Video Blog #2

Connecting this video to the CCSSI Math Practices I saw the following things. To understand the problem at hand, the teacher talked about terminology that would be used as well as a recent review of how to calculate surface area and volume. As a class they went over where to find the base, height and width on the object was so they could make appropriate measurements and calculations. The teacher modeled on an object where these items were so students could visually be on the same page (CCSSI practice--#4).The students were giving a word problem that put them in a certain role with a specific task (process standard--problem solving). They had to create a container that could house 24 blocks. They worked in groups (process standard--communication) to come up with surface area and other measurements. The teacher, at the beginning of the lesson, engaged prior knowledge asking students to remember back to the lesson wrapping boxes with netting (process standard--connections). As students started attempting the problem, individuals among the group had ideas on how to start or what to do and justified them with why they thought it would work, some listened more than others, and some lead with confidence (CCSSI math practice--#3 and process standard--reasoning and proof). As students continued working, the teacher checked on them to keep them structured and supported. Through some of the teachers interviews, it was made clear that through this Connected Mathematics Program, students learn a high level of math in each lesson, but because of how they are learning it (hands-on/inquiry-based) the content sticks with them better and longer, from lesson to lesson and they continue to apply prior knowledge to future discoveries. Students discussed ways in which they got to the surface area and answer and started noticing patterns among each others numbers and the pattern and correlation between surface area, volume and number of blocks (CCSSI practices #7,8).