Tell Me a Story

TEEP resource

Lesson: Tell Me A Story

Features:This lesson illustrates the capacity of a graph to model a real situation. This lesson uses groups to cooperatively prepare and present hypothetical ‘stories’ based on graphs. This lesson allows students to present knowledge in a variety of ways.

Teacher / Cycle / Lesson Plan – Tell Me a Story / Principles / Learners
This lesson illustrates the capacity of a graph to model a real situation.
This lesson uses groups to cooperatively prepare and present hypothetical ‘stories’ based on graphs.
Opportunity to motivate learners to think about what a picture tells the viewer and what can be interpreted from what is seen and that mathematics has its own language to tell a story. / Prepare for Learning / Physical: Make sure the room is suitable for students to work in groups.
Arrange seating so that groups can talk quietly without distractions from others.
Intellectual:
Use the whiteboard and links to the internet or otherwise to show students examples of how a picture can tell a story.
Make the connection that a graph is a mathematical picture and it can also tell a story. /

Use of ICT
Sets a context for further discussions

/ Opportunity to establish the difference between facts and opinions and interpretations.
When the learning outcomes are clear the teacher can assess the success of the lesson by whether the students achieve the learning outcomes. / Agree Learning Outcomes / Learners will be able to read and interpret distance time graphs and explain their findings to others using mathematical thinking.
You will be successful if you demonstrate sound mathematical thinking, like making reasonable assumptions and using examples to explain your data. / The students need to have clear learning goals and know how they can demonstrate their learning Learners have a language to communicate mathematical thinking in graphs

It is important that all learners be given time to think about the graph and what story it conveys. Strategies like ‘Think pair share’ would be appropriate.
Teacher will use the time to observe/note

Vocab used
Reasonableness of assumptions
 Links to specific examples
Level of understanding of relationship between distance and time / Present New Information / Learners discuss simple distance time graph

A copy of the above graph is displayed on a white board for all the class to see. Discussion should bring out the concepts of direction, time, distance and speed.
Key Question:
What is this graph telling you?
Learners are given time to consider individually before sharing with other learners.
Teacher will model correct responses using appropriate mathematical language. /

AfL – teacher has an opportunity to assess the level of understanding that learners bring to the lesson.

Effective T&L – Using strategies like ‘think pair share’ make sure that all learners are involved.
Focussed questions

/ Learners need think time and all learners need to have formed a view about what the graph says.
Opportunity to indicate nature of prior knowledge
Tell learners clearly why group work is to be used.
State a time limit for the activity and your expectations of behaviour.
During the activity the teacher should visit each group to

Encourage each learners to talk about what they can see
Help learners ‘read’ such things as speed, cars passing each other etc

Encourage learners to add a creative element to their interpretation. / Construct Meaning / Learners put into appropriate groups of 3 or 4. Learners analyse a graph showing the movements of several cars relative to the video store. Each learner will need a copy of the graph to look at. During discussion, each learner should fill in the ‘Information Sheet’ (sample supplied) about what the graph conveys about the movement of the chosen cars.
Each group should agree on four cars to discuss / Collaborative problem solving
Use of higher order thinking skills / Opportunity for individual thinking
Opportunity to build on ideas of others.
Opportunity to be creative.
Teacher should visit each group to:

Ensure that ideas are being recorded
encourage a balance between mathematical accuracy and creativity
stimulate ideas if discussion is slowing down
encourage all members of the group to share in the presentation rather than leave it to one spokesperson

/ Apply to Demonstrate / Each group is allocated one of the cars on the graph according to the type. Each group must prepare a presentation to describe what their car did and what they saw from their car. The presentation can take any of a variety of forms. Some examples are:
Role play – students as passengers in car
Power point presentation
Photostory/moviemaker presentation using photos from the internet
Written report /

Collaborative problem solving
Accelerated learning
AfL
Use of higher order thinking skills

/ Allowing a variety of presentation formats caters for differences in learning styles and interests of students
When and where teacher intervenes to correct misconceptions is a matter of professional judgement. It should not stifle students’ opportunity to think the problem through. / Review / During group work teacher should be looking out for common misconceptions and be prepared to intervene where necessary.
At the end of the lesson the groups should be asked to present. Deconstruction of each presentation could be carried out and peer feedback given to each group.

Construct Meaning Information Grid

Your group should pick four cars to work on

For each of the four cars each group member should fill in the spaces in the table giving comments for each car on the five variables of speed, distance from video store, direction travelled, time and include some possible explanations.

Name of car / Speed / Distance from video store / Direction travelled / Important Times / Possible Explanations
Name of car / Speed / Distance from video store / Direction travelled / Important Times / Possible Explanations