LESSON   PLAN   TEMPLATE

 

TITLE:    Build an abacus and learn to use it.

 

CONTENT  AREAS (What areas of mathematics does this lesson cover?):    Number sense, place value, adding and subtracting numbers with more than 1 digit

 

GRADE  LEVEL:    3rd – 5th

 

MATERIALS   NEEDED:    Abacus construction materials. Beads, pipe cleaners, cardboard, paper, markers, glue, paste.

 

KEY   CONCEPTS:    Place value – the value represented by a digit depends on its place in the number.

 

EALR'S and GLE'S (Make the connections clear and specific) EALR 1 GLE 1.1.1 – understand the concept of whole number

 

Learning Goals: (What do you expect students to learn and be able to do from this lesson.) Students should be able to represent numbers from 1 – 1,000,000 on the abacus.  Students should be able to add and subtract whole numbers using the abacus.  Students will review the ideas of place value and relative size of whole numbers.

 

PROCEDURES:  (Label each step in the process:  Activating Prior Knowledge, Disequilibration, Elaboration, Crystallization)

  • Introduction/Preassessment (Do some activitiy to see what your students know.)

     Hold up an abacus and tell students this is used to represent whole numbers ask students write down what the digits of 271 and 1534 stand for and how they might represent those numbers on the abacus.

Now think pair share.  Pair up and compare your answers and be prepared to share your answers with the group.      

  • Activity (Imagine that you were writing this for a substitute to teach. Be detailed and specific.)

·        Each student will build an abacus. See direction on the web.

·        Students will or should know about place value so explain how each column represents a place value.

·        Now ask students how to represent the numbers above.

·        Ask if they can see more than one way to represent 923. 

·        Ask if they can find the method with the fewest beads.

·        Now ask them to add 8 to the number.  What is the outcome of this?

·        Have students practice (in pairs) how to represent various numbers. How many different ways are there and what is the most efficient way.

·        Note that adding two numbers is just “adding on” the second number to the first.

·        Give them some examples of adding and have them try some numbers (in pairs) and report out.

·        Give a brief history of the abacus (Roman Empire, China, Japan)

      

 

 

·        Closure

o       Have students write in their reflections notebook what they learned and how they might be able to use it in the future.

 

Accomodation Plan: Note how at least 3 of following are accommodated in lesson (race/ethnicity, language, gender, class) Include reference to Trentacosta text.

1.race/ethnicity:  History lesson should give students a chance to understand that this device was not a “western” invention.

2.language: If I have English language learners (ell) I will work out a plan to help tutors and ell class teachers understand the lesson and be able to translate for them.

3.gender:  Try to call on students of both genders equally, use examples using both genders, and in general be sensitive to overly aggressive boys and passive girls if that happens.

4.class:  Class issues have to do with code switching, time and place for homework, relevance.  I don’t know for sure what to do with this lesson.

POST-ASSESSMENT   ( How does your post assessment evaluate progress toward learning goals and EALRs and GLEs)

     Ask students to represent numbers on their abacuses and holdup their abacuses and make note of those who are still having trouble.  Put a number on your abacus and ask students what is the hundreds, tens, ones digit of the number.

 

TEACHER REFLECTION (What went well, what would you do differently?)