Math Focus Lesson Planning Sheet
Focus Lesson
Topic
Using Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces in Numerical Expressions
4.NBT.1
MA CCSS
Standards
Standards for
Mathematical
Practice
Materials
Connection
Direct
Instruction
Whole group instruction
that may include:
presentation of problem
solving scenario, explicit
teacher modeling of skill
or strategy application,
development of anchor
charts, etc.
Guided
Practice
Send Off [for
Independent
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
EDM Lesson 7.4 Parentheses in Number Sentences and website
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/brackets.html
Over the last few days in math, we have been exploring and working in
powers of 10. Today, and for the next few days, we are going to be
working on numerical expressions that have parentheses, brackets, or
braces in them. On another day, we will take our knowledge of the powers
of 10 and integrate that into numerical expressions with parentheses,
brackets, and braces .
Let’s look at what parentheses, brackets, and braces look like and talk
about why and how they are used. (Teacher will open web resource and
discuss.) These symbols are used when there is more than one operation in
a number sentence. The purpose of these mathematical symbols is to help
us read the expression and evaluate what we have to do to solve the
expression. Let me show you how this is done. Teacher should go through
several examples found in the web resource, in EDM lesson 7.4, or teacher
created.
Teacher should note that the MA CCSS requires students to use and
evaluate simple expressions with these symbols but does not require
students to have understanding of formal order of operations. Order of
operations is now covered in middle school.
Let’s take a look at some more examples. (The teacher can use the
examples found in the web resource or can use examples found in Mental
Math and Reflexes in lesson 7.4 of EDM, being sure to include brackets
and braces as well as parentheses. The teacher can also use EDM lesson
7.4 as a reference or guide.)
We are going to continue exploring this skill of using parentheses,
brackets, and braces in numerical expression and evaluating number
Problem
Solving]
sentences that include these symbols.
There are three math stations set up today. In the first station, students will
be working with me to practice reading and writing numerical expressions
that include parentheses, brackets, and braces. At the second station,
students will be reviewing our work with powers of 10 through the game
Scientific Notation Toss that we learned last week (or another game that
practices a skill chosen by the teacher). At the third station, you will find
index cards with numerical expressions on them. At this station, you will
work with a partner to write number stories that match one of the cards that
you will find at that station (see EDM lesson 7.4 Extra Practice for details).
This final activity can be done on paper, in the math notebook, or on
individual white boards or slates
Let’s share some of the great math thinking I saw going on today during
Group Share
our Math Workshop. Does anyone want to share a discovery that they
made about using the math symbols of parentheses, brackets, or braces?
Whole group discussion
The teacher can also highlight work done by individuals or teams, “I
to share math learning,
synthesize thinking about noticed Marsha and Karim using an interesting strategy for evaluating the
lesson’s “big ideas,”
number sentences and creating number stories for them. Can you tell the
develop/add to anchor
class more about the confusion you originally had and the strategy you
charts, etc.
used for evaluating the mathematical expression?” Before we end Math
Workshop today, let’s do a quick write in our math notebook about these
three math symbols and how they are used in numerical expressions.