Tpa - Action Research

Pam Hatfield
TASK 1: Contextual Factors
Types of Factors Contextual Factors
Community Community
Rural Area in Wyoming County, West Virginia 1. Cyclone is a very small rural community located in Wyoming
Population of 23,796 County. The population of Cyclone is estimated to be about 1501
Median household income, $26,800.00 people. Out of the estimated 1501 people, 99.1% of the
population is white, 0.3% is African American, 0.5% is two or
Average of full time employment, 28%
more races, and 0.1% is Asian. The median household income in
Average of part time employment, 14%
Cyclone is around $26,800, which is $12,370 lower than the
Average with no earnings, 57%
median household income for the State of West Virginia. Due to
White population is 99.1% - 1487 the fact both parents or guardians are usually working or they
Black or African American 0.3% - 5 sometimes lack the basic education needed, these students are
Asian 0.1% - 1 going to be less likely to receive the necessary help at home with
Two or more races 0.5% - 8 their homework or to prepare for tests. Road Branch Elementary
and Middle School receives a tremendous amount of support and
commitment from their families and their community.
School
2. Road Branch Elementary and Middle School has approximately
School 200 students enrolled for the 2016-2017 school year. Of those
Road Branch Elementary and Middle Schools mission is students, 99.1% are White, 0.3% is African American, 0.5% is
that all students will exit the school with a quality education Asian, and 0.5% is two or more races. All students at Road
and the Twenty-First Century learning skills fundamental for Branch Elementary and Middle School receive free breakfast and
higher learning and become productive, contributing members lunch along with a fresh fruit or vegetable snack on Tuesdays and
of a global society. Thursdays. The teacher to student ratio is 12 students to 1
The core beliefs of the school are that the students will reach teacher, which is lower than the West Virginia average ratio of 15
their academic potential by learning to think critically, students to 1 teacher. The school schedule begins at 8:10 a. m.
communicate effectively, manage and evaluate information, every morning and ends at 3:30 p. m. Road Branch Elementary
and use technology to solve problems through a combined and Middle School is a very busy little school and most of the
effort of students, parents, teachers, support personnel and students are very active in school activities.
administrators.
There are approximately 190 students enrolled
PreK-8
100% of all students receive free breakfast and lunch.
The school receives a state grant in which the students receive
fresh fruits and vegetables for a snack twice a week.
Low income students receive a backpack with nonperishable
food to take home for weekends and holidays.
Tutoring is available for any student grades K-8 on Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
Teacher to student ratio is approximately 12:1.
There are ten classroom teachers, two Title One teachers and
2 Special Education teachers. Family
3. In the Cyclone area, about 16% have a bachelor degree, 4% have
Family a graduate degree, 34% have their high school diploma and 47%
Family structures: have had some high school or less. The median family income is
Husband and wife households 65% around $43915.and the median home value is around $22,800.
Single guardian 16% The unemployment rate is about 13%. Most of the students at
Singles 17% Road Branch Elementary and Middle School live with one parent
Singles with roommate 3% or guardian or both parents.
16% have a bachelor degree
4% have a graduate degree
34% have a high school diploma
47% have high school or less
13% are unemployed
Median home value $22,800 Classroom Factors
4. The 4th grade classroom that I am in, has a wide assortment of
Classroom Factors books and other classroom materials at the students disposal.
Classroom has a wide assortment of books and learning There are learning materials posted throughout this large,
organized classroom. The classroom procedures flow smoothly
materials.
and efficiently. Students have access to the three computers
Large classroom that is well organized in a warm and caring
located on the back wall of the classroom. There are dictionaries,
environment. thesauruses, pencils, and paper situated where all the students can
3 computers for student access. access them easily. Students desks are arranged in rows with the
Projector in the middle of the room with student desks in rows projector located in the middle of the room between the two
on either side. middle rows of seats. This allows the teacher to interject
Learning information posted on all 4 walls. themselves into the actual learning environment while at the same
time providing a sense of closeness and support to the students.
Content Specific Factors Content Specific Factors
Content area covers Social Studies, Math, ELA, Science, 5. Road Branch Elementary and Middle School classrooms are
Technology, Health and Art. taught Social Studies, Math, ELA, Science, Technology, Health
Curriculum pushes students to think and analyze. and Art. The class goes to a different teacher for social studies
Students are taught through direct teaching. for 1st period. In math, they have just finished working with
division and are moving into fractions right now. In reading, they
Taught to think to find deeper meaning.
are analyzing different types of text and Science, they are
Encouraged to work independently. studying the weather. The 4th grade teacher uses curriculum that
Technology classes. pushes his students to think outside the box in addition to be able
Dry erase boards are used. to analyze and make connections to prior knowledge. Students
are taught through direct instruction and encouraged to work
independently. The school itself encourages the use of
technology and through their technology classes, the students are
shown keyboarding, word and power point. They are also taught
how to use the internet and are taught about internet safety
Student Factors (In terms of the whole class and individual Student Factors (In terms of the whole class and individual students)
students) 6. My 4th grade classroom at Road Branch Elementary and Middle
Class is a very diverse group with different developmental School is made up of a very diverse group of students with
levels. numerous developmental levels. My one special education
1 Special Education Student. student leaves the room for ELA and Math; however, this student
2 Students with a 504. is with the rest of the class throughout the remainder of the day.
There are two students with a 504. One student has his
Different maturity levels.
assignments lowered to what the other students have and this
Average to low-average learners. student also receives extra time when needed. My other 504
Ratio of nine boys to seven girls. student has the same modifications; however, this student is a
little more difficult to handle than the other. There are nine boys
and seven girls who are all between the ages of 9 and 10 years
old. Of the 17 students, all are Caucasian except one racial mixed
student. This is a very good diverse group of students and their
only problems that need to really be addressed is their chattiness.
They are all very social and interactive with each other.
Narrative
Community, School, and Family Factors

Road Branch Elementary and Middle School is in the small rural area of Cyclone, West Virginia. There are approximately 190 students in
this Wyoming County School. The school is a K-8 school and has ten regular classroom teachers, two Title I teachers, and two Special Education
teachers. Of the 190 students, all receive free breakfast and lunch as well as receive a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Some of the students qualify to receive a backpack of nonperishable food to take home with them on the weekends or during the holidays. Of the
estimated 1501 residents in Cyclone, 99.1% of the population is white, 0.3% is African American, 0.5% is two or more races, and 0.1% is Asian. The
median household income in Cyclone is around $26,800 which is $12,370 lower than the median household income for the State of West Virginia.
Because of this, I feel most of the students were probably from low to middle class families. These families probably work 9 5 jobs so their
participation in the class is minimal. When I plan the curriculum for instruction, I will make sure that anything that is needed for instruction or study
purposes, I will make sure to have on hand myself in the classroom or with things that the students would already have on hand.
Road Branch Elementary and Middle Schools mission statement is That all students will exit the school with a quality education and the
Twenty-First Century learning skills fundamental for higher learning and become productive, contributing members of a global society. Their core
beliefs of the school are that the students will reach their academic potential by learning to think critically, communicate effectively, manage and
evaluate information, and use technology to solve problems through a combined effort of students, parents, teachers, support personnel and
administrators. The school also provides a counselor for the students if they feel they need to talk to someone outside of the school administration.
I would like to be able to incorporate small group instruction opportunities with this class; however, because of class behavior, small group
instruction is not possibly unless I have an additional teacher in the room to assist. I will however, provide the students with rich curriculum that will
keep them engaged and interested. I encourage parental involvement as much as possible. We send daily planners home with the students each day
that they write down their daily and upcoming activities as well as their daily grades for the parents to review and sign.
Classroom Factors
The classroom environment is warm and inviting. The classroom is large and is very neatly organized so that the students know where
everything is. There are learning materials posted on all the walls in the room and materials such as paper and pencil are always at the students
disposal to any student who may need them. The students also have access to dictionaries and thesauruses. When the students are reading and they
find a word that they are unsure about, they use the dictionaries to look those words up. With the thesaurus, they are encouraged to use it when they
are writing. Students desks are arranged in four rows facing the whiteboard and the projector is placed in the middle so that the teacher has all eye on
the students. While the students are working, I walk around the room and assist with any questions or simply assess how they are doing with their
assignment. I feel that by having myself in the middle of the room with the students also allows us to form a closer bond.
Content Specific Factors
Content area for the classroom is Math, ELA (Reading, English, Vocabulary, Spelling, Writing, and Grammar), Science, and Technology. I
feel that the curriculum needs to be fun and interesting, yet at the same time, push the students to think outside the box in addition to moving the
students outside of their comfort zone. I also feel that making lessons exciting and interesting will also make them want to learn as well as they will
be able to retain the information better. Students should enjoy learning and if they do not enjoy it, they will not retain it. Because the curriculum is
taught through direct instruction it leaves little to no time for group instruction. I am however, able to let the students work in pairs, so this allows
them to learn to work together. I will not only use the curriculum provided by our State, but I will use all resources that are at my disposal to make
sure that the content of my curriculum is going to provide the students with the best possible education that I can provide them. I will also use
different forms of assessment to make sure that I see the students fullest potential.
Student Factors (In terms of the whole class and individual students)
I feel that my 4th graders are trying to figure out who they are right now and where exactly they fit. This group of students is very diverse.
There are 9 boys and 7 girls who are all between the ages of 9 and 10 years old. They all exhibit good friendships with each other except for two
students who seem to not really be liked among the other students. The teacher has had the students talk to the school counselor a few times and
although it helps a little at first, it seems to always go back to the same situation. All the students used prior knowledge of learning in addition to
used real life experiences to relate to certain curriculum. I learn in different ways and I feel that allowing students to learn in other ways will help
them to be able to adapt to learn new and exciting things. I will need to find a way to help students get to the root of their problems and
misunderstandings to help them improve their relationships. I will develop my curriculum to keep it interesting and engaging while helping them to
work together as a team. I will talk with the students and find out their interests and hobbies so that I can relate some of my lessons using the things
they like. For the individual students, I will make sure that each student receives instruction and lessons that are level appropriate for each student.
References
Cyclone WV 24827 Demographics - Movoto. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from http://www.movoto.com/cyclone-
wv/24827/demographics/
Home. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.publicschoolreview.com/road-branch-elementary-middle-school-profile
ZIP Code 25840. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from http://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/25840/
Pam Hatfield
TASK 2: UNIT FRAMEWORK

