v. Sample Mini-PACT (UCB)

Below is the mini-pact assignment example from UC Berkeley’s math methods.

EDUC 235: Elementary Teaching in Mathematics

Spring 2006

Mathematics Lesson B: (Focus on Teaching and Learning)

Choose an individual or small group of students whom you and your master teacher feel would benefit from an individualized lesson. (If you’re comfortable teaching a whole class lesson, that’s fine, but it is not required.) Choose a lesson that we have done in class, from a resource we have used in class, from a resource provided you by your Master Teacher, or any other source (with my approval) and teach it to your target student(s). Your lesson must use external representations and engage your student(s) in reflection through writing or drawing about what they have learned. The work that your student(s) produce from the lesson must provide you with some information about how they are thinking about the mathematics addressed by your lesson.

Write a brief description of the lesson and what you learned from teaching it. Attach a copy of the student work from the lesson as well as any other materials you used. Your write-up must include:

Summary of planning and teaching— Describe your target student(s), state your lesson objectives, describe how the lesson utilized representations, and answer the following questions:

·  What mathematics were you teaching? Why were you teaching it? Where does it fit into the CA math standards?

·  How does this lesson meet the specific needs of your target student(s)?

·  How do the external representations support your target student(s) mathematical understandings?

Reflection of teaching and learning—Briefly describe how the lesson actually progressed. Present your analysis of the lesson based on attached sample(s) of student work. Refer to student work sample(s) to support your conclusions. Be sure to answer the following questions:

·  What did you learn about yourself as a teacher?

·  What seemed to be successful/ not successful? To what do you attribute this?

·  What did the student(s) do and what did you learn about their thinking about the mathematics?

·  Is this consistent with current theory and research?

·  What would you do as a follow-up to the lesson? What specific activities would you plan to enhance the understanding of your target student(s)? Why?

Bring in student work on March 15; full write-up due March 22. (Be prepared to share your lesson informally in class on the 15th.)

Source: UC Berkeley

Created: Spring 2006