Lesson Plan for Property Poem Project: (This is a culminating lesson during a unit on Properties of Real Numbers).

In addition to poems, I have had students write and perform songs, raps, and short skits. This is a great way to pull literacy into the math classroom.

Goal: Allow students to use and apply their understanding of the math field properties by writing poems. Requirements for the poems include: a definition of the property, example of the property, a synonym of the property as well as additional writing requirements such as an example of figurative literature.

Objective: To deepen understanding and the meaning of properties by identifying definitions and synonyms and examples of the covered properties.

Curriculum area: Number and Number sense – continue exploring the properties of real numbers by creating a poem about a property.

Related Standards/Supported Curriculum Areas (NH): Able to demonstrate conceptual understanding of equality (Functions and Algebra:8–4). Ability to understand and apply properties of numbers (Numbers and Operations:7-8). This work is embedded with work we are doing on evaluating (F&A:7-3) and solving algebraic expressions.

Prior Knowledge: Students have been exposed to the six field properties in the last few weeks. This will be a culminating activity where by the students will be able to use their current understanding of the properties and apply this information to help them fully internalize the application of the properties.

Materials and Resources: Students will be provided with rhyming dictionaries (various reading levels of the dictionary will be provided as not all students are on the same reading levels) as well, students will have the option to use the online resources, etc. Students will be provided with example brainstorm ideas for the distributive property as well as the resulting distributive property poem. Students will be given:

  • example brainstorm list of ideas for distributive property
  • completed distributive property poem
  • worksheet to streamline brainstorm ideas
  • group assignments as well as job assignment within group
  • requirements sheet
  • rubric

Motivation: We will be writing poems to describe the associative, commutative, identity (addition and multiplication), and equality of addition and subtraction properties. This will be a creative literacy piece to enhance the depth of understanding of some key properties.

Implementation:

Review briefly the properties in the flip charts we have been studying.

Give directions and a description of project today.

Poems to be written:

  • Associative Property
  • Commutative Property
  • Multiplication Property of Identity
  • Addition Property of Identity
  • Equality Property of Addition
  • Equality Property of Subtraction

Students to be in groups of 3-4. I specifically assign struggling students into groups with stronger math students. Many of the struggling math students are excellent English students so they will be able to provide extra knowledge and finesse to their group’s poem. The balancing of the groups will allow all students to be more successful. Jobs within the small groups include the Scribe, the Property Researcher, the Master of the Rhyme, and the Speaker. See attached list for group assignments.

I allow one person from each group to pick a property out of a hat.

Details of Jobs/Work to be done: (I have a worksheet with the following items to be filled in while working as a group)

  1. Brain storm ideas for the poem including:
  2. property definition,
  3. examples of property,
  4. why it might be used in solving problems,
  5. how it is used or how it is NOT used
  6. Other meanings of the same words
  7. Anything really, just use your imagination
  8. Find synonyms for the property, its definition, how it is used, etc. This will become extra parts of your poem if you need it.
  9. Remember, not all poems have to rhyme all of the time. You can write a poem such as a limerick that has a certain number of syllables per line, but it is a repeating pattern of syllables.
  10. Begin writing your poem. You will also need to have a numerical example of your property but you do not have to have the example in your poem but it would be fun if you can work it into the poem
  11. When your poem is complete, your scribe must write it on the overhead transparency. The Speaker of the group will explain the property, give a numerical example of the property and read the poem created.

Example of a poem and itsdevelopment process included.

Example brainstorm for ideas on the distributive property…

  • Distribute evenly
  • Gives us two equivalent expressions
  • Dealing out evenly to everyone in the parenthesis
  • Distribute means: to divide or give out equal shares. Deal out or allot. To pass out or deliver. To expand in a particular way to form an equivalent expression, as a(b + c) = ab + ac. For any numbers, a,b and c, a times the quantify of b plus c equals a times b plus a times c.
  • A number multiplied by the sum of two other numbers
  • The distributive property in algebra is handy to help get rid of parenthesis.
  • The Distributive Property helps with mental math –
  • Basic tool
  • Property: a rule or a law. A special way of doing a problem that follows certain rules.

Use zone.comto help with rhyming words…you may take turns on the computer.

Closure: In your journal, describe your property that you wrote your poem on today. Give 2 numerical examples and explain in your own words how this property could be useful when isolating a variable.

Assessment: See included rubric for assessment areas. As a whole, each group of students will be presenting their own poems to the class enabling the other students to hear another definition and interpretation of the properties.

References

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

"K-12 NH Mathematics Curriculum Framework." NH Department of Education. Jun. 2006. 26 Feb. 2009. <

Sample poem that I shared with students prior to their writing their own.

Distribute, Distribute, Distribute

A property is a rule or law

That may just prove to be something of awe.

Distribute means to giveeven amounts.

You must know this like knowing how to count.

Together thesecreate

A distributive property of how to relate.

A number multiplied by a sum in parenthesis,

Must follow a rule of thumb.

The number must be spread out evenly

To all inside the parenthesis.

We will get equivalent expressions

Before and after we distribute our expression.

We must expand expression one,

Given “A” times the sum of “B”plus “C”.

Expand we do to expression two

“A” times “B”plus“A” times “C” is not too hard to do.

This is our new basic tool,

It’s really just a rule.

To help us in our pursuit to solve

All expressions we must resolve.

Property Poem Project –PPP (student handout)

Individual Group Jobs- decide on which job each person in the group will have.

  • Scribe – this person will take all notes and write up the final copy of the poem
  • Property Researcher – this person will gather the information about the definition of the property and make sure that all information about the property is correct.
  • Master of the Rhyme – this person will help find rhyming words and make sure that an example of figurative literature is used in the poem.
  • Spokes Person – this person will be the one to pose any questions the group has during their investigation as well as the person who will present the poem to the class. (If you only have a 3 person group, the scribe will also be the Spokes Person).

**Additionally ** Each individual will be responsible for 3 ideas for the poem

  • You need to think of at least 10 possible ideas for your poem. Each member of the group should think of at least 3 ideas. Write the ideas on the brainstorm sheet giving credit to the member that thought of it by putting their initials after the idea.

Final Poem Requirements:

  • Must have a meaningful title preferably with pizzazz
  • Must include the definition of the property (this should be highlighted)
  • Must include an algebraic or numeric example (this should be circled)
  • Must include information on why or how we could use this property solving equations
  • At least one synonym of the property must be included in the poem. For example, in the distributive property poem, I used the synonym “to give out evenly”.
  • Must include one figurative language example (this should be underlined)
  • You must work cooperatively in your group. I will be monitoring your individual contributions as well as how well your group manages time.
  • May be a rhyming poem but this is not required. Remember, there are lots of poems that do not rhyme.

Brainstorm List

IdeaContributor initials

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Properties Poem Project Rubric

Your job in the group was to ______.

I felt like I did a ______job at being a ______.

Grading of the Poem:(Grade yourself 1-5Self AssessmentTeacher

per item. 5 is perfect)

Meaningful title______

Definition of the property included______

Example of the property in the poem______

How to use this property solving equations in poem______

At least one synonym of the property ______

At least one example of figurative language present______

Poem has correct spelling ______

Poem uses correct punctuation and capitalization______

Group Work

Did you brainstorm at least 3 ideas yourself______

Did your group work cooperatively?______

Did your group use and manage class time effectively?______

Did each person get a chance to add to the poem?______

Did you do your job well?______

Final Copy of poem

Poem typed and presented neatly. The poem must fit

on a single page. Names of all group members on poem.______

Poem presented clearly in class______

Rubric present and self graded on the day poem is due______