Comprehensive Unit Plan

Morgan Hilliker
Math & Science Methods
December 1, 2015

Introduction:
This unit plan includes ten lessons (1 Hour and 30 Minutes each) for ten days of instruction for a
third grade Math unit with Science components integrated. Also included in this plan is a
diagnostic assessment (given one week before the first lesson was implemented), and a
summative assessment (given the day after instruction concluded). In total, this unit plan covers
eleven days of third grade math (ten instructional lessons and one assessment day where the
summative assessment was administered as a final part of the lesson).
Rationale:
The contributing factor that influenced the planning of this unit was the Engaged New York
Curriculum Pacing Guide for the Third Grade during the 2015-2016 school year. During the
dates my math unit would be taught, the third grade at Andrews Elementary School was all
planning on beginning Module 2, Place Value and Problem Solving with Units of Measure.
In this 25 day module, students explore measurement using kilograms, grams, liters, milliliters,
and intervals of time in minutes. Students begin by learning to tell and write time to the nearest
minute using analog and digital clocks in Topic A (3.MD.1). Students understand time as a
continuous measurement through the exploration of stopwatches, and the use of a number line; a
tool used for counting intervals of minutes within 1 hour (3.MD.1). Throughout Topic A
students see that an analog clock is a portion of a number line shaped into a circle. They use
both the number line and clock to represent addition and subtraction problems involving
intervals within 1 hour (3.MD.1).
Introduced in Topic B, kilograms and grams are measured using digital and spring scales.
Students use manipulatives to build one kilogram and then decompose it to explore the
relationship between the size and weight of kilograms and grams (3.MD.2). An exploratory
lesson relates metric weight and liquid volume measured in liters and milliliters, highlighting the
coherence of metric measurement. Students practice measuring liquid volume using the vertical
number line and a graduated beaker (3.MD.2). Building on estimation skills with metric length,
a skill students learned in the second grade, students then begin to use kilograms, grams, liters,
and milliliters to estimate the weights and liquid volumes of familiar objects. Finally, students
use their estimation strategies to reason about solutions to one-step addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division word problems involving metric weight and liquid volume given in
the same units (3.MD.2).

Though I did not address Topics C, D or E in my lesson plans, as these topics fell after the ten
lessons I was asked to create, beginning in Topic C (3.NBT.1) students would begin to further
develop their rounding skills by practicing how to round measurements. Students would
measure and then use place value understandings and the number line as a tool to round two,
three, and four digit measurements to the nearest ten or hundred (3.NBT.1, 3.MD.1, 3.MD.2).
In Topics D and E (3.NBT.1, 3.MD.1, 3.MD.2), students would be solving word problems
through measuring and rounding. Students would use estimations to test the reasonableness of
sums and differences precisely using standard algorithms. From their work with metric
measurement, students would have a deeper understanding of the composition and
decomposition of units. They would be able to demonstrate this understanding in every step of
the addition and subtraction algorithms with two and three digit numbers.
Both Topics D and E, pull the 25 day module together by solving problems involving metric
units or intervals of time. During these lessons students would round to estimate, and then
calculate precisely using standard algorithm to add or subtract two and three digit measurements
given in the same units (3.NBT.1, 3.NBT.2, 3.MD.1, 3.MD.2).
Though this module addressed many mathematical concepts and standards, the unifying concepts
emphasized during my ten math lessons were solving problems involving measurement and
estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.
I also integrated a science standard into two of my lessons. This standard addressed comparing
solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties. Though gases were not a concept that
was addressed in my unit, my students and I compared solids and liquids during lessons seven
and ten. During these lessons, students were learning how to compose and decompose a
kilogram and a liter. During our kilogram lesson, I had students compare the basic properties of
rice and beans when determining which would weigh more and which would weigh less. From
there, we took this knowledge and determined which object (rice or beans) would be best to use
in order to create a kilogram using the least amount of this particular object. In our liters lesson,
students and I compared the properties of water as we poured one liter into different shaped and
sized containers. From this, students were able to see that unlike a solid, liquids take the shape
of the container they are in. Because science is not a subject that receives a lot of attention in my
classroom, I was happy that I was able to incorporate this into my teaching.
Throughout the entirety of my planning process, I made sure to keep in mind my audience;
twenty lively third grade students, as well as Andrews Elementary Schools makeup. Andrews
Elementary School is a Title 1 school located in the Alamance Burlington School System. The
student body is extremely diverse and is composed of students from mostly African American
and Hispanic backgrounds. The same is true for the composition of my third grade classroom.
Many of my students come from families with complex life issues including; broken families and
extreme poverty. With these points in mind, I wanted to ensure that I created lessons that were