1. BIG IDEA: How do we recognize real-world uses of fractions? What are the functions of a numerator and a denominator?
How do we use fractions in our daily lives? How do we add and subtract fractions with like denominators? How do we add and subtract
fractions with unlike denominators?
2. STANDARDS 3A. LEARNING 3B. TYPE/LEVEL OF GOALS

GOALS
1. M.4.12 Understand the parts My fourth-grade class whole group instruction begins with my discussing experiences that
of fractions by using we have with fractions that we may use every day. For example, when we buy a pizza, at a
Explain why a fraction a/b visual models. pizza place, it is cut into 8 slices. If we are looking at the pizza, it is a whole pizza. When
is equivalent to a fraction we look at the sections that are cut, they are our parts or fractions of our whole. Each slice
(n a)/(n b) by using Understand how the is 1/8. Which means that it is 1 piece of our whole that contains 8 pieces.
visual fraction models, number and size of the I then explained that our bottom number which is our whole is our denominator and our top
with attention to how the parts differ. number which is the part of our whole is called the numerator.
number and size of the
parts differ even though Recognize and Students who had difficulty, could proceed with guidance, and were able to use Blooms
the two fractions generate fraction Taxonomy and explain and change their fractions with strips of paper. Students could
themselves are the same equivalents. identify the strip as our whole. Then could fold the strip of paper in half and produce our
size. Use this principle to whole into 2 sections demonstrating 1/2 of our whole. Students again using Blooms
recognize and generate Taxonomy could modify their strips of paper to illustrate and explain 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5.
equivalent fractions.
Students who continued to difficulty, were placed in pairs with students who are advanced
and both of those students were then able to use Blooms Taxonomy to produce fractions
using the strips together. Each student could use Blooms Taxonomy to explain and
demonstrate their fractions.
2. M.4.13 Recognize and My fourth-grade class whole group instruction begins by discussing fraction partners of one
generate fraction whole. I discuss that adding fractions with like denominators involve only adding the
Compare two fractions equivalents. numerators. When the numerator and denominator are equal, it is a whole. Do example of
with different numerators adding the numerators to add together to make a whole. Example, 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 +
and different Recognize and 1/5 = 5/5.
denominators (e.g., by compare two fractions Now let us look at making partners
creating common as the same whole. Second example
denominators or 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
numerators, or by Comparing fractions
comparing to a benchmark using < or >. If we have 1/5 + 1/5 = 2/5
fraction such as 1/2). And then we have 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 = 3/5
Recognize that Use visual models to
comparisons are valid justify comparisons of Now we add our partners: 2/5 + 3/5 = 5/5 or 1 whole.
only when the two < or >.
fractions refer to the same Some students struggled so I placed all students with partners, to take turns writing fractions
whole. Record the results and have the other partner fill in the blank. They can make the partners whatever number
of comparisons with they choose if the answer still makes the whole. Example, 1/4 + 1/4 = 4/4 or 1 whole
symbols >, = or <, and Student can use 1/4 + 3/4 = 4/4
Narrative
Standards:
The standards I used for the unit plan were from the West Virginia State Board, Early Learning for grade 4. They are as follows:
M.4.12
Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n a)/(n b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and
size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent
fractions
M.4.13
Compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators (e.g., by creating common denominators or numerators, or by
comparing to a benchmark fraction such as 1/2). Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole.
Record the results of comparisons with symbols >, = or <, and justify the conclusions by using a visual fraction model.
M.4.14
Understand the fraction a/b, with a > 1, as the sum of a of the fractions 1/b.
1. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same
whole.
2. Decompose a fraction into a sum of fractions with the same denominator in more than one way,
recording each decomposition by an equation and justify decompositions by using a visual fraction
model (e.g., 3/8 = 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8; 3/8 = 1/8 + 2/8; 2 1/8 = 1 + 1 + 1/8 = 8/8 + 8/8 + 1/8).
3. Add and subtract mixed numbers with like denominators by replacing each mixed number with an
equivalent fraction and/or by using properties of operations and the relationship between addition and
subtraction.
4. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and
having like denominators by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem.
Goals:
I chose the standards because they coincided with the goals I chose for the students. The first set of goals I chose for the students was to see if
they understood the parts of fractions by using visual models. Next, I wanted to see how well the students understood how the number and size of
the parts differ and lastly, I wanted to see if they could recognize and generate fraction equivalents.
The second set of goals I chose for the students was to see if they could recognize and generate fraction equivalents. I also wanted to see if
they could recognize and compare two fractions as the same whole. Lastly, I wanted to see if they could compare fractions using > or < and see if
they were able to justify the comparisons using visual representations.
The third set of goals I chose for the students was to see how well they could understand addition and subtraction of fractions with like
denominators. I also wanted to see if they could decompose fractions using visual representations. Lastly, I wanted to see if they could convert
mixed numbers and improper fractions in addition to adding and subtracting mixed numbers with like denominators.
Anticipated Student Challenges:
The anticipated student challenges from the beginning were that of first trying to overcome their dislike of the subject. I believe that
challenges from this unit will be that of getting the numerator and denominator reversed. Especially when we get into doing improper fractions. I
also feel that when we get into which fraction is greater than or less than, students will have issues with remembering the larger the fraction, the
smaller the fraction piece. I also feel that some problems will arise when we get into converting improper fractions. I feel that they will get
confused when trying to figure out which will be the whole number and which will be the numerator.
Narrative:
The day I introduced the pre-assessment, I got an immediate sigh of distress from the students. It was very clear that they all were not very
excited to learn that our next section in math was going to be on fractions. I began with the pre-assessment in which 16 of my 17 students were
tested. The Special Education student leaves the room for Math and ELA so this student was not tested. As for scoring, four of the students received
50% on the test. One student received a 70%, two students received an 80%, and two students received a 90%. The additional eight students
received a 100%. The two target students, one received 50% and the other received 80%.
The first lesson went well. I began by explaining that we do not realize but we use fractions every day of our lives. I used an example of
when we go to a pizza place or our mom, dad, or other family member may make a pizza at home. I explained that our pizza was a whole and the
pieces that we cut the pizza into were our part or our fraction of our whole. I explained if we cut the pizza into 8 slices, our whole was made up
of 8 so our fraction would for our whole would be 8/8. I then explained if I gave 8 students a slice of our pizza that each student would have 1 part of
our whole so their part of the pizza would be 1/8 because they had 1 piece of our whole that sliced into 8 pieces. I then told the students that we have
names that we call our top number and our bottom numbers. The top number is our numerator and the bottom number is our denominator.
I approached the second lesson with optimism because I felt the first lesson went well. I began the lesson by discussing about fraction
partners to make a whole. I explained that the fractions will always have the same denominator but different numerators. I had them open their math
workbooks to page 351 and discussed the first problem. It was partners of 5/5. It already had bars drawn with 1/5 in each box.
1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
I explained that we can take 1/5 and add 4/5 to equal our 5/5. I asked for volunteers to explain what other fractions we can add together to
make 5/5. They volunteered answers of 2/5 + 3/5, 3/5 + 2/5 and 4/5 + 1/5.
They all grasped very well so I had them complete the remaining questions on their sheet by themselves. I was very pleased with how easily
they picked it up.
Next, we have compared unit and non-unit fractions. I first asked the students what symbols we use to show when something is bigger than
or smaller than something. They immediately said greater than and less than signs. We discussed how the symbols looked and how know which is
greater and which is less. I asked the students if I had 8 pencils and Mr. Acord had 5 pencils who had more pencils. They said I had more pencils.
So, I had a student go to the whiteboard and show me what it looked like. They wrote 8>5. I then asked who had less and they said Mr. Acord. I
then had another go to the board and show me what that looked like. They wrote 5<8. I then moved on to example 1/6 1/8. Which is greater and
which is smaller. I wrote the following:
1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
I asked them to look at the charts and tell me which pieces were bigger. They said the 1/6. I explained that in comparison 1/6 is much larger
than 1/8. I also explained when we are comparing fractions like this the larger the number, the smaller it is going to be. Like in our example. I then
explained the smaller the number is, the larger it is going to be. Like in our example. So, now we understand that 1/6 is larger than 1/8. I wrote
1/6>1/8. I then did another example 1/3 2/3 and asked the students which was larger.
1/3 1/3 1/3

