Overland Trail:

Day 11 and 12
Objective: Students see how a graph can be used to illustrate a relationship between two
different quantities.
This lesson fit in with my question perfectly. In algebra, a graph is a visual picture of a
real-life situation.
In this lesson, students first looked at unscaled graphs that related two quantities.

They interpreted the graphs in terms of the

problem situation.

Next, they presented their interpretation to the class. The teacher (Amber Regan) asked
them questions to help them clarify their explanations.

(Video Clip click twice to play)

Then they discussed adding

scaling to the graphs. This
would help the information
concerning the relationship
be more complete. In order to
do this, the students had to
decide what range of values
would be appropriate for the
situation and the quantities
involved.
Reflection:
While they were working on this assignment, I had the
opportunity to interact with the students. Some situations
seemed to be more difficult for them to explain. By relating it back to the context of the
problem and reminding them of the information they already knew, either from common
sense or from previous lessons, they were able to complete the task. As I wandered
around the room, students were discussing the problems and how they knew that it made
sense with one another. Amber was a resource for them during this time, but they didnt
automatically turn to her for the answer. Rather they tried to puzzle it out for themselves
first.
By the end of class, most students were well on their way to having the assignment
completed. In addition, there were many charts of previous work on the walls. It was
evident that the previous lessons, as well as this one, were building towards
understanding and using the Rule of Four. Effectively using the tables and
understanding the graphs will be an important part of them being successful with
algebraic equations. Being able to appropriately connect the equations, tables, and graphs
to a real-life situation truly shows an understanding of the math they are doing.
On a personal note, there were students in the class that I had had in 5th and 6th grade. One
was a student who sometimes struggled with new math concepts, one was an EL student
who sometimes struggled with explaining herself, and one was a high functioning math
student. It was satisfying to see them ALL being successful with the math they were
learning.
It was clear that the format of this lesson contributed to the success that the students were
having. They were comfortable with sharing their work with the class. They were used to
asking questions to clarify or to disagree with their peers. The teacher was not the only
resource available to them. They worked together and were productive doing so. They
showed confidence in their ability to learn. All of these practices are critical to being
successful with mathematics (and life as well!).