STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2

EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555

ASSESSMENT 3 EVALUATION

SITE CONTEXT

Hendon Primary School is a government, co-ed, foundation to year 7 school and is located in a low
socio economic area with students from disadvantaged backgrounds. There is a breakfast club for
students who don’t have access to it at home as well as special education and behaviour programs
as well as an OSHC program. The NIT lessons on offer for students are music, physical education,
Japanese, science and a social skills program called ‘What’s the Buzz’. Many of the families have
either both or 1 parent with English as a second language as well as families who are Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

The class year level is both reception and year 1, with learning abilities having a vast range. Some
students are from different cultures with English as a second language as well as students from an
Aboriginal descent. There are several students in the room with learning delays and disabilities; like
autism as well as attention deficit disorders and behaviour problems. Some students in the class are
chronically late or absent and are therefore behind in some areas although have the ability to grow.
The students have a range of understanding of mathematics in relation to number sense. Due to the
receptions and year 1’s having different expectations by the end of the year, students are at differing
levels of understanding. Most students can at least count to ten, can count on and subitise to 6. All
students have an understanding of number as a quantity as well as the symbol and most can write
some of the numbers. The students can group objects into even groups, they understand cardinality,
trusting the count, the one to one principle, stable order and order irrelevance principles from prior
learning and experiences (Reyes et al. 2012). All students have some understanding of capacity,
weight, informal measurement, more and less than and time but at differing levels.

MATHEMATICS CONCEPTS

The mathematical concepts that will be developed in this unit plan is measurement, recording,
fluency, reasoning, problem solving and understanding. Within these concepts is the underlying base
learning of number sense. Students must have an understanding of number, the numeral and its
quantity before undertaking measurement and fully understanding the concept (Knause 2013).
Through using a constructivist approach to the students mathematics learning and incorporating a
play element, students are more likely to extend themselves and meet the number and
measurement goals of the unit plan through their own learning experiences (Tucker 2014).

ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be taking place continuously throughout the unit through informal, formative
assessment strategies mainly being observational and anecdotal, student feedback and through
interpreting work samples by taking conferences with students on their work. According to
Macmillan (2009, p. 15) in students early experiences with mathematical concepts teachers must
take an active role to collect and interpret student data through observations as they take part in
play based activities that develop mathematical skills and the understandings of concepts.
Observations made getting to know the students and what they know efficient and reliable as the
students are in an informal assessment in the classroom setting under normal conditions (Brady &
Kennedy (2012, p. 4). Collecting this data allowed for planning for learning to occur which was child
centred and based off the student’s interests and targeted to their needs whilst staying within their
zone of proximal development (Macmillan 2009). Formative assessment through observations also
supported understandings of the student’s misconceptions of measurement in its different forms.
Some misconceptions found was that cms and metres was the only way you could measure,
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555
students did not see time as a form of measurement and they assumed time went up to 100 hours.
Both formative and summative data could be collected through student-teacher conferences where
the students are given the opportunity to tell about the experiences and their understandings of the
mathematics concepts as well as explicit mini lessons can be carried out by the teacher depending
on what the student needs at that time (Macmillan 2009). The assessments were able to be done
that were valid, reliable and that ensured that the high amount of differentiation in the classroom
was supported both through lesson experiences and by the assessment strategies used (Brady &
Kennedy 2012).

REFLECTION

Overall this unit plan could be used to collect assessment data that was both formative and
summative as well as inform the teacher of what the students know and what their next steps
should be so the teacher could plan for their needs and the range of abilities in the classroom
(Macmillan 2009). In order for teachers to plan for student learning formative assessment should be
used in the form of observations, teacher-student conferences and other formative strategies to
understand where the students are at (Brady & Kennedy 2012, p. 7). Using these formative
assessment strategies aloud the teacher and support workers to engage with students and observe
their learning. This was due to the need in the classroom for the students to be independent.
Independent learners allows students to work in the ways they feel are best and as well as allows
the teacher to spend time collecting both summative and formative assessment data to both inform
learning and assess learning (Brady & Kennedy 2012).

Therefore, the teachers role throughout the unit plan was extremely diverse and would vary from
group to group and student to student as the teacher or support worker would first observe before
moving into the students area. According to Van Hoorn et al. 1993, the teacher acted as a facilitator
of learning, a modeller of the play, a guardian of the gate to ensure students were included, as well
as a parallel player and many other roles throughout the mathematics lessons. For this class
particularly it was crucial that students were able to move on with their learning and extend
themselves while the teacher; often without support had to manage classroom behaviours and
undertake behaviour management strategies (Van Hoorn et al. 1993). The learning set up was also
used to ensure the focus and intention was on learning at all times even with the behaviour issues as
well as the teacher was able to have conferences with students and target them with small amounts
of targeted explicit learning (Macmillan 2009). The tune ins and tune outs also enabled explicit
learning time in whole group sessions that was short and either went over old material to refresh
students memories or to target a concept that they had already been doing such as skip counting for
them to try and understand the concept better.