1/3 1/3 1/3
I showed that 2/3 is larger than 1/3. The students then moved on to the remaining questions. They worked these out on their own.
All in all, I must say that I was very pleased with how this lesson went. Students had a little difficulty at first but they all came around and
did quite well in the end. I was very pleased by the end of the lesson.
I still have a few more lessons to go; however, I feel that my students are making progress. They are showing great potential. I look forward
to seeing the results after the post assessment.

To justify the big idea and the overarching focus of the unit, I looked at every lesson in which needed to be taught throughout the unit and
found the necessary goals in which the students needed to take from each lesson. I designed each lesson around the goals in which I set. The
introductory lesson needed to be inviting to the students as to not intimidate the students. Most students shy away from fractions, so the focus needed
to be on allowing students to understand that they use fractions daily. The first three goals were aimed toward the learning domain, knowledge. By
doing this, I hoped to help the students to remember or recognize previous knowledge they may have forgotten about fractions. Also, when doing
fractions daily, sometimes we do not even realize that we are using them. I tried to use every day examples so the students could not only
comprehend easier, but I hoped that by using things that they were familiar with, that this would allow them to tap into some prior knowledge that
they may have had and then be able to apply that knowledge. The second and third set of goals were aimed toward comprehension and application.
Once the students could understand the concept of fractions, we could move forward with that knowledge and apply what they were learning.
In looking ahead at the lessons, and trying to analyze anticipated student challenges related to the content of each of the goals, I feel that there
are several of the students whom I am going to have extreme difficulty keeping on task. There are a couple of students who have extreme difficulty
staying on task and once they are off task, the entire room is disrupted. Another challenge I look to have is that the school has been very busy with
activities as well as sickness throughout not only the school, but the county as well. As for the actual content of the lessons, I have faith in the
students that they can learn the material so I do not really foresee challenges that will hinder them from actual learning the goals of the material.
References
Acord, M. February 10, 2017, from Road Branch Elementary and Middle School.
Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from http://webtop.k12.wv.us/0/apps/tree/grade/view/4
Fuson, K. C. (2011). Math expressions. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Pam Hatfield
TASK 3: ASSESSMENT PLAN
LEARNING GOAL ASSESSMENTS LEVEL RATIONALE FOR ASSESSMENTS

(from Task 2, 3A) OF
MASTERY
1. The first objective is Pre- Questions 1 4 on the 44% The questions on the Pre-test are ones that were
to see if students Assessment pre-test will assess this specifically designed using visual fraction models, with
understand the parts of objective. attention to how the number and size of the parts differ
fractions by using which is derived from the West Virginia Tree Standards
visual models. for fourth grade that are identified throughout this
document.
Understand how the
number and size of the Formative Strips of Paper 90% As means of my formative assessment for my first
parts differ. objective of this fraction unit, I gave the students a strip of
paper. The students were all given the same strip of paper
Recognize and generate and instructed to model varying difficulty fractions of
fraction equivalent their paper. (Students used their white boards to
differentiate instruction when needed). --Students were
asked to model 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 of their whole.
Students completed 14 questions orally and those who
wished, used their dry erase boards to model their
fractions.
Post- Questions 1 - 4 on the 94% The questions on the Post-test are ones that were
Assessment Post-test will assess specifically designed using visual fraction models, with
this objective. attention to how the number and size of the parts differ
which is derived from the West Virginia Tree Standards
for fourth grade that are identified throughout this
document.
2. The second objective Pre- Questions 6, 7, and 8 44% The questions on the Pre-test are ones that were
was to see if students Assessment on the Pre-test will specifically designed to compare fractions using the <, =
could recognize and assess this objective. or > which is derived from the West Virginia Tree
generate fraction Standards for fourth grade that are identified throughout
equivalents. this document
Formative Workbook page 354 38% As means of my formative assessment for my second
Recognize and compare objective of this fraction unit, * gave the students a
two fractions as the workbook page with 16 questions. Students were asked to
same whole. determine which fraction was greater or less than.
Students had to identify the fractions by using the > or <
Comparing fractions sign.
using < or >.
Post- Questions 5 - 8 on the 19% The questions on the Post-test are ones that were
Use visual models to Assessment Post-test will assess specifically designed to compare fractions using the <, =
justify comparisons of this objective. or > which is derived from the West Virginia Tree
< or >. Standards for fourth grade that are identified throughout
this document
3. The third objective Pre- Questions 9 and 10 on 56% The questions on the Pre-test are ones that are specifically
was to see if students Assessment the Pre-test will assess designed to understand addition and subtraction of
could understand this objective. fractions with like denominators which is derived from
addition and the West Virginia Tree Standards for fourth grade that are
subtraction of fractions identified throughout this document.
with like denominators.
Formative Workbook page 364 90% As means of the formative assessment for the third
objective of this fraction unit, I gave the students a
Decomposing fractions
workbook page with 16 questions. Students were asked to
and justify with visual
add or subtract fractions with like denominators.
models.
Post- Questions 9 - 20 on the 75% The questions on the Post-test are ones that are
Converting between Assessment Post-test will assess specifically designed to understand addition and
mixed numbers and this objective. subtraction of fractions with like denominators which is
improper fractions. derived from the West Virginia Tree Standards for fourth
grade that are identified throughout this document.
Adding and subtracting
mixed numbers with
like denominators.
Task 3
Assessment Plan
To affectively plan the essential instruction according to the needs of the students, I delivered a pre-test on the desired content and objectives
to help assist me to know where I needed to begin with the students. The pre-test was designed to reveal what the students already knew about
fractions and in doing so, provided me the necessary insight that I needed to proceed with my unit. I looked at the entire unit that my mentor wanted
taught and derived all my goals from each lesson from the book. In a way, I kind of feel that I chose too many goals for the lesson. Each lesson
could have been taught and reviewed for a couple of days each, instead of trying to do so many in one day. I feel that breaking the unit up would
have benefited the students tremendously.
Pre-test Each of the three objectives will be addressed within the pre-test.
Objectives
1. The first objective is to see if students understand the parts of fractions by using visual models. Understand how the number and size of
the parts differ. Recognize and generate fraction equivalent

Questions 1 5 on the pre-test will assess this objective.
2. The second objective was to see if students could recognize and generate fraction equivalents. Recognize and compare two fractions as
the same whole. Comparing fractions using < or >. Use visual models to justify comparisons of < or >.
Questions 6, 7, and 8 on the Pre-test will assess this objective.

3. The third objective was to see if students could understand addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators. Decomposing
fractions and justify with visual models. Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions. Adding and subtracting mixed
numbers with like denominators.

Questions 9 and 10 on the Pre-test will assess this objective.
Rationale for Pre-Assessment:
Students lack prior knowledge of fractions.

Simple questions just to see what students did know.
Suggestions from Mentor Teacher.
Formative Each of the three objectives will be addressed within the formative.
Objectives -

The students were all given the same strip of paper and instructed to model varying difficulty fractions of their paper. Students were
asked to model 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 of their whole. Students completed 14 questions orally.
Workbook page 354 with 16 questions. Students were asked to determine which fraction was greater or less than. Students identified
fractions by using the > or < sign.


Workbook page 364 with 16 questions. Students were asked to add or subtract fractions with like denominators.
Rationale for Formative:
This activity was in the students math workbook and it covered the objectives that I wanted to teach.
Mentor Teacher felt this was a great formative assessment because of the material.
Post-test Each of the three objectives will be addressed within the pre-test.

Questions 1 - 4 on the post-test will assess this objective.
Questions 5 - 8 on the Post-test will assess this objective.


Questions 9 - 20 on the Post-test will assess this objective.
Rationale for Post Test:
Questions were similar that of pre-test and formative

Questions covered the objective goals.
Mentor teacher approved and felt questions were all appropriate.
References
Acord, Matthew. February 16, 2017, from Road Branch Elementary and Middle School
Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from https://webtop.k12.wv.us/0/apps/tree/grade/view/4
This is an example of day 1 manipulative that I used to introduce fractions
This is an example strip that we represented as 1 whole.

