Reply To: Lesson 6-1: Question

[Kristie D’Arcangelo]

I have not yet started the new year but I can recall a lesson I have done that I feel exemplifies some of the AGES learning model. For combining like terms, I introduced the lesson with a video from MadTV of a man placing a fast food order. He speaks very fast and is quite repetitive with his items order. The kids were very engaged and laughed at the ridiculousness of what was being ordered but also insisted that it could have been done easier. I gave them a transcribed script of the order and in groups they dove into finding the parts that were repeated and could be consolidated. Each group was trying to best simplify the order so it would not take quite so long to say. When the simplified order was all set, I asked groups to look at certain amounts of fries, cheeseburgers, and drinks while representing each item with a respective variable; f, c, d. They very quickly were able to tell each other and myself how many of each that they would have after combining them all. I’m honestly not sure if I have addressed all of the pieces of the learning model but I can attest to the fact that student engagement was high on this lesson and transfer of knowledge to more abstract variables was much easier than in the past with a traditional lesson.

[Kristie D’Arcangelo]

I have not yet started the new year but I can recall a lesson I have done that I feel exemplifies some of the AGES learning model. For combining like terms, I introduced the lesson with a video from MadTV of a man placing a fast food order. He speaks very fast and is quite repetitive with his items order. The kids were very engaged and laughed at the ridiculousness of what was being ordered but also insisted that it could have been done easier. I gave them a transcribed script of the order and in groups they dove into finding the parts that were repeated and could be consolidated. Each group was trying to best simplify the order so it would not take quite so long to say. When the simplified order was all set, I asked groups to look at certain amounts of fries, cheeseburgers, and drinks while representing each item with a respective variable; f, c, d. They very quickly were able to tell each other and myself how many of each that they would have after combining them all. I’m honestly not sure if I have addressed all of the pieces of the learning model but I can attest to the fact that student engagement was high on this lesson and transfer of knowledge to more abstract variables was much easier than in the past with a traditional lesson.