The assessment strategies that were used throughout the unit were mostly formative, for the
intention to inform learning and find out what the students know. The strategies that were used
worked efficiently and supported the teachers understanding of what the students know, what their
needs and interests are and where to take them next. Small alterations and adaptations were made
throughout the unit to ensure students were having the opportunity to stretch themselves and show
their understanding. One of the major assessment strategies that was used in the classroom was can
you; show it, tell it, do it. This mantra or strategy is used by the teacher to develop an understanding
of the students and their abilities (Brady & Kennedy 2012). This allows the teachers to look further
than are they doing it through observation as students can be doing the activity but not truly
understand the concepts. Therefore can you tell it allows students that may not look engaged in the
learning talk to the teacher through conferences and explain their understanding of the concepts.
Show it is then used to assess students on their ability to record and show others their
understanding through drawings and writings even though they may not be able to tell it yet. This
assessment strategy therefore allows for differentiation in the classroom and enables students to
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555
express in their own way their understandings of the concepts as every student can learn and should
have equitable opportunities to show their learning and understanding (Brady & Kennedy 2012). The
work samples in appendix 2 show some of the understandings the students had about the concept
of number and measurement and the differences in their reporting styles which is als evident
through their personalities. On the students work sample the scribing by the teacher is from a
conference had with him/her; where the question was posed would you explain what you did here
for this activity? and to extend the student other prompts would follow depending on what they
needed at that time and an explicit mini lesson could be used to nudge the student further (Reyes et
al. 2012). Unfortunately a summative assessment could not formally be taken at the time the way it
was intended to be when the unit plan was created as reports and other formal report government
documents had to be taken then so the supervising teacher had to summative assess the students to
ensure validity, consistency and for liability reasons (Brady & Kennedy 2012). However, summative
assessment could be taken from the student-teacher conferences that were occurring constantly
over the unit plan to ensure students had an understanding of the concepts of measurement and
number (Brady & Kennedy 2012). The work samples from appendix 2 show some of the conversation
and main points of the conferences as well as the observation notes in appendix 3.

CONCLUSION
To conclude, the unit plan went well and the learning intentions of students understanding the
concepts of informal measurement were met by most students, with the few students who did not
with either learning disabilities, or chronic absence, but who also improved their understanding of
the number concept but need further support with understanding measurement. Valid and reliable
assessment that was both formative and summative could be taken that supported the
differentiation in the classroom and that was equitable among all students (Brady & Kennedy 2012).
Some changes had to be made to the original unit plan created as the students had prior knowledge
of number sense and had moved onto informal measurement which was found through formative
observations taken to understand what the students know (Brady & Kennedy 2012).

WORD COUNT 1800

REFERENCE LIST
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2018, F-10 Curriculum v8.3,
Mathematics, Year 1 Level Description, The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority, viewed 22nd March 2018,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/mathematics/curriculum/f-10?layout=3#page=1>.

Brady, L & Kennedy, K 2012, Assessment and Reporting; celebrating student achievement, 4th edn,
Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Knause, M 2013, 'Early number experiences', Maths is all around you, Teaching solutions, Albert
Park, pp. 33-48.
Macmillan, A 2009, Numeracy in early childhood education: shared contexts for teaching and
learning, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Victoria.

Reys, R Rogers, A Falle, J Bennett S & Frid, S 2012, 'Counting and number sense in early childhood',
Helping children learn mathematics: 1st Australian edition, Wiley: Milton Qld, pp. 140-161.
Tucker, K 2014, 'Counting and using number', Mathematics through play in the early years, SAGE
publishers, pp. 40-59.

Van Hoorn, J 1993, Play at the Centre of the Curriculum, 6th edn, Pearson Education Australia,
Frenchs Forest, NSW.
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555

APPENDIX

1. MATHEMATICS LESSON PLAN – ADAPTED VERSION

MATHEMATICS UNIT PLAN

YEAR LEVEL: R/1 TOPIC: Measurement
LEARNING INTENTION:
Time: children understand that during the day changes occur that require us to use certain language
according to the time of day. The children can explain why these changes occur using the correct
language to name the events and certain things that they do within this time.
Linear Measurement: children use informal objects to measure items and can discuss why we
measure things using the correct language e.g height, short tall, length.
Capacity: children begin to understand the concept of half and empty as well as full, and record their
findings.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
 Students must work together to explore the materials given in the basket
 They must work together to use the equipment to support their understanding of concepts
 Students must predict, and experiment using the materials and record their findings drawing
or writing down what they have found out.