This is what the students modeled for
This is what the students modeled for 1/3
This is what the students modeled for
This is what the students modeled for 1/5

Focus Student 1 Student # 10
Focus Student 2 Student # 12

Pam Hatfield
TASK 4: Focus Students

Identify two focus Rationale for Focus Student 1: The reason I chose Focus Student 1 was because this
students with diverse student struggles in math and I wanted to see if I could help this student to move past
learning needs. their expectations of themselves.
Provide your
reasoning for
choosing the 2 Rationale for Focus Student 2: The reason I chose Focus Student 2 was because this
students. student is an average student in math and I wanted to see how far they could move past
what their own expectations of themselves.
Describe what you Focus Student 1: For Focus Student 1, I feel that this student will benefit from one on
will do to one time with guided instruction.
differentiate
instruction for each
focus student.
Focus Student 2: For Focus Student 2, I feel that this student will benefit from working
in pairs or small groups. I will also work one on one with this student when needed.
Narrative
When constructing the unit plan, the first factor I looked at while planning the unit was simply that the students had little to no experience at
all with fractions so I had endless possibilities of how to proceed. The next thing I looked at was the West Virginia Standards in which I needed to
bring into the lessons. After reviewing the standards, I looked at the unit from the math book and then aligned my goals with my standards. Next, I
consulted with my mentor to see if how I was wanted to proceed with the unit was in alignment with how he had planned previously. Once I got the
go ahead from him, I prepared and began my lessons.
Instructional strategies derived from that of what was included and suggested in the textbook along with teaching strategies from my mentor.
I followed his directions along with that of the textbook and introduced items slowly and with examples. Lessons were all introduced from the
projector onto the whiteboard. About midway through the lessons, I began allowing students to go to the whiteboard to work problems aloud. This
seemed to get the students more engaged.
Lesson Resources for the unit consisted first of the Math Expressions Book along with the Math Expressions workbook. The workbook has
not only practice work but it also contains their daily work. We used the white board at the front of the room along with the students personal
whiteboards. Paper and pencil was used daily.
Differentiated Instruction in the classroom was very limited. With one of the 504 students, I gave this student fewer questions. With these
students, differentiation was very difficult at times. I worked a lot of one on one with students so that I could not only show them individual attention
and instruction, but this also allowed me to assess how they were doing with the material. Allowing students to work in small groups did not work
very well because the students could not stay on task. Working in pairs seemed to work better so I did allow them to work in pairs during certain
lessons. I used drawing on the whiteboard to show the differences in the fraction sizes and the students also used their whiteboards at their desks
when working on their daily work.
One of the Focus Students was a little weak in math, so I used peer tutoring (working in pairs or small groups) and one on one instruction
with this student. For the second Focus Student, this student has average grades and does not seem to have any difficulty in math, but I used peer
tutoring (working in pairs) and one on one instruction.
The pre-assessment was very simple. My mentor felt that because they had little knowledge of fractions we needed to begin slowly and see
what they remembered. So, with planning the unit, this is where we beganfrom the beginning.
When consulting with Mr. Acord on the unit plan, I used his guidance and direction, along with our 4th grade Math Expressions book to take
us step by step through each lesson. We collaborated daily before each lesson to make sure everything was in line with what he wanted taught. The
first instructional strategy I used was a strip of paper. This paper was used to allow students to manipulate the strip of paper to demonstrate various
fraction parts. The rationale for choosing this strategy was because we felt that if the students had the fractions in hand, they were more apt to see
and understand versus just understanding. The learning resources that was used strictly from our Math Expressions book. We were not able to
incorporate technology for this unit. Additional collaboration on this unit was with the school principal, Mrs. Mitchell and the school psychologist,
Dr. Scott. We had numerous issues with a 504-students behavior that completely disrupted the class. Other students felt that this student was
receiving special treatment so they began acting out because they felt it was unfair. We had numerous meetings throughout my time in the classroom.
I feel that the instruction for both Focus Students were both direct and guided instruction. Focus Student 1 benefited mostly from one on one
instruction. I feel that this was mainly because this student lacked so much confidence with math. Focus Student 2 I feel benefited from one on one
instruction; however, I feel that this student did better with working in pairs. This I feel is due to the fact, he liked to socialize and feel a part of
something. Below are the lessons that I taught for the unit plan.
Daily Lesson Plan
Name: Pam Hatfield Date: January 31, 2017
Subject: Math Topic: Introducing Fractions
Grade: 4th grade Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

`
Introduction (Essential Question): How do we recognize real-world uses of fractions? How do we understand the functions of numerators and
denominators? How do we use fractions in our daily lives? What is a numerator and denominator?
Standard: Early Learning Foundation
Cluster: Number and Operations - Fractions
Objective: M.4.12
Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n a)/(n b) by using visual fraction models, with
attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the
same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions.
Specific Objective: Students will understand how we use fractions in real-world uses. They will understand what
a numerator and denominator are as well as their functions and how we use those fractions in our daily lives.
Method(s): Introducing Fractions

Materials: Strips of paper
Math Expressions Book
Page 345, 346 and 347 in math workbook
Direct Instruction: Teacher will:

Step 1: explain that we use fractions every day.
Step 2: Write down n/d on the board.
Step 3: Explain that the number on top of the fraction is the numerator
and the number on the bottom is the denominator
Step 4: Explain that the denominator represents the whole and that the
numerator represents the unit or the parts that the whole is
divided into.
Step 5: Explain that the numerator describes the part of the whole.
Example 2/6 the 2 is
representing 2 parts of the 6. The 2 represents 2 units of the 6
(which is the whole)
Guided Practice: Teacher will:

Step 1: Give all students the same strip of paper.
Step 2: Explain to students that this is 1 whole.
Step 3: Have students fold the paper in half. Explain that there are now 2
pieces of our whole. So, the 2 will be the denominator and
because there is 1 unit to each side, 1 is our numerator. So the
fraction will be
Step 4: Now have students fold the paper into 3 equal pieces. Explain
that now there are 3 pieces so the 3 will be our denominator and
because there are equal sections of the 3 parts, the fraction will look like this 1/3. Do more examples if necessary.
Step 5: Have students turn to page 345 in their workbooks. Use exercises
1-11 to allow students to practice adding unit fractions and identify
the total.
Step 6: Ask for volunteers and work 1-11 out together.
Independent Practice: Students will complete 13 28 on their own.
Differentiation: For students who have difficulty, I will walk around the room and assist
one on one.
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how we use fractions in real-world uses. I will recap what a numerator and denominator are as
well as their functions and how we use those fractions in our daily lives.
Assessment: I will use our guided practice with 1-11 as well as the students
independent practice of 12 28.
Lesson Reflection: Students grasped concept well. They were a little confused at first but the lesson ended well.
Daily Lesson Plan
Name: Pam Hatfield Date: February 1, 2017
Subject: Math Topic: Fraction Partners

`
Introduction (Essential Question): How do we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1? How do we build fractions by combining unit
fractions?
Objective: M.4.12
Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n a)/(n b) by using visual

fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though
the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and
generate equivalent fractions.
Specific Objective: Students will understand how we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1.
Students will understand fraction partners as well as understand adding fraction partners to make
1 whole.
Method(s): Fraction Partners
Materials: Math Expressions Book

Page 351 and 352

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to talk about fraction partners of 1
whole.
Step 2: Explain that fraction partners are two fractions with like
denominators whose total is 1 whole.
Step 1: Have students to turn to page 351 in their workbooks.
Step 2: Read and discuss problem 1 with students find all the pairs of
fifths that total 5/5 or 1 whole.
Step 3: Explain that adding fractions with like denominators involves adding only the
numerators.
Step 4: Explain when the numerator equals the denominator, the total is 1 whole.
1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
1/5 + 4/5 = 5/5 = 1 WHOLE
Independent Practice: Allow students to do 2 14 on their own.
individually
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1 and how adding fraction partners to make 1
whole.
Assessment: I will use our guided practice with 1-11 as well as the students
independent practice of 12 28.
Lesson Reflection: Much better today. Students are starting to really grasp. I explained how to do this with the bar graphs and pie graphs and the
students really made progress in understanding.
Daily Lesson Plan
Subject: Math Topic: Fraction partners

`
Introduction (Essential Question): How do we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1? How do we build fractions by combining unit
fractions? How do we identify fraction partners?
Objective: M.4.12

Specific Objective: Students will understand how we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1.
Students will understand fraction partners as well as understand adding fraction partners to make
1 whole. Students will be able to identify fraction partners.
Method(s): Fraction Partners

Page 227

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to again be talking about fraction
partners of 1
whole.
Step 2: Explain that fraction partners are two fractions with like
denominators whose total is 1 whole.

