Mathematics Instruction and Processes Quiz Questions Flashcards
A parent is complaining about the math homework. They feel that their ELL child is at a disadvantage because they cannot afford internet at home and the homework is best completed using online software. The teacher is providing students time in class to complete the work that requires online resources, however, this student has not been using it stating that he will do it at home. What is the best strategy the teacher should use to prepare for meeting with the parent?
Open communication with the parents that does not involve educational jargon.
Open communication that encourages parental involvement is best.
A fifth-grade teacher is preparing to launch a unit focused on multiplying and dividing fractions. Which of the following concepts should he include on the pre-unit diagnostic test?
finding simplest form
Before learning to multiply or divide fractions, students must have a foundational understanding of how to manipulate fractions to find equivalent fractions and simplest form. If a student struggles with this skill, they will face additional challenges when attempting to multiply and divide fractions.
A first-grade teacher is finishing a unit on place value and composing/decomposing numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones. Which of the following would help to ensure that students continue practicing this skill even after the unit is finished?
A
a “number of the day” that students model using hundreds, tens, and ones
B
an online game in which students identify the hundreds, tens, and ones place
C
counting each day of school by adding a popsicle stick to a jar and making groups of tens when applicable
D
all of the above
correct
All choices are appropriate ways to reinforce the concept of place value.
Mr. Sexton has been trying a variety of teaching methods to engage his class, but it seems to make things more out of control. How can he increase engagement while maintaining an orderly classroom?
Establish a daily procedure for class and vary the activities used for instruction.
Students will be more on task when provided a routine to follow .
Ms. Nakaroti wants to teach her students about properties of points, lines, planes, and angles. Which of the following should she include in her planning for the unit?
Analyze the standards to determine learning objectives before she starts writing lesson plans.
The standards should always be consulted before beginning lesson planning.
At the end of a lesson on factoring, Ms. Wilson gave her class an exit ticket. After she reviewed the responses on the exit ticket, Ms. Wilson realized that many of her students were still struggling with the concept of factoring. Which of the following strategies would be best for Ms. Wilson to use in her next lesson on factoring to help the students solidify their conceptual understanding of factoring?
using manipulatives to show factoring as the reverse, or un-doing, of distribution
This activity uses concrete manipulatives to demonstrate the concept of factoring. Students can use prior knowledge of distribution to make connections to factoring.
Mr. Meadows is a third-grade teacher in a low performing school. There is a high rate of absenteeism and low rate of students doing homework. He makes a public star chart where students get a sticker for each assignment they complete. Which of the following learning theories best matches the use of a star chart?
behaviorism learning theory
Behaviorism has to do with students learning new behaviors based on the response they get to current behaviors. The students are receiving positive reinforcement through the use of the star chart. This is the correct answer.
According to the TEKS, which of the following is an appropriate skill for a second-grade student to master during a unit on numbers and operations?
Students will be able to place a given whole number in the correct position on an open number line.
Ms. Stevens’ third-grade class is completing an assignment in which they circle the larger of two fractions. While observing students as they work, she notices that one student, Ava, is consistently circling the smaller fraction on each pair. When Ms. Stevens asks Ava to explain her thought process on one of the problems, Ava states that “⅛ is greater than ¼, because 8 is bigger than 4.”
Based on this comment, which of the following would be the best way for Ms. Stevens to support Ava?
providing Ava with fraction bar manipulatives to model two fractions before identifying the larger fraction
In a first-grade class, the students have been working with manipulative materials and pictures as they investigate the concept of addition. Through both formative and summative assessments, the teacher has determined that the students are ready to move to more abstract (pencil and paper) ways to represent addition. How should she begin this process?
Have the children model pictorial representations of problems like 7 + 2 = 9 that include the numbers that represent each step.
Which of the following would be the most beneficial activity to include in a seventh-grade lesson introducing circumference of a circle?
having students measure the distance around various circular objects using a string or measuring tape
A third-grade teacher is introducing the concept of multiplication using manipulatives, pictures, and arrays. Last year several parents asked why their child wasn’t learning to multiply the same way that they did. What should the teacher do in order to address potential questions this year?
Send an email to parents that explains how multiplication will be introduced and include tips for practicing these skills with their child.
This keeps parents informed by explaining ahead of time how multiplication will be taught, and it allows parents the option to become involved in their child’s learning by giving tips on practicing multiplication strategies with their child.
Which of the following would be the most beneficial teaching tool to use during a fifth-grade lesson on comparing numbers with decimals?
a number line with marks placed at 0.25 intervals
A number line divided into 0.25 intervals would help students compare numbers with decimals. Students would be able to plot the numbers with decimals at approximate points on the number line, then use this visual representation to determine which number is larger.