culturally relevant to each of my students, as well as lessons that would engage and excite them
in their learning process.
In doing so, I believe that students global awareness was definitely enhanced in this unit through
students collaboration with diverse classmates during partner and group work. During this time,
students gained further knowledge about their classmates that they may not have gotten the
opportunity to learn if they werent working together. Seeing as partner/group work is an aspect
of Ms. McKinneys classroom that she highly values, I wanted to continue this in my lessons.
When accounting for partner/group work, I made sure to divide my students strategically.
During some of my lessons I had students work in groups created by Ms. McKinney. At other
times I divided the students based upon their ability levels. For example, pairing a higher student
with a lower student. In doing so, the higher level student had the opportunity to help and guide
the lower level student through the activity, in turn benefitting both students. Another way that I
divided my students up was based on the diversity and makeup of my classroom. In some cases
I would have a girl partner up with a boy, a combination that usually would never occur. Other
times I would have two African American students working with two Hispanic students. In
doing so, I was able to provide my students with a meaningful experience where students not
only worked with individuals different from their usual pairings, but also gave students the
chance to learn a little about these students while doing so.
Aside from the cultural diversity in my classroom, my students are also very widespread in terms
of performance. There are a select few students who stand out above the rest as exceptional
students academically. These are the students who are always taking pride and ownership in
their learning. They ask questions when they are confused, and put 110% of their effort into
what theyre doing each day. There are also a select few students who are considered to be found
at the other end of the spectrum. This group of students are really struggling in school. These
students have trouble focusing on the material being taught, and therefore are unable to
internalize and apply material when needed.
With this in mind, while creating my lessons, I decided that whenever students were
working on group work, I would pull the group of students that have trouble focusing and
internalizing information. In doing so, I would create a small group lesson for these students.
During this time, we would work together through the worksheet or exit ticket. This would allow
these students to receive the individualized attention they need in order to complete their work to
their best ability.
Another aspect of my lesson planning that I paid a great deal of attention to, was making sure to
incorporate 21st century skills into at least one avenue of each lesson. Seeing as incorporating
technology, a major 21st century skill, was one of the goals addressed in my PDP, luckily this
was something very easy for me to accomplish. In order to do so, I created Smartboards for
each lesson where I listed word problems, pictures, graphs, interactive scales/timers, and even
games found on SmartExchange. Not only was this a great way for me to incorporate my PDP
goal, it was also a great way for me to keep my students engaged and excited throughout the
entirety of my lessons.

Standards:
Math Common Core Standards:
Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and
masses of objects
3.MD.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve
word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by
representing the problem on a number line diagram
3.MD.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of
grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step
word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using
drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem
North Carolina Essential Standards for Science:
3.P.2 Understand the structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a
change
3.P.2.2 Compare solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties
Technology Standards
K.TT.1 Use technology tools and skills to reinforce classroom concepts and activities
K.TT.1.2 Use a variety of technology tools to organize data and information (e.g., word
processor, graphic organizer, audio and visual recording, online collaboration tools, etc.).
K.TT.1.2 Use technology tools to present data and information (multimedia, audio and visual
recording, online collaboration tools, etc.)
Title: Problem Solving within Units of Measure
Essential Understanding (big idea of unit):
The essential understanding that inspires this unit is having students explore, solve, and reason
about solutions to one-step addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems
involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of
objects.
My students will be able to apply these concepts as they continue along with their academic
careers. Not only will these concepts relate to mathematics, they will also apply to other
disciplines including; science (measurements), as well as real world applications where students
will need to know how to figure out how much time has passed between events (elapsed time), or
create a mixture that involves certain measurements (cooking). Therefore, the ideas and
concepts taught throughout my ten lessons will not just increase students mathematical
understandings, but will generalize to many situations and contexts like the ones listed above.

