Teachers, please help!

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

On Monday I have an observed maths lesson. It must be Using and Applying/problem solving for a mixed age class of y5/6, ranging in ability from Level 2A to 5B. (My maths ability is probably about 4B!) Our topic this term is Ancient Greece or, of course, Easter.
I have no idea what to do or how to structure it.
Any ideas?

Are you onto E2?

Pythagoras?

Archimedes?

Euclid?

Have a look at some of the mark schemes for key stage 2 SATs that are available online.
The questions that have a U in a circle next to them refer to using and applying skills needed to answer that question. Could any of the, inspire you?

You've probably searched for this yourself but there are several resources on the TES resources section on word problems and ancient greeks. You could adapt them to reinforce/ practice any maths learning you have done recently. We use RUSCAC mnemonic for problem solving and I find it works really well. You could create some sort of ancient greek trail, where the children to find the word problems around the room/ school? Could you have a map and clues for them to follow? Then the children could explain to each other how they solved the problems to reinforce the learning and the problem solving strategies. Maybe you could have easter eggs as a reward for the winning team. Good luck!

My children are making a box for a cadbury's cream egg. It has to have a lid that opens and closes and there are extra points for if they can get the egg to stand up without falling over - i.e. not make the box too big. I gave them plain paper to use along with rulers and set squares. It is proving quite a challenge!

Oh also meant to say I gave them some cream eggs as well so they could get the size - but some have found it really difficult to know what to measure.

I'd recommend the nrich site - lots of investigation, some with visuals and handouts. Always with support, extension and planning. I use it a lot. I teach top set Y3 all have 3a and 4c targets and for investigation I put out plain paper, variety of equipment, felt-tips to let them explore the investigation. Lots of talking partners, mini-plenaries etc. Good luck.

Is this your first teaching practice? Some great ideas here re content from other posters - are you happy you know how to then structure the lesson? (You mention it at start, and I recall when I began I didn't know how!)

Not my first teaching practice at all but I have spent some years teaching primary MFL, RE and art (PPA cover), now new HT and being observed doing y5/6 maths!!!

Thank you for all suggestions - will follow up tomorrow after planning Easter service at school.

Sorry LaBelleDame! I should have phrased that better and said, "where are you in experience terms" - just wanted to check before launching into a boring (and unnecessary) spiel on how to structure lessons! (And for some weird reason, saw "observed lesson" and mind flipped back to the stress of teaching practice!) I sympathise - I got put into teaching top set Y5 Maths after a Y3 class and it was a bit daunting. Great ideas here from other posters though - I'm sure you'll be fine, good luck!

Are they your class? Seems a little heavy when you don't usually teach maths. Is this an interview?

Structure it with a small amount of whole class stuff (games, discussion), most of your input should be with groups of children as 'whole class teacher' goes over the heads of most of the, especially with a wide level range.

Get them to discuss the language of problem solving - how do we know this is a divide question? Because it uses words like each, give or share. This is easily differentiated as you give out different level questions. Your level 5 should be looking at 3 or more steps or problems where it isnt immediately obvious which information to use.

Similarly you can ask children to come up with their own questions. Differentiated this by asking different groups to:
Think of a question for 20p + 30p
Think of a question involving measure or time for 145 + 56 =
Think of a question involving measures or time for (34 + 20) x 4 =
Think of a question which requires you to find perimeter and area.

You could definitely give your 4b+ some pythagoras stuff. A simple 'is he right' investigation followed by 'are there any rules for other triangles?'

Wellthen; really useful ideas! They are my class but teaching them maths is new. It's not an interview; it's preparing for OfSTED . It has been postponed until next term due to pressure of fitting in everything before the Easter holidays. I'll be back panicking then!

If its for ofsted then definitely do your inputs with small groups! This is how we were advised to teacher after our oftsed last year. Scrap the 4 part lesson (mental oral, intro, activity, plenary) and do a starter, inputs at the same time as independent work and LOTS of mini plenaries.

Chat to whoever usually teaches them maths - is there something they have never done before? This is the easiest way to show progress in one lesson which is apparently VITAL for all children. Consoldation? Whats that? Clearly not necessary for learning (and progressing from not confident to confident apparently doesnt count)

advised to teach not teacher

Just read both my posts back and apparently Im unable to be consistent with tense! Back to level 2 for me!

