Creative Writing in the Math Classroom By Cate Sanazaro Constructed Response Response writing and Performance Events are designed to keep pace with changes in assessment. Constructed Response questions require students to supply, rather than select, an appropriate response. Also referred to as Open-Ended Response, Constructed Response Response usually supports more than one solution process and a wider range of possible responses. Performance events, requiring students to apply skills, also support a multi-solution process. This unit combines knowledge of current events with traditional math skills; culminating in a fun performance event that allows students to create their own solutions to the problem. OBJECTIVE Students Will:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Explore Explore cause cause and and effect effect in in relation relation to to gas price prices. s. Analy Analyze ze infor informa matio tion n on a Pie Pie Chart Chart.. Working Working within within defined defined parame parameters; ters; devel develop op a budget budget for a trip. trip. Estima Estimate te dist distan ances ces and and cos costs. ts. Substan Substantiate tiate appro appropriat priate e methods methods of calcu calculatio lations. ns. Create Create an appropria appropriate te const constructe ructed d respon response. se.
LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: 1: Interpreting Pie Charts Lesson 2: 2: Budgeting for a Trip Lesson 3: 3: Writing Constructed Responses REPRODUCIBLES
Read a Pie Chart (PDF) Project Outline Sheet (PDF) Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF) Calculating Vacation Costs Worksheet (PDF) CULMINATING ACTIVITY
Design a travel brochure showcasing showcasing your itinerary. i tinerary. These can feature real photos, prices, maps, charts. Display these after they have been presented to the class
Lesson 1
Interpreting Pie Charts By Cate Sanazaro
This portion of the lesson will cover a discussion on rising gas prices, including the cause and effect gas prices may have on budgeting for a vacation. Students will use the presented information to respond to a constructed response question. OBJECTIVE Students will:
1. Explore Explore cause cause and effect, effect, and and supply supply and demand demand in relation relation to gas prices. prices. 2. Analy Analyze ze infor informa matio tion n on a Pie Pie Chart Chart.. 3. Create Create an appropria appropriate te const constructe ructed d respon response. se. MATERIALS
1. Articles, news videos, videos, or or any pertinent information regarding current gas prices prices 2. A class set of the Scholastic News: Read a Pie Chart (PDF) SET UP AND PREPARE
A review of constructed response answers should be done previous to this lesson if necessary. Constructed response can be defined to the students as an answer they ‘construct’ using their understanding understanding of the question along with prior knowledge. The scoring guide should be reviewed to define what a top quality answer requires. Make copies of Scholastic News: Read a Pie Chart (PDF) for your class.
REPRODUCIBLES 1.
Read a Pie Chart (PDF)
DIRECTIONS Part I
responsible for planning a Step 1: Introduce the unit by telling students that they will be responsible vacation. Before they begin budgeting, they will need to consider where the money will be spent. Ask for volunteers to offer ideas of what items might be the most costly. If gas isn’t suggested, mention that this vacation will require a car trip. Discuss what the class already knows about rising gas prices. g athered information. information. Step 2: Share the articles, news videos, and other gathered Step 3: Distribute the handout, Read A Pie Chart (PDF). Discuss that the chart represents a
whole, in this case the world’s oil supplies. Encourage students to talk about which countries have the largest slice of the pie. Discuss why the Middle East oil supplies are a concern to some people.
Step 4: Ask students to answer the questions about the chart. Go over these in class,
checking for understanding. understanding. Step 5: Open up a discussion on how gas prices can affect the travel industry, and how
travelers could conserve energy. PART II
answers. Go over your rubric. Step 6: If necessary, review constructed response answers. Step 7: Pair up students to work on a constructed response question such as the following:
Think of your typical daily activities. If gasoline was no longer available, list at least five ways that would change your lifestyle. What could you personally do to conserve energy? Give Examples. Step 8: Allow partners to create one response to the question. Encourage volunteers to
share these in class. necessary for a top quality answer to this question. Model a top Step 9: Discuss elements necessary quality answer and evaluate according to the Constructed Constructed Response Scoring Guide. Encourage students to critique class answers by using the scoring guide. SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
1. Students will answer answer the questions at their own ability. Working Working with a partner will assist struggling learners 2. ESL students students may be allowed to answer the questions questions in their first language LESSON EXTENSION
Scholastic News Online’s “You’re the President” game, game , allows students to create a balanced budget using percentages percentages and pie charts. This is an excellent follow-up to this lesson. Information can be found at http://teacher.scholastic http://teach er.scholastic.com/scho .com/scholasticnews/tgu lasticnews/tguide/math.htm ide/math.htm ASSESS STUDENTS
Collect the Pie Chart handouts to check for understanding. Answers to PDF: 1. C; 2. B; 3. C; 4. A; 5. B; 6. B; 7. C. Bonus: Saudi Arabia has about 250,000,000,000 barrels; Iraq has about 100,000,000,000 barrels; The U.S. and Canada together have about 30,000,000,000 barrels.
