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Peer Teaching Module:

Chapter 11 Developing Whole-Number Place Values Concepts

Chapter 12 Developing Strategies for Addition and Subtraction Computation

Introducing Computational Estimation

Aaron Lawlor

St. Thomas University

17 October 2016

Textbook chapter summaries:

Chapter 11: Pg. 183-207
Running head: PEER TEACHING MODULE 2

Chapter 11 focused on Developing Whole-Number place values and

Concepts. Students learn the idea of a whole number at a very young age. Students

in kindergarten and grade 1 will often times count numbers by ones. Students are

then being introduced to grouping by 10s. There are three different methods for

counting. Counting by ones, counting by groups and counting by 10s and 1s. It is

important in the younger years to try to get students to use items they may

interested in. It is important to start introducing students to grouping ideas before

the lesson begins as they are already making connections to real life this can be

done using cups, pencils etc. Place value mats are a great way for students to

organize their work. It is extremely important to try to link numbers to every day life

and get students more interested in numbers. A great way to assess your students

is through diagnostic interviews and seeing how they answer your questions.

Chapter 12: Pg. 208-230

This chapter focused on developing strategies for addition and subtraction

computation. Students must ensure they understand the algorithm they are using.

Some important strategies for operations include: estimations, mental calculation,

written supports, direct modelling, standard algorithms and technology. Student

generated strategies showed much more success over the standard algorithms.

They showed less errors and less re-teaching. The teacher must be aware math

practices can be studied differently across country. Some countries take pride in

mental and not showing their work. Avoid answering right away. Allow the students

time to reflect their answers. It is important to encourage students along the way

and provide a positive environment stress it is okay to be wrong. The chapter

showed many great examples for strategies for adding and subtracting. Estimation

is something that many students are fearful of and lack confidence. Try to get

students to think of estimations they may have to make in their every day life. A
Running head: PEER TEACHING MODULE 3

good way of assessing would be to use a diagnostic interview to ensure they are

understanding how estimations works properly.

Peer Teaching Focus Concept

Introducing Computational Estimation: Chapter 12 pg. 225-229

For the following lesson plan the main focus will be placed on

introducing students to computational estimation. There are many choices

out there to be made with regards to how we find a reasonable answer. The

goal of learning computational estimation is to able to flexibly and quickly

come with an approximate result. Estimation is valuable in every day life and

something students should feel more comfortable doing. A lot of students

find computational estimations to be very uncomfortable.

Students are introduced to this concept as young as grade 2. The goal

is to get students thinking about developing strategies what a computational

estimation is. Students will continue to add new strategies all the way up

through middle school. Students should be introduced to two 2-digit number

computations in grade 3. Students should start with the basics and lower

numbers and move up as students learn to grasp the concept.

The teacher provided a simple activity for students who have just

grasped the lower numbers. They are now ready to move up to higher

numbers. Students are asked to then describe how they solved their

estimation. This ensures students are using their strategies and not simply

making a guess. It is also important after the teacher is confident the

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students understand to provide activities that allow for students to make

connections between estimations and every day life. It is important to make

the students aware estimating will be a part of their everyday lives.

Lesson plan: Introducing Computational Estimation

Subject: Grade: 3 Length: 1 hour Date: Oct, 17th

Mathematics 2016
Before the lesson:

Title: Introducing computational estimations

Objective: Students will leave feeling more confident in their estimations.

Students will be able to explain how they figured out their estimation. By
the end of the lesson students should be more aware of how estimations
can be used in every day life.

New Brunswick Curricular Objectives:

GCO: Number: Develop number sense
o SCO: N8: Apply estimation strategies to predict sums and
differences of two 2-digit numerals in a problem solving
context. (Pg 38)
o Students need to understand that estimation is a valuable and
useful life skill that is used on a daily basis by many people.
Estimates can be very broad and general, or they can be quite
close to the actual answer. It all depends on the reason for
estimating, and these reasons can vary in context and
according to the needs of the individual at the time. Estimation
is a skill that should be part of every problem solving process
and these problems should be in a relevant context.

NCTM: Grades 35 Expectations:

Students should be able to:

o understand the place-value structure of the base-ten number
system and be able to represent and compare whole numbers
and decimals;
o recognize equivalent representations for the same number and
generate them by decomposing and composing numbers;
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o develop understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as

parts of a collection, as locations on number lines, and as
divisions of whole numbers;
o use models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to judge the
size of fractions;
o recognize and generate equivalent forms of commonly used
fractions, decimals, and percents;
o explore numbers less than 0 by extending the number line and
through familiar applications; describe classes of numbers
according to characteristics such as the nature of their factors.