Wellthen - I'm fascinated! Why do Ofsted now say the old structure is out? (Curious about the reasoning....and not had an Ofsted in some time.) And how depressing that they don't view consolidation as useful...

Thats about as far as my knowledge goes, our Head simply said that whole class inputs do not reach anough children and so they shouldnt be such a large percentage of your teaching.

Ofsted dont offcially say consolodation isnt worth anything but it is a requirement that all children make some form of identifiable progress in a lesson in order to get a good. I was being facetious.

Heh! Thank goodness for that!

Interesting re whole class input... hard to see how the smaller group input would work with some subjects. Although smaller groups def easier, no doubt. Thanks, something to think on!

Wellthen.....do you mean you would do an input with each group? How?

We have top maths group, 2nd top, middle, base and SEN. How could you do an input for all of them?

Its definitely a work in progress that we are still trying to work out!

We have been advised that you and your TA both try to work with 2 groups in 1 session - about 20 minutes each, leaving 20 mins for starter and mini plenaries inbetween. Our Head generally considers that each class has a top, middle, bottom and SEN so this should work fine! Whilst your or your TA are with 2 groups, the other 2 work independently.

In reality it really varies from lesson to lesson. Groups can work together, it doesnt have to be group by group. Your top and 2nd top might be doing the same learning objective but slightly differently so they have the same input but slightly different tasks. Equally they don't have to be 20 mins each. I often do a quick 5 min input with one group to check they understand what they are doing and leave them to discover and investigate. This work would not be consolodation but would not be so challenging that they need an adult. Other groups might have a 10 minute input, others longer. It really depends on your learning objectives for each group.

It is really useful for having a variety of learning objectives going at one time which has helped me focus on what each group actually need to progress rather than 'whats the next Year x objective?' It can be difficult to find lots of independent activities for all the different objectives but I have seen the kid's independence improve. They seem more focused, they understand that when an adult isnt with them they sit and work so there is less chatter and more work! I spose this is also because I'm stricter about noise so that I and TA can hear ourselves and the children. Its still quite new so not perfect but I quite enjoy it and think its effective. However, I may find it doesnt work at all with my next class! I think it really depends on your ability spread.

Teachercreature We have also been asked to do this with literacy which I have found really hard (and pretty much abandoned shhh dont tell). I and my TA do guided groups so I still feel we're doing group inputs, I just do whole class inputs and games so I can get their ideas flowing and explain the task.

I do recall years ago having to split a Y3 class into two halves as they simply couldn't all cope with the same input (ability range Y1-Y5 roughly). So I'd get one half working independently while I explained to the other, then go between two offering support. The theory of different groups sounds good, especially the increased independence - the trouble with the system you describe though would be I've never had a TA in with me every day at any of my schools! (Always taught KS2.) Also do you ever suffer the "parents don't like them in groups" thing? Faced that before too (with the school caving...)

The mini plenaries - is that to whole class or the separate groups?

And yes I can see Literacy would be a lot harder! (whispers Well done to you for deciding to semi-abandon it, I think it's the mark of a good teacher to be flexible within the constraints of the system and to know what works for your class!)

You can still be fairly flexible with your groups, in fact if anything you can be more flexible as the group working with an adult might be sitting on the carpet or in the centre of the room whilst the others sit at individual tables around so they are less distracted and I can see everyone. So there's no 'blue group here, green group there'. I can simply say 'x, y z you're with me, a, b, c youre with Miss Smith and everyone else you will see your tasks on the board.'

That said I do still have groups and places to make things easier on the lessons when I want to use them or only want to make small changes. It can be useful to go back to their 'official' groups when starting a new topic.

Mini plenaries naturally depends on your objective - if most are doing roughly the same thing (all on fractions or written methods or bar graphs etc) I would do it whole class to address a problem, recap an idea from the main objective or just to generally refocus everyone. If necessary I might just say 'everyone look this way. Well done Sarah's table you're working really hard, you can keep going, everyone else pencils down and listen carefully' if there is 1 group doing something different. (My current bottom group have very few number facts so they spend quite a lot of time on these rather than slogging away at written methods that they really cant do without a calculator).

If they are all completely different then naturally I would do per group. I might sit with an independent group for 2 mins to have a quick look at work, discuss any they are finding difficult and generally just check where they are. Refocuses the children and gives them a bit of encouragement as I think they get a bit jealous of all the other kids getting the adult attention at that point.