POP Cycle Lesson Plan

Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

(Virtual lesson via Zoom)

Lesson Objective​: Students will be able to explain how virtual manipulatives can help them
solve addition and subtraction story problems, and identify one that works best for them.

Content Standard​: ​CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.1

Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to,
taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g.,
by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent
the problem.1

Inquiry Focus:​ Use of technology to strengthen student engagement and understanding of

solving put together and take apart math problems.

Materials​:
● Virtual manipulative website: ​https://www.didax.com/math/virtual-manipulatives.html
● Slideshow used via Zoom:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1krODCBMPJTrD12wg7QaEjRQAL_G34fuyula6
vQRCaOs/edit#slide=id.p

Intro​: (5 minutes)
● Warm Up: show students an image of a digital manipulative being used to solve a
problem. Ask students what they notice and wonder about the image
○ Students share ideas
○ Ask students to come up with an equation that would match the image shown
○ Explain that today we will practice using tools like the one shown here to solve
problems.

Body​: (25 minutes + student independent work time)

● Show students the various virtual manipulatives, and ask them to start thinking about
what each of them could be used for
● Pose the question: which of these could help us add and subtract?
○ Send students the link to the virtual manipulatives, and have them explore for 5
minutes.
○ For students who cannot click on the link themselves, they will stay on and
explore together
● Bring students back after 5 minutes and ask them to share responses to the question
“which of these could help us add and subtract?”
○ Students share responses & reasoning: “I think ____ could help us add and
subtract because _____”
○ If students have different answers, point out that there is no right or wrong
answer- different tools might work better for different people!
● Present another story problem to students
○ Read the problem together and first ask students to share if they think we are
adding or subtracting in this problem
○ Ask students how we could use a virtual manipulative to help us solve?
○ Model how we could use the tools to add and subtract
 ● Students will solve 2 more story problems independently, and show how they used the
virtual manipulatives to help them solve
○ Students will receive differentiated problems on Google Classroom, with different
number sets that work best for them

Closing
● Students will solve problems independently and identify which virtual manipulative
worked best for them, and why, via Google Classroom