Category Archives: lesson plan

corn, squash and beans growing together on banks of Missouri River

Corn, ELA and Math

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Standards

CC.5.R.I.10 Range of Reading and Complexity of Text: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

 Technology Required

Either a project or smart board connected to the computer will be required to view presentation and videos in class or students will need a computer to watch on the own. The game can be played on any computer with Internet access.

 Summary

The cross-curricular lesson combines science, English language arts and mathematics. The teacher gives a short presentation on corn uses, types and history. Students read web pages or watch videos to learn more. Students can select from two games that discuss corn in Indigenous cultures. Students complete a word journal defining new words from the reading and/or video.

Lesson

1. Presentation on evolution of corn

This slide presentation can be used as is or copied and modified.

2. Research on their own

Each of the videos and web pages below should require 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Play a game

Both the game You are Here: On the Lewis and Clark Trail and Making Camp Navajo. BE AWARE THAT MATH IN MAKING CAMP NAVAJO IS AT THE SEVENTH-GRADE LEVEL.

4. Complete word journal

This lesson provides the opportunity for students to learn many words, in the reading, in the videos and possibly in the game. Students add words or terms with which they are unfamiliar to their word journal. Some teachers call it a personal dictionary, to others it’s a word journal. Regardless, the goal is the same, for students to record new words, give a dictionary definition and “make the word their own”. This can be done by rewriting the definition in their own words, using the word in a sentence or including an illustration of the word.

Two dictionary sites to recommend for definitions are below. An added bonus to mention to students is that they can hear words pronounced.

Since students often ask for an example, here is an example you can link in your lesson. 

The personal dictionary assignment, with all links, can be found here. Feel free to copy and paste into your Google classroom or other site, or print out for your class.

Differentiation and Supplementary Materials

For students at a lower reading level, check out the book Popcorn Country.

More advanced students can write a short research essay about corn, referencing the resources they read or watched.

More advanced students who are covering ratio and proportion in mathematics can play the game Making Camp Navajo. Students who are not yet at that level should play the You are Here: On the Lewis and Clark Trail game .

chokecherries

Chokecherries and Fractions

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by Mary Fried, Andrew Overland and Heather Overland
Wakpala School

Standard:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NF.B.4
Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication to multiply a fraction by a whole number.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings Standard 2.3 – Recognize that there is a continuum of tribal identity, ranging from traditional to contemporary lifestyle that includes the challenges of living in two worlds.

Technology Required

Students will need a Mac or Windows computer or an iPad to play the Fish Lake game. Alternatively, students can play Forgotten Trail on the web using Chromebooks or any computer with a web browser.

Technology Required

Students will need a Chromebook, Mac or Windows computer and an Internet connection to play the game and search dictionaries online. Videos can be watched on a smart board or projector as a whole class or individually by students on their devices. Access to a kitchen is required for cooking.

Time Required

4-6 hours over several days. Time depends on selection of optional activities.

Materials needed

  • Chokecherries – these will need to be picked before school starts and can be frozen until needed. 
  • Large pot 
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Sugar

If making syrup

  • Steam juicer to extract the juice
  • 4oz. canning jars with lids and rings
  • Pectin

If making pemmican

  • Dehydrator or oven,
  • Buffalo meat,
  • Food processor
  • Lard (not butter or shortening)

Paper and pencil if not using Google docs for dictionary assignment.

Lesson Summary

In this hands-on, cross-curricular unit students learn about chokecherries using all of their senses. Teachers will probably want to space these lessons over a few days and select whichever activities are a best fit for their class. Students begin by playing the Plant Knowledge game through the chokecherry level. They discuss the significance of chokecherries in Lakota culture, then make pemmican, chokecherry wojape and syrup. They apply their knowledge of fractions to compute the correct measurements for each recipe. In English Language Arts class, students read the book, When the Chokecherries Bloom and complete a vocabulary quiz.

Menu from Plant Knowledge game with arrow pointing to chokecherry level

Lesson

In this hands-on, cross-curricular unit students learn about chokecherries using all of their senses. Teachers will probably want to space these lessons over a few days and select whichever activities are a best fit for their class. While not everyone will have access to buffalo meat, food processor or a dehydrator to make pemmican, we do think including a cooking activity adds significantly to this unit.

