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Math: Your Brain's Workout!

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Lesson Plan

Math: Your Brain's Workout!

Students will be able to identify and apply problