Plenary 2 Summer Institute 2009 Thunder Bay

Setting Lesson Goals

First word/last word Get in a group with 3 others. One of you begins and asks the next person: 3

First word/last word What are important things to think about when creating a lesson goal? 4

First word/last word That person replies, then the next, the next, and then it goes back to the start – that person gets the last word. 5

Let’s share What was the most interesting idea you heard during this minds-on activity? 6

It’s so important… Getting a goal clear in your own mind can make a big difference in increasing the likelihood that students will learn what you hope they will learn. 7

That includes knowing why you have that goal. What’s the point of it? 8

Teacher struggles My experience is that setting lesson goals beyond reciting an expectation or simply using a topic name is a struggle for teachers. 9

For example…BLM2.1 Instead of reciting a curriculum expectation as a goal: solve problems involving percents expressed to … whole-number percents greater than 100%... 10

For example… The goal could be: If one number is less than 100% of another, the second number is more than 100% of the first. OR 11

For example… The goal could be: If a percent is greater than 100%, its decimal equivalent is greater than 1. OR 12

For example… The goal could be: The same strategies are used to solve problems involving percents greater than 100% as problems involving percents less than 100%. Or… 13

Why you want to do this… If you decide on the goal, you are more likely to know what questions to ask, what activity to use,… 14

Make it yours Even if you get a lesson from a valued resource, you have to make your OWN decision about what to pull out of that lesson. 15

For example… Let’s look at this lesson from Grade 7 TIPS. The stated goals are: 16 Review patterning concepts Build a growing pattern Explore multiple representations

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18 There is no “right way” to formulate the construction of term.

19 Understand the limitations of recursive representations. Highlighting the validity of all representations. Encourage students to move on from recursive representations.

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For example… The stated goals are: 23 Review patterning concepts Build a growing pattern Explore multiple representations

Maybe… the goal could be about recognizing when it’s useful to use a generalization when describing a pattern 24

Maybe the closing asks… Complete this: The way someone figures out terms 3, 4, 5, and 6 might be very different from the way that person figures out term 100 because… 25

Here are several goals I have handed out a list of stated goals BLM 2.2 taken from a series of lessons on linear equations in a grade 9 text. 26

Activity Take 2 of these goals and focus them to relate more explicitly to one or more of the big ideas. To do this… 27

Work with… at least 2 new colleagues. Be ready to share. You may use the provided BLM 2.1 models to help you. 28

Now… Work with the same colleagues to write consolidating questions for two of those goals that would bring them into the spotlight for students… 29

Remember… Consolidating questions are a way to see if students have met the goal. They are not “exercises”. 30

Now… Post your goal and associated consolidating question beside the appropriate Big Idea elicited. 31

Let’s share Let’s do a gallery walk looking at the questions that were created. 32

Anticipating problems– impact on lesson goals 33

Suppose… You want your students to solve this problem. Brandon and Alexis counted their money. Between them, they had $7.50, but Brandon had $2.90 more than Alexis. 34

First solve both parts Brandon and Alexis counted their money. Between them, they had $7.50, but Brandon had $2.90 more than Alexis. a) How much did each have? b) How do you know there are no other answers? 35

Let’s talk… Your initial goal relates to one on the list I shared with you. Which one? Now let’s make a list of a “top 5” anticipated problems. Keep the list. 36

Now… Discuss at your table. How could knowing these potential problems affect your instructional goal for one or two subsequent lessons? 37

Then… Choose one of those new goals you decided upon. What question might you ask at the end of the problem discussion to get at that goal? 38

Share Share your thoughts with another pair. Were you surprised, or not, at the different directions the other pair took? 39

Consolidate A colleague suggests s/he just doesn’t have the time to personalize the goal and then anticipate student problems; s/he’ll just deal with them as they arise. 40

Consolidate Role play with a partner. Play critical friend and convince the person otherwise. Reverse roles and play again. 41