David

“Do you always get everything done that you want to during a certain time? Can you think of some reasons why or why not?” After listening to some answers from your students, you can also share examples from your own life of how you make good use of the time you have, and also examples of instances where you did not accomplish everything that you wanted to do in a certain time period and some reasons why.

“How do you think David manages to get to school on time?” You can then read the Learning Journey story “I am David” to learn how he does this by having a routine he sticks to every morning, so that he limits the amount of potential surprises that could slow down his schedule. “Can you share some of the schedules that you have in your life? What advice do you have for David as he gets ready for his day?” You can also explore when it might be better to not have a complete schedule of your day, so that you can be open to changes and things that are unexpected. “Is it ever good to not have a schedule? Can you think of some reasons why?”

As you are practicing the math, keep track of how long it takes to complete each math example (but don’t share the amount of time with your students yet). Then after each example, you can ask your class, “How long did it feel like you spent on that math example?” You can then share with the class the actual amount of time it took to complete it. This can help students become comfortable with the “feel” of the length of a minute, 5 minutes, or whatever the amount of time they spent solving the math example. After you explore all of the math concepts, you can ask, “Did it take you longer than you imagined to finish the math examples? Or did you solve them quicker than you thought you would? Can you think of some reasons why?”

You can begin the conversation by asking students if they have ever been in a situation where they have been both roles. “Can you tell me about a time that you learned something? Did you then teach it to someone else? What was it like to be a teacher?” This can be a great time to share with your students an example of how even though you are a teacher, you have learned from your students. Try giving a recent example– it can be something like a fact that a student shared which you didn’t know before, or an example such as if a student shared their opinion with you and the class.

You can also watch the Learning Journey video “I am David” and then ask students, “Are there any times in the video where it looks like David is learning from others? What emotions do you think he feels throughout his day as both a learner and teacher?” To explore different types of situations where a person might be a learner and teacher, ask your class: “Can you share an example of something that you recently learned from a classmate or peer? What about from someone older than you? Or a person younger than you? What about from someone you don’t know very well? Or someone you’ve disagreed with before? How about from someone you admire?”

You can check out the math concepts of relating addition and subtraction (page 1), subtraction within 20 (page 2), and addition within 20 (page 3) in the story “David Learns and Teaches” and then practice solving the examples as a group. Once students have answered the equations, ask them to brainstorm engaging ways that they can teach those math concepts to others. Discuss different ways that people learn material (such as visually, auditorily, verbally, and physically) and also how some people are more comfortable learning in a group while others prefer to learn individually at their own pace. Encourage the group to come up with creative activities that they can then use to teach the math concepts, so that it is fun and memorable. Some examples could be by using different classroom materials to exemplify the equation, or act out different scenarios where a person might need to solve the equation in their life, or creating with a song that helps remind people how to solve it. Once your class has come up with a plan, see if there is another group in your school or community to whom you can then teach the material! You can also split your class into three smaller groups, and each group can teach a math concept to the others. Remind your class that while they are teaching the material that they are still learners too, and if someone asks them a question about the topic to which they do not know the answer, it is OK to say that they don’t know but that they would like to explore and discover the answer together.

What do you think that means?” After you listen to your students’ ideas, you can explore the concept of ‘thinking outside the box’ by showing one– you can draw a square on the board, or hold up a cardboard box, or provide another visual to your students. You can ask, “What defines a box or square?” Answers may include the idea that it is meant to hold something, or it has boundaries, or it can be measured. Then prompt students to use their emotional intelligence by asking, “Imagine you are inside of a box or confined place– how might that make you feel?” Because this is much more subjective, answers may range from feeling confined and limited to secure and organized. Once students explain how they emotionally relate to boundaries (such as those in a square or box), encourage them to connect this to how they can approach problem-solving. Explain that ‘thinking outside the box’ means that someone recognizes the restraints they face (some examples could be the amount of time they have, or their knowledge of a subject, or how something has traditionally been done) but then does not let those perceived limitations hold them back. Usually this involves being creative and looking at the situation from a different point of view. “Now that you understand what the phrase means, can you give me an example of a time that you thought ‘outside the box’?” After listening to students’ responses, you can then share how restraints or boundaries can also be something that helps you be even more creative. For example, maybe you are limited in the amount of time you have, and this motivates you to create a tool to get the job done quicker. You can also share examples from your own life to help students understand that boundaries do not necessarily limit creativity– what matters is how you use those boundaries. “Can you think of a time that you used limits as a way to solve a problem, rather than letting them hold you back?”

To practice reading comprehension, ask students: “What does David think is the role of teachers in the lives of students? What does he believe students have the responsibility to do with their lives?” Then ask your students to share their opinions about what they think should be the relationship between a teacher and his/ her students. “How can teachers encourage students to think for themselves? How can students help teachers be advisors who are empathetic?” You can also watch the Learning Journey video “I am David” with your class, and ask students to make a list (based on what they saw) of times they think David might be able to approach something in a new way and think creatively throughout his day.

Once students look at the digits and the place values in the two numbers to solve the problem, encourage students to approach this in a more creative way. “What are some other ways to solve this math question by ‘thinking outside the box’?” Some ways could include creating a visual representation through a drawing or using materials in the classroom to represent different number groups. On page 3 of the story, students help David round whole numbers. To connect this math concept to the idea of thinking creatively by using boundaries, you can ask students: “What are the ‘restraints’ in this math problem?” (the place value to which the number is being rounded). “How can rounding and estimating help someone approach a problem from a different perspective?”

This can help students understand that failure isn’t necessarily something to hide or be defensive about, but rather something to share as part of a greater lesson of understanding. You can explain the situation you were in and then tell students your immediate reaction. Then ask students, “What are some lessons we can all learn from my example of failure?” It might be something specific (such as if you had been misinformed and were then corrected), or something that can be applied the next time you encounter failure (such as if you kept trying until you got it right). Ask students, “Can you think of a time where you failed?” Make sure students understand that they do not have to share the example if they do not want to, and that you are focusing more on the concept of failure rather than dwelling on the specific situation. Then ask students, “Can you think of a time where you had the opportunity to learn from your mistakes?” With your class, reflect on how it made them feel to be asked those two different versions of the same question. “Did how I asked you to focus on learning from the situation rather than labeling the situation as a failure make a difference? In what way? Why do you think that is?”

To practice empathy, ask students to imagine themselves in the same situation. “If you were part of that project that did not succeed, what would you be feeling right now?” To practice reading comprehension, ask students to describe some of the issues that the group reflected on with David (such as undefined roles, a lack of evidence, and not following a set plan). Then, take each of those issues and work as a class to think of ways to prevent them from happening again. “How can we focus on the specific factors that did not go right so we can improve them, rather than label the entire situation as a failure?” You can tell students that even people who work for major companies and organizations will often conduct a “lessons learned” session after a project to brainstorm ways of how to make it even better next time. You can also watch the Learning Journey video “I am David” and ask students to imagine situations that they think David might face during his day which might not turn out as he expected. “How do you think David might react to an unexpected failure?” Encourage students to use examples from the Learning Journey story as evidence to support their answers.

As your class solves the examples, explain that there are many different ways to approach estimation. Instead of the focus being on whether it is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ (since there are many ways to measure time, mass, volume, and length) the focus is instead on which way is most relevant and appropriate for the situation. Ask students to expand on this idea by asking, “Is something a ‘failure’ because it is absolutely ‘wrong’? Or is it rather something that is not ‘right’ for the specific situation? What is the difference between the two? What is an example of each? How do you think this relates to estimating in math?”