Instructional Samples

Through open-ended provocations students are invited to investigate and uncover mathematical concepts. Provocations often begin with an inquiry question, merging students’ interests and curriculum content. In this example, near the end of the school year, students are bringing together two familiar ideas – patterns and shapes. 

Through open-ended provocations students are invited to investigate and uncover mathematical concepts. Provocations often begin with an inquiry question, merging students’ interests and curriculum content. In this example, near the end of the school year, students are bringing together two familiar ideas – patterns and shapes. 

We were looking for a cross-curricular way to address probability content in Grade 4 Mathematics and content from Applied Design 4, which is new to the curriculum. We came up with the idea of making a game of chance, because we felt that the process of creating a game would reinforce new concepts in math and applied design by giving students an opportunity to apply these concepts in practice.  

We were looking for a cross-curricular way to address probability content in Grade 4 Mathematics and content from Applied Design 4, which is new to the curriculum. We came up with the idea of making a game of chance, because we felt that the process of creating a game would reinforce new concepts in math and applied design by giving students an opportunity to apply these concepts in practice.  

The quantity of 5 is an essential benchmark number for young students, and a strong understanding of 5 will contribute to their understanding of 10, another significant benchmark number in our number system. As the complexity of number increases, the importance of understanding the decomposition of 10 in higher-level operations becomes evident. 

The quantity of 5 is an essential benchmark number for young students, and a strong understanding of 5 will contribute to their understanding of 10, another significant benchmark number in our number system. As the complexity of number increases, the importance of understanding the decomposition of 10 in higher-level operations becomes evident. 

We use patterns to represent identified regularities and to make generalizations. This lesson extends patterning concepts taught in Kindergarten and Grade 1, where students learned to identify and extend patterns with multiple attributes. It is essential for students to describe, extend, and make generalizations about patterns that seem to be the same or different. This kind of categorizing and generalizing is an important developmental step on the journey toward algebraic thinking. 

We use patterns to represent identified regularities and to make generalizations. This lesson extends patterning concepts taught in Kindergarten and Grade 1, where students learned to identify and extend patterns with multiple attributes. It is essential for students to describe, extend, and make generalizations about patterns that seem to be the same or different. This kind of categorizing and generalizing is an important developmental step on the journey toward algebraic thinking.