Text source:
Van de Walle, et al. (2015)

Materials needed:
Student work sheets
Extra sheets for students to test out their strategies
Manipulatives available for students struggling to grasp grouping
numbers or extra aide when using front end methods.
o Single unit objects
o Place value mats for students to draw their work out if needed
Pencils for students
Notebook to take anecdotal notes in.
White board markers
White board

During the lesson:

Students will begin by starting with a pair and share brainstorm.

What is the difference between an estimation and a guess? Student
will discuss amongst themselves then discuss with the teacher to
ensure students understand the difference. (5 mins)
Teacher will ask the students how do you make an estimate? Can
anyone share a personal strategy of their own? Teacher will wait until
a good amount of hands are raised and then ask for a few examples.
The teacher will then explain her own strategies or clarify some of
the strategies presented. (10 mins)
o A. Front end
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o B. Rounding
o C. Compatible numbers
Students will then be given the first practice sheet. The teacher will
observe and take anecdotal notes while the students work. The
students will then discuss as a class which strategies they used and
why. This can help open students minds on how to use a strategy
they may have been struggling with. (10 mins)
Word questions to work on and be discussed in small groups of 2-3.
Teacher should be observing and taking anecdotal notes. (15-20
mins)
After the activity is over discuss with the students how these
problems could relate to their every day lives. Can we can come up
with other ideas of how we might use estimation as a benefit in our
lives? (5-10mins)
Class discussion and sum up. The teacher will highlight the key
points learned for the lesson. The teacher will ask students for help
along the way to ensure they learned key facts. Can they now
understand how estimations can be beneficial in everyday life? Did
students learn how to apply more than one strategy? (10 mins)

Evaluation:
The teacher should be taking anecdotal notes as stated in the lesson
plan while the students are working. Are they using one strategy
more than others? Did they only grasp one or do they have a
preference?
Could students make sense of how estimations can be an important
aspect in real life?
Collect their individual work sheets to see how they made out with
the original estimations. What strategy did they use for the different
problems?

Differentiation:

The teacher wanted to focus on group work so that all students can
feel included and share ideas. Students who have learning disabilities
in reading may struggle with reading the word questions. The
student will be able to have one of the group members read the
question aloud. If the students were to do all the work on their own
the student with the learning disability may be unable to read the
question and will be mistaken for not understanding estimation
strategies but the reality is they are actually struggling to read. It is
important to keep up to date with your students who have learning
disabilities and to always be conscious of this when planning the
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lesson.
For students with ADHD it is very important to not keep them bored.
By switching from teaching to activities and discusses their focus is
being changed every so often and should help keep them focused.
The pictures on the math questions could become a distraction to for
students with ADHD and may be better to give them a sheet with just
the words and no further distractions for them.
The benefit of this lesson being mostly done in pairs that students
with fine motor skills can discuss how they figures certain ideas out
and what strategies they used orally while their parent writes down
the answer
For students with hearing impairments that teacher could record
herself giving the lesson and the student could use the recording in
the class as reference to what was said and when at home as well.
Gifted: For gifted students they could be given additional word
problem sheets to work on to ensure they have enough work to keep
them distracted as well. The teacher could also take into
consideration making the numbers higher and more challenging for
gifted students to keep them happy and distracted from trouble.

After the lesson:

After completing the lesson, the teacher will reference her notes she
made during the lesson and make a judgement on how to improve
this lesson for the future.
The teacher should also make sure the students understood the
lesson and if not how could they change their teaching for the future
so that students understand better.
If the students were not using one of the strategies frequently the
teacher could try implementing a follow up lesson where they
practice using that one strategy.
The teacher should not move on until she is confident all students
have grasped each strategy.
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References:

Liu, F. (October 01, 2009). Computational Estimation Performance on Whole-

Number Multiplication by Third- and Fifth-Grade Chinese Students. School
Science and Mathematics, 109, 6, 325-337.

Seethaler, P. M., & Fuchs, L. S. (November 01, 2006). The Cognitive

Correlates of
Computational Estimation Skill among Third-Grade Students. Learning
Disabilities Research & Practice, 21, 4, 233-243.

Sowder, T. J., & Wheeler, M. M. (1989). (The Development of Concepts and

Strategies Used in Computational Estimation. Journal for Research in
Mathematics Education, 20, 2, 130-146.

Van de Walle, K., Folk, S., Karp, K., Bay-Williams, J., & McGarvey, L.M. (2015).
(4th Canadian ed).
Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally.
Toronto, ON: Person.