Lesson Plan Format

 

Name:__Josh Gray__    Date:______11/10/04_    Age/Grade Level:___5-8_______

 Subject:_____Math_____  # of Students: __24______    # of IEP Students:_________

 Major content:_Algebra_  Unit Title: _Bouncing Tennis Balls_

 

 Goals and Objectives-

1.  Develop the ability to collect data and record data in a table. 

2.  Make a graph to display data using correct labels and scale 

3.  Recognize what varies in an experiment. 

4.  Name the independent and dependent variables in a problem

 Connections-

1.  MA-M-3.3.4          How probability and statistics are used to make predictions and/or draw conclusions.  This will show the class that you are able to use probability and statistics to make conclusions. 

2.  MA-M-3.2.1          Organize, represent, analyze, and interpret sets of data.  We will be analyzing and trying to interpret the set of data from the bouncing of the ball activity.

3.  MA-M-4.1.3          Rectangular (Cartesian) coordinate system/grid and ordered pairs.  This objective is being accomplished by having the children graph there results.

4.  MA-M-4.2.5          Represent and use functions through tables, graphs, verbal rules, and equations.  As for this objective it is being accomplished once again from the results of bouncing the ball.

5.  MA-M-4.3.1          How everyday situations, tables, graphs, patterns, verbal rules, and equations relate to each other.  By bouncing the ball and using time we are relating time and the number of bounces.  We are using graphs, tables, and patterns to see how these two things relate to one another

6.  MA-M-4.3.2          How the change in one variable affects the change in another variable (e.g., if rate remains constant, an increase in time results in an increase in distance).  This is accomplished seeing by seeing if the ball bounces more or less, higher or lower as time goes on.

 

Context-

My broad goals for this class are for the students to learn algebra and some probability and statistics, in a fun and enjoyable way.  This activity is hopefully going to make learning data recording and graphing fun and therefore keep the students more interested.  This teaches kinds good hand eye coordination not just algebra.  By analyzing this data, hopefully my students will see that data is not just for writing down but you may actually make a conclusion about some stuff 

 Resources-

1. A copy of the student activity sheet, “Bouncing Tennis Balls” for each student

2. Tennis Balls one for each team of four students

3. A clock or watch with a second hand

4. Centimeter Graph Paper

5. A spreadsheet program or a graphing calculator

 Procedures-

The teacher will assign groups of four.  Then the first person will bounce the ball, and a bounce, consist of dropping the ball from your waist line.  Another student will keep time, while the third member counts the bounces and the fourth records the data.  The timekeeper will call out the time after ten seconds, and after two minutes all the members will rotate to another position.  This continues until every person has done all positions. 

Once the data collection is over, each student will make a graph showing the bounces in the two minute time limit. This graph can be made by hand, graphing calculator, or by a spreadsheet.  Then have a group discussion as well as class discussion.

 Student Assessment-

We will assess the students by looking at there graphs as well as them write a one page paper on how the bouncing of the ball related with the time that has gone by on the clock.  Lastly we will ask the students what they think, if they enjoyed it and were able to learn from the activity.