3rd Grade Lesson Study“Combinations of Outfits”

Shari Crosby, Lora Dalton, Dana Fonner, Rebecca Kern, Marianne

Connolly

Professional Learning Goal:Professional Goal: Allow students the opportunity to become problem solvers by using inquiry-based, higher level thinking. We want to provide an avenue for students to feel comfortable, apply their own thinking and strategies, and move away from teacher modeling (“say, see, do and follow these steps”).

Student Learning Goal:

• Short Term Goal– Students will be able to create all possible

combinations in an organized way.– Vocabulary: data, investigate, combinations,

probability.

• Long Term Goal– Students will begin to build on the foundations for

future math skills such as multiplication, repeated addition, and tree diagrams.

Task:• Flat Stanley is going on vacation. He has 4

different colored pants (green, purple, pink and blue) and 3 different colored shirts (brown, orange, and blue). What are the combinations of different outfits that he could wear on his trip? Record your findings.

Teacher Anticipated Outcomes• Students would match each shirt with each pair of

pants using pictures.

• Students would use repeated addition to show the different combinations.

• Students would use multiplication to show the different combinations.

• We expected to see pictures, numbers, and words

Pictures

Numbers

Words

Analyzing Student Samples

• Students met the anticipated outcomes based on their ability levels.

• Groups were paired homogeneously to allow students to feel comfortable sharing their thinking and courageous to take risks because they were “like ability.”

• Students spent a long time “mucking around” and then suddenly took off in their understanding.

Student Sample Using Pictures

Student Sample Using Numbers

Student Sample Using Numbers

Student Sample Using Words

Revisions to Original Lesson• Colors DO NOT have to match, you can only use

an article of clothing 1x, not knowing when you’re finished (or reached a solution).

• With more time, we would’ve wanted to discuss the combinations and how they were made; 12 outfits.

• How many outfits could Flat Stanley bring with him?

• Students’ reflection?

Revisions Continued• What would you do differently tomorrow if we

had a similar problem? • Does anyone see an idea and/or strategy that

you would like to try next time that you didn’t think of this time?

• Where are the 3 in 3+3+3+3? Which 3 are we talking about? Can they make connections across?

• More time for closure!

How did Lesson Study support our Professional Learning?

• Enabled us to actually collaborate as a team to come up with an engaging, well thought out lesson.

• Emphasized the importance of the word/story problem or question being asked.

• Conveyed the significance of anticipating student responses in order to conjure up rich discussion.

• Allowed students to share their thinking and teach their peers new strategies.

Further Questions to Explore…• How do you get Administrators on board with

the pressure of SOL scores and AYP?• What is the best approach to inspire your

team members to get on board with a more innovative style of teaching?

• Where do you pull the time from within our schedule to be able to implement this properly (planning, executing, analyzing, reflecting)?