Instructional Strategies:
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Describe artifact that was used as the example for the standard
I have chosen an inquiry-based lesson that the students completed in partners or in groups of three. Students had $25 to build a snowman with buttons, eyes, a nose, a mouth, arms, a hat, a scarf, and any extra materials they could add with the extra money they had left. The type and size of material varied in price. They had to work as a team to problem solve and determine what they could buy and how much money they would have left when they were done. They had to be careful not to go over their budget. After buying all their materials, students were able to design their snowman then.
Give a rationale on why this activity is appropriate
This activity is appropriate because students used a variety of strategies to deepen their understanding of money and money management. They applied their knowledge of two-digit addition and subtraction to complete their STEM activity. It also taught students to work with others to be creative in a inquiry- based method. Students practiced their problem-solving skills continuously as they came across times when they ran out of money and needed to figure out what objects they had to sell to at least end with $0.