Step 1: Have students to turn to page 227 in their workbooks.
Step 2: Read and discuss problems 1-3
Step 3: Explain that we are going to be looking at shaded regions of
different types of graphs to find our fraction partners.
Step 3: Explain that adding fractions with like denominators involves
adding only the numerators.
Step 4: Explain we will find our denominator by counting the whole of
our graphs. Once we find that, we will count our shaded part of
the graph to get one part of the fraction and the unshaded part to
get the second fraction the fraction partner.
Step 5: Explain that we will add our fraction partners together to make
our whole.
Independent Practice: Allow students to do 4-14 on their own.
individually
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how we find pairs of like fractions with a sum of 1 and how adding fraction partners to make 1
whole. Last, I will recap how to identify fraction partners.
Assessment: I will use questions 4 14 as the assessment along with verbal feedback
from students.
Lesson Reflection: Lesson was good. Students seem to be getting the hang of fraction partners. Very pleased with todays progress.
Daily Lesson Plan
Subject: Math Topic: Comparing Fractions

`
Introduction (Essential Question): Comparing unit and non-unit fractions.
Objective: M.4.12
Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n a)/(n b) by using visual fraction
models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two
fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate
equivalent fractions.
Specific Objective: Students will be able to understand how to compare unit and non-unit fractions
Method(s): Discuss how to compare unit and non-unit fractions.

Page 354

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to first talk about comparing unit
fractions.
Step 2: Explain to students that there are symbols that we use to compare
math to show comparison.
Step 3: Explain that our numbers such as 1,2,3,4,5, etc. are from least to
greatest but with fractions, it is the opposite. 1/5,1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1. The larger the number of the
denominator, the smaller the fraction is
Step 4: After discussing 2 fractions, discuss comparing 3 fractions to put
in order from either least to greatest or from greatest to least.
Step 5: Discuss non-unit fractions with same numerators and different
denominators.

Step 1: Explain that we use symbols in math to show comparisons. Put
example on the board from TE pg. 856.
Step 2: Discuss example with students about the greater than and less than signs. Have students to discuss which answer is
correct in the example given.
Step 3: Ask students how they know which sign is greater and which is less than.
Step 4: Have class read each example:
5 pencils > 8 pencils
5 pencils < 8 pencils
Step 5: Ask how they know which one is correct
Step 6: Discuss page 353 in Workbook. Discuss question 2 and ask for volunteers to answer the question and discuss their
answers.
Step 7: Write example problems on white board
1/6 1/8
1/5 1/3
1/10 1/12
1/7 1/4
1/9 1/11
Ask for volunteers to see which is greater or less than.
Step 8: Write a few examples of 3 group fractions on the white board.
Discuss and have volunteers to put in order from least to greatest.
Step 9: Write the two fractions on the white board. 2/3 2/5
Step 10: Now ask the students which fraction is larger.
Step 11: Write the following fractions on the board
2/3 2/5
1/3 1/3 1/3
1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
Now explain how we are going to circle two of the 1/3 parts and circle 2 of the 1/5 parts. Refresh that 3/3 is a whole
and 5/5 is a whole.
Step 12: Discuss with students which fraction is larger.
Step 13: Also write fraction as sums of unit fractions and discuss which sign would need to go between them.
Step 14: Do more examples from TE page 858 and 859
Step 15: Explain to students to always remember that the fraction that have the bigger parts are going to be greater and the
ones that have the smaller equal parts are going to be smaller. For example: When we look at 1/2 and 1/12. 1/2 is
going to have the bigger parts because it is broken down into only 2 parts so therefore the parts are going to be bigger
whereas 1/12 is going to havesmaller parts because it is broken down into much smaller parts.
Independent Practice: Allow students to do 3-18 on their own of page 354 in their workbook.
individually
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap comparing unit fractions and non-unit fractions.
Assessment: I will use questions 3-18 as the assessment along with verbal feedback
from students.
Lesson Reflection: Students were confused at first, but all in all, lesson ended very well. I was pleased with their progress.
Daily Lesson Plan
Subject: Math Topic: Adding and Subtracting

Fraction With like denominators

`
Introduction (Essential Question): How do we add and subtract fractions with like denominators?
Objective: M.4.12

M.4.14
1. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts

referring to the same whole.
2. Decompose a fraction into a sum of fractions with the same denominator in more
than one way, recording each decomposition by an equation and justify
decompositions by using a visual fraction model (e.g., 3/8 = 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8; 3/8 =
1/8 + 2/8; 2 1/8 = 1 + 1 + 1/8 = 8/8 + 8/8 + 1/8).
3. Add and subtract mixed numbers with like denominators by replacing each mixed
number with an equivalent fraction and/or by using properties of operations and
the relationship between addition and subtraction.
4. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to
the same whole and having like denominators by using visual fraction models and
equations to represent the problem.
Specific Objective: Students will be able to understand how to add and subtract fractions with
like denominators.
Method(s): Discuss that we are going to learn how to add and subtract fractions with like denominators.
Page 363 & 364

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to learn how to add and subtract
fractions with like denominators.
Step 2: Remind students that our denominator is our bottom number and this number represents our whole.

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to learn about adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.
Step 2: Write a fraction on the board and ask students which number is our denominator.
Step 3: Have students turn to page 363 in the math books.
Step 4: Work problems 1-7 with the students together.
Step 5: For example: 3/7 + 2/7 =_______
We must explain that our denominators are the same so we just
bring that over to begin our answer.
3/7 + 2/7 = /7
Now all we do is add our numerators together 3 + 2 = 5
Now we know that our numerator will be 5 so our answer will be 5/7
Independent Practice: Students independent practice is page 364. They are all similar
problems to what we worked on page 363.
Differentiation: For students who have difficulty, I will let them work with white boards to
make their fractions in strips so that they can visualize what they are
doing.
For students who may continue to have difficulty, I will allow them to
work in pairs using their boards or if they are having extreme difficulty, I will work one on one with them.
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how we add and subtract fractions with the same denominator.
Assessment: Assessment will be auditory while we are working on page 363 and it
will also be the students work from page 364.
Lesson Reflection: Lesson went ok but we had a lot of interruptions today. I am going to review again tomorrow before we move on.
Lesson went much better today without interruptions.
Daily Lesson Plan
Subject: Math Topic: Mixed Numbers and

Improper Fractions

`
Introduction (Essential Question): Understanding mixed numbers and improper fractions. How to convert between improper fractions and mixed
numbers?
Objective: M.4.12

M.4.14
1. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating

parts referring to the same whole.
1/8 + 2/8; 2 1/8 = 1 + 1 + 1/8 = 8/8 + 8/8 + 1/8).
Specific Objective: Students will be able to understand mixed numbers and improper fractions
and they will be able to convert fractions and mixed numbers.
Method(s): Discuss today that we will be learning about mixed numbers and improper
fractions.

Page 366

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to learn how to convert between
Improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Step 2: Explain that mixed numbers are the total of a whole number and a
fraction. For example, 3 5/8this means, 3 + 5/8.
Step 3: Explain that a fraction that is less than 1 is a proper fraction.
Step 4: Explain that when the numerator is greater than the denominator,
it makes it an improper fraction. For example, 8/5.
Step 5: Explain that any proper or improper fraction is also a division
expressions. For example, 10/5 which means 10 divided by 5.

Step 1: Explain today we are going to learn about mixed numbers and
improper fractions.
Step 2: An example of a mixed number is 4 2/5.
Step 3: Explain to change this into an improper fraction, we must
understand what an improper fraction is and what it looks like.
Step 4: An improper fraction is when the numerator is larger than the
denominator. Example would be 8/4.
Step 5: Now put 4 2/5 on the white board. Explain that to
change this into an improper fraction, we must first multiple 5 x 4.
That will give us what? Wait for answer of 20. Now we add our
numerator which is 2. So, no we will see 20 + 2 = 22. Now we
have our new numerator which is 22. We use our denominator that
we have so our improper fraction will now be 22/5.
Step 6: Now explain we are going to now figure out how to change that
improper fraction back into mixed numbers.
Step 7: Lets look at the improper fraction 17/5.
Step 8: Explain that fractions are also division expressions so when we
look at 17/5, that is also telling us that it is 17 divided by 5.
Step 9: Now lets divided 17 by 5. How many times does 5 go into
17.3 times, which is 15. Now lets subtract 17 15. Our
remainder is 2.
Step 10: Explain that because our divisor is 5, that will be our
denominator and our remainder will be our numerator.
St3p 11: So our improper fraction should be 3 2/5.
Independent Practice: Students independent practice is page 366.
Differentiation: For students who have difficulty, I will assist them individually. If more
than a few are having difficulty I will allow them to work in pairs.
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how convert between improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Assessment: The assessment will be auditory in addition to page 366.
Lesson Reflection: Lesson went well but I will continue to discuss this and review again before next lesson. I have 3 or 4 students who are
confusing their numbers when they convert improper fractions to mixed numbers. The rest of the class did very well.
Lesson review went well. Still have 2 that re confusing their numbers.
Daily Lesson Plan

Subject: Math Topic: Add and Subtract mixed
Numbers With like
denominators

`
Introduction (Essential Question): How do we add and subtract with improper fractions and mixed numbers?
Objective: M.4.12

M.4.14
1. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring
to the same whole.
1/8 + 2/8; 2 1/8 = 1 + 1 + 1/8 = 8/8 + 8/8 + 1/8).
Specific Objective: Students will be able to understand how to add and subtract improper
fractions and mixed numbers.
Method(s): Discuss today that we will learn how to add and subtract mixed numbers and improper fractions.

