Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol

Adapted from: Smith, Margaret Schwan, Victoria Bill, and Elizabeth K. Hughes.
Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol: Successfully Implementing High-Level Tasks.
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School 14 (October 2008): 132-138.

PART 1: SELECTING AND SETTING UP A MATHEMATICAL TASK

Students should be able to understand that for any function,
What are your
if they want to describe it, they have to say how they
mathematical goals for the
manipulated the input to find the output. This can then be
lesson (i.e., what is it that
done using an equation, graphs, tables, or words. The
you want students to know
particular standard asks students to derive y=mx+b, but
and understand about
truthfully my goal is for them to realize that slope and unit
mathematics as a result of
rate are the same thing (manipulating an input) and that the
this lesson)?
y-intercept represents a constant that will always be added
or subtracted from the manipulated input.
The students have already learned about functions, slope,
and y-intercept. Knowing functions is important because
they need to recognize that a line is a function- one input
leads to one and only one output. The task is going to give
them a word problem, and they will have to represent it as a
In what ways does the task
function. They learned about slope, but since I didn't teach
build on students previous
them slope I'm a little nervous that their idea of what "rate
knowledge?
of change" is will be somewhat narrow. I think this task will
help to expand it beyond just "finding it on the graph". Their
knowledge of y-intercept is likely going to be "the point
where the graph intersects the y-axis," but I don't think they
will understand much of the math behind that either, so this
will be a chance to explore that.
What definitions, concepts, To start, they need to know how to plot points on a graph,
or ideas do students need find patterns in functions, read for meaning, and they'll have
to know in order to begin to have at least some collaboration skills to work together to
to work on the task? solve the task. They also need problem-solving skills, since
I'm not giving them a formula or verbal cues on what to use.
What questions will you What does slope represent? What is x when we're at our y-
ask to help students access intercept?
their prior knowledge? What doesn't change about the amount of points the team
will have throughout the whole game?
Do I have an input and an output? What does this word
problem represent?
Most students will likely solve the first question using some
form of equation where they multiply the amount of points
per quarter by four, and then add the rest of the points. So
this will be my gateway to introducing y=mx+b...
What in this equation can we change? (this shows that m
and b are constant, whereas we can adjust x)
Remember how a while ago we talked about changing the
parent functions? In this case, what would the parent
function be? (discuss what y=x means in this case) What
 changed it?

1. Students can multiply each star's points per quarter by

What are at least three
ways the task can be
solved?
Which of these methods do
you think your students will
use? The first one. I think it's the easiest one, at least.
four (or add them up four times), and then add on the rest of
the team's points.
2. Students could split the 15 point difference between four
quarters and add it to Griffin's points per quarter, and then
compare that number with Curry's.
3. They could find the difference between the points that the
teams are making
(15) and compare that to the total difference in points that
the stars are making (8 points)

What misconceptions
might students have?
They might try and continue the graph into the negatives,
which doesn't make sense in this case. Or they might be
confused on how the points that the team is making is
consistent regardless of the quarters played by the star
player, but I doubt they'll read that far into it.
Like I said earlier, I think they might have problems
translating slope to unit rate, so I'm thinking they might
have a hard time seeing how the points scored per quarter
by the star players might be the same thing as the slope of
the total points per game vs. quarters played by star
players.

I think students will be really stuck in looking for verbal cues

that tell them how to solve the problem. They don't seem to
have a lot of chances for divergent thinking, and I don't
think they're very confident in their work. But in this case
there aren't any verbal cues, so I think it will provide a good
amount of productive frustration.
I expect that they talk to each other to question each other's
What are your expectations
ideas, offer help, or clarify instructions. Every student should
for students as they work
be working on the material, or at least thinking out loud on
on and complete this task?
how to solve it. They should write down their thinking, and
be prepared to justify their answers.
What resources or tools will
students have to use in
Calculators, graph paper, and a copy of this problem
their work?

How will the students work
-- independently, in small
groups, or in pairs -- to
explore this task?
In small groups- which means I have to rearrange the
seating. I'll probably assign their groups this time, so that I
can make sure the work is getting shared. I'll also have to
come up with ground rules for effective group work, since
they really aren't used to it.
 Let them read the backstory, read the backstory together,
and ask them to start on it. I'm not going to give them a lot
How will you introduce
of instructions, but I think they will be fine. I will try to
students to the activity so
answer their questions by guiding them to a facet of the
as not to reduce the
problem they might not have considered, rather than telling
demands of the task?
them the answer or how to do it.

Attaching the points per quarter by star players to a

variable, recognizing that the points by the team won't
change
What will you hear that lets
In question two, identifying that the team with the higher y-
you know students
intercept will win.
understand the task?
Representing the function as an equation, and then
transferring it to a graph or table. Or vice versa.
I also need to hear them express the function verbally: For
every quarter played by Curry, the Warriors points increase
by nine. If Curry doesn't play any quarters, the Warriors will
have 65 points.

PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS EXPLORATION OF THE TASK

As students are working independently or in small groups:

I would like to see the students drawing pictures, writing
equations, and discussing different approaches to the
problem while I'm walking around, and I intend to ask them
What will you see or hear
what is working and what hasn't. The students should show
that lets you know how
their work on the page I'm handing out to them, and I will
students are thinking about
likely have students explain their process to the rest of the
the mathematical ideas?
class. When they translate to visual representations, that
will be a good opportunity to do some checkpoints on how to
correctly manipulate the input so that it's consistent across
representations.
Where did you pull these numbers from? Why did you
multiply by four here? How did you know the output would
be the total points? What does your y-intercept represent?
What questions will you
What about your rate of change? If I changed your graph to
ask to assess students
look like this, how would that affect your equation and your
understanding of key
table? What would look differently about the word problem?
mathematical ideas,
Who would win now?
problem solving strategies,
or the representations?
Basically, the plan for assessing is to see if they can identify
the changes across the representations when I change one
representation of a function. That to me signifies that they
fully understand rate of change and constants.
What questions will you I will ask questions to make connections among different
ask to advance students approaches to solving: what did/didn't you understand about
understanding of the the way they did it? What were some ways you solved

mathematical ideas?
What questions will you
ask to encourage students
to share their thinking with
others or to assess their
understanding of their
peers ideas?
differently? Was there anything you would change about the
way you did it, with this new information?
Also, I'll ask questions to ensure that they can follow
multiple representations: what if the team promised to make
60 points instead of 65? what would look differently on the
graph/table? how would it affect your equation?
Can you explain your thought process behind what you did
here? If you were to redo it, would you solve it the same
way? What about the group that just presented, did you
think their way was easier or harder? Why?

By walking around and checking in on groups, asking

questions to refocus the groups, make sure everyone has a
responsibility in the group, and having them stop work on
the task to have a big group discussion (builds momentum,
How will you ensure that as well as considers students who may struggle to learn in
students remain engaged small groups for whatever reason). If students are
in the task? continually struggling to stay engaged, I'll shift gears into
something else (so I should probably have a back-up plan),
or assign those students a specific job (something like scribe
or person in charge of questioning for their group, or have
them write on the board how they solved it, etc.)
Well in this case they should talk to their group members,
but if the group can't figure out how to start, I'll ask them to
What will you do if a
rephrase the problem, identify important facts, consider
student does not know how
what they want to find and what they already know, and see
to begin to solve the task?
if they can get anywhere from there. At that point I will leave
them to let them figure it out. I'm planning to practice
reading for meaning with them prior to this task.
Ask him/her to help their group members, or have that
What will you do if a person show what they did to the rest of the class. At that
student finishes the task point I will probably come up with a question to follow up the
almost immediately and task that might be a little more rigorous. "Let's say they
becomes bored or could play an unlimited amount of quarters. How many
disruptive? would they have to play to have a tied game?" (finding
intersect). I will also likely assign them a job, like I
mentioned earlier.
What will you do if
Ask them why they are putting effort into that aspect of the
students focus on non-
task (not sarcastically, they might have a good answer). I
mathematical aspects of
would then redirect them to an aspect of the task they
the activity (e.g., spend
might not have considered, or if they were done I'd tell them
most of their time making
to present what they did to the class. I'd then likely have
a beautiful poster of their
some follow up questions about unit rate and constants that
work)?
I would give them to work on.
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK

How will you orchestrate the class discussion so that you accomplish your mathematical
goals? Specifically:

I definitely want to have one that shows the students writing

Which solution paths do
you want to have shared
during the class
discussion?
In what order will the
solutions be presented?
Why?
an equation. If this doesn't happen, I'll look for a solution
path that demonstrates multiplying the input by four and
adding the constant, and then we will work to put that into a
formula. I'd also like to see a table and a graph, so if
someone does that in the first question it would definitely be
shared. I want to get as many representations in as possible
Table/graph first, and then the equation. Understanding
what "m" and "b" are in the concept of a function is the
focus of the lesson, so I really need to make sure they get
that. By wrapping up with it, I can add on extra practice with
writing equations or increase rigor by asking further
questions without disrupting the flow of the task.

In what ways will the order

Showing it in multiple representations before putting it into
in which solutions are
an equation demonstrates that an equation can be derived
presented help develop
from anything that represents a function. I want them to be
students understanding of
able to find the equation from multiple representations, and
the mathematical ideas
I want them to see that "slope" is just a way of representing
that are the focus of your
the rate of change for any function, and not specific to
lesson?
graphs.
What specific questions will you ask so that students will:
Make sense of the How did you find the rate of change in a graph, a table, and
mathematical ideas that an equation? What about the constant? Are they all the
you want them to learn? same? What rules can you come up with about what unit
rate and constants are?
Can you rephrase that explanation? What do you understand
Expand on, debate, and
or not understand? What is a question you could ask? What
question the solutions
would you have done differently? Would you still have
being shared?
solved the question the same way you did, or would you
change seeing the way other people did it?
Make connections between What do all of these representations have in common? How
the different strategies that did you find the unit rate for each of them? How did you find
are presented? the constant for each of them? What is different about
finding those parts in different representations?
What will you see or hear I will do an exit slip at the end of class where I give them a
that lets you know that function verbally and have them represent it any way they
students in the class choose.
understand the
mathematical ideas that
you intended for them to
learn?

I don't know what my teacher will be doing the next day (I

What will you do tomorrow have to teach science), but the text looks like they will be
that will build on this comparing proportional relationships. So a good idea for her
lesson? might be to refer back to this problem and have students
discuss the differences between the two functions and their
representations.
example beforehand (word problem: money, admission), practicing with wordy
problems, unnecessary numbers