Let's look at how a class of first-graders solved this problem. Students prepared for this lesson by first examining the ways that students and teachers travel to school. They discussed what they knew about the problem and how it was similar to, or different from, other problems they had solved. The teacher provided them with the steps of the problem-solving process (read the problem, decide what is being asked, decide on a problem-solving strategy, establish materials to use and a way to record work, solve the problem, explain how the problem was solved.) In this lesson, students use various approaches as they work in pairs to solve the problem. Each pair then shares strategies and solutions to the problem with the group. Ms. Gregory, their teacher, asks questions to help students with the problem-solving process.

Read the questions below before you watch the video, and then answer the questions. (You may want to watch the video a few more times before answering the questions.)

• What do you think are the teacher's mathematical content goals for this lesson?
• What evidence of effective problem solving do you see? Do students use different problem-solving strategies?
• What types of help does the teacher provide? How does she encourage problem solving?

Now please watch the video excerpt at left (duration 6:30) of Ms. Gregory's classroom.

  Observe a classroom