Page 367

Step 1: Explain that today we are going to learn how to add and subtract
mixed numbers and improper fractions with like denominators.
Step 2: Recall that mixed numbers are the total of a whole number and a
fraction. For example, 3 5/8this means, 3 + 5/8.
Step 3: Recall that a fraction that is less than 1 is a proper fraction.
Step 4: Recall that when the numerator is greater than the denominator, it
makes it an improper fraction. For example, 8/5.
Step 5: Recall that any proper or improper fraction is also a division
expressions. For example, 10/5 which means 10 divided by 5.
Step 6: Explain that today we are going to learn how we add and subtract
our improper fractions and mixed numbers.

Step 1: Explain today we are going to learn how to add and subtract
mixed numbers and improper fractions.
Step 2: An example 8/5 + 4/5 on the white board
Step 3: Explain our first step is to simply bring out denominator over just
like we learned a couple of days ago in adding and subtracting
fractions
Step 4: Our problem will now look like 8/5 + 4/5 = /5
Step 5: Now we must simply subtract our numerators. The problem will
now look like 8/5 + 4/5 = 8+4/5.
Step 6: Simply add together now. 8+4/5 = 12/5
Step 7: Repeat same process for subtraction
Step 8: Now to explain adding and subtracting improper fractions.
Example: 2 3/5 + 1 1/5 = (set problem up like traditional addition problem with one under the other.
Step 9: Now explain that because our denominators stay the same, we
bring the denominator down.
2 3/5
1 1/5
/5
Step 10: Now add our numerators together 3 + 1 = 4
2 3/5
1 1/5
4/5
Step 11: Now add our wholes together 2 + 1 = 3
2 3/5
1 1/5
3 4/5
Step 12: Apply same process to subtraction.
Independent Practice: Students independent practice is page 367.
Differentiation: For students who have difficulty, I will assist them individually. If more
than a few are having difficulty I will allow them to work in pairs.
Lesson Closure: Closure of lesson, I will recap how we add and subtraction improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Assessment: The assessment will be auditory in addition to page 367.
Lesson Reflection: Lesson went ok. It was a little confusing. Mainly when there was an improper fraction in a mixed number. Other than that,
the students caught on very well.
Pam Hatfield
TPA Task 5
Daily Reflections:
Day 1 Pre-Assessment
I was very surprised at how well come of the students did. The test itself only consisted of 10 questions. Of the 17 students, only 16 took the
pre-assessment. Seven of the students received 100%, two received 90%, two received 80%, 2 received 70% and 4 received 50%. The target
students received an 80% and a 50%.
Day 2 Introducing Fractions
I introduced fractions using every day concepts. I used a pizza as an example. Explained what that the numerator was the top number and the
denominator was the bottom number. I gave the students single strips of paper. I explained that the strip was our whole. I then folded a strip in
half and explained that we now had two halves of our whole. I then had the students to fold their strips in half and identifying each side as a half of
their whole. We did 1/3, , and 1/5. Students were a little confused at first but the lesson ended very well.
Day 3 Fraction Partners
Much better today. Students really began to grasp. I explained in two different ways and it really brought it together. I drew strips on the
whiteboard and I also used a pie graph.
Day 4 Fraction Partners
Lesson was good. Students seem to really be getting the hang of fraction partners. Very relieved.
Day 5 Comparing Fractions
All in all, lesson went well. It was confusing at first but it ended well. They are making progress.
Day 6 Adding and Subtracting Fractions with like denominators

Lesson went awesome. So, happy with them today. Students caught on very quickly.
Day 7 Mixed numbers and improper fractions
Lesson was good. I will retouch on this lesson again tomorrow because 3 or 4 students are understanding the actual process but they are
confusing what numbers go where with improper fractions.
Day 8 Adding and Subtracting mixed numbers with like denominators
First I reviewed from yesterday. Did not get to teach this lesson because of a field trip and music. Taught next day.
Day 9 Adding and subtracting mixed numbers with like denominators
Lesson went ok. It was a little confusing for a few, especially when the mixed number had an improper fraction in it and we had to turn the
mixed numbers into improper fractions and solve the problem and then convert back to mixed numbers. Will go retouch on again tomorrow just to
make sure they understand.
Day 10 Practicing Fractions
Reviewed from yesterday on adding and subtracting mixed numbers and improper fractions. Lesson went well. I am so proud of their
progress.
Day 11 Fraction test review
Review went well. I am proud of their progress. They did so great today.
Day 12 Test
Test was ok. I was a little disappointed overall. It was like it all fell out of their heads overnight. However, I am so very proud of one of the
Focus Students. Both Focus Student did well but one did amazing.
Narrative of Videos:
The video begins with mixed numbers and improper fractions. As soon as the video begins, you can see the organization of the classroom.
There are four rows of desks with the students facing the whiteboard. The projector is placed in the middle of two rows facing the whiteboard. This
is strategically done so that the teacher is emerged into the learning environment with the students. Being involved in the students learning
environment allows the teacher to manage the classroom throughout every lesson as eyes can be on every student. At approximately 7 8 seconds
into the video, I began introducing my lesson by asking if anyone knew what a mixed number and improper fraction was and a student volunteered
to show me what she felt it was. Unfortunately, I was not sure where she was headed with it because it had nothing to do with mixed numbers or
improper fractions. Unfortunately, I immediately got nervous and I feel like I stammered a little to recover. Once I began back with my academic
language/vocabulary explaining the mixed numbers and improper fractions, I relaxed and regained my momentum. We did a few examples and
they caught on well. At approximately 1:00, I begin introducing the improper fractions and mixed numbers by displaying them on the projector
while using the academic vocabulary. At approximately 1:07, I display examples of mixed numbers and improper fractions on the projector
explaining what the numbers represent and what they look like. I explain that with a mixed number you will have a whole number and a fraction. At
1:42, I then explain what an improper fraction is. I review what a numerator and denominator are. I explain that the numerator in an improper
fraction is going to be larger than the denominator. At approximately 2:32 I begin to actively engage students with an open-ended question for
students. These types of questions, I feel keep students engaged while at the same time, I feel that they reinforce my instruction of the lesson begin
taught. Students respond in turn with the correct answer. This is one of many examples of open-ended questions that I give them throughout the unit.
I closed this lesson by doing a quick review of what we learned today.
The second video was adding and subtracting mixed numbers and improper fractions. Again, with this video, you can see the organization of
the classroom and how the teacher is able to manage the classroom behavior by being able to see every student. At approximately 2 seconds, I
introduce the lesson to the class as we are going to be learning how to add and subtract mixed numbers and improper fractions using academic
vocabulary; however, before I began, I felt that it would be good to do a review of adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators before we
started because there were a few out with the flu so I wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable before moving on. At approximately 21
seconds, I begin with an addition example while using the academic vocabulary and then have students to volunteer to solve the problem. I also
reviewed which is the numerator and which is the denominator in the first example. I also ask the class to make sure they are ok with adding
fractions with like denominators before moving on. At approximately 1:01, I moved on to an example of subtracting fractions with like denominators
and ask for volunteers to answer the question. At approximately 1:35, I make sure there are no additional questions and then I move on to introduce
adding and subtracting mixed numbers and improper fractions. I do multiple examples and keep the students actively engaged with questions
throughout to reinforce my instruction of the lesson and I feel that I delivered the content effectively throughout. I feel that a couple were a little
confused at first but caught on well. However, after he stopped videoing, we came across an improper fraction with a mixed number in it and we had
to then convert the mixed number into an improper fraction and then work it out and then turn it back into a mixed number. This confused several of
them but we worked through and I reviewed on it again the next day. I closed this lesson by doing a quick review of what we learned today.
The third video are separate clips put together of me assisting 3 separate students. These clips show flexibility of not only my teaching but
the students as well. The first video is of a student who was adding mixed numbers and confused his denominators. At approximately 1 second in
the video is where I show the student to look at his possible mistake. At 3 seconds in, he sees his mistake and understands where he went wrong. At
approximately 26 second in, he is confused about the denominator; however, when I asked him if 3 was our denominator, he quickly realizes what
he did. At approximately 55 second into the video, the second student had the same problems with the denominators that the first student had with
mixed numbers. He was a little flustered and I think he was just saying answers at first but he caught on quick and did very well. The third student
had difficulty with improper fractions. At approximately 2:03, I explain that we are doing division. I asked her multiple questions and helped her to
work the problem correctly and how to place which number where when we got the answer. With all three students, I feel that I asked appropriate
questions and helped them to stay engaged with their problems. The only thing I feel I did not get to show in any of my videos, was the closure of
my lessons. My mentor videoed my teaching and although we did several videos, he always got interrupted and was called away for something
before we got to finish.
One of my favorite things to do when teaching is to walk around the room and assist students one on one. I really feel like this gives me a
true sense of assessment for each student. I also feel that this also helps me to make sure that the students stay actively engaged in what we are
doing. When introducing the lessons, I feel that I do well because I always do multiple examples and allow students to work them orally with me. I
also feel that the academic content and language are on target along with the vocabulary for the lessons. I encourage students by asking them
questions and keeping them engaged. I feel that the students classroom behavior was very well and everything felt good as well as organized.
Lesson closures were a quick recap of what we learned each day.
Permission to Video:
As for the picture/video permission forms that the school has on file for the students, in summary, they state that photographs and videos of
their children can be taken at school or organizational activities and the images or videos can be used in publication, websites or for educational
purposes. These forms are located in the office.
Below are my video links:
https://youtu.be/3RVd1v1UeHo
https://youtu.be/DPuHbt49sbU
https://youtu.be/iR5jiQBM6bc
References
Acord, M. February 17, 2017, Roach Branch Elementary and Middle School.
Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from https://webtop.k12.wv.us/0/apps/tree/grade/view/4
Pam Hatfield
TASK 6: IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING

Focus Students
Student Pre Post

1 50 85
2 80 75
Focus Students
Pre and Post
Assessment
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Whole Class
Focus Student 1 is student 10
Focus Student 2 is student 11
Post Test
Student Pre Post Assessment
1 100 35
2 100 80 16
3 100 75 15
4 90 70
14
5 50 75
13
6 50 15
7 100 70 12
8 100 50 11
9 100 65 10
10 50 85 9
11 70 75
8
12 80 75
7
13 80 75
14 90 80 6
15 50 65 5
16 100 80 4
3
2
1
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Students Pre- Post- Gain GOALS MET? Comments

Assessment Assessment + or - (See #2)
#1 #2 #3
Y N Y N Y N
Student 1 100 35 - Y N N This student was out for 3 days due to flu.
Student 2 100 80 + Y Y Y
Student 3 100 75 + Y N Y
Student 5 50 75 + Y N` Y
Student 6 50 15 - Y N N This student is going to be tested for SE
Student 8 100 50 + Y N N This Student was out 3 days due to flu.
Student 10 50 85 + Y Y Y Focus Student 1
Student 12 80 75 + Y N Y Focus Student 2
Student 15 50 65 + Y N N
Narrative
Pre-Assessment
The performance of the whole class on the pre-assessment of the first learning goal was excellent. Only 1 out of the 16 students missed one
question. For the second learning goal, 6 out of the 16 students missed one question in this section of the test. For the third learning goal, 6 out
of the 16 students missed one to two questions in this section of the test. The overall performance of the students for the pre-assessment I feel
went very well.

Post Assessment
The performance of the whole class on the post-assessment for the first learning was very good. The students grasped the material and could
retain the information that they learned during the first few lessons. For the second learning goal on the post-assessment, this was determining
which fraction was greater or less than. When the lesson was taught, I felt that the students struggled at first, but when we finished, I felt that all
in all it went ok. I am not sure how they did so terribly on this goal, but it makes me feel very disappointed knowing that in the time I began this
lesson until the time for the test, it was as though, the information just completely fell out of their heads. Even when I did the test review on the
day before the test, they all did very well with identifying which fractions were greater than or less than, so I am uncertain as to what happened.
For the third goal, this involved adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators, converting mixed numbers and improper fractions, and
adding mixed numbers and improper fractions. Most all the students did well with this and I was very pleased in the overall scoring on the post
assessment.
Student goals met and progress
In looking at all the students progress and if they met the goals I set for them, I first need to address that the pre-test only consisted of 10
questions. The post-test however, consisted of 20 questions. So, in looking at the tests, the scoring may look as though the students did not make
progress but they did make progress. I chose 3 West Virginia State Standards and ended up with 11 learning goals for those standards.
For the first standard, I had 3 goals. Those goals were for the students to (1) Understand the parts of fractions by using visual models. (2)
Understand how the number and size of the parts differ. (3) Recognize and generate fraction equivalents.
For the second standard, I had 4 goals. Those goals were (1) Recognize and generate fraction equivalents. (2) Recognize and compare two
fractions as the same whole. (3) Comparing fractions using < or >. (4) Use visual models to justify comparisons of < or >.
For the third standard, I had 4 goals. Those goals were. (1) Understand addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators. (2)
Decomposing fractions and justify with visual models. (3) Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions. (4) Adding and subtracting
mixed numbers with like denominators.
Below is a chart that shows the number of goals that each student achieved for both the pre-test and the post-test.
Studen
t Pre 1st set of goals Post 1st set of goals Pre 2nd set of goals Post 2nd set of goals Pre 3rd set of goals Post 3rd set of goals
1 3 3 4 0 4 2
2 3 3 4 2 4 3
3 3 3 4 2 4 3
4 3 2 4 2 4 3
5 3 3 4 2 4 3
6 3 3 4 0 4 0
7 3 3 4 2 4 3
8 3 3 4 4 4 1
9 3 3 4 2 4 2
10 3 3 4 2 4 3
11 3 3 4 2 4 2
12 3 2 4 2 4 1
13 3 3 4 2 4 3
14 3 3 4 2 4 3
15 3 2 4 2 4 1
16 3 3 4 2 4 3
Circumstances and conditions

Circumstances and conditions that were out of control were that two of the students were out with the flu for several days so they were not
able to get all the necessary instructions that they needed to prepare them for the post-test. These students made no progress. I also had one
student who will soon be tested for Special Education services and this student did not make any progress as well.
Circumstances and conditions of the students that I was in control of was after each lesson taught, I walked round the room and could work
one on one with each student so that I could personally see exactly what kind of progress was being made daily. I feel that by seeing the students
daily progress, I could monitor how each student was progressing and see if there was something that I needed to reteach. On the post-test, the
students did terribly on using greater than and less than when comparing fractions. This was the only part of their test that students had visible
difficulty. I am not sure what I could have done differently; however, I could have broken this lesson down into maybe 2 4 lessons depending on
how they progressed each day.
TWO FOCUS STUDENTS
1.
The two Focus Students were student 10 and student 12.
2.
a.
For student 10, the differentiation specific to this student was a lot of one on one with myself. This student lacked a lot of confidence in
themselves in math and often called themselves stupid. I quickly corrected that issue and helped them to see anything was possibly if they
did their very best. By the end of this lesson, this student loved fractions and they scored one of the highest scores on the post test. I was so
very proud of this student and we were both very excited with the outcome.
For student 12, the differentiation specific to this student was a few activities in pairs and one on one instruction from myself. This student
had the capabilities but was easily distracted and hard to keep on task at times. In the end, this student did bring his score up and we were
both super happy with their progress.
b.
For student 10 on their pre-assessment, their score was only a 50%. The pre-test only consisted of 10 questions; however, while watching the
students take the test, I could see how this student struggled. On the post-test, as I observed each student, I was ecstatic in watching student
10 take this test. They were so much more confident and sure while writing their answers. They flew through the test with much more ease
and when turning in their test was smiling and said, Ive got this. I could not have been happier with the outcome for this student.
For student 12 on their pre-assessment, their score was an 80%. When taking the pre-test, this student was very quick with their answers and
seemed to just rush through the test. When working with this student for the post-test, it was difficult at times to keep student 12 on task, so I
was really worried as to what kind of progress this student was going to make. I did a few activities in pairs and did some additional one on
one work with this student and they did make progress in the post-test.
c.
I feel that the success of the first student was first contributed to helping them to overcome the persona of not feeling smart enough. It was a
difficult at first to help them to see that they had the capabilities of doing the math because they just lacked the confidence. I worked with the
student mostly one on one and saw very quickly that they were going to surpass my expectations. By the end of the unit, this student was
confident and would be one of the first students to raise their hands when questions were asked. The student, myself, and my mentor, were
beyond happy with their results.
I feel that the success of the second focus student was mainly due to keeping them on task. I felt that this student had the capabilities;
however, it was very difficult at times to keep them on task. I provided a few activities that allowed students to work in pairs and I also
worked one on one with this student and I feel that if I kept this student busy and did not allow them to be distracted, they did very well.
Pam Hatfield
TASK 7: REFLECTION AND SELF-EVALUATION