Assess the constructed response questions by checking for complete answers that contain information covered during discussion. discussion. Use the Rubric Maker to create your own. Sample Rubric for Scoring a Constructed Response Question 3—Response is successful in the following ways:
•
• •
It demonstrates an ability to analyze the stimulus material thoughtfully and in depth. It responds appropriately to all parts of the question It demonstrates proficiency with conventions of standard written English
2—Response demonstrates understanding of the topic, but is limited in one or more of the following ways: • • •
It may indicate a misreading of the stimulus material or provide superficial analysis It may respond to one or more parts of the question inadequately inadequately or not at all It may contain significant writing errors
1—Response is inadequate in one or more of the following ways: •
• • •
It may demonstrate weak understanding of the subject matter or of the writing task It may fail to respond adequately to most part of the question It may be incoherent or severely underdeveloped It may contain significant and persistent writing errors
0—Response is blank, off-topic, totally incorrect, or merely rephrases the question. ASSIGNMENTS
Provide answers to the questions on the Pie Chart (PDF) handout Create a response to the constructed response question with a partner.
HOME CONNECTION
Suggest that students ask parents and/or grandparents if they can recall a previous time in their lives when gas prices were in the news. EVALUATE THE LESSON
Do you think any part of this lesson was unclear? What can you provide to make the lesson more meaningful and personal to the student? How would you evaluate student’s understanding of constructed response answers? `
Lesson 2
Budgeting for a Trip By Cate Sanazaro
tudents will use the provided information to plan and calculate a round-trip vacation. OBJECTIVE Students will:
1. Develop Develop a budget budget for a trip, trip, while while working working within defin defined ed paramet parameters. ers. 2. Estima Estimate te dist distan ances ces and and cos costs. ts. 3. Substan Substantiate tiate appro appropriat priate e methods methods of calcu calculatio lations. ns. MATERIALS
Project Outline Sheet (PDF) 2. Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF) 3. Atlases 4. Calc alculato lators rs 1.
SET UP AND PREPARE
Make copies of the Project Outline Sheets (PDF) and Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF) for the class 2. Prepare Prepare a list of 6 resort location locationss ranging ranging in distance distance from approxi approximate mately ly 700 to 2000 miles one way from your location 3. Provide Provide student studentss with the mileag mileage e one way to these these 6 destin destination ationss 4. Gather Gather atlases, atlases, road road maps, and and any other other useful useful travel resourc resources es for class class use 5. Copy the Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF) to a transparency for overhead display (optional) 1.
REPRODUCIBLES 1. 2.
Project Outline Sheet (PDF) Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF)
DIRECTIONS Step 1: Distribute to the students:
Project Outline Sheets (PDF) Calculating Vacation Costs (PDF) M odel a completion of Calculating Step 2: Review the project information with the class. Model Vacation Costs worksheet. It may be helpful to copy a sheet onto an overhead transparency. Step 3: Allow two class periods to complete the performance event.
Worksheet for a grade. Step 4: Students submit the Calculating Vacation Costs Worksheet SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
1. Students who struggle with the math concepts in this lesson may work with a partner 2. ESL students may complete work in their first language LESSON EXTENSION
Alternate trips can be calculated by giving the students other guidelines to follow. Example: With $500 gas money, plan a round-trip from your hometown to as many National Parks, State Parks, and State Capitals as possible. Atlases, maps, state brochures, etc. will be needed. ASSESS STUDENTS
Use the Rubric Maker to create your own. Sample Rubric for Scoring the Calculating Vacation Worksheet 40 points — Outstanding 30 points — Proficient •
Shows an appropriate method that supports the calculation of the costs of a fully developed vacation. Clearly shows that they stayed within the budget.
