Name: Anna Thorne

Lesson Title: 3.2 Slopes (Day 2)

Grade level(s)/Course: 7th Regular Math
Class Duration: 50 min.
Date taught: Feb. 25, 2015

Our school has integrated a 1 to 1 initiative with Chromebooks. In my classes I will be using aspects of a Flipped
Classroom by having students do pre-assessments, watch lessons, and try activities at home before they come to
class, where we will delve into the concepts more. We will be using Edmodo to share ideas and questions. This
way, class discussions can continue in and out of the classroom, and I can keep track of them. I will also be using
TED-Ed to create lessons with questions for students to do at home. In the classroom, students are seated in
groups of 4.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON
Content Strand
Math / Pre-Algebra
Enduring Understanding and/or Essential Question
Slope is a ratio (change in y / change in x)
Iowa and/or District Standards

DOK

Ratios and Proportional Relationships - 7.RP.2b

Mathematics DOK 1, 2, and 3

Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and

mathematical problems

1=Recall. 2=Skills and Concepts.

3=Strategic Thinking. 4=Extended

Expressions and Equations - 8.EE.5

Thinking.

Graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope

of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships
represented in different ways.
Outcome(s)
Students will be able to interpret the slope information in a word problem.
Students will be able to calculate the slope of a line by counting and by using the slope formula.
Academic Language related to the lesson
ratio, rate, numerator, denominator, x and y coordinates
Prior Learning/Prior Thinking
Yesterday, the concept of slope was introduced by graphing and counting squares. For the last 2 weeks, students
have been learning about rates and ratios, so they know about simplifying fractions and leaving them improper.
We have also talked about steepness and slope of mountains and hills (including ones student know of in town).

The major error in understanding that students tend to make is counting x before y - Slope seems backwards
to many students because the y comes 1st.

LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Anticipatory Set/Elicit Prior Knowledge
Wheelchair ramps actually have a maximum slope for safety issues. At the beginning of class, I will post a
question about the maximum slope of a wheelchair ramp on Edmodo. In their groups, students will use the
internet to research, and then share information and/or pictures. I will start a discussion thread asking, Why is
there a rule for this?, and What other real-life situations might have a specified slope?. Students will have time
to comment on the thread. Then well discuss this aloud for a bit before getting into the lesson.

Focus/Purpose Statement
Today we will learn more ways to calculate slope. As we go through examples, I want you to think about what
the slope pattern means for the line and to consider real-life situations for these slopes.
Procedures
1. As explained above, I will introduce the concept of wheelchair ramps and their slope requirements. This
is to lead students to the idea that slope is used in real-life. We will discuss why they think the maximum
slope for a wheelchair ramp is 1/12. I will also ask them to think of other real-life examples. (15 min.)

2. Yesterday, we didnt get the chance to talk about slope story problems. I will go over one with them
(family is camping and builds a temporary shelter what is the slope of the tarp?). Then I will have them
work on the 2nd story problem with their group. I will walk around to help and monitor. When groups
are finished, I will ask a group to come to the board and show what they found. Then we will do a quick
Kahoot! with 5 slope story problems. As a class, we will quickly be able to see how well we are doing. (15
min.)

3. We will go through a quick example of finding slope by counting (just like yesterday). Next, I will present
the class w/ a similar problem, but with bigger numbers. In groups, students will try to figure out a way
to solve this. I will walk around to check on students progress, and students can add ideas to the class by
posting them on Edmodo. Depending on where the discussion goes, I may start a new discussion post on
Edmodo: What does finding the difference between numbers mean, and how can I apply it here? (15
min.)

4. As an exit pass, students will fill out a quick questionnaire, which they will submit to me privately
through Edmodo. The questionnaire basically asks students to rate their understanding of todays

concepts. It also asks for students to specify what they have learned today and what they need more
help with to understand better. (5 min.)

