Lesson Activities

The video database can be overwhelming because of the number of videos available. The following activities are a good place to start to make use of the resources. When working with preservice or inservice teachers, it might be useful to break down the video from four perspectives. Pepin et al. (2017) posited that there are four learning spaces that digital curricula can potentially transform: (a) the presentation space (how the technology is used to present material and topics to students); (b) the problem space (types of problems and possible solution paths); (c) the work space (resources available to help students solve problems); and (d) the navigation space (how learners logically proceed through each topic).

Pedagogy FocusInterviewsContent Focus
Examining Teacher Pauses with DCHow do teachers prepare a lesson with DC?GEOMETRY: Triangles
Comparing Approaches to Word ProblemsHow do teachers modify DC to develop students’ Math Practices?NUMBER AND OPERATIONS: Fractions
Strategies versus TricksWhat is teachers’ role during individual device time?Engaging Students in Creating Definitions
Working with Students on DevicesHow do teachers make use of DC Data?
Engaging with Students’ ErrorsWhat are pros/cons of DC?
What advice do teachers have for using DC?

Math Practices

Common Core State Standards Mathematical Practices
CCSS Math Practice (Dana Center)
Oregon’s Transformative SEL and Math Practices

Socio-Emotional Learning

Activities to Boost SEL / More Activities / Still More Activities
NEA Article: SEL Can Help Prevent bullying
Stanford Harmony SEL Program for Schools (free)
SEL and Mathematics
Anchorage SD SEL program
Chicago SD SEL program
CASEL site for SEL
Report on 25 SEL Programs
Collaborative for Advancing Social and Emotional Learning

Other

Waldron, A. & Rhine, S. (2025). Implementing the Mathematics Teaching Practices with Digital Curricula. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 118(1), 37-43. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics(NCTM).
Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12

Restorative Justice

Lesson Activities

EXAMINING TEACHER PAUSES WITH DIGITAL CURRICULA

  1. Many digital curricula include video explanations of concepts. When is it good to pause that explanation and for what purpose?
    1. Watch the following videos and pay close attention to when the teacher chooses to pause the video. Choose one video and make a log of the times the teacher pauses the video.  What does the teacher do during each pause?  Make a guess as to the teacher’s intentions for that pause. Fill in the table below and add rows as necessary.
      1. Plotting Points
      2. Shapes and Solids
      3. Introduction to Triangles
Time of PauseTeacher MoveTeacher’s Intention
  1. Discussion:
    1. When and why do teachers pause the video? (to clarify information,  add information, solicit input from the students, assessment, address misconceptions or curriculum error/gaps)
    2. How do you think the teacher’s pauses impacted student learning? Use the information in the table above to justify your answers.
    3. Is there anywhere else you would have paused?  Why or why not?
  2. Rewatch Plotting Points at 2:10. The curriculum’s instructional video shows graphing only in the first quadrant.  Consider the claim that the x-axis always runs from left to right. Is this always true? How might this change later in math when students will use all four quadrants in a graph? How would you pause the video at this point and address the misconception?
Time of PauseTeacher MoveTeacher’s Intention
  1. Now, find your own instructional video that explains a mathematical concept.  It can come from a curriculum or YouTube or other site.  Paste the link here:
  1. Make your own table.  Where would you plan to pause the video?  What would you do during the pause?  What is your intention with each pause? Fill in the table below to make your plan for instruction. Include pauses to
    1. clarify information, 
    2. add information, 
    3. solicit input from the students, 
    4. assessment, address misconceptions or 
    5. curriculum error/gaps. 
Time of PauseTeacher MoveTeacher’s Intention
  1. In a page, explain your rationale. 