A kindergarten class is beginning a unit on data collection. Which of the following would be the best first activity?
Give each student a collection of colored tiles to sort by color.
This is an excellent activity to begin a unit on data collection. After sorting, students can begin to answer questions like, “What color of tile do I have the most of?”, and “And the least of?” They can even begin comparing what they have with what another student has.
Which of the following would be the most beneficial activity for kindergarten students who are practicing subitizing skills?
a math station where students repeatedly roll a die, recording the number that they roll each time
Subitizing is the ability to quickly recognize the amount of objects in a set without counting each object. By rolling a die and recording the value, students are reinforcing this skill as they gradually learn to recognize the value they rolled without having to count each dot.
Mrs. Herschend decided not to give a test about ratios and instead had her students do a project to display their knowledge. She has decided that she will do this for every unit going forward. What is the main disadvantage to this approach?
Students need to practice test taking skills periodically.
Students need to practice these skills for standardized testing.
What learning progression should be used when teaching math concepts to third-grade students?
concrete to symbolic to abstract
Students need to be introduced to topics through manipulatives and concrete examples. Then, students can move on to symbolic representations such as drawings to represent equations. Finally, they can move to abstract that involves only numbers and variables in equations.
A third-grade teacher is planning an introductory lesson on perimeter. Which of the following would be the most appropriate to include in the lesson?
an activity in which students are given the dimensions of the school garden and asked to work in groups to determine how much fencing they would need to enclose the garden
Ms. Davis teaches a fifth-grade math class primarily composed of English language learners (ELL). Which of the following can support her ELL students?
Select all answers that apply.
Make a word wall.
Use gestures, pictures, and models to explain terms.
Maria has recently moved from Mexico City to the U.S. She is a secondary student who speaks little English, but who came from her school in Mexico City with excellent grades. Which of the following would be the most appropriate accommodation for Maria’s math teacher to use with Maria?
Pair Maria with another student who speaks Spanish, to clarify instructions in Spanish as needed.
Below is the outline of a mathematics activity a third-grade teacher recently completed with her students.
Learning Goal: The learner will be able to identify and create models of the following fractions: ⅓, ¼, ½
Lesson Plan:
Ask the students if they have ever eaten a pizza and show them a fake pizza in slices in a pizza box. Have students discuss the different ways a pizza could be divided.
Students sit with a partner and complete a worksheet titled, “Equal Parts or Unequal Parts?”
Using manipulatives, the teacher uses the document camera to show students how to take a whole pie and turn it into the following fractions: ⅓, ¼, ½.
Students sit with a partner and complete a worksheet titled, “Draw the Pizza Pie.”
Have each group come up to the board one at a time and draw one of the fraction pies with a dry erase marker.
Teacher Notes:
Around half of the groups draw the correct fractions on the board. The rest draw pies that have equal parts, but the incorrect fraction. When I graded both worksheets, 60% of partner pairs demonstrated mastery of the material.
Based on the teacher’s notes following the lesson, which of the following steps should the teacher take to improve the lesson plan and increase student understanding of fractions?
include an opportunity for students to work with the manipulatives by themselves and with a partner
Below is the outline of a mathematics activity a third-grade teacher recently completed with her students.
Learning Goal: The learner will be able to identify and create models of the following fractions: ⅓, ¼, ½
Lesson Plan:
Ask the students if they have ever eaten a pizza and show them a fake pizza in slices in a pizza box. Have students discuss the different ways a pizza could be divided.
Students sit with a partner and complete a worksheet titled, “Equal Parts or Unequal Parts?”
Using manipulatives, the teacher uses the document camera to show students how to take a whole pie and turn it into the following fractions: ⅓, ¼, ½.
Students sit with a partner and complete a worksheet titled, “Draw the Pizza Pie.”
Have each group come up to the board one at a time and draw one of the fraction pies with a dry erase marker.
Teacher Notes:
Around half of the groups draw the correct fractions on the board. The rest draw pies that have equal parts, but the incorrect fraction. When I graded both worksheets, 60% of partner pairs demonstrated mastery of the material.
The lesson plan shows the teacher understands the importance of:
engaging students in the lesson’s content.
A second-grade teacher is finishing up a lesson on using graphs to analyze data and make predictions. She wants to make sure that students continue to use this knowledge instead of learning it as an isolated skill. Which of the following would be the best way for the teacher to achieve this?
Plan a science lesson in the upcoming weeks in which students graph the daily temperature using bar graphs.
A first-grade teacher is planning a group project in which students will work in groups of three to create a survey question to ask their peers, collect data from the class, and create a picture graph using the data collected. Which of the following should the teacher do to help ensure successful group collaboration?
Assign roles to each group member, such as recorder, speaker, and materials manager.