Fun fact: chokecherries grow in 44 of the 50 states. They can be ordered online, but that’s a little pricey (about $12 a pound.) An optional addition to this unit would be a field trip with students to gather the chokecherries themselves.

  1. Begin by playing the Plant Knowledge game as a bell ringer. Play through the introduction and then select the level for chokecherries as shown. (5 minutes)
  2. Give a short presentation to the students on what they will learn and do in this unit. (3 minutes)
  3. Watch Chokecherry Patties video with elder Joseph Naytowhow . A cautionary tale on eating too many patties (6 minutes)
  4. Read the book When the Chokecherries Bloom, aloud for the first eleven pages (Chapter 1). From the publisher’s description – When the Chokecherries Bloom is Shining Water’s story – a year in the life of a Lakota girl on the Dakota plains. A year of growth and transformation as she learns to adapt and thrive in her new world. (10 minutes)
  5. Watch the video Chokecherry Wojapi with Mavis Two Bulls and Rachel Nava, from South Dakota Public Broadcasting. (8 minutes)
  6. Dictionary activity: If they have not already created a personal dictionary for another assignment, have them create one now and add these words they will encounter in the Chokecherry Syrup Recipe page. This can be done as a Google doc or as sheets of paper in a folder or stapled together. If a classroom or library has access to a set of dictionaries, these can be used in place of online search. Time for this activity may vary depending on students’ reading and writing ability and whether artwork is including for the cover sheet or to illustrate definitions (20- 25 minutes)
  7. Read the web page Chokecherry syrup recipe – students can read this on their Chromebook or other device or it can be printed out in advance. (5-10 minutes).
  8. Read Chapter 2 of When the Chokecherries Bloom aloud. (10 minutes)
  9. Read the pemmican recipe. (5 minutes)
  10. Cook wojapi (chokecherry syrup) with students. (Allow 1 hour for preparation, cooking and clean up)
  11. The wojapi recipe provided makes 7 pints. Have students solve these math problems to compute the ingredients needed for different numbers of pints or cups of syrup. Answers to the questions and explanations can be found here. NOTE: The problems on the first page require dividing by an integer with a fraction quotient or multiplying by a unit fraction. Problems on the second page require multiplying by a fraction a/b and converting to a mixed number. If your students have difficulty with that concept, you may want to have them watch the Multiplying Whole Numbers by Fractions video. (30 minutes)
  12. Dictionary activity: Add additional words to their personal dictionary. This assignment has four words and provides a start to definitions for two Lakota words. Language teachers may wish to add to this assignment (10 minutes)
  13. Read Chapter 3 of When the Chokecherries Bloom aloud. (10 minutes)

Optional : If you have access to buffalo meat, a food processor and dehydrator, making pemmican is another recommended activity and would require an additional hour.

Finishing the book- There are two options. First, reading aloud to students can be a good way to begin or end a class, even for fifth graders, depending on the level of interest your students show in the book. Second, have one or more copies available for students to read during silent reading time in the classroom or at home. We do not recommend having every student read the same book during silent reading time simply because we agree with this teacher that this should be a time students exercise their free choice to read at any level and interest.

Explore Every Trail - menu page with six choices of people or communities on the Lewis and Clark Trail

People You’d Meet on the Lewis & Clark Trail

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by Lacey Schweitzer, Longfellow Elementary School

Standard:

H.3_5.9 – I can explain how individuals and groups contributed to North Dakota.

Time

The unit will take 8-9 class periods, a total of 320 – 360 minutes. Each lesson requires 40 minutes.

Technology Needed:

Internet connection on a PC or Chromebook laptop, tablet, or phone. NOTE: The unit includes videos that are hosted on YouTube. If your school network blocks YouTube access for students, you may want to plan to show these from the teacher computer during class time.

Summary:

This Unit plan on Lewis & Clark will cover how individuals and groups contributed to North Dakota. These individuals and groups include: Corps of Discovery, Sacagawea, expedition, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sioux, Chippewa, Metis, tribe, sovereign, treaty, reservation. Students will be able to describe the effects of the Lewis and Clark expedition in North Dakota history and be able to explain the contributions of Native Americans in North Dakota. Students will follow along by creating a Lewis & Clark journal, which will be based off of the readings completed in the Frontier Era of North Dakota textbook. 

