Task Teacher Guide
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In This Task…
Students will analyze the migration of a flock of Canadian Geese from Northern Michigan to Southern Michigan in the fall.
Intentionality…
In this task, students will analyze and make predictions about the migration pattern of a flock of Canadian geese. They will predict how long it took for the ornithologist to document 240 miles of flight. Some of the big ideas that may emerge in this unit include:
- Patterns can be extended because they are repetitive by nature.
- Pattern rules are generalizations about a pattern, and they can be described in words.
- One common use of linear patterns is predicting future events.
- A pattern can be extended to make a prediction.
- For far predictions, calculations are required for efficiency.
- In a growing pattern, the values increase.
- In a linear pattern, the values increase at the same rate.
- The rate can be determined by finding the difference between the value of two terms.
- Graphical representations of linear growing patterns appear as straight lines.
- The initial value in a linear pattern is the constant.
- When the initial value is not zero, the relationship between the two variables is not proportional.
Spark
What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?
Show students the following video:
Then, ask students:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
Give students 60 seconds (or more) to do a rapid write on a piece of paper.
Replaying the video can be helpful here and consider asking students what they are going to be looking for.
Then, ask students to share with their neighbours for another 60 seconds.
Finally, allow students to share with the entire group. Be sure to write down these noticings and wonderings on the blackboard/whiteboard, chart paper, or some other means to ensure students know that their voice is acknowledged and appreciated.
Some of the noticing and wondering that may come up includes:
- I notice it says Michigan.
- I notice an arrow.
- I notice it is moving between two points.
- I wonder if someone is driving.
- I wonder how long it took.
- I wonder how far it is.
Estimate: Prompt
After we have heard students and demonstrated that we value their voice, we can land on the first question we will challenge them with
This map represents the migration of a flock of Canadian Geese. They are beginning their migration South for the Winter. How far did they travel between Traverse City and Grand Rapids in miles?
Share the following video extending the context a bit further. This time, students will have access to a scale.
We can now ask students to make an estimate (not a guess) as we want them to be as strategic as they can possibly be. This will force them to determine a distance in miles that would be reasonable. Students will likely leverage spatial reasoning. Look for opportunities to use fractional language. For example, the distance between the two points is 1 and \(\frac{1}{2}\) times as big as the scale. The scale is two-thirds the size of the distance travelled.
Estimation: Reveal
Share the actual distance between the two points on the map with the following video:
You might consider instead sharing the final frame of the estimate reveal video:
Celebrate student estimates that were very close to the actual distance travelled using a routine of your choice as we head into the sense making portion of this lesson.
Sense Making
Crafting A Productive Struggle: Prompt
Now that student curiosity has been sparked through the use of our Notice and Wonder prompt followed by the opportas 150 miles and 30 milesunity to make an estimate, we will continue to develop the context of this problem and provide a struggle prompt.
Consider sharing the following silent animation struggle prompt video and consider leveraging a variation of the script below to assist:
Canada geese that migrate do so twice a year. In September or October, Canada geese fly south to avoid the cold. They’ll stay there all winter. Geese migrate north in April, May or Early June. Migration flights usually begin at dusk, although you could see migrating geese flying in their distinctive “V” formation at any time of hour.
This particular flock of geese was spotted in Traverse City Michigan, where they were spotted by a local ornithologist. An ornithologist is a person who studies or is an expert on birds. When the flock was spotted, it was believed that they had already flown 60 miles across the top of Lake Michigan.
The ornithologist began tracking their flight pattern. She began recording their distance flown in the table below.
Student Prompt:
The ornithologist continued tracking the geese until they had flown a total of 240 miles south. Assuming the pattern continues, predict how many hours she will spend tracking this flock of geese.
Be sure to remind students that they are not to use a calculator to determine the number of hours as using that tool will rob them of this mathematical experience. Students should use a mathematical model in order to communicate their thinking.
During Moves
While Students Are Productively Struggling…
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Student Approach #1: Skip Counting
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Student Approach #2: Subtraction & Quotative Division
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Student Approach #3: General Term
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Next Moves
Consolidation: Making Connections
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Reveal
Show students the following reveal video:
You might consider sharing the final frame of the reveal video instead:
Reflect
Provide students an opportunity to reflect on their learning by offering these consolidation prompts to be completed independently.
Consolidation Prompt #1:
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Consolidation Prompt #2:
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We suggest collecting this reflection as an additional opportunity to engage in the formative assessment process to inform next steps for individual students as well as how the whole class will proceed.
Download Editable/Printable Handout
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Resources and Downloads
Lesson Tip Sheet
Download the lesson plan in PDF format so you can keep it handy and share with colleagues.
Videos & Images
Download the videos, images, and related media files to your computer to avoid streaming.
Keynote Slides
Download in Apple Keynote format to avoid streaming video and run the lesson smoothly.
PowerPoint Slides
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Printable Handout
Download/Edit the handout so you can keep it handy and share with colleagues.
Explore The Entire Unit of Study
This Make Math Moments Task was designed to spark curiosity for a multi-day unit of study with built in purposeful practice, and extensions to elicit and emerge mathematical models and strategies.
Click the links at the top of this task to head to the other related lessons created for this unit of study.
Consolidation Prompt #1
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Consolidation Prompt #2
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Download Editable/Printable Handout
Become a member to access purposeful practice to display via your projector/TV, download the PDF to upload to your LMS and/or print for students to have a physical copy