SHOT PUT
EQUIVALENCE AND ALGEBRAIC SUBSTITUTION
Student will explore solving equations using the idea of equivalence and substitution.
Intentionality
Spark Curiosity
Fuel Sensemaking
During Moves
Student Approaches
Next Moves
Consolidation
Reflect and Consolidation Prompts
Resources & Downloads
Educator Discussion Area
Intentionality & Unit Overview
Length of Unit: 6 Days
Access each lesson from this unit using the navigation links below
Students will explore solving equations using the idea of equivalence and substitution.
In this task, students will have an opportunity to reason through an investigation sparked by an athlete throwing shot put. The tasks involve the evaluation of an equation through substitution and the solving of 2-step linear equations. Students will have the opportunity to apply models to reason; in particular, making use of the double number line.
They will also explore big ideas including the following:
- Problems that require multiple calculations can be represented in a single equation.
- Each side of an equation can be thought of as a single unit, where both sides are equivalent.
- Changing the quantity on one side of an equation forces an equivalent change in the other.
Spark Curiosity
What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?
Show students the video below showing an athlete throwing a shot put.
Ask students to engage in a notice and wonder protocol. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that comes to mind is fair game.
Write down all of the student noticing and wondering. For example:
- I notice a stadium.
- I wonder how much the shot put weighs?
- A shot put was thrown.
- That was far.
- How many people are in the audience?
- I wonder how far he threw it?
- And many others…
Take time to acknowledge the noticing and wondering your students have engaged in and try to answer any that you can address right away.
Fuel Sense-making
Walk Through Video
Consider watching the following walk through video that will take you from the start of this task through the consolidation:
Prompt: Setting The Context & Estimating
Then, pose the following question:
How far did he throw the shot put?
Show students this top-view animation of the shot put stadium and pause when the yellow timer bar appears (or show the image):
Ask students to turn to their peers and make an estimate. Consider asking them to identify a length that is too farand too short to be reasonable prior to making their estimates.
Have students share out their estimates and record them on a number line.
Next, you can continue playing the animation until pausing at the next yellow bar that will appear on the screen (or share the following image) and ask students to improve their estimate using only the brown measuring sticks they see in the visual:
Ask students to use their spatial reasoning to make their estimate and share with their partners.
Crafting A Productive Struggle: Information
When ready, you can resume the animated video or show the following image:
Now, students are ready to be set free to determine the total length of the throw. However, we recommend that you consider mentioning the following as they begin:
How might we convince someone that the total distance you came up with is correct without the use of a calculator?
During Moves
Watch A Lesson In Action
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
While Students Are Productively Struggling…
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Facilitator Notes
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Student Approaches
Student Approach #1: Number Line & Counting
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Student Approach #2: Partial Products
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Student Approach #3: Symbolic Equation
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Next Moves
Reveal
After consolidating learning using student generated solution strategies and by extending their thinking intentionally, we can share what really happened by showing the following to reveal how far the shot put was thrown.
Alternatively or in addition to the video, you can show the still image below.
Answer: 74 feet.
Revisit the student answers.
Consolidation
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Reflect and Consolidation Prompts
Provide students an opportunity to reflect on their learning by offering these consolidation prompts to be completed independently.
Consolidation Prompt:
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
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.
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
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.
Resources & Downloads
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Educator Discussion Area
Login/Join to access the entire Teacher Guide, downloadable slide decks and printable handouts for this lesson and all problem based units.
Explore Our 60+ Problem Based Units
This Make Math Moments Lesson was designed to spark curiosity for a multi-day unit of study with built in purposeful practice, number talks and extensions to elicit and emerge strategies and mathematical models.
Dig into our other units of study and view by concept continuum, grade or topic!