Lesson

  1. Introduce the unit with the downloadable Google Slides presentation is available here and as a PowerPoint presentation here. This presentation helps students gain a perspective on the adventure that the Corps of Discovery went through. Students will also be introduced to Native Americans who contributed to the discovery and how they helped shape North Dakota. NOTE: Assigned pages refer to the specific textbook used in North Dakota fourth-grade classrooms. Teachers using a different textbook will need to revise the presentation to match the pages in their textbook.
  2. Students watch the video: The Making of a Nation: Louisiana Purchase
  3. Students create a journal they will use as they read about the expedition in their textbook. Instructions for journal entries are given in the introductory presentation (#1)
  4. Students watch the video: Lewis and Clark: An American Adventure Story
  5. Students read about the expedition in the textbook used at their school. Alternatively, students can read from The Frontier Era of North Dakota, available online.
  6. Students read assigned pages on the Lewis and Clark and write in their journals. It is advisable to review each day’s assignment from the presentation.
  7. Group assignment #1: Students work in groups to research a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
  8. Group assignment #2: Students meet in new groups and share the results of their research.

Game

For a review, students will play the game – “Math and Science on the Lewis & Clark Trail”.

Assessment

Students will take the post-assessment test. Teachers will be able to check for understanding, based on the data from the assessment. 

Original map from the Lewis and Clark Trail

Primary sources from Lewis & Clark with crop-it

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Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

NCSS Theme 3 – Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments.

Technology required

Device with a browser for students to access crop-it activity. Teacher should have a computer with projector to give slides presentation, but if this is not available, students can see slides on their own device. 

Time

40 – 50 minutes

Lesson Summary

Students watch a video or play through the introduction of the You are Here game, including the levels on Lewis and/ or Clark. The teacher gives a presentation introducing the crop-it tool and students complete an assignment that requires answering questions using the map provided.

What is crop-it and how to use it

It’s a fun tool that lets your students zoom in on a section of a primary source. You have three options:

  1. Use a crop-it activity from the gallery
  2. Print out resources and do the activity using paper
  3. Create your own crop-it

Lesson

Begin playing the game, You are Here: STEM on the Lewis & Clark Trail.)

Teacher tip: If you don’t personally have time to play the whole game, even though it’s fun and educational, you can prepare yourself by with watching the video “Why study Lewis & Clark? which plays in the first level.

Next, do a crop-it activity.

In this lesson, we’ll go with Option 3. Because occasionally, the government is shut down, the Library of Congress is offline or otherwise unavailable, I uploaded a map to the Growing Math site. While the image below is only 600 pixels in width, the image I uploaded for this exercise is 20 times this size.

Zoom in or Crop the Map

Here is the link of the crop-it I created for the map Lewis and Clark made that went as far as the area they named Cape Disappointment.

Here is a Google slides presentation showing your students step by step how to crop an image, add notes, save notes, zoom in and create a PDF showing their responses.

Differentiation

On the crop-it site, you can design your own crop-it activity with fewer questions or simpler images.

For a simpler crop-it, you can use this photo of a Hidatsa bull boat on the river.

African-American girl churning butter

Rural Artifact Project

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by Jennifer Rousey, Social Studies Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Technology required

Students will need a device to search the Internet. This lesson assumes students submit assignments on Google classroom but that is not a requirement.

Time

2 hours, including time for presentation, student research and completing assignment sheet.

Lesson Summary

Students learn definitions of artifacts and their use in understanding every day life during a historical period. Students conduct research on sites such as the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Institute to find images of four artifacts and write a discussion of each.

Lesson

Begin with this presentation explaining what is an artifact, the steps in completing the artifact assignment. The assignment requires finding four artifacts and writing a discussion of each. An example of a completed artifact assignment for one artifact, a butter churn, can be found here.

Allow students 30-60 minutes for research and an additional 30-60 minutes for completing the written assignment for each artifact. To maximize time on task, we recommend having students turn in their draft for at least one artifact by the end of the first class period. A second class period can be used for finding and describing additional artifacts.