In this unit specifically, I wanted my students to focus on how they could apply different
relationships and measurements to a variety of contexts.
In Topic A students began by exploring the measurement of time. They understood time as a
continuous measurement through the exploration of stopwatches and the use of a number line.
From here, students were able to see that a number line was a tool they would be using in order
to count intervals of time within one hour. Once this was understood, students began to see that
a number line was similar to a portion of an analog clock used to express time. Students then
used both of these devices; a number line and a clock, to help solve addition and subtraction
problems involving intervals of time within one hour.
Once these lessons were complete, instruction moved towards metric unit measurements
involving weight and liquid volume. Students explored kilograms and grams using digital and
spring scales. After learning about the weight and size of a kilogram; through the composition
and decomposition of a kilogram into its smaller units (grams), students used what they learned
from this experiment to practice measuring liquid volume. Students learned about the use of a
graduated beaker, as well as what the vertical number line found on one represents. Students
then used this knowledge to measure one liter of liquid, and then decompose it into its smaller
units (milliliters).
Throughout my unit, the 21st century themes and skills present include: Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving (how can I create a number line to express time?, how can I decompose both a
kilogram and a liter using the base ten system?), Flexibility and Adaptability (how can I use my
estimation strategies about certain measurements to help me problem solve?), as well as
Leadership and Responsibility (how can I actively contribute to my partner/group?).
Knowledge (content):
The student will know
Key Facts
How to add, subtract, multiply, and divide
How much a kilogram, gram, liter, and milliliter is
What it means to compose and decompose
What a pan balance is and how to use one
What a spring scale is and how to use one
What a graduated beaker is and how to use one
Concepts
Telling Time on a Clock
Minute Counting
Group Counting
Decomposing 60 Minutes
Decomposing 1 Kilogram
Gram Counting

Dividing Grams and Kilograms

Determining the Unit of Measure
Decomposing 1 Liter
Milliliter Counting
Bodies of Knowledge
Connections between the different kinds of measurements (time, metric weight, metric
volume) to everyday life
How to extend measurement (time, metric weight, metric volume) beyond the classroom
context
Skills:
Remember
Students will be able to define in their own words what a kilogram is
Students will be able to define in their own words what a gram is
Students will be able to explain in their own words what decomposing means
Students will be able to explain in their own words what composing means
Students will be able to define in their own words what a liter is
Students will be able to define in their own words what a milliliter is
Students will be able to explain in their own words what a pan balance is
Students will be able to explain in their own words what a spring scale is
Students will be able to explain in their own words what a graduated beaker is
Understand
Students will understand the concept that time is a continuous measurement
Students will understand how to properly express time on a number line
Students will understand that in order to create/draw an appropriate number line, the number
line will have to be divided evenly into 12 tick marks (each tick mark representing 5 minutes)
totaling the 60 total minutes in 1 hour
Students will understand that counting by fives on a number line represents counting by five
minutes and counting by ones represents counting by one minute
Students will understand how to solve word problems involving one hour time intervals by
adding and subtracting on the number line
Students will develop estimation strategies to help them determine the weight of familiar
objects in kilograms
Students will be able to solve one-step addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word
problems involving metric weights
Apply
Students will be able to apply skip-counting by one minutes/five minutes on a number line as
a strategy to tell time on a clock
Analyze
Students will be able to interpret the size and weight of 1 kilogram, 100 grams, 10 grams, and
1 gram
Students will be able to interpret the size and weight of 1 liter, 100 milliliters, 10 milliliters,
and 1 milliliter
Evaluate