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COMPARING APPROACHES TO WORD PROBLEMS

  1.  Watch the following videos before class.  What do you notice and what do you wonder?
  1. Measurement & Fractions: Deconstruct a word problem 
  2. Subtraction Word Problem 
  3. Multiplication Word Problem
  1. These videos show how different curricula (STEMScopes and iReady) approach word problems with different strategies.
    1. Describe the routines for each curriculum. 
    2. What kinds of questions did each teacher ask? Why do you think they asked the question?
    3. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach?
  2. Watch the following video in class
    1. Comparing Decimal Fractions – Lesson 
  3. Discussion:
    1. Why are word problems hard for students? (i.e. What is important? What operation to use?)
    2. How is the routine for word problems different or the same as the other two teachers?
    3. How does the context/relevance influence students’ understanding of the problem? 
    4. How might you modify the word problem to make it more relevant or meaningful?
  4. What do students gain from doing the different routines (iReady and STEMScopes)? 
  5. What is your goal for your students in handling word problems? Which of these teachers’ approaches would help them achieve that goal?
  6. Find a word problem in your context. Modify the problem or context to help students better understand the problem. Create a routine for approaching the word problem. Explain how that routine would help you achieve your goal for your students.

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STRATEGIES VERSUS TRICKS

Post:

  1. Read Chapter 1 and two tricks in the Nix the Trick book. 
  2. What is the difference between a strategy and a trick?  Illustrate with an example from your own math learning experience.
  3. Choose one of the following videos
    1. Multiplying with Decimals
    2. Warm up About Division in a Word Problem
    3. Student Explaining Addition with Regrouping
  4. Identify the trick that was used in the video. Use the book as a resource.
  5. In a post:
    1. Link to the video you watched.
    2. Identify the trick that was used in the video.
    3. Explain why we should nix that trick (Because). 
    4. Explain an alternative to using that trick (Fix).  Your Fix should be in the context of the mathematics in the video

Reply:

  1. Read another student’s post
  2. How would you explain the math concept used in this approach? (If you cannot, it might be a trick). If you feel like the Fix is still a trick, explain to the post author how you would change the Fix.

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WORKING WITH STUDENTS ON DEVICES

  1. Watch the following videos and note how teachers interact with students differently when they are on their individual programs.
    1. Allison
    2. Becky
    3. Chloe
  2. The programs are intended for individual use to practice procedural fluency. How are teachers intervening in each case? How are they using the program differently than the publisher may have intended? How do they interact with students? What tools are used? What are the different options teachers have when students are engaged with the individual focused program?
  3. Watch the video Using Tools to Measure Angles
    1. At the beginning of the video you can see a number of problems that students are working on. Stop the video on a couple of the problems. What would you ask those students? How would you assess their understanding? How would you help them with their understanding?

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GEOMETRY: Triangles

Watch the video Introduction to Triangles. Then answer the following questions based on what you learned:

  1. How would you describe the rule that determines whether a set of three side lengths can form a triangle?
  2. Can a triangle be made using side lengths of 2 cm, 3 cm, and 5 cm? Why or why not?
  3. What about a triangle where all three sides are the same length? Can that work? Explain your reasoning.

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NUMBER AND OPERATIONS: Fractions

Watch the video Partioning DNA Strands with Fractions, Modeling Fractions with Digital Curricula, Dividing and Fractions. Then, answer the following questions based on what you learned:

  1. How do the number of cuts connect to the fraction parts? 
  2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of emphasizing cuts when thinking about fractions? 
  3. Does the digital curriculum necessitate this pedagogy? 
  4. Is there a way the teacher could modify the curriculum to address the drawbacks?
  5. What makes division with the models a challenging concept for some students?

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ENGAGING STUDENTS IN CREATING DEFINITIONS

  1. Watch the following videos:
    1. Defining Parallel Lines, 
    2. Defining Perpendicular Lines, 
    3. Definitions of Symmetry. 
  2. Describe the teachers’ strategy for engaging students in creating definitions. What are some advantages for using such a strategy?
  3. What key concepts should a definition of parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and symmetry include for Grade 4?
  4. Does the definition the students created for symmetry apply to a square? Explain your reasoning.
  5. What other objects could the teacher present to help clarify the students’ definition of symmetry?