5. For HW, students will need to watch a TED-Ed lesson I prepared for them. It will include a video on how
we derive the slope formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). This will be followed by questions for students to try to
solve, using the steps of the slope formula. I will be able to view whether students have watched the
video or done the activity. I will also be able to assess how well they are doing on the questions, in order
to prepare for tomorrows lesson.

(If Steps 1 & 2 take longer than expected, I will skip Step 3 and go on to the exit pass. The HW will cover some of
the exploration that Step 3 provides, and we can visit the activity of Step 3 tomorrow. If we end up having extra
time, students can start watching the HW video with headphones and answering the questions. )
Differentiation
The use of technology allows students to add to the discussion at their own pace of understanding. We will be
using programs that accommodate for different levels of student understanding. For example, the Mangahigh
game that was yesterdays HW adjusts the level of difficulty by how many questions a student is answering
correctly. For tonights HW, students can watch the video at their own pace, pausing where they need to, and if
they get a question wrong, they can go back and try it again. During class, the group work and Edmodo class
discussions allow all students to give some type of input.
Closure
Students will answer an online questionnaire (as explained above) to sum up todays lesson. I will ask students
what we learned about today and how they feel about the concepts to gauge what they got out of the lesson.
Materials and Resources

Chromebooks, Edmodo, Kahoot!, Mangahigh, TED-Ed, projector connected to teachers computer

Classroom Management/Democratic Practices

I need to watch out for students getting too loud / off-topic. When this happens, I usually count down (3-2-1)
or say something like, OK, lets bring it back now.
For the students who tend to blurt out, I try to remind students not to before I ask a question by saying, By
raising their hand, can anyone tell me what I also know that certain students tend to raise their hands to
volunteer answers in each class, so I will also try to call on different students (or at least rotate between these
students). Hopefully by working in groups on some parts of this lesson, the shy students will have a chance to
have more input. Also, by having online posts for discussions, more students will be able to type in their input,
and the students who are sometimes too shy to raise their hand are more comfortable with typing in a
comment.
Characteristics of Effective Instruction
Teaching for Understanding Talk about ways of interpreting and solving word problems; Students research
real-life slopes and brainstorm ways to solve a more complex problem
Student-Centered Classrooms Class discussions; Group work
Teaching for Student Differences Use of technology in differentiation; Teacher uses data from online
submissions and programs to guide lesson
Rigor and Relevance Discussion of wheelchair ramps and other real-world uses of slope; Use of prior
knowledge to brainstorm ways to solve a more complex problem
Assessment for Learning Opportunities for students to self-assess; Teacher uses data from online submissions
and programs to guide lesson; Work in groups as I walk around class; End of class questionnaire of what
learned

ASSESSMENT
Before the lesson
For HW yesterday, students were supposed to play the Mangahigh math game Find the slope of a line using its
graph. I checked through these before todays lesson to see how well students did. For each class, this helped
me to determine their levels of understanding and to decide if they are ready for the next step.

https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/math_games/algebra/straight_line_graphs/find_the_slope_of_a_line_using_its_graph

During the lesson

For slope story problems, first, I will show the concept. Then I will have students work on it in groups, which we
will check as a class. Finally, I will have students try it for themselves with a Kahoot!. Using the Kahoot quickly
allows me to assess how well my class understands the concept, as well as allowing students to quickly assess
how they are doing individually.
During the Edmodo discussions, I can follow what is being posted by students and steer the conversation and
questions as needed. If misconceptions arise, I can pause the discussion to clear them up. Students will also be
able to assess their own understanding by seeing if they were on the right track with their thinking and
correcting their misconceptions as we continue the discussion. I will be walking around the classroom to check
on groups throughout the discussion as well.
At the end of the lesson
Students will submit an online survey to me that sums up their understanding of the concepts we covered today.
This will allow me to assess where students are, and it will also let students do some self-reflecting on their level
of understanding.
*UNI Lesson Planning Template provided by Margaret Kelly (Outside Evaluator)