FieldExperienceReport

forEE333
Date/Time: 2/25/15
Name: Catalina Dvila
1. Topic(s) that students learned (Brief description of the math class) and related
Standards (CCSS-M)
For the past three weeks the third grade students in Ms. Vazquez have been working on
a fraction unit. Today the students were to practice comparing fractions. The students have
had comparing fractions in previous weeks with the concept of equivalent fractions. The
following Common Core State Standards were observed during the lesson.
CCSS: Third Grade
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.1
Understandafraction1/basthequantityformedby1partwhenawholeispartitionedinto
bequalparts;understandafractiona/basthequantityformedbyapartsofsize1/b.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3
Explainequivalenceoffractionsinspecialcases,andcomparefractionsbyreasoningabout
theirsize.

2. Description of the students (Strengths and weakness of the students in the class regarding the topic they studied during the class)
Theclasswassetupwitheightcirculartables. This third grade class had 35 students. From observing the classroom and the
communication that was taking place, this class would be considered a bilingual third grade class. There are three students that only
speak Spanish but all the class speaks

and understands Spanish. The majority of all the

posters hung around the classroom

whether they were math or another subject were

written in both English and Spanish.

Strengths
Students understood that both

shapes needed to be the same size.

Weaknesses
Students did not understand that
Students did not divide the
Students
did
not
know
denominator indicated.

both shapes needed to be the same size.

shapes into the same shapes or parts.
understand what the numerator

and/or

3. Flow of the lesson (Minutes of the class)

Students learning activities (answers to the teacher, group
work,individualwork,etc.)

Time

Teachersinstruction(questions,comments,etc.)

9:20

9:25

Ms.Vazquezaskedthetablecaptainstogetthe
mathnotebooksfortheirtable.
Whilethecaptainsweregettingthetables,Ms.
Vazquezaskedwhatimportanteventhappened
yesterday.Shethenexplainedtheresultsandthe
termrunoff.

Studentsrespond,Elections
Asked,Whowon?
OneofthestudentsmentionedhowEmanuelwantstoclose50
schoolsdown.

Ms.Vazquezinstructsstudentstogettheir
MultiplicationFluencySheets.
Theyaregivenaminutetocomplete12
multiplicationproblems.
WhentheminuteisupMs.Vazquezwritesthe
correctanswerontheboard.

Allthestudentsareworkingonthe2sor3smultiplication
table.
Aftertheminuteisupstudentshaveachartwheretheycolor
inwhatmultiplicationtheygetright.
StudentswhogetthemallrightgetandMs.Vazquezchecks
themareabletomoveontothe3sor4s.

Ms.Vazquezgivesstudentsanewproblem:
Lilyneeds1/3cupofoilandcupofwaterto
makemuffins.Willsheusemoreoilormore
water?

Studentsaretowritethedateandtheproblemintheir
notebook.

9:26

9:35

9:36

9:40

9:41

9:51

Ms.VazqueziswalkingaroundandIamtooasI Studentsalldrawdifferentshapesandalsodividetheshape
intointerestingparts.
helpthosestudentswhoraisetheirhands.

Ms.Vazquezasksclasstocometorugandshe

Thestudentseachhavetwodifferentshapes;oneuses

9:52

10:02

askstwostudentscomeshowtheirwork.
Ms.Vazquezseesstudentsthattheclassis
confusedandusesanotherexampletohelpthe
class.
Studentsthenwriteasummary.

rectanglesandtheothercircles.Thestudentsdonotdrawtheir
picturesevenly,whichconfessestherestoftheclass.
Summary:
Todayasaclasswelearnedwhichfractionisgreater.When
thesamewholeispartitionedinto1/3therearelesspieces,so
thepiecesarebigger.1/3isgreaterthan.

4. Summary of the class observation

Something that I have noticed from observing Ms.Vazquezclassroomandmathlessonsisthatthemathproblemscan
bekindofconfusing.Ms.Vazquezhastodomuchexplaininginorderfortheclasstounderstand.Thestudentshavemade
improvementssincelastweek.Beforetheydidnotdrawthepictureofthesamesizenowtheyaregraspingtheconceptof
fractionsmore.IhavelearnedfromobservingatMs.Vazquezsclassroomisthatteachingmathcanbetrickyyetitisvery
importantthatstudentsunderstandtheconceptsthatwillhelpthemintheirmathjourneyinschool.Fromthislesson,Ihave
seenthatthemethodofteachingfractionsandmultiplicationshaschangedsinceIwasinschoolandverydifferentfromhowI
learned.Itisveryinterestingtoseehoweachstudentsolvetheproblem.Ihavebeenabletolearnhowstudentsthinkwhen
theyaskmoreforhelp.Theyunderstandfractionsbutareattimesconfusedwhichinpartisduetothemathproblems.