CEP Lesson Plan Form

Teacher: Mitchell Tandy

School: Chatfield Senior High School

Date: 2/29/2016
Grade Level: 9

Title: Polynomials: Squares, Conjugates, and SUPER PROBLEMS

Content Area: Math

Lesson #:6 of 7

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)
CDE High School Math Standard 2.3.c.
Perform arithmetic operations on polynomials. (CCSS: A-APR)
i. Explain that polynomials form a system analogous to the integers, namely, they are closed under the
operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication; add, subtract, and multiply polynomials. (CCSS: AAPR.1)

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select
applicable questions from standard)

How can polynomial multiplication be applied to squares of polynomials?

What is unique about multiplying conjugates?

Concepts and skills students master: (Understandings, Big Ideas, Unit objectives)
Students will expand on their understanding of polynomial multiplication (using whichever method they
choose) to apply it towards squares and conjugates.
Evidence Outcomes: (Knowledge/ Skills, Lesson Objectives)
Students, given a binomial or a pair of binomials that are conjugates, will be able to find their product
using either of the methods used in class.
Assessment of Evidence Outcomes: (How will you assess the selected lesson objectives (general
explanation, you will go into more detail at the end of the lesson plan)
For an immediate, informal assessment, students will complete an exit ticket where they compute the
square of a binomial and the product of binomial conjugates. As a formal assessment, students will
complete the practice assignment and turn it in the following day. In addition, I created 6 superproblems as an extension for students who finish the assignment early.

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CEP Lesson Plan Form

Planned Lesson Activities

Activity Name

Polynomials: Squares, Conjugates, and SUPER PROBLEMS

Approx. Time

20min, leaving 30min to start on practice assignment and work on super problems

Anticipatory Set

The do-now problems as students enter the room are the exact problems that they will be learning today: squares and
conjugates. Because today (like yesterday) is a day of extension, students have all of the tools to solve these problems
already. As a result, it will be best to use an inquiry-based approach by giving students the problems to try and then
follow up with a discussion on what they decided to do.

Teaching/
Presentation:

(The super problems are an engaging, interesting extension/review open to all students discussed further below)
1. Input: Following the warm-ups discussion, I will provide students with the formulas associated with squares and
conjugates. During todays instruction I will repeat over and over that these formulas are just shortcuts that
students can use if they remember them, but they can always just multiply as they have been doing the past few
days (since all of the letters in the formulas tend to confuse students with a history of difficulty in math).
2. Modeling: I will work through an example of squaring a binomial and multiplying conjugates at the front.
3. Checking for Understanding: Following the presentation, students will work on the practice assignment, where I
can gauge the learning objectives. The assignment is short, so most students will have plenty of time to try the
super problems, which are unique problems posted on the walls around the room that apply their understanding
in lateral ways that they have to think creatively about.
4. Questioning Strategies: My questioning strategies will be focused on preventing the #1 error across all levels,
including college, regarding squaring polynomials: the appropriately-named freshman dream. For this
purpose, I will spend a significant amount of time on understanding-level questions to avoid this common pitfall.
Following the lesson presentation, students will work on the practice assignment of the day. Following its completion,
students will travel around the room to work on the Super Problems posted on the walls around the room.

-inquiry/direct
Instruction

Teaching Strategy:
Guided Practice
&
Differentiation
Closure

In the final 5 minutes of class, I will have them pull out a piece of paper and complete the exit-ticket for the day (the two
questions described above).

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CEP Lesson Plan Form

Materials

Accommodations
&
Modifications

Assessment

None outside of routine materials.

To modify and extend: struggling students dont have to worry about the super problems; they can focus on the
assignment. However, the rest of the class, including advanced students, will need all the time they can get in order to
solve these challenging problems which are unfamiliar applications of the units lessons so far.

Informal: two question exit-ticket and super questions worked on the back of the days assignment
Formal: Practice assignment half-sheet (turned in following day)

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CEP Lesson Plan Form

Post Lesson Reflection

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify
your level of achievement)
While students successfully accomplished the lesson objectives on both assessments, I
have no doubt (as I have seen and been told) that students will still mistakenly write the
freshman dream on future assessments after time has passed. However, it is
invaluable to note that the super problems were WILDLY successful. The vast majority
of students in all three classes voluntarily jumped to the challenge, working together in
small groups around the room. Even students who historically struggle with
assignments asked me if I could shorten the assignment so they could try the super
problems. I would have to guess that it was the novelty of the problem-solving that
inspired this, but either way, I will have to remember this kind of practice for future
lessons.
2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to
teach again?
The curiosity attached to the super problems may have drawn a significant amount of
attention away from the lesson on squares and conjugates, which wont appear in the
days assessments but could appear in later assessments down the line. It is worth
considering a full day dedicated to the super problems activity in order to not split
students focus.
3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)
With all of the content of the unit taught, and all in-progress assessments pointing to
achievement of objectives, it is time to review the entire unit in preparation for the unit
assessment.

Colorado State University College of Applied Human Sciences

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