Primary Mathematics : Statistics, Algebra and Number. Planning to Teach

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your ability to plan to teach a Year 5 or 6 class in a topic chosen from Addition, Subtraction, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Multiplication and Division, Fractions, Decimals, Fractions and Decimals, Patterns and Algebra, Algebra. One of the key aspects of this planning is that you will demonstrate your ability to design and use a Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Object (MERLO) item.

The assignment consists of four parts as follows:

Part A (70 words):
In this part, you are asked to describe an imaginary class that you are teaching. Please tell us the number of students in the class. Your class must contain students with diverse needs and from diverse contexts across Australia including students of the three of the following categories:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
students for whom English is an additional language or dialect
students from rural and remote contexts
students from low socio-economic settings
students with disability
gifted and talented students
students with diverse personal or cultural backgrounds or religious affiliations
students with a combination of equity and diversity needs.
Some of your students will fall into these three categories. One of these three categories should be the following category: “students for whom English is an additional language or dialect”.

You will be thinking about their learning needs when you make your plans in Part B.

You also need to describe the learning environment – that is usually the classroom. State where the school is located: regional, rural or urban? If you are thinking of a specific Australian state, say that here. Also describe the technological equipment available to you.

Part B (1200 words):

You are required to create a sequence of two lesson plans, drawn from stage three of Number and Algebra. You will base a two-lesson sequence on one mathematical topic, drawn from Year 5 or Year 6 (Not Year 5 and Year 6).

The topic can be one of the following:

Addition
Subtraction
Addition and Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Multiplication and Division
Fractions
Decimals
Fractions and Decimals
Algebra and Patterns
Algebra

Note that:
The lesson plans should provide a summary of your teaching approaches, activities and tasks. You do not include any worksheets in your lesson plans or in the appendices.
It is expected that technology (i.e. modern technology, computer-based problems, simulations etc.) will be employed in the sequence of lessons.
It is the school’s policy that each mathematics lesson is one hour in duration.
The teaching sequence must exhibit a fit between the learning needs of the students of your imaginary class described in Part A.
The teaching sequence should use a combination of teacher-centered and student-centred approaches
Include a reference to at least 2 of the tutorial activities about your chosen topic. Do this by providing a screenshot of the tutorial activity and explain the aim of the activity. You can use the activity exactly as it is, or you can adapt it or design something new inspired by it.
The teaching sequence across the two lessons will include links to a MERLO (Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Object) assessment. In order to create the MERLO assessment, you need to listen to the recording about MERLO assessment and read the examples provided in the folder entitled: “Supporting materials for Assignment Two”.
It would be wise to read the expectations for Parts C and D before completing your lesson plans.

Part C (280 words):
Create one MERLO (Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects) item that assesses students’ understanding across the sequence of the two lesson plans. Take screenshots of the designer’s version of your MERLO assessment and the solver’s version of your MERLO assessment and insert them in Part C of your assignment. (The words of the MERLO assessment are not included in the overall word count).

Either, yοu give the solver’s version of your MERLO assessment to one of your students to solve it (if you have access to a real classroom) and they explain the reasons that guided their choices

OR

you give it to one of your friends to solve the MERLO assessment and explain the reasons that guided their choices.

Required resource:
Primary and Middle Years Mathematics : Teaching Developmentally. EBook
John Van de Walle, David Martin, Karen Karp, Jennifer Bay-Williams, Amy Brass, Brendan Bentley, Sue Ferguson, Wendy Goff, Sharyn Livy, and Margaret Marshman

Recommended readings for assignment:
Serow, P. (2016). Primary mathematics : capitalising on ICT for today and tomorrow (Second edition.). Cambridge University Press.
ISBN: 9781316600757
Day, L. (2014). Australian curriculum linked lessons: Reasoning in number and algebra. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 19(3), 16–19.
ISSN: 1326-0286
Jacob, L., & Mulligan, J. (2014). Using arrays: To build towards multiplicative thinking in the early years. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 19(1), 35–40.
ISSN: 1326-028
Mildenhall, P. (2014). Number sense development in the pre-primary classroom: How is it communicated? Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 19(3), 6–10.
ISSN: 1326-0286
Day, L. (2014a). Australian curriculum linked lessons: Statistics. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 19(4), 20–23.
ISSN: 1326-0286

Part D:
Present a commentary to justify your teaching choices in the sequence of the two lesson plans regarding:

One misconception the students may have that is related to the mathematical topic of the sequence of your lesson plans. What activities or pedagogical techniques you use in the sequence of your lesson plans to help students overcome this target misconception? (150 words)

Differentiation strategies that will be used in the sequence of your lesson plans to cater for the learning needs of the students of your imaginary classroom. Discuss when, how and what provisions made to address the diverse needs of the learners of your classroom that you described in Part A (150 words)

Student engagement with at least one cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and sustainability. Discuss when and how students engage with at least one cross-curriculum priority (during the 2 lesson plans). Explain the benefit of students’ engagement with that cross-curriculum priority (150 words)

Marking criteria:
Students and learning environment of your imaginary classroom (Marks: 3/50)
evidence of learning outcomes and procedural outlines (Marks: 10/50)
provision of key lesson action and application of ICT (Marks: 10/50)
assessment and solution (Marks: 10/50)
Commentary (Marks: 12/50)
References to activities or ideas from your weekly tutorial activities (Marks: 4/50)
References, APA 7 referencing (Marks: 1/50)