Distance Learning Foundation With support from the U.S. Embassy RELO and TOT Public Company Limited Bangkok, Thailand

Unlocking Learners’ Potential Session 2 Problem Solving with Creative Math

Do you think doing math is creative? What are some real life examples?

Objectives ✤ Engage in problem solving activities to stimulate creative thinking inside and outside the classroom ✤ Strengthen English language, note-taking and critical thinking skills ✤ Reflect on the value of integrating stories and poems with math ✤ Produce math short stories or poems to use with students ✤ Adapt activities from the lesson for your classroom

Listen and Doodle Listen to this song about octopi. Doodle or draw what he is singing about. Then share with the rest of the class what you drew based on what you heard.

Time 4 Rhyme Read the poem “My Dog, Addition”. If you want, you could read it aloud to your partner while he/she listens. Then, draw Addition in his stages on the right. If you’re reading aloud, your partner can draw while listening. What can you conclude about Addition?

Your Turn! With 1 or 2 others, write/compose a short math poem or song (4-6 lines). Be prepared to sing or recite it while others draw it! 5 minutes prep

Review, Reflect, Adapt How is drawing or doodling helpful in these activities? With a new partner, think of at least one other activity for either the song or the poem to use with your class. 3 minutes

Working with Language Read the poem “Gliding with Ease”. While reading it, underline the objects that are circular. Then, complete the activity outlined in the sheet. Circles that I seeHow many do I see?

Language Focus What are some other sentences or phrases that your students can use for the activity?

Stories to Solve There are 12 people at dinner Six have spoons. Four have forks. Three have both. How many with neither spoon nor fork?

HINT Draw a diagram or graphic organizer. People with both fork and spoon don’t get counted twice. Answer?

Story Elements in Math Stories ✤ Stories have setting, characters, conflicts/problems, events, and resolution. ✤ Most math stories have three basic parts: 1) the situation, 2) the event, and 3) the question ✤ The situation is at the beginning; the event changes the situation in some way; the question asks the problem or asks how the event changed the situation

Ready for yours? On your own or with a different partner, write a short math story or story problem with the three basic parts. Then, give it to another group to solve.

Ready for yours? Tips: Turn an everyday situation into a story problem. Imagine acting out the story. Think of how you and others can draw it out. Turn a computation problem into a story.

Another (Popular) Story Listen to an audio book written by Pat Hutchins called The Doorbell Rang. Draw a diagram or graphic organizer while listening to the story. Cross check with your partner to compare your diagrams/notes. What kind of math problems do you use for this story? How do you know?

How many would each child get if there were 18 cookies? 24 cookies? What kind of real life situations can your students use for their own math stories? (i.e. lunch money, vacation days)

Your Turn...Again! Use the following pictures to write a simple math story.

Classroom Implications ✤ What would you add or do differently? Why? ✤ Which activities are most/least adaptable to your class? How? ✤ How could you make these more/less challenging to your students?

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Korp Khun Mak Ka! See you in the next session!