Amber Dickens Curriculum Assignments

I am a former elementary school teacher (4th grade for two years and 1st grade for two years). I am the mother of three sons and am excited to be getting back into the education field.

Matrix analyzing the goals and outcomes of the Eureka Essentials Math curriculum and its alignment with the state of Maryland mathematics standards.

 Research-Influenced Review of Curriculum Theory and Alignment

Amber Dickens

EDCI 644, section 700: Curriculum Development

Texas A&M University

Curriculum: Eureka Essentials Math Curriculum created by Great Minds

Unit: Unit Conversions and Problem Solving with Metric Measurements

      The goal of Eureka Essentials Math curriculum is for students to improve number sense, make connections, and gain a “deeper understanding of the why behind the numbers” by providing teachers carefully sequenced mathematics modules. The lessons within this curriculum mostly follow a behaviorist learning approach. Specific objectives are listed for every unit and lesson (ie. Students will express metric mass measurements in terms of a smaller unit; model and solve addition and subtraction word problems involving metric mass), and the flow of the lesson gradually gives more independence to the learner (ie. “I do, We do, You do”). While this unit lends itself to a behaviorist learning approach, it provides a strong context for the skills compared to only learning the standard algorithm and isolated word problems when I was a child.

      The behaviorist approach to planning lessons and instruction is often characterized by time efficient skill development. Direct instruction and the idea of “I do, we do, you do” are both rooted in behaviorism. Explicit objectives that are written and communicated to the student are a key attribute of a behaviorist lesson plan. “Writing the behavioral objective prior to the lesson guides the lesson structure” (McConnell et al., 2020) and includes what skill or behavior the students will be able to perform, the conditions and degree of student performance. This unit has overarching goals, but it also lists goals/objectives for individual lessons that move the students in a systematic way toward mastery of the unit skills. Unit and lesson goals guide teachers’ decisions in planning and instructional delivery. (Peterson et al., 2013)

A common formula for planning a lesson grounded in behaviorism is Madeline Hunter’s method: anticipatory set (hook), objective, direct instruction, modeling, checking for understanding, guided practice, and independent practice.(McConnell et al., 2020) Using these steps, or similar ones, is helpful in this math unit because it provides the needed support to the students as they apply knowledge about addition and subtraction from the previous learning unit to adding and subtracting metric measurement units. This unit requires students to perform operations in a logical, real-world context (metric mass, length, and volume measurements). These contexts can serve as a hook in the anticipatory set, allowing the students to connect the skill to their own experience (ie. volume of water bottles, hiking different distances). Michelle Stephan, et al state, “Although using the real world as a motivational hook is often effective for engagement, a number of scholars point to a more conceptual purpose as well: the potential for the real world to support students in making sense of abstract mathematical ideas by connecting to their existing knowledge of the world around them.” (Stephan et al., 2020) It can help engage the students in the learning by giving them a reference for what they are doing with the numbers. “One key point is that the context is used as grounding for a sequence of problems posed in progressively abstract ways rather than serving as a hook for one problem only.” (Stephan et al., 2020)

Another prominent example of behaviorist approach to instruction is the “I Do, We Do, You Do” model. This consists of teachers performing the skill, talking through the reasoning and steps of the skill (I do). Next the students work together to solve the problem either in a whole group or small group setting (we do). Then the students solve the problem independently (you do). Along the way, the teacher can check for understanding and re-teach the skill as necessary. This math unit utilizes this strategy in many of its lessons. The teacher supports the student’s learning by modeling and gradually transferring the “work” of performing the skill to the student. See table below. The measurement unit conversions and addition and subtraction skills build on each other within this learning unit as well as prepare the students for the next unit. “Not only should the problem be accessible to the student at his or her current level of mathematical understanding; it should also build toward subsequent mathematical ideas in the unit. Thus, the teacher must be prepared and willing to use emerging student ideas to move the mathematical flow forward.” (Peterson et al., 2013)

Behaviorist Characteristic

Manifestation in the Unit

I do, we do, you do (modeling)

To teach the students how to solve addition and subtraction problems involving metric measurement, the teacher first shows the students how to solve the problem using multiple strategies (ie. Tape diagram, combining easy numbers, standard algorithm, etc.) while thinking aloud and explaining his/her thought process. The whole class then solves another word problem; the teacher calls on different students to describe each step. Then the students work in small groups to solve word problems using strategies that make sense to the students. In the next lesson and/or on homework, the student solves addition and subtraction word problems independently and explains their reasoning.  

Explicit objectives based on student behavior, conditions, and degree.

Unit objective 1: Students will express metric measurements (length, mass, and capacity) in terms of a smaller unit

Lesson objectives that relate to unit objective 1: Students will convert metric lengths to larger and smaller units. Students will convert metric masses to larger and smaller units.

References

1. McConnell, C., Conrad, B., & Uhrmacher, P. B. (2020). Lesson planning with purpose: Five approaches to curriculum design. Teachers College Press.

2. Peterson, B. E., Corey, D. L., Lewis, B. M., & Bukarau, J. (2013). Intellectual engagement and other principles of mathematics instruction. The Mathematics Teacher, 106(6), 446-450.

3. Stephan, M. L., Reinke, L. T., & Cline, J. K. (2020). Beyond hooks: Real‐world contexts as anchors for instruction. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 113(10), 821-827.

Eureka Essentials Math curriculum contains multiple examples of the behaviorist approach to planning and instructional delivery.

Professional stances and recommendations linked to Eureka Essentials Math curriculum.

Summary and recommendations for 4th Grade Eureka Essentials Math by Great Minds