1. Joan Gillis, Capital Area Intermediate Unit
Modeling – Gold Rush (Problem Solving Lesson)
Joan Gillis, Capital Area Intermediate Unit
Dan Richards, Berks County Intermediate Unit

2. Maximizing Area: Gold Rush
Pre-lesson Assessment
Pull up and minimize the pdf for Gold Rush Problem Solving. Will use the issues and questions; then later will have the Reflection sheet ready. Also, include the reflection sheet designed for the teachers.

3. Scribing Questioning Problem Solving
Tie in to yesterday
Scribing
Questioning
Problem Solving
The link is to a video from Shell, under the professional development tab, “Learning Through Questioning” module. Teachers will view the three strategies listed.

4. Gold Rush

5. Identifying Misconceptions
Samples of student work
1 Pre-assessment per group (number off)
Put misconception in words
Create a feedback question(s)
Share

7. Feedback Questions
Based upon your work, I have developed some questions to help you improve your first efforts.
1. What does the rope represent, mathematically?
2. Did you create several different size plots using the same rope?
Is that enough to convince someone of your answer?
Show me how you represented this information.
3. Suppose 3/4/5/or more prospectors share land. What area of land would each prospector get? How do you know?
4. How did you organize your efforts? Can someone who did not work the problem understand what you did?

8. Planning a Joint Method
Take turns to explain your method and how you think your work could be improved.
Listen carefully to each other.
Ask questions if you don’t understand.
Once everyone in the group has explained their method, plan a joint method that is better than each of your separate ideas.
Make sure that everyone in the group can explain the reasons for your chosen method.
Write a brief outline of your method on one side of your sheet of paper.
Approximately 35 minutes
20 for teachers

9. Notes to Teachers
When students have had sufficient time to work on their posters, hold a whole-class discussion to review how they have worked.
While facilitating the collaborative work look for students who are approaching the problem differently. If you don’t have time for all students to share, choose for variety.
Be sure to guide using questions.
If you are taking two days to complete the lesson you may want to end the first day after the sharing session.

10. Evaluating Student Sample Responses
Imagine you are the teacher and have to assess the student work.
Work through a students’ solution.
Write your answers on your mini-whiteboards.
Explain your answer to the rest of the group.
Listen carefully to explanations.
Ask questions if you don't understand.
Once everyone is satisfied with the explanations, write the answers below the student’s solution.
Make sure the student who writes the answers is not the student who explained them.
6. Work through each response using this protocol.

11. Ann’s method
What questions would you write as feedback to help Ann move forward in her thinking?
Where did you join the ropes?

12. Jake’s method

13. Kodie’s method

14. Mark’s method

15. Problem Solving Lesson
Frame the lesson
Administer the pre-lesson assessment
Analyze student responses
Write feedback questions
Distribute the feedback questions and responses to the pre-lesson assessment
Facilitate students working collaboratively on the problem
Facilitate the plenary
Administer the student reflection sheet
Analyze growth across the pre-lesson assessment and the student reflection sheet
Modify subsequent instruction
Pages 30 – 35: Handouts concerning Problem-Solving Lessons
Look at later at your own convenience

16. Benefits of Problem Solving Lessons
Students are sharing ideas, communicating/explaining methods
Exposed to multiple approaches
Exposed to unique, non-routine problems
Required to analyze students’ work
Required to diagnose others’ errors and misconceptions
Required to make decisions about best method

17. Vicki Mixon
MDC trainer