20 points — Emergent •
Part of the task is accomplished, but neither the total cost nor the method for calculation will accomplish the whole task
10 points — Attempted •
It is evident that the student engaged in the task, but the task was misconceived. misconceived.
0 points — Off task or no attempt. ASSIGNMENTS •
•
Following instructions and using the resources and information provided, students complete a budget for a vacation Hand in the Calculating Vacation Worksheet for a grade
HOME CONNECTION
Students are encouraged to take this project home and request a parent to check their calculations. EVALUATE THE LESSON
Does the quality of the work show understanding and enthusiasm for the project? Can you think of any other information that would assist the student? Does the rubric fairly assess the project?
Lesson 3
Writing Constructed Responses By Cate Sanazaro
Utilizing prior knowledge and experience gained from the previous lessons in this unit, students will complete a constructed response response question providing top quality answers. OBJECTIVE Students will:
1. Create Create an appropria appropriate te const constructe ructed d respon response. se. 2. Develop Develop an understan understanding ding of assessme assessment nt for constructe constructed d response. response. MATERIALS
1. Comp Comple lete ted d Pie Pie Char Charts ts 2. Completed Calculating Vacation Costs Workshee Worksheets ts (PDF) 3. Constructed Response Scoring Guide (See assessment assessment in this lesson) lesson) SET UP AND PREPARE
1. Supply Supply complet completed ed work from from Lessons Lessons One One and Two for for each studen studentt 2. Prepare Prepare a top quality answer answer for construct constructed ed response response questi questions ons for modeling modeling 3. Provide Provide copies copies of the the Construc Constructed ted Respons Response e Scoring Scoring Guide Guide REPRODUCIBLES 1.
Calculating Vacation Costs Worksheet (PDF)
DIRECTIONS
assignment: Step 1: Give students the following assignment: Utilizing all of the information and work previously completed in Lessons One and Two, provide a complete answer to a constructed response question. Refer to the Constructed Response Scoring Guide to check for completion. Sample questions:
1) How could a pie chart be used to represent your budgeted vacation? vacation? Explain what the slices of your pie represent. Give examples. 2) Give 3 examples of how you could have improved improved the budgeting of your trip? How would you rate the success of your vacation on a scale of 1-5? Explain. 3) How did current gas prices affect the quality of your vacation? Give examples of ways your trip would have changed if gas cost $1.00 per gallon. g allon.
Step 2: Allow a full class session to answer questions. Encourage students to write a draft,
edit and rewrite for completion. completion. Students should refer to the scoring guide to check progress. Step 3: Share answers in class and discuss how the answers would score on your grading
scale. Allow students to voice opinion on scoring. Step 4: Model top quality answers. SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
1. Review the elements of constructed response response answers if necessary 2. Assist students in converting information into an acceptable acceptable answer LESSON EXTENSION
Invite students to create constructed response questions, and engage the class in providing answers. ASSESS STUDENTS
Check for understanding understanding during writing process. process. Assess the answers answers according to the scoring guide. Use the Rubric Maker to create your own. Sample Rubric for Scoring a Constructed Response Question 3—The response is successful in the following ways: •
• •
It demonstrates an ability to analyze the stimulus material thoughtfully and in depth It responds appropriately to all parts of the question It demonstrates proficiency with conventions of standard written English
2—The response demonstrates understanding of the topic, but is limited in one or more of the following ways: • • •
It may indicate a misreading of the stimulus material or provide superficial analysis It may respond to one or more parts of the question inadequately inadequately or not at all It may contain significant writing errors
1—The response is inadequate in one or more of the following ways: •
• • •
It may demonstrate weak understanding of the subject matter or of the writing task It may fail to respond adequately to most part of the question It may be incoherent or severely underdeveloped It may contain significant and persistent writing errors
0—Response is blank, off-topic, totally incorrect, or merely rephrases the question. ASSIGNMENTS
•
•
Provide a constructed response answer to a question utilizing information from previous lessons Discuss completed answers and evaluate according to the scoring guide
HOME CONNECTION
Completed budgets budgets can be taken home to compare with an actual family vacation. EVALUATE THE LESSON • • •
How do you feel about the quality of the constructed response answers? Do your students understand what is necessary for a top score? In what other methods could you introduce constructed response questions to your curriculum?
