UNIT PREPARATION

Gather rolls of adding machine tape or long strips of paper (See Lesson 3 Materials Preparation.)

Gather a SuperBall® and tennis ball for each group for the lab in Lesson 4. (See Lesson 4 Materials Preparation.)

Gather two metersticks for each group of students. (See Lesson 4 Materials Preparation.)

Display the Math Practices page where all students can see it.

If you have not done so already, attach Small Multiplication Tables to students' desks for reference. (See Unit 4.)

Students will need the following tools readily available for the
Daily Practice and Problems items in this unit:

LESSON SESSIONS DESCRIPTION SUPPLIES

LESSON 1

Predictions from Graphs

 2 Students look for patterns and make predictions using graphs. They then practice drawing best-fit lines and making predictions.
  • rulers

LESSON 2

Another Average Activity

 2 Students investigate the meaning of averages by working with connecting cubes. The activity provides students with a visual image that will help them understand the procedures for finding the median and the mean.
  • connecting cubes or square-inch tiles
  • small paper bags

LESSON 3

The Meaning of the Mean

 2–3 Students use adding machine tape to model the process of finding the mean of a set of data through measurement. They then learn to find the mean on a calculator by summing the data and dividing by the number of data points. Students also explore line plots as a way to organize data to find the median.
  • adding machine tape
  • metersticks
  • calculators
  • scissors
  • tape
  • rulers
  • crayons
  • connecting cubes or square-inch tiles

LESSON 4

Bouncing Ball

 4–5 Students use the TIMS Laboratory Method to investigate the relationship between the drop height and bounce height of a tennis ball and a SuperBall®. Students drop each ball from three different heights and record the bounce height. Students then analyze that data represented in graphs and tables to make predictions and generalizations.
  • tennis balls
  • SuperBalls®
  • metersticks
  • masking tape
  • rulers

LESSON 5

Workshop: Patterns

 2 In Part 1, students read the story Two Heads Are Better Than One and analyze and find the error in the work of the characters. This provides students with the opportunity to practice representing data in a graph and using those patterns to make predictions and generalizations. In Part 2, students use a menu to choose practice using and representing multiplication patterns in graphs and tables.
  • clear plastic rulers
  • calculators

LESSON 6

Function Machines

 2–3 Students are introduced to functions through the activity Guess My Rule. Students use function machines to generate an “output” number for every “input” number. They record their findings in data tables and explore different ways to describe the patterns or rules generated by function machines.
  • calculators

LESSON 7

Professor Peabody Invents a Ball

 2 Students analyze the relationship between the drop height and bounce height for a ball Professor Peabody has invented. They use the relationship represented in tables and graphs to make predictions and generalizations. Students pay particular attention to how they communicate the Math Practices by evaluating and revising their work and the work of their peers.
  • rulers
  • calculators

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