When thinking about the most successful part of teaching this unit in my first real teaching experience, my mind goes immediately to focus
student 1. When I first began the 64-hour placement last semester, this student caught my attention immediately because I felt that this students
feeling toward math were very like my own. Math has never been a strong subject for me and I have had difficulty keeping confidence throughout
my math classes and testing throughout my college experience. I wanted to make it one of my goals to help this student to overcome this feeling and
intimidation he felt toward math. I worked a lot of one on one with this student. I wanted to first work on their confidence and help them to
understand all we can do is to do our very best in whatever we are working on. This student ended up scoring one of the highest scores on the post-
test and during lessons would be one of the first to raise their hand with answers. I am so very proud and happy at the progress this student made.
When the unit was finished, this student told me that I helped them to like fractions.
I also feel that another success of the unit was when I began on day one. As soon as I said the word fractions, immediately all the students
sighed with dread. I began with the pre-assessment and it went about as well as I thought it would. When beginning with lesson one, I wanted to do
something different so the students could be hands on and feel less nervous. I gave each student a strip of paper and I went to the front of the room
with the strip. I showed the students the strip of paper and explained that this was a whole strip of paper and then folded the strip in half and
explained that we now had two halves. The students all relaxed and I asked them to make their own fractions of their whole. After this first lesson,
the students were more relaxed and even though some still did not like fractions, they seemed less intimidated when discussing them.
When thinking about the least successful part of teaching this unit, I think about the post assessment and the scoring that the students
received on using greater than and less than with fractions. This is my greatest disappointment in the entire unit. I am not sure what went wrong.
When I taught the lesson, the students were confused at first; however, they did just fine on their daily lesson. Even when I did the test review, they
did fine with the material. So, in seeing how they did in the post test and not knowing what went wrong, I feel like this is kind of left open and I will
never know exactly what happened with them and that leaves me feeling very frustrated.
Another issue that I felt with this lesson is that the students seemed to be constantly in and out of class. I had a couple of students who were
out several days with the flu and the other students seemed to be out a day or two here and there. Unfortunately, there were many students
throughout the class and the school that had the flu so I feel that the students were constantly trying to catch up on daily lessons that they were
missing.
The collaboration I had during this unit was with my mentor teacher, Mr. Acord. I discussed the lessons with him each morning and during
or after each lesson, I would ask him to make sure that I taught or explained something correctly. This was the same collaboration I did, not only
with this unit, but I maintained throughout the course of my first placement.
With this class, they did not work well in groups so for any work that I wanted to do in groups, Mr. Acord suggested to work in pairs. This
worked well, as this class was very social and liked to converse. I also discussed with Mr. Acord about allowing students to use their whiteboards
along with also allowing them to use the big whiteboard at the front of the classroom. I thought by changing the students routine of how they
answered questions, it would be exciting to the students and it ended up working well. The students loved participating in their learning without even
realizing what they were doing.
With this class, I encountered a student with a 504 who had behavioral issues. This student was very difficult to deal with on certain days.
This student would lay in the floor and roll around or would throw themselves on the whiteboard to cover the material that was being taught or
countless other things to disrupt the class. As soon as this student began, the other students ensued with laughter and it seemed to fuel this student
and make things worse. The skills that I possessed as a beginning teacher did not prepare me for this student. We were not allowed to correct this
student in front of others so it made it very difficult at times to maintain order and put the student back on task. At several points during my teaching
in the class, the other students became very angry because they felt like this student was getting away with everything and that our treatment of this
student was not fair to them. Both Mr. Acord and myself had additional professional collaboration with the principal, Mrs. Mitchell and the school
psychologist on several occasions and discussed how to handle the situation. We had to be very careful to not single out any one student while
discussing the situation with the students and yet, the students always mentioned the 504-students behavior. Reflecting on my time and experience
in this class, we had numerous meeting with the students discuss their behaviors. I really feel that the professional development goals that emerged
from what I have learned along with the experience I have had in the first 8 weeks of my student teaching have been a huge learning experience for
me. In most cases when doing student teaching, I am sure the normal teaching experience did not entail my experience and although it was very
trying at times, I am so excited and thankful that I had the experience with this student. In having the professional development opportunities with
this class, it showed me how much patience I have and showed me that there was so much more to learn. I experience so much in this classroom and
I feel that I learned so much with the aspect to the differentiation of the students. I feel that with teaching, there will be new and exciting things to
learn with every class and we sometimes will have to learn as we go and seek the necessary guidance and direction. I know there is so much more
that I need to learn and improve on to get ready for my classroom. I am so glad that I got to experience everything that I did with this 4th grade class.
In reflecting on my performance and professional goals, one of the most important things that I really leaned was the importance of being
prepared for the lessons. If I am prepared for the students lessons, I can look at the goals in which I wanted them to achieve and then prepare my
lessons and assessments around those goals. I feel that in my future teaching, I will first look at what I want my students to learn from the material I
wish to teach and then work the lessons and assessments around those goals. In looking at my performance, I feel that from the time I began until my
last day, I could see how my lesson plans improved and my teaching evolved. An additional point that I would like to make is that I have always
understood and looked at how students will learn differently and how I will have to teach material in different ways; however, something I did not
really think about was assessment. I quickly found that just like teaching and learning, your assessments may have to vary as well. Just as students
learn differently, they also convey what they have learned differently as well.
In looking at the goals that I had set for the students in the unit plan, I feel that the students achieved most of the goals, except for
understanding greater than and less than with fractions. I think if I could go back and do this lesson differently, I would look at different ways in
which to teach the lesson instead of staying strictly with the book instructions. When the students became confused, I should have taken that
immediately as maybe teaching it in a different way. I should have looked at each lesson that I was going to teach and look at least a couple of
different ways in which to teach each lesson instead of being strictly guided by the book.
In looking at professional development opportunities during my teaching experience, I developed a wonderful relationship with my mentor
teacher. With his guidance and direction, I could tell almost an immediate difference in my teaching confidence. I feel that after my experience in
his class, I have only touched the surface of my potential with teaching. When I am lucky enough to have my own classroom, I will do everything in
my power to continue to improve my teaching. I will take classes toward my masters, I will consult education journals, attend seminars and consult
with other educators to make sure that I am up to date on all current teaching/instruction.

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Pam Hatfield

TASK 1: Contextual Factors

Types of Factors Contextual Factors

Community, School, and Family Factors

Content Specific Factors

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.publicschoolreview.com/road-branch-elementary-middle-school-profile

TASK 2: UNIT FRAMEWORK

2. STANDARDS 3A. LEARNING 3B. TYPE/LEVEL OF GOALS

they were able to justify the comparisons using visual representations.

Anticipated Student Challenges:

1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5

they picked it up.

which is smaller. I wrote the following:

1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6

1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8

1/3 1/3 1/3

to seeing the results after the post assessment.

Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from http://webtop.k12.wv.us/0/apps/tree/grade/view/4

Fuson, K. C. (2011). Math expressions. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

TASK 3: ASSESSMENT PLAN

LEARNING GOAL ASSESSMENTS LEVEL RATIONALE FOR ASSESSMENTS

have benefited the students tremendously.

the parts differ. Recognize and generate fraction equivalent

Questions 6, 7, and 8 on the Pre-test will assess this objective.

numbers with like denominators.

Rationale for Pre-Assessment:

Students lack prior knowledge of fractions.

the parts differ. Recognize and generate fraction equivalent

fractions by using the > or < sign.

numbers with like denominators.

Rationale for Formative:

the parts differ. Recognize and generate fraction equivalent

Questions 5 - 8 on the Post-test will assess this objective.

numbers with like denominators.

Rationale for Post Test:

Questions were similar that of pre-test and formative

Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from https://webtop.k12.wv.us/0/apps/tree/grade/view/4

This is an example of day 1 manipulative that I used to introduce fractions

This is an example strip that we represented as 1 whole.

This is what the students modeled for 1/3

This is what the students modeled for

This is what the students modeled for 1/5

Focus Student 2 Student # 12

TASK 4: Focus Students

go ahead from him, I prepared and began my lessons.

seemed to get the students more engaged.

whiteboards. Paper and pencil was used daily.

when working on their daily work.

tutoring (working in pairs) and one on one instruction.

Daily Lesson Plan

Name: Pam Hatfield Date: January 31, 2017

Subject: Math Topic: Introducing Fractions

Grade: 4th grade Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Standard: Early Learning Foundation

Cluster: Number and Operations - Fractions

Method(s): Introducing Fractions

Direct Instruction: Teacher will:

Guided Practice: Teacher will:

Independent Practice: Students will complete 13 28 on their own.

Daily Lesson Plan

Name: Pam Hatfield Date: February 1, 2017

Subject: Math Topic: Fraction Partners

Grade: 4th grade Length of Lesson: 45 minutes