Clip 1/15: Modeling with Polynomials Pre-Lesson Part 1

Overview

Amy Burke and colleague Deidre Grevious discuss their plans for Amy’s lesson on modeling with polynomials. Amy describes the focus of the lesson, noting in particular that she hopes students will engage in Common Core Standard for Mathematical Practice (SMP) 4: Model with mathematics; SMP 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; SMP 3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; and SMP 5: Use appropriate tools strategically.

Amy anticipates potential challenges students may face in the lesson: problems with scaling axes, with seeing the data set, and with identifying the dependent and independent variables. She discusses strategies she’ll use during the lesson, particularly to deepen their understanding through conversational approaches, such as pair share and group roles. Deidre asks about previous skill sets students may draw on; Amy notes that students have previously used the Desmos site as a tool, and that she has planned specific questions and marked points during the lesson to deepen students’ understanding as they engage in the task, and points to check for pair and whole-group understanding.

Teacher Commentary

I firmly believe that all of our students can access mathematics and be successful in the classroom, not just some students. This is a mathematical modeling classroom, which is a new course that we've introduced in our high school pathways, for students to stay on course for college eligibility. At Arroyo High School, 52% of the students that enrolled in that class got a D or an F in math class last year. These are students where, in many other settings, they heard, “Oh, you didn't pass your previous class. Well, let's just put you through that cycle again.” Or, “Let's take you off track, because you didn't do it yet.” Instead of doing that, we are building a course that invites students in to revisit things that they have misunderstood previously, and putting the information in a new context, so it's really exciting. So, that would be one of the big things that I would like anyone who chooses to watch this to take away: That we don't need to label students and take away opportunities for them, that they will jump in and engage and show off.