Show What You Know: Read, Write and Solve Math Problems

1. Before reading: Refer students to the pictures and words displayed on your lemonade bulletin board. Using your iPad or computer and LCD projector, display Norman Rockwell Museum: Lemonade Stand 1955 for them, and identify it as a multimodal text. Ask students, “What kind of text is this (i.e., picture, image, poster)? What kind of information do you see in this image?”
   
   
2. During reading: Ask students comprehension questions about the text (i.e., who, what, when, where, how, why) as you examine it during a group think-aloud. Here are some sample questions:
   
   
   • Who is in the picture?
     
     
   • What are they doing?
     
     
   • When did this take place? How do you know?
     
     
   • Where are they? What makes you think that?
     
     
   • I wonder how they made the lemonade. What do you think based on what you see? What else might we need to know about making lemonade (i.e., a recipe, details on mixing, a list of ingredients)?
     
     
   • I wonder why they decided to create a lemonade stand. They are selling lemonade for five cents a glass. Why do people sell things?
     


3. You may also wish to ask questions about the source of the Norman Rockwell text:
   
   
   • Who created this image?
     
     
   • When did he create it?
     
     
   • Where is it stored?
     
     
   • How do you know?
     
     
   • What other information is here?


4. After reading: Say to students, “Let’s see if we can make a mathematics problem by looking at the Norman Rockwell image again. I wonder how much money they will make if they fill all of the glasses in the picture. How could I figure that out?” While using the evidence in this text (nine glasses at 5 cents a glass), model how students can figure out the problem by visually representing it, using either ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard or Inkflow: Visual Notebook for Handwriting, Sketching, and Photos.
   
   
   • First, draw the elements for the students’ problem on the screen as if you were using paper (i.e., draw the stand, glasses, and 5-cents sign).
     
     
   • Then turn on the recording, and have students describe the problem. For example, “I have nine glasses, and I want to sell lemonade for 5 cents a glass. How much money will I make? How will I solve this?”
     
     
   • Talk through the problem aloud while annotating it. For example, you can put a 5 cents symbol inside each glass, add all the glasses, and record your answer. Then ask students for another way to solve the problem, such as having x glasses and paying y money per glass. Lead them toward a mathematical equation and a solution. For example, say, “I sold my nine glasses of lemonade for 5 cents a glass. That means I sold 5-cent glasses nine times.” Prompt students to create the equation themselves.


5. Have students work in small groups to create a simple lemonade problem using a different number of glasses and different prices. They should work out their problems on paper. When they are finished, they can go to a quiet space and record their answers on the iPad using ShowMe or Inkflow. If you wish to print out their solutions for later review or to hang on your board, explain to students how to take screen shots and email them to you.

1. During Session 2, use an informational text about lemonade in order to lead students toward possible mathematics problems. For example, using The Lemonade Stand, begin with a guided reading of the text. While you read aloud, conduct a think-aloud about a few mathematics problem opportunities. For instance, on the second page, there is a recipe for lemonade. Ask questions such as the following:
   
   
   • “I wonder how the ingredients change if we want to make twice as much lemonade? How could I figure that out?”
     
     
   • “What if I wanted to make less lemonade?”
     
     
   • “If lemons cost 25 cents each, how much would the lemons cost for this recipe?”
     

When reading the texts, follow the structure of questions from Session 1, but make sure to scaffold for students so that they become more responsible for finding and solving mathematics problems themselves. With guided reading, use the Session 1 sequence.



2. Before reading: Discuss and define your chosen book. Ask some of the following questions as you do a picture walk through some of the pages.
   
   
   • Is this fiction, or is it an informational text?
     
     
   • How do you know?
     
     
   • How do I read this?
     
     
   • How do I find my way through the text?


3. During reading: Ask students to follow along while you read, saying, “While I read, see what new information you can learn about making lemonade. In addition, write down your ideas for new problems you could make by using information from the text.” As described in step 1, provide a think-aloud for one or more pages of the book where you identify potential mathematics problems. Then, while you read, you may wish to have students identify a few possible problems. Encourage students to continue making notes while you read.


4. After reading: Have students discuss the ideas they recorded for real-world mathematics problems. You may wish to have them to create new mathematics problems now or wait until they experience more texts.

Note that this session is very similar to Session 2 to give students extra practice before evaluation.

1. Choose a new text to work with. You can use any of the texts from the list of Resources.
   
   
2. Before reading: Discuss and define the text. Ask some of the following questions as you do a picture walk through some of the pages.
   
   
   • Is this fiction, or is it an informational text?
     
     
   • How do you know?
     
     
   • How do I read this?
     
     
   • How do I find my way through the text?
     
     
3. During reading: Ask students to follow along while you read, saying, “While I read, see what new information you can learn about making lemonade. In addition, write down your ideas for new problems you could make by using information from the text.” As described in step 1 of Session 2, provide a think-aloud for one or more pages of the book where you identify potential math problems. Then, while you read, have students identify a few possible problems. Encourage students to continue making notes while you read.
   
   
4. After reading: Pass out the Peer Evaluation Rubric, and tell students that they are going to use these forms to work through and evaluate each other’s new, real-world mathematics problems. Divide students into small groups to work together and create a problem. They can either use ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard or Inkflow: Visual Notebook for Handwriting, Sketching, and Photos on iPads and print their problems for exchange (this is preferable), or work with paper and pencil if necessary. Circulate to answer any questions that arise.
   
   
5. Have students exchange their work and try to solve each other’s problems while filling out the Peer Evaluation Rubric.
   


6. Collect students’ problems and rubrics for your review. Fill out a Mathematical Problems Rubric for each student, taking into account both their classroom participation and their group work as part of the evaluation process.