Differentiated Instruction

For AP U.S. History and other advanced students, we recommend assigning this web-based lesson on artifacts from the Smithsonian Institute.

Students with writing or language difficulties may be assigned fewer artifacts to research and discuss.

Three Native American soldiers, two men, one woman.

Cross-curricular lesson on Native American vets

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CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

⏰ Time

Three to four hours. Time varies depending on the time allowed for research online and whether presentation will be submitted in writing or include presentation or video.

📲 Technology Required

Either a project or smart board connected to the computer will be required to view presentation in class and students will need a computer or tablet to conduct research on the web. The game can be played on any computer or tablet with Internet access.

Summary

This cross-curricular lesson includes history, mathematics, English language arts, computer applications and physical education. Students play a game which teaches about Native American veterans in World War I. They are given a presentation on the accomplishments of veteran, Joseph Oklahombi. In P.E. class, students sprint 210 yards to simulate Oklahombi’s attack. They are assigned to create a presentation to nominate Oklahombi for the Congressional Medal of Honor. This may include Google Slides, PowerPoint or video presentations.

Lesson

Presentation in Social Studies

Use the Google slides presentation to teach information about Joseph Oklahombi and Native American participation in World War I. They are given a presentation that includes information on the accomplishments of veteran, Joseph Oklahombi, including the ratio of enemy prisoners captured to American soldiers in his unit. The presentation also discusses the failure of the U.S. government to recognize soldiers like Oklahombi as citizens and the subsequent congressional acts that addressed this issue.

Have students play the Native American veterans game and select the section on World War I veterans.

Screenshot of menu with 5 choices, World War I , Women Veterans, War Stories, Famous Veterans and one, unlabeled, picture of a man in a war bonnet

Writing Assignment

The writing assignment and an outline for a guide are included in the presentation. This can be printed or copied and distributed to students through Google Classroom, Schoology or other CMS.

Physical Education

During P.E., have students measure out 210 yards, set out obstacles to dodge and jump over (backpacks with stacks of books would be a good choice) and sprint down the course, simulating Oklahombi’s attack on the machine gun nests.

Mathematics

Two ratios are computed in the presentation. The teacher may ask students to compute these individually and then present the answer. This lesson may be included as part of the ratio and proportion unit.

Computer Applications

Students will need to access the internet for their research. There are many reputable sites with information on Joseph Oklahombi, including the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Oklahoma Historical Society, Veteran’s Administration and more. Optionally, students may submit their assignment as a video or slide presentation or write it using a word processor.

Differentiation

For students who have learning disabilities or other limits on writing ability, an oral presentation or video may be submitted in lieu of the written assignment.

pyramid with character at the bottom

Learn statistics and history, in English or Spanish

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 Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT 5.NF.A.2 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.5.c. Calculating quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation).

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.EE.3 Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with rational numbers in any form (positive and negative, fractions, decimals, and integers).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

📲 Technology Required

Students will need access to a computer or iPad.

⏰ Time Required

30-45 minutes

📃 Summary

This lesson includes game-based instruction and assessment.

Click here for the AZTECH: THE BEGINNING TEACHERS GUIDE with answers to all math and vocabulary questions, game play ‘cheat sheet’ and everything else you need to know.

Lesson

Play a game (yes, it’s free)

  1. Assign students to play AzTech: The Beginning. The link to play the game online can be found here. It can also be downloaded from the App Store here.
  2. Students register with a username and password, then play the game, in English or Spanish. You can have students register and select their own, or provide usernames and passwords you wish them to use, for example, an existing school login.
  3. Each math problem has an EXPLAIN button that students can click to get an explanation of how to solve the problem. Some also have a hint, which is a short suggestion of how to go about solving it. For example, “Subtract the number of days you did not have homework, from the total number of days. Give the answer as a fraction of the total.”
Math problem with hint button

We recommend encouraging students to read the EXPLAIN and any HINT buttons before asking the teacher for help.

4. If students miss a problem twice in a row, they are routed to a LEARN MORE page and need to select an option, which may be a video, web page with voice over or matching terms, to learn more.

Assessment

Students get immediate feedback on right or wrong answers. Assuming students are playing online, results of in-game math challenges are recorded to a database which teachers can access. Access to reports can be found here.

