For a week before this lesson, students in Mr. Reilly's first-grade class worked with non-standard and standard forms of measurement. During this video segment, students are engaged in solving the problem. They discuss the strategies and tools they will use to measure the winding tunnels in their ant farms, and then employ their strategies. They conclude by sharing their approaches and solutions with the class. The exchange of ideas that takes place following the activity will give you additional information about student thinking throughout the process of solving this problem.

As you watch the video, think about how students are approaching the problem. Do Mr. Reilly and his students meet your criteria for effective problem solving?

Please watch the video excerpt at left (duration 2:40) of Joe Reilly's classroom.

  Think about what you've just observed