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ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS’ ERRORS

  1. Watch the videos
    1. Working with Student Errors in Subtraction
    2. Using Student Thinking for Discussion
    3. Rounding Numbers: Testing Predictions
  2. What was each student thinking in the videos?
    1. What part of the concept was missing in their explanation? What evidence do you have?
    2. What part of the concept do you think they understood? What evidence do you have?
    3. What question might clarify for you that the student truly understands the concept?
  3. How could you help the student who gave an explanation?

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INTERVIEWS

MAKING USE OF DIGITAL CURRICULA DATA

  1. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: Data Use
  2. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 2.
  3. Listen to the videos and record your answers to the following questions:
    1. What types of data are available to teachers in digital curricula?
    2. What other types of data do teachers supplement the DC data with?
    3. How do teachers use data to inform their instruction?
  4. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about how they use the data they have available in their digital curricula.
  5. Discuss strategies for data use that you want to adopt and why.

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PREPARING LESSON PLANS WITH DC

  1. Have students divide into groups of about 3.
  2. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: Lesson Preparation
  3. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 3.
  4. Listen to the videos and summarize the teachers’ perspectives
    • What kinds of things do teachers consider as they prepare a lesson?
    • What are the resources available for teachers in their DC?
    • What are the resources available in DC you have experienced?
    • Why do teachers choose to modify DC?
    • How do teachers modify DC to meet students’ needs?
  5. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about how they prepare lessons with DC.
  6. Discuss strategies for lesson preparation that you want to adopt and why.

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MODIFYING DC TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ MATH PRACTICES

  1. Have students divide into groups of about 3.
  2. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: Math Practices
  3. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 3.
  4. Listen to the videos and summarize the teachers’ perspectives
    • What are the Mathematical Practices?
    • What Mathematical Practices are teachers most interested in developing?
    • How do they modify DC to develop students’ Mathematical Practices?
    • Why is it necessary to modify DC to develop students’ Mathematical Practices?
  5. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about how they modify lessons to develop students’ Mathematical Practices with DC.
  6. Discuss strategies for developing Mathematical Practices that you want to adopt and why.

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TEACHERS’ ROLE DURING INDIVIDUAL DEVICE TIME

  1. Have students divide into groups of about 3.
  2. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: Individual Device Time
  3. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 3.
  4. Listen to the videos and summarize the teachers’ perspectives
    • What are students doing on individual devices?
    • What ways do teachers organize their classroom during individual device time?
    • What is a teacher’s role during individual device time?
    • What are ways that teachers can interact with a student as they are working on their device?
    • What are pros or cons for teachers intervening during students’ individual device time?
  5. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about how they see their role during students’ individual device time.
  6. Discuss strategies for interacting with students during individual device time that you want to adopt and why.

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WHAT ARE PROS AND CONS OF WORKING WITH DC?

  1. Have students divide into groups of about 3.
  2. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: DC Pros/Cons
  3. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 3.
  4. Listen to the videos and summarize the teachers’ perspectives
    • What are different features of DC that teachers discuss?
    • What are the benefits of DC? Why?
    • What are the cons of DC? Why?
    • How do teachers adapt to the cons of DC?
  5. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about how they see the pros and cons of DC.
  6. Discuss strategies for making use of the benefits and adapting to the drawbacks that you want to adopt and why.

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ADVICE FOR USING DC

  1. Have students divide into groups of about 3.
  2. Sort the videos for Interview Questions: Advice
  3. Divide the interview clips up in your group. Each person should have at least 3.
  4. Listen to the videos and summarize the teachers’ perspectives
    • What advice do teachers have for working with DC?
    • What different aspects of DC do teachers have suggestions for?
  5. Discuss in your group what you learned from teachers about advice they have for working with DC.
  6. Discuss strategies for using DC that you want to adopt and why.

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