MATHEMATICS THINKING AND WORKING PROCESSES:

Proficiency strand: reasoning, problem solving, understanding and fluency.
ACARA LINKS
NUMBER AND ALGEBRA GEOMETRY AND STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY
Reception: MEASUREMENT Reception:
Establish understanding of the Reception: Answer yes/no questions to
language and processes of Use direct and indirect collect information and make
counting by naming numbers in comparisons to decide which is simple inferences (ACMSP011)
sequences, initially to and from longer, heavier or holds more,
20, moving from any and explain reasoning in Year 1:
starting point (ACMNA001) everyday Represent data with objects
language (ACMMG006 ) and drawings where one object
Year 1: or drawing represents
Develop confidence with Compare and order duration of one data value. Describe the
number sequences to and from events using everyday language displays (ACMSP263)
100 by ones from any of time (ACMMG007)
starting point. Skip count by
twos, fives and tens starting Connect days of the week to
from zero (ACMNA012) familiar events and action
(ACMMG008)

Year 1:
Measure and compare the
lengths and capacities of pairs
of objects using uniform
informal units (ACMMG019)

Describe duration using

months, weeks, days and
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555
Activity
Time Basket:
A group of 4/5 students will be
given a basket full of resources
to do with time. In particular
times of the day; Morning,
Midday and Afternoon. Each
student has a sheet they can
record their ideas on through
drawings, or written records.
Books will also be in the basket
for children to explore. Dairy of
a Wombat and The Very Hungry
Caterpillar.
Linear Measurement:
A group of 4/5 students will be
given a basket for them to
explore as well as connecting
blocks and cut out hands and
feet as forms of informal
measurement. Students have
the freedom to measure what
they please and record this in
their books in any way.
Capacity:
A group of 4/5 students will be
given a basket with different
scoops and jugs as well as
containers of pasta shells and
sand will be given so they can
explore capacity and the
concept of full, half and empty.
Their findings can be recorded
in their books or on the sheet.
More and Less Hands:
A group of 4/5 students will be
given a basket. It will include
two laminated hand cut outs
with quantities on them as well
as a plastic bag filled with
kidney beans in groups of 10,
20 50 and a 100 challenge bag.
Students are asked to grab a
pinch of beans from the bag
and place it on one hand and
hours (ACMMG021)
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Differentiation
Students will also be given
visual representations of
common things they do
through the day e.g. eat
breakfast, get ready for school
etc. They can use these as
inferences to help them
identify events that occur
throughout the day.
Students have choice of what
to measure and what form. The
connecting blocks are smaller in
size which asks for a greater
amount to be counted to
record the overall
measurement whereas the
hands can be used for a smaller
number to be counted and a
visually bigger object to
measure with.
Students will be free to explore
at their own pace and having
other students in the group can
help those students struggling
to understand concepts better
and to discuss their findings.
Students will be given bags of
10, 20 or 50 depending on their
ability level. When they feel like
they are ready to go to the next
bag they can. Students will be
in groups so can help each
other and are able to record in
any way they like.
Assessment strategies
Will use their recordings
(drawings and written) as
formative assessment to see if
they have any misconceptions
as well as what they know. The
teacher will also be walking
around and having discussions
with children of what they have
found and what they know.
These will be recorded in the
daily journal as well as their
portfolio.
Students will be observed and
discussions will be had between
teacher and student, and any
new or interesting information
will be recorded in the daily
journal as well as inform
reports and other assessment
information. The students
recordings in their books will
also be used as an informal
assessment to look for any
misconceptions and if they are
meeting the learning intention.
Formative assessment data will
be collected from observations,
interviews with students and
collecting and discussing their
recording methods in their
books as well as written in the
daily journal.
Student-teacher conferences
will be used so students can
explain their recordings and
retell what they have done and
what they have found out. This
data will be collected for both
formative and summative
purposes.
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555
do the same for the other hand.
They then estimate which bag
has more and which bag has
less and using a white board
marker label the hands. They
then use the quantity on the
hand and count on to find the
quantity of the hands. The
students can then record their
findings in their books however
they like.
Balancing Scales:
In groups of 4/5 students will Students will be in a group so Formative assessments will be
be given a basket with 3 boxes they can support each other. taken through observations and
that cannot open. Each has a Also the learning is not new so conversations with students to
different weight, students need the students already have an inform learning and planning.
to heft and use the scales to understanding of the learning
work out which one is heavier intention and the students have
which is lighter. Students can the opportunity to explore the
then use natural and made materials and find out the
materials as well as the weights using their own
balancing scales to find what materials. Students also have
materials weigh the same as the opportunity to record any
the box (what could be in the way they like to meet their
box). They can then record needs. The activity is interactive
these findings in their books and hands on to support
through any method they like. student’s understandings.

2. WORK SAMPLES
STUDIES IN MATHEMATICS 2
EDUC 3063
KELLIE CROGAN ID110198555

3. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT – OBSERVATIONS

MATHEMATICS

Michael – can skip count to 72 and was using 3 forms of informal measurement, he can articulate
what he did and what it means, ‘its 72 uni blocks long’.

Jordan – enjoys using the scales to weigh things, has understanding of more and less as well as same
amount of heavy.

Eddie – asking questions about time and why it is set up in that way, is beginning to correctly write
his numbers and is motivated to find out more about measure.

Bayden – was engaging with other students in mathematics safely and knows some addition, he
began to work on measuring length with some of the other students, knows the concept of more
and less.

Nelly – she can skip count to 12 and has an understanding of measurement; the concept of size and
purpose, needs to be prompted to record her findings.