Differentiated Instruction

Students who finish ahead of the class can continue the story in AzTech: Meet the Maya, available for the web and also in the Apple App Store for iPads.

Students who are not yet at the sixth-grade level in mathematics and who could benefit from a bilingual game can play Making Camp Bilingual, which address third- and fourth-grade math standards. It is available here for access from the web and in the Apple App Store and Google Play store .

Related lessons

Teaching statistics in classrooms with English learners AND Native speakers.

Codex

The Codex in Latin American History and Math

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Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Technology required

Device with a browser for AzTech Game. Printer for printing codex and related worksheet and activity pages.

Time

4-5 hours

Lesson Summary

This is an augmentation of a lesson from the Library of Congress uses a primary source – the Huexotzinco Codex – as a basis for document analysis, inquiry and applied mathematics. Students analyze pages documenting tribute paid to Spanish administrators, compute the tribute paid, read a one-page overview of the codex and analyze the codex. A presentation is given on connections between Aztec, Mayan and contemporary methods. Students begin or end classes playing a game that includes Mayan history and middle school mathematics.

Lesson

First, some background for the teacher. The Huexotzinco Codex was part of the evidence in a case brought by the Nahuas, Indigenous people of what is now Mexico, against the Spanish administrators, alleging excessive taxation (tribute). This case was won by the Nahuas. In this lesson, students do not learn the full story until the third or fourth class period.

Analyze Documents

Begin with this link to the Library of Congress lesson, “The Huexotzinco Codex”, and have students complete Activity 1, Document Analysis. This should take one class period- approximately one hour.

NOTE TO THE TEACHER: Allow at least 30 minutes before using this lesson the first time, to read through the Library of Congress lesson, download and print out documents for students.

Play a game

Have students sign in and begin the game, AzTech: Meet the Maya. Students should play for about 15 minutes.

Computation – How much was the tribute?

Continue with the second part of Library of Congress lesson, “The Huexotzinco Codex”, and have students complete Activity 2, Computation. After students have completed one tribute sheet and corrected their answers, use this slide presentation to show the connection between the Aztec and Maya codices and our modern system of numbers and graphs. Optionally, have students complete one or two more tribute sheets from the linked lesson. This should take one to two class periods.

Play a Game

At the beginning of class, have students continue the AzTech: Meet the Maya game. Students should play for 15-20 minutes by which time some of the students should have reached the codex activity and explanation in the game.

Write a Narrative Explanation

Continue with the third part of Library of Congress lesson, “The Huexotzinco Codex”, and have students complete Activity 3, Narrative Explanation.

Assessment

Four types of assessments are included; observation of student understanding of historical document analysis in the class discussion, student self-corrected math computation, student written assignments (analysis sheet, observations and scenario outlines) and the math problems in the AzTech game which are scored automatically with data available in teacher reports.

Differentiated instruction (optional)

Advanced Students who complete their assignments early can continue with the AzTech: Meet the Maya game. If they complete this game, they can choose to play AzTech: The Story Begins or AzTech: Empiric Empire.

English learners can play the AzTech : Meet the Maya and AzTech: The Beginning games in English or Spanish.

Recommended Related Lesson

Counting ropes and rational numbers

Using Visual Models To Compare Fractions

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Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NF.A.2 Compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators, e.g., by creating common denominators or numerators, or by comparing to a benchmark fraction such as 1/2

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.A.2 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. 

Technology Required

Students will need a Mac or Windows computer or an iPad to play the Fish Lake game. Alternatively, students can play Forgotten Trail on the web using Chromebooks or any computer with a web browser.

Time

35-45 minutes

Lesson Summary

Students play 2-3 levels of a game that teaches and assesses adding and comparing fractions with different numerators and denominators, with the context of a story from Ojibwe history. They create their own problems using visual models to compare fractions. Students discuss classmates’ problems. The lesson culminates with a video on visualization as a problem-solving strategy.

Lesson

Start with a Game (10-20 minutes)

Students play the Fish Lake game through level 2. This requires installing the game on an iPad or a Mac or Windows computer. If only Chromebooks are available, students can play the Forgotten Trail Game instead. We do recommend Fish Lake if iPads are available. Although mathematics and social studies standards taught in both games overlap, the change from using Chromebooks in most lessons to a more console-level game can improve student engagement.

