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Playing With Decimals

Elementary, Middle

Description

This is a math lesson that allows students to practise adding and subtracting decimals. It is designed for students in grades 1 to 6 and draws attention to quality of life differences in developed and developing nations.  Students will complete a worksheet that illustrates cost of living requirements and challenges of those living on less than $2.00 a day.  These calculations serve as a springboard to a larger discussion of economic and social inequity.

 

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Adding and subtracting decimals.

Strengths

  • The resource integrates math and sustainability.
  • The lesson can be used to address a many math outcomes.
  • The resource is readily available and easy to use.
  • The resource effectively draws awareness to the struggle of some families in developing countries through concrete examples. 

Weaknesses

  • Students should be given more opportunity to clarify their own values relating to issues.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • Organizing and representing quantitative information develops additive and multiplicative thinking to make meaningful connections and support problem solving
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        • Fractions and decimals are types of numbers that can represent quantities
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      • Math
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Numbers describe quantities that can be represented by equivalent fractions
    • Grade 6
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      • Math
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        • Mixed numbers and decimal numbers represent quantities that can be decomposed into parts and wholes

Themes Addressed

Human Rights (1)

  • Poverty

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good
  • The resource provides students with a perspective different to the standard perception of Canadian lifestyles.
  • Conclusions are drawn by the students themselves based on their calculations and empirical data provided by the UN.
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory
  • This resource adequately addresses the economic and social dimensions of the issues being addressed.
  • Teachers will have to integrate the environmental dimension.
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Satisfactory
  • The primary focus of the resource is building math skills. It does however build an effective context for a systems thinking discussion of poverty and inequity.
Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Poor/Not considered
  • This math skill-building lessson does not provide opportunities for students to participate in authentic action experiences.
Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory
  • Although students are encouraged to reflect upon completion of the activity, they are not given explicit instructions  to articulate their own values. 
Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Very Good
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory
  • Students can relate to the basic necessities needed for survival.
  • Little emphasis is placed on localizing issues addressed within this resource.
Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Poor/Not considered
  • The resource does not explicitly address the past or future.
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

There is no attempt to steer children to any particular position.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory
  • Excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching are provided, but these opportunities are not fully explored within this resource.
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory
  • Students are presented within engaging scenarios and information. 
  • Although steered towards specific answers, they are encouraged to reflect on the answers which they reach.
Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered
  • Methods of differentiation are not explicitly addressed within this resource.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory
  • The primary goal of the lesson is math skill building as opposed to application.
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
  • Students are encouraged to discuss their findings with peers, but are not explicitly taught cooperative learning skills.
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory
  • An answer key for activity sheet is provided.
  • Assessment strategies are not explicitly addressed.
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Satisfactory
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Poor/Not considered
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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