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Laurie C. Vance
lesson was an introduction to area and falls into the domain of measurement and data. By the end
of this lesson, students should be able to understand the definition of a square unit and that
square units are often measured using different sizes. Additionally, students should understand
square units’ measure area by covering a shape and counting the squares. As a prerequisite to
understanding this skill, students must understand how to partition rectangles into equal-sized
squares as well as know that squares have four equal sides. Some key lesson vocabulary for this
unit includes area as well as square unit. In the context of this lesson, area is the amount of space
inside a closed two-dimensional figure. A square unit is a square with side lengths of one unit
This lesson prepares students to relate concepts of addition and multiplication, such as
arrays and distributive property, to finding the amount of space in a closed plane shape. The
Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) include: (2) Reason abstractly and quantitatively, (3)
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, and (5) Use appropriate tools
strategically. The Common Core State Standards aligned to this lesson include:
unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and can be used to measure
As stated in the context of the lesson, this lesson takes place during the small group
center rotations in my math block. I feel as though I took the role of the direct instructor as well
as the facilitator of learning. Because this was an introductory lesson, I do feel like these roles
were effective in student learning because they should be guided through instruction as well as
The learning task was for students to find area by measuring and counting units. Tasks
were consistent with Common Core Standards as well as Standards for Mathematical Practice.
These learning tasks relate to aspects of each of the learning theories: Social Constructivism,
regards to understanding and development. At the beginning of the small group lesson, students
Processing Learning Theory, reading specifically uses the visual areas of the brain in addition the
language centers. Then, students orally defined and used the key mathematical terms described
in this lesson. The purpose of utilizing these learning objectives is to gain student attention and
Upon review of the video, I noticed during my small group lesson I did a majority of the
talking, although I did try to get my students’ input throughout the rotation. One of my favorite
methods to use during teaching is the turn-and-talk method. This strategy encourages student
VIDEOTAPE ANALYSIS OF TEACHING 4
involvement. However, I do feel like I could have used this method more throughout the center
rotation.
As I was watching the lesson, I was watching for student engagement. I noticed that as
students were raising their hands to answer questions, other students were tuning out
immediately after I called on another student. For example, the student in the blue sweatshirt
looks around the room and goes back to his seat to put his jacket away. The student with red hair
plays with the grip on her pencil and picks at her fingernails. I noticed students the most
engagement from students during the application process when we were discussing examples of
items we could measure in the classroom. These examples emphasize the importance of real-
world application problems during learning. Because this was an introduction lesson, some
While I do feel like the Ready Curriculum we use in Cherokee County is rigorous, I do
feel like I could have pushed my students with more real-world and concreate examples of area
in order to increase student achievement and understanding. I did guide my students through
instruction, I also feel like I did encourage them to make their own connections. For example,
when we were discussing square units and measuring with the ruler, each student attempted their
measurement on their own before discussing it as a group. This is a prime example of scaffolding
During the lesson, I asked specific questions in relation to the Blooms Taxonomy
framework. Informational questions include: What is area? How do you measure area? Process
level questions include: Can you explain how you would use square units to find the area of the
shape? Can you explain whether or not the size of the square unit that is used to cover a shape
makes a difference in how you find the area? Examples of Analystic/Imaginative questions
VIDEOTAPE ANALYSIS OF TEACHING 5
include: Suppose Square A is divided into smaller-sized square units. Can you also count these
square units to describe the area of Square A? I did not have any examples of Creative questions
in this lesson. I could have extended these questions by asking students for different ways of
counting area, the difference between one inch and one square inch, or what is a way that is not
skip counting or counting that we could use to find the area of a rectangle? These questions
would aided in increasing students’ Zone of Proximal Development and move from assimilation
to accommodation.
Because I taught this lesson during small group center rotations, I did call on students
based on their ability levels because they are grouped accordingly. I do not feel as though I
called on a specific gender, ethnicity, etc. more than another. However, I do notice one group has
more boys than girls and the other group has more girls than boys. I do not feel as though I
responded to these students differently, but I do feel like I guided one of my groups more than
During this lesson, there were many “teachable moments.” For example in the second
group, we discussed the importance of square units versus rectangular units. Students were
struggling with the difference in the two. So, I drew a picture of square units and rectangular
units. Additionally, we discussed the importance of units being the same size. In relation to the
Social Cognitive Theory, this teaching strategy relates to response facilitation as well as
observational learning. The Social Cognitive Theory also promotes teacher and peer modeling as
described in this section. “Teachable moments” I missed was the extension of the lesson.
Based on the video, I feel as though my classroom has a positive learning environment.
The classroom is well managed, safe, and orderly. The classroom is conducive to learning, and
VIDEOTAPE ANALYSIS OF TEACHING 6
encourages and fosters respect for all. Students know expectations during centers and in the
classroom.
Upon final review of the video of teaching, I do feel as though students met the learning
goals described in this lesson. Based on student work, formal and informal assessments, and
student responses, students understand the definition of a square unit and that square units are
often measured using different sizes. Additionally, students understand square units’ measure
Reflection
Based on the analysis of the video of my math lesson, one of the areas of my teaching
practice I want to improve is enrichment and extension. I feel as though my students would have
benefitted from extending the lesson beyond the context presented. I would like to provide more
real world examples for my students to apply their knowledge. According to the Social Cognitive
Theory, learning is both a social and cognitive process. Three factors play a role in learning and
contexts into learning, students are most successful. I could have extended this lesson by having
students use actual square tiles to create rectangles using a variety of areas. Some examples
could include a length of eight tiles and a width of one tile, or a length of two tiles and a width of
four. After students have built each rectangle, students could discuss the similarities and
Finally, another specific area I would like to improve in my teaching practice would be
the inclusion of academic vocabulary in instruction. As I was watching the video, there were
many instances where I should have included academic language. This would also help enrich
VIDEOTAPE ANALYSIS OF TEACHING 7
imperative for processing information and building fluency. This would involve both the left and
References
Grade 3 » Measurement & Data. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2018, from
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/MD/
Ready Georgia Mathematics Curriculum. (2017). North Billerica, MA: Curriculum Associates,
LLC.