Students create their own problems (10 minutes)

Use slides 1-4 of this Slides presentation to explain the assignment. Optionally, for students learning at home or for homework, it can be assigned to students in Google classroom or similar system.

Discuss math problems students created (10 minutes)

Because students very often ask, “What do you mean?” or “Give me an example?” slides 5-11 of the presentation give an example.

A visual model of equivalent fractions

Watch a video (2.5 minutes)

Visualize! One way of solving a problem

Assessment

This lesson includes three types of assessment. In the games, students are presented with math word problems that relate to the game narrative. Their answers are scored and data can be accessed for each student from the teacher reports. Students submit math problems they have written for teacher feedback. Also, teacher can use whole class discussion of student problems as a gauge for understanding or have students in pairs or small groups submit written discussion of their peers’ math problems.

Ratio and Proportion Unit

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Note: When we surveyed teachers from the 2021-22 academic year, the most requested addition to the site was to combine the lessons into units. Of course, your average teacher could do this but your average teacher is also short of time.

📖Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1 Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities

⏰Time Required

About 4 hours for all seven lessons

📲Technology Required

Projector or smart board for in–class or access to computer or tablet for web meeting for remote learning. Presentation could be printed for students at home without computer access.

🧾Unit Summary

This seven-lesson unit teaches sixth- and seventh-grade standards on ratio and proportion using real-world problems. Complete unit requires about 4 hours and includes multiple hands-on activities.

📃 Lesson 1: Teach Ratio with Math Snacks (90 Minutes)

CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1 Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

Students watch a video from Math Snacks in which Isabella uses the ratio of words she speaks to her date to determine if it was a good or bad day. The video has a companion teacher guide with questions to stimulate students’ thinking about ratios and test their understanding. Students play a game where they brew potions with given ratios to defeat an opponent. Students then complete a learner’s guide assessing and reinforcing their knowledge of ratios.

📃 Lesson 2: Ratios as Fractions (10 Minutes)

Summary

Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

Yes, this lesson plan is just a video. We watched LOTS of boring videos on ratios and rates to find this one! This video can be used before or after the lesson on Introduction to Ratio and Proportion, either as an introduction for students who need more preparation or a second look for students who could benefit from having the material presented in a different way.

📃 Lesson 3: Introduce Ratios and Proportion (30 minutes)

Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

Summary: Students are presented with definitions of ratio and proportion along with multiple examples and ways to solve these problems. This presentation includes multiple explanations for multiple levels of understanding. There is a solution using algebra, with cross-multiplication and an explanation of why cross-multiplication works. There is also an explanation using equivalent fractions. If you are teaching an algebra class, use the first explanation and delete the second. For a more basic math class, delete the first explanation and just use equivalent fractions. Also includes a baking activity, not required but highly recommended.

📃Lesson 4: Ratio, Proportion and Animal Identification (65 Minutes)

Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

Students hear or read a presentation on ratio, percentage decrease, rate and proportion. They watch a short video on ratio. Students collect data either outdoors or using images provided. They then compute ratio, rate, increase and proportion using the data.

📃Lesson 5: Introducing Ratio and Proportion with Making Camp Navajo (30 Minutes)

Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities

Students play the Making Camp Navajo game, selecting the activity that explains ratio and proportion. The teacher reviews the activity with the class in a presentation, that includes three more problems to be completed as a group.

📃Lesson 6: Rates, Ratios and Proportions with Fractions (40 Minutes)

Standards: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Compute unit rates, including those that involve complex fractions, with like or different units.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2.C. Represent proportional relationships by equations

Students watch a 4-minute video giving examples of finding unit rates by simplifying fractions. They solve a problem together as a class and are given a short lecture on solving rate problems with complex fractions. Problems provided can be worked by students individually or done together in class.

📃Lesson 7: Discover Dairy – Ratio in the Cow Life Cycle (65 Minutes)

Standards:CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1 Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

This cross-curricular lesson is from Discover Dairy. Students read a passage on the life cycle of dairy cows. A guided class discussion answers questions on the life cycle. The lesson concludes with a challenging lab in which students create a healthy cow diet.