelyhappen.Askfor

Iftherewasamistake,did

linefromwonthappen,least

using3differentcolours.In

explainingtheirprediction

justificationofanswer.

anyonenoticeit?

likelytohappen,mostlikely

green,aneventthatwill

(vocabwork).

tohappen,willhappen.

happen.Inorange,anevent

Enablingprompt

Werestudentsabletousea

Displayinclassroom.

thatmighthappen.Inred,an

Discussionifstudentsdont

Relatetostudentsdaytoday

varietyofwordsfromthe

eventthatwonthappen.

agreewiththeprobabilityof

life.Questionssuchas

brainstormlist?

aneventhappeningthat

Willyougotothetoilet

anotherstudenthaswritten.

today?Yes.Willyoufly

Discusswhythatis?What

today?No.

usingthelanguageof
chance,andexplaining
reasoning

shoulditbe?

Session2
Toinvestigatethe

Usingprobabilitylinepose

Groupsof34.

Groupdiscussiononwether

Extensionprompt

Observation.Werestudents

probabilityofobtaining

questions:

Giveeachgroup2coins.

anygroupspredictionswere

Trythesameactivityusinga

usingtheappropriate

aheadortailwhen

Whatarethechancesthatit

Havestudentsineachgroup

correctornot.Howmanyout

standarddice.Wastherea

(and/orvaried)chance

coinsaretossed.

willraintoday?Willsomeone

tossacointentimesand

of10didtheypredict

higherchanceofbeingableto

vocabularytodescribetheir

haveavegemitesandwichfor

recordresultsofeachflip(on

correctly?

predictthecorrectnumber

predictions?

lunch?Sharepredictionsand

blankpage).

Wasitjustluckythatthey

rolledbecausetherewere

Weretherejustified

askforexplanations.Ifa

Adduphowmanyheads/tails

werecorrect?Orwerethey

moreoptionstolandon?

explanationsastowhythere

studentexplainsusingone

eachandcomparegroup

abletopredictit?Ifwe

Enablingprompt

isalwaysanequalchanceof

worde.g.willhappen,ask

results.

flippedthecoin100times

Ifneeded,somestudents

throwingaheadoratails?

howtheycouldsayitina

Havestudentspredict,based

wouldwehaveabetteridea?

workinpairs.Lesschancefor

Askstudentstowriteany3

differentwaye.g.certain.

ontheresults,whatmight

Promptdiscussiononhowit

confusionandmorechance

thingstheynowknowabout

happeninthenext10flips.

isanEQUALchance.

forquestionsand

chance.Collect.

Studentslearntorecord
displayresultsto
comparevariationand
expectation.

Finishquestionsonwhatare

Recordpredictionandresult

explanations.Grouphigher

thechancesoftossingahead

separatelytofirst10flips.

studentwithlower.

oratailonacoin.
Session3
Investigatingchance

Have4playingcardsready,a

Itenteddiesinabag.Ihave

Groupstudentsonmat.Ask

Extensionprompt

Collectworksamples.Were

whenthereismorethan

Jack,Queen,KingandAce.

3redones,4yellowones,2

34studentstoshowtheir

Extendstudentswith

studentsidentifyingthat

twooptions

WriteonboardasJ,Q,K,A.

blueones,and1greenAsk

sheetandhowthey

percentagesandfractions.

onceateddywastakenout

Designateonecornerofthe

studentstoindividually

documentedtheactivity.

E.g.chanceofgettingred=

ofthebagthechanceofthat

roomtoeachsuit.Before

predictwhatteddywillbe

30%.

teddybeingdrawnhad

pickingacard,askstudentsto

drawnoutofthebagand

Onboard,writethenumberof

Enablingprompt

changed?

predictwhatsuitthecardwill

writeitdown.Explainthatthe

teddiesinthebag.Question:

Donthideteddiesinthebag,

beandgotothatcorner.

teddywillbeeliminatedonce

Whatischanceofgettinga

butpickwitheyesclosed.So

Studentscontinueto
learntorecorddisplay
resultstocompare
variationand
expectation.

Whatstrategieswerethey

Recordontheboardby

drawn.Theyget5pointsif

redteddy?Greenteddy?Etc.

crossingoutcardsaschosen.

correct,andlose3pointsif

Changeamountofteddiese.g

Continueuntilthereareno

theyareincorrect.Provide

wenowhave5redand5

Startwithtwoteddies,one

cardsleft.Ascardsare

blanksheettodocumentall

greeninthebag,howcould

redoneyellow.

Continuetoobserve

eliminated,askwhatthe

workings.Findhighestand

wedescribethechanceof

Addoneyellowteddy,then

languagebeingused.

chanceofdrawingacertain

lowestscoreattheendofthe

gettingaredorgreen?

onered,onegreenetc.

cardmightbeforthenext

game.

Equallyaslikely.Ifwehad3

Talkaboutchanceofdrawing

greenand7red,greenless

eachcolourafterevery

likelyetc.

addition.

turn.

studentscanseethechance.

usingtopredictwhatteddy
wouldbedrawnnext?

Session4

Studentsbrainstormalistof

Recognizingthe

possiblepeoplewhocould

Teacherlabelsalargedice

possibilityofdifferent

cometotheclassroomdoor

withthreefacesdisplayingan

Discussiononwhyorwhy

Providestudentswithacube

Fromtuningintask,are

events.

todaye.g.principal,amother,

apple,twofacesdisplayinga

notstudentspredictionswere

stencilandallowthemto

studentsidentifyingthat

grandfather,studentfrom

banana,andoneface

supported.

createtheirowndice,and

everydayactivitiesinvolve

anotherclassetc.Asaclass,

displayinganorange.

explainwhatthechancesof

chance?

studentsdiscussandrate

Studentsareaskedtoorder

Howcouldtheclasschange

rollingwhattheyhavedrawn

peoplefromleastlikelyto

andrecordthefruitsfrom

thedicetomakeitsothe

oneachsideis.

variationand

knocktomostlikelyto

leastlikelytomostlikelyto

bananaismostlikelytobe

studentsabletoidentifyand

expectation.

knock.Duringtheday

berolled.

rolled?Howcouldwemakeit

describepossibleoutcomes

studentsrecordwhocomesto

After6rolls,students

equal?

thedoor,discussfindingsat
theend.

Studentscontinueto
learntorecorddisplay
resultstocompare

Extendingprompt

Anecdotalrecordsare

Enablingprompt

andrecognisevariationin

comparetheresultswiththeir

Beginwith2or3ofeachfruit

results?

predictions.

sothechanceisequal.