 Students will be able to evaluate how much time has passed through the use of a clock or a
stopwatch
Create
Students will be able to create an appropriately drawn number line to represent/express time
Students will be able to build and decompose a kilogram
Students will be able to build and decompose a liter
Dispositions:
Collaboration: Students working well with one another; take turns letting group members
speak, activity listening to group members as they talk
Respect: Students need to listen to one another with intention and not interrupt or talk over
one another; be encouraging of one another
Self-discipline: Students need to take responsibility for their own learning by honestly
reflecting on and self-assessing their understanding of the content being taught
Perseverance: Students need to work through difficult math problems and use available
resources to help solve
Lesson Plan Objectives
Lesson #1
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to use a clock and a stopwatch to determine how much time has passed
Students will understand what the word continuous means and be able to define it in their own
words
Students will be able to explain in their own words why time is a continuous measurement
Student I Can Statement:
I can use a clock and a stopwatch to measure and express the length of time
I can explain why time is considered a continuous measurement
Lesson #2
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to relate skip-counting by five minutes on a clock to appropriately creating
a number line that expresses a time shown on a clock
Students will be able to create an appropriately drawn number line to express a time on a clock
Students will understand that in order to create an appropriate number line (one that expresses
time), they will divide the number line into 12 evenly marked tick marks to represent 60 minutes
in one hour
Student I Can Statement:
I can create a number line that expresses a certain time through the use of skip-counting by fives
(five minutes)
Lesson #3
Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to count by ones and fives on a number line as a strategy to tell time on a
clock to the nearest minute or five minutes
Students will understand that counting by fives represents counting by five minutes, while
counting by ones represents counting by one minute
Student I Can Statement:
I can count by ones and fives on a number line as a strategy to tell time on a clock to the nearest
minute
Lesson #4
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to solve word problems involving one hour time intervals by counting both
forwards and backwards using a number line and a clock
Student I Can Statement:
I can solve word problems involving one hour intervals by counting forwards and backwards
using a number line and a clock
Lesson #5 (Extension of Lesson #4)
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to solve word problems involving one hour time intervals by counting both
forwards and backwards using a number line and a clock
Student I Can Statement:
I can solve word problems involving one hour intervals by counting forwards and backwards
using a number line and a clock
Lesson #6
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to solve word problems involving one hour time intervals by adding and
subtracting on a number line
Student I Can Statement:
I can solve word problems involving one hour intervals by adding and subtracting on a number
line
Lesson #7
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to build and decompose a kilogram to understand and interpret the size and
weight of 1 kilogram, 100 grams, 10 grams, and 1 gram
Students will evaluate the weight of these measurements
Student I Can Statement:
I can understand and interpret the size and weight of 1 kilogram, 100 grams, 10 grams, and 1
gram
Lesson #8
Learning Outcomes:

Students will develop estimation strategies to help them determine the weight of familiar objects
in kilograms
Student I Can Statement:
I can develop estimation strategies to help determine the weights of familiar objects in kilograms
Lesson #9
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to solve one-step word problems involving metric weights
Students will understand how to estimate their solutions
Student I Can Statement:
I can solve one-step word problems involving metric units and estimate my solutions
Lesson #10
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to compare the capacities of containers with different shapes and sizes in
order to predict which has a bigger/smaller volume
Students will also understand how to decompose a liter to reason about the size of 1 liter, 100
milliliters, 10 milliliters, and 1 milliliter
Student I Can Statement:
I can decompose a liter to interpret the size of 1 liter, 100 milliliters, 10 milliliters, and 1
milliliter
Differentiation:
Throughout my unit, the students who I decided to pay extra attention to were Jaysha, Serenity,
Ghermaine, Javant, and Arely. My decision behind choosing these particular students varied. I
decided to watch over Jaysha and Serenity because these two students work at the same table and
typically feed off each other behaviorally. I also decided to focus on Ghermaine, Javant, and
Arely because these are three of my students who need reinforcement and encouragement in
order to stay focused and attend to their work. Germaine and Javant tend to let their attention
wander when given the opportunity to work with partners or in groups. Arely on the other hand,
while working with a partner or in a group, will let the students she is working with do all of the
work. Knowing the typical behaviors of these students was extremely helpful when creating my
lesson plans as I was able to account for this ahead of time and plan accordingly.
Diagnostic Assessment: A differentiation I made during the administration of the diagnostic
assessment was reading the question aloud to a small group of students at the back table in my
classroom. This group of students in particular has a difficult time reading and internalizing
directions. Therefore, by reading the questions aloud, these students were given the same
opportunity to answer the questions as the rest of the class was.
Group Work: Throughout my ten lessons, group work was something that I incorporated into
each of my lessons. During this time, I would pull a select group of students who have trouble

focusing and internalizing the information to the back table. This group of students included:
Diego, Alberto, Arely, Powell, and Lirio. In doing so, this allowed for these students to receive
the individualized attention they need in order to complete their work to their best ability.
Assessment:
Formative Assessments of lesson plan objectives are included on Form 1
Summative Assessment of the unit goal(s) is included on Form 2