I contacted a friend's mother who is a 5th grade teacher about observing her classroom for a day. Not only was she thrilled to have me come and visit, but she wants me to actually teach a lesson! We talked about Whole Brain Teaching and she wants me to use it with her class. Here is what she said...

"Since math is our big push right now (TAKS test), a math lesson would be great. This 6 weeks, we’re doing measurement and decimals and fractions…so anything along those lines would be great. But, I’m also teaching Reading, so anything to do with reading would be fine too. I’m really easy this time of year! We have 1.5 hours each for 3 classes. You can take as long as you need. Just let me know how long you would like and I will fill in before or after you. You could let me know anytime next week a rough idea of what you’re thinking about teaching and about how long. The kids will love you. I’ll see you then!"

So... NOW WHAT DO I DO!

This is a great opportunity for me. I'm not sure if I should tackle a math or a reading lesson. If I do reading there are some great tools like Super Speed Reading to use, but I'm not sure about the math. Please chime in and give me some suggestions on some lesson ideas! I want to do a great job for her and for the kids. I want the principal to know I came in there and blew everyone away for the one day I was there!

Chris, first of all I would suggest using math simply because it's easier to come up with gestures in my opinion. What about simplifying fractions using GCF. You could easily develop gestures for using factor trees to find GCF. Then the students would use the GCF to simplify a given fraction.

Ex. 15/20, prime factors (using factor trees) are 15:3,5...20:5,2,2, common prime factors are 5 and 5 so the GCF is 5. Divide 15/20 by 5 and get 3/4.

You could start the lesson with Super Speed Math (multiplication) to get them energized. Make sure you reward personal bests with a "ten finger woo!" or some other type of recognition.

Implementing class/yes and teach/ok will take you some time at the beginning of the class but I bet it'll get both the students and teacher's attention real quick. Good luck...I hope this helps. Let me know if you need further clarification on anything.

I think you should do a little of both math and reading.

For math, use the teach/okay/ and break the concepts down to small chunks (teacher never speaking for more than 45 seconds). You'll be amazed how much better the students understand a large concept when it's broken down in small chunks. The key to teach/okay is to teach your concpet with some type of visual (picture or icon), with a verbal (what do you want the kids to be able to say to one another about the concept), with a gesture (can you make this concept physical with hand motions), and obviously auditory (the kids need to be engaged to listen to both you and their partners). Example concept for measurement. cups to pint, pints to a quart, and quarts to a gallon. Have a picture to represent each of these three concepts. Let's use 2 cups in a pint (make a picture or actually use two cups = 1 pint). What do you want your students to say: There are two cups in one pint. Gesture hold up two fingers and tap your forearm from your elbow to yoyour wrist....the two fingers are the cups.....your forearm is the pint.

As for reading, superspeed 1000 would be awesome for 5th graders (I'm a former 5th grade teacher). They'll eat up the zingers.

Please post how the lessons went on this thread and good luck.

Okay Chris... if you want to do math. Choose something small, these are the TEKS that she is probably talking about.

(2) Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student uses fractions in problem-solving situations. The student is expected to:

(A) generate a fraction equivalent to a given fraction such as 1/2 and 3/6 or 4/12 and 1/3;
(b) generate a mixed number equivalent to a given improper fraction or generate an improper fraction equivalent to a given mixed number;
(C) compare two fractional quantities in problem-solving situations using a variety of methods, including common denominators; and
(D) use models to relate decimals to fractions that name tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.

(10) Measurement. The student applies measurement concepts involving length (including perimeter), area, capacity/volume, and weight/mass to solve problems. The student is expected to:

(A) perform simple conversions within the same measurement system (SI (metric) or customary);
(b) connect models for perimeter, area, and volume with their respective formulas; and
(C) select and use appropriate units and formulas to measure length, perimeter, area, and volume.

My suggestion would be to do 5.10C which is using appropriate units and formulas for perimeter, area and volume - if you are comfortable with that TEK. This is a really easy section to come up with gestures for and it will make a big impact. You might also want to look at some released TAKS test questions - since they are getting ready for TAKS and include those into your lesson.

Good luck - let us know if you have more questions!

Would a lesson plan normally cover just one of the TEKS? For example should I concentrate on say 5.10C and not worry about A and B?

She said I could have as much or as little of the 1.5 hours with each class that I needed. That should be more than enough time to teach them the basics of Whole Brain Teaching and then do a lesson using it. I figure it'll take me 15 minutes to teach them class/yes, teach/ok, and how the scoreboard works. I'm going to speak with their teacher again and ask if I can offer more or less homework, or a reward of some kind if they beat me on the scoreboard.

I figure that gives me about an hour to present the lesson. Would you normally teach/ok for a certain amount of time and then move it to more of an asessment? For example would I spend 30 minutes doing teach/okay with gestures over measurement, and then 30 minutes doing an activity that asesses whether or not they have retained what they just taught each other? I guess I could find all the released TAKS questions related to measurement and to a run through of those questions with the class as a whole. I thought about bringing in empty pints, quarts, gallons, etc. for the kids to fill with water and actually see how many fit into each other. That's too messy and too much of hassle for my one day of teaching though.

This time of year they have covered all the basics - so there is not a lot of need to introduce them to the topics. You want to cover their weaknesses, to help them prepare for TAKS.

I would take just 5.10C and cover that topic (maybe only part), it gives you a lot to work with.

I looked at the last two tests it looks like there is an emphasis on 3-D figures (identifying by description - beautiful for PT) and models of volume. Also there is an emphasis on measuring with the math chart and then finding the perimeter. Both of these topics would lend themselves to Whole Brain Teaching just fine. Since you haven't done this before - I would focus on one - two very short topics, that you can expand on and have fun with.

1. Bring in models of 3-D figures and come up with gestures and definitions for each... then give them the released TAKS test items and show them how knowing that definition helps them to answer the questions.
2. You might ask the teacher if she has connecting cubes, that would be a good way to work on modeling volume probelms. You can have them build different prisms with a given volume or give them the dimensions so they can determine the volume. (You can still use a lot of teach/okay during this time)

I switch off between Teach/Okay and practice ... making sure that I end my lesson on a assesment/practice. Remember your teach/okay can be incorporated into your practice and assesment. Look up Mind Soccer - you could teach it in no time and use it as your scoreboard incentive, and use that as you assesment at the end, you will have taught them lots of vocabulary and they will love playing it.

keep the questions coming... let's get you ready!!

I would suggest using some teaching gestures that you can carry over from math to reading. Vocabulary words like "similar" and "different" or "compare" and "contrast" are used in higher levels of thinking and can be reused in many lessons. The way most of us do this is hands together with fingers interlocked for "similar"/"compare" and hands in fists together for "different"/"contrast". Emphasize the how the gestures show things that go together and things that don't go together. Then ask some questions and have students teach their partners using the gestures. Be sure to call on kids who have good responses and then have everyone making the gestures all the time. Every time you do the gesture, they do the gesture. Every time a classmate does the gesture, everyone does the gesture. I know you will do well because you sound very excited about your opportunity to teach. Good luck!

contrast

Alrighty, I'm going with Sara's suggestion to focus on TEKS 5.10C which is to select and use appropriate units and formulas to measure length, perimeter, area, and volume. So far I have found a couple of past TAKS questions from 2008 that would be good for review.

2. The diagram below shows the dimensions of Emilio’s rectangular bed.

The picture is a rectangle 81 in. x 40 in.

What is the perimeter of Emilio’s bed?
A 20 feet
B 20 feet 2 inches
C 121 inches
D 270 inches
40 inches
81 inches

3. Companies often place advertisements on the rectangular side panels of buses like the one below.

Panels are 14 in. x 35 in.

If the bus has panels with the dimensions shown above, what is the area available for advertisements
on all 4 panels?
A 98 square inches
B 392 square inches
C 490 square inches
D 1,960 square inches

Sara, you said to "Bring in models of 3-D figures and come up with gestures and definitions for each."

What type of models are you refering to?

Chris,

My suggestion would be to choose, either area and perimeter or volume and 3-D figures. The TAKS questions you have choosen are based on area and perimeter, which is great. My suggestion for models would be for doing a lesson on 3-D figures and volume. Using models of 3-d figures (ex: cereal box, is a rectangular prism) would give you visual aids of the shapes as opposed to just drawings.

Are you going to try to do all three topics (area, perimeter, volume) or narrow it down?

I will narrow it down to area and perimeter. Sorry, I meant to say that earlier.

So, right now the plan looks like this:

1. Teach the basics of Whole Brain Teaching- class/yes, teach/ok, scoreboard.

2. Use teach/ok to teach the formulas for area and perimeter with gestures.

3. Use some models (cereal box's, etc.) to practice using formulas.
This is the part I'm a little confused about as far as actually using Whole Brain Teaching. This seems like it will be more of a time where I break the class into small groups and have them do independant work using what they have just learned. Am I thinking right on this?

4. Practice using the released TAKS quesitons over area and perimeter.
I'm thinking I'd write these on the board, or have some transparencies made to use on the overhead. Then allow them figure out the answers, awarding 10 finger whoo's to the students who get it right.

5. If I have time left, play SuperSpeed 1000.

Ugh! I don't know what I have 5th grade on my brain... her class is 4th grade. I see the same concepts listed for 4th grade (to a lesser extent) so I'll keep the plan the same and just adjust accordingly for grade level.

Oops! Just make sure you update your TEKS...

Sounds like you have a great plan! These are just my ideas...I am a brainstorming fool and I don't want to overwhelm you, you are going to do a great job, no matter what you choose!

#2. Use teach/ok to teach the formulas for area and perimeter with gestures.
- My suggestion here is to focus on the components of area and perimeter - they have formula charts to use, so the teacher probably doesn't want to worry about memorizing the formulas. Create gestures for dimensions, length, width, height, base ... use these terms to explore the formulas.

#3. If you are looking for an activity for practice ... I would use blocks or graph paper - they could work in their groups to complete challenges, like: draw or build a rectangle with an area of 10, draw or build a square with a length of 4, draw or build a rectangle with a perimeter that is greater than the area.
*After each time you give a challenge for the group, have them do a teach/okay to explain the directions.
*When groups have completed the challenges let people show their builds/drawings for "10 finger woos"
*After students have shown their examples: have them do a teach/okay to describe atleast one way to complete the challenge.

#4. After all of this I would use the TAKS questions to asses their learning.
*I do this by having them read the problem silently, teach each other what's going on in the problem (not how to solve it), give 2 minutes of silent thinking to work the problem...then start calling on people for answers.

Well tomorrow is the big day. I'll report back if I survive.

What an awesome day yesterday was!

Overall, the Whole Brain Teaching was a HUGE success. The kids came in, did morning annoucements, and then the class was turned over to me. I gave a short intro and thanked them for having me and then I taught them class/yes, teach/ok, the scoreboard, and introduced gestures and how they work.

Next, I did a math lesson teaching them the formulas for area and perimeter using teach/ok with gestures. The first two classes did really well with it. The last class wasn't very interested in the gestures with some who refused to use them. One girl who was autistic didn't seem to like them, which I thought was odd since most people have told me gestures are good for autistic kids. I used the scoreboard throughout to try and keep them involved, giving myself a point when their participation started lacking. For the most part it got them involved again. They loved the "Oh Yeah" and the "Aww" part.

I put them in groups and gave them empty cereal boxes to use the formulas and find the area and perimeter of each side of the box. Then I showed them released TAKS questions from the state tests and we worked the ones dealing with area and perimeter together, calling on students to come up and work/answer the problem. I ended with a short talk about how these were the same type of questions that they would be seeing in a few weeks on their test, and that now they would be more prepared for it.

I arranged to have candy prizes for them with the mentor teacher beforehand, so I told them if they beat me on the scoreboard they would win something. That was a pretty good incentive and worked well. Of course I didn't tell them I was going to let them win.

I did noticed as we switched from class to class that I started talking longer and doing less teach/ok. This is something I will have to work on to get used to. I know if I stick to the format it will make it much easier. I can see where it's very important to pace yourself and keep the informatino short and sweet. I also noticed that you have to monitor teach/ok very close and make sure they are getting the idea, or the independent work later will suffer.

I ate lunch with the homeroom class in the cafeteria. Mmmm... steak fingers! I got to hear a lot of neat things from the kids. This is a Title I school and the lowest income school in Birdville ISD (Haltom City, TX). Most of the kids are on free lunch, and most of them have only one parent. The stories ranged from one 11 year old girl telling me her mom was only 25 (you do the math), to one boy telling me he was getting a new bb gun to go "man hunting" with. Several others told me one of their parents was in jail, and one girl told me her dad died last year from asthma. They were so open with me and you could tell that this is just normal life for them, so it doesn't seem wierd to them.

Their response to me was overwhelming. My mentor teacher told them my birthday was Wednesday, so I got about 60 hand made birthday cards. I must say that was pretty touching. I also got hugs from everyone of them when I left. They all told me thank you several times, and they all asked me to come back. One boy told me I was going to be a great teacher. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I am glad I took the opportunity to teach instead of just observe.

It was a good day.

Thank you to everyone who helped me plan for this day. I couldn't have done it without your help and the resources of this website. I feel blessed to be a part of the Whole Brain Teaching community, even though I'm not a certified teacher yet.

Yea Chris!! I am so happy it went well for you ...