Math Workshop Unit 1 Plan

Grade 2
2018-2019
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Math Workshop Unit Plan

Unit Overview

Problem-Solving
Second-grade students encounter problem-solving in math in a variety of ways, most
recognizable through addition and subtraction story problems. Students will build upon the
problem-solving skills they learned in first grade and learn in the CGI block in order to
develop a repertoire of strategies that incorporate operations and algebraic thinking, place
value, and fact fluency. In Unit 1, students are exposed to a variety of story problems,
including, but not limited to, JRU, SRU, JCU, SCU, CDU and 2 step word problems.
It is essential that teachers do not only think of problem-solving in regards to word
problems and equations; rather, research has shown that teaching mathematics through
problem-solving shows considerable promise for student achievement (Cai, 2003).
Therefore, establishing a strong culture of problem-solving at the beginning of the year is
imperative for student success in all units and topics. As students analyze, plan, and reflect
on mathematics, it builds their content knowledge, critical thinking skills, and cognitive
flexibility that can be applied to all subjects throughout their schooling (Florida Department
of Education, 2010).

Counting
Research shows that experiences with counting provides students the basis for
understanding addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. (National Research Council,
2001). However, before students focus on counting quantities, they must first understand
the “rote counting” process, or the forward number sequence. Learning this naming system
of numbers helps students later understand what quantity each number represents. As
students learn how to count orally, they are also practicing reading and writing the numbers.
It may be tempting to teach children how to write the numbers using place value rationale
(example-“We write one hundred and ten with a 1 in the tens place”). However, teaching
explicit place value at this point can be counterproductive; students must learn the counting
sequence outside of the place value context at first (Wright, Ellemor-Collins, Tabor, 2012).
Number word sequence is well served by regular, brief instructional sessions, while slowly
advancing the level of the counting sequences (both by increasing the cardinal number and
practicing different types of skip-counting). Students should have daily practice with the
forward number sequence as well as the reverse number sequence, both through quick rote
counts and through more in depth fluency routines, such as Count around the class.
After students understand the rote process, they need to have a lot of authentic
counting experiences, where they are actually counting sets of objects. This practice allows
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Math Workshop Unit Plan

students to construct ways of counting groups and helps them practice the rote counting
process, as well as building their understanding of the quantitative value of each number
(Schwerdtfefer & Chan, 2007).

Conceptual Place Value

When we think of place value, we usually think of the hundreds place, tens place and
ones place. While this understanding is the ultimate goal of this unit (conventional place
value), students must also understand conceptual place value.
The goal of conceptual place value instruction is for students to be able to use
sophisticated tens thinking (“base ten”). In other words, students are able to see ten and
one hundred as a unit and a composite-it is a unit of 10 or 100, while also being a composite
that you can break apart into tens and/or ones. Students will work with 100 in Topic C,
learning about different ways to build 100. Students will use their understanding of the
combinations of 10 to help them become more fluent with combinations to 100. This series
of lessons supports students understanding of 100 as a composite and a unit, and allows
students to begin to work towards fluently adding and subtracting within 100 (2.NBT.5). As
students work within 100, they are also exposed to the concept of plotting numbers on a
number line. The number line is an incredibly important tool in the CCSS and is explicitly
referenced in the 2nd grade standards (2.MD.6). Students will come back to the concept of
the number line in each unit (A1-A4).
Although this unit will build on what students learned in first grade, do not expect
that “10” is always apparent to them; they may still count each individual cube in a base ten
block or dot in a ten frame. However, after a lot of experience increasing and decreasing
numbers by multiples of ten, they will begin to be able to use mental strategies and just their
understanding of the number, without any materials. This should stay in the context of
problem solving, as it will prepare students for future units on operations (Wright, Ellemor-
Collins, Tabor, 2012).

Conventional Place Value

Conventional place value is the ultimate goal of the unit. Students ultimately are
asked to break numbers into hundreds, tens and ones in multiple ways. Students apply their
understanding of 100 as a unit and composite to tasks where students create 3 digit
numbers in multiple ways (Wright, Ellemor-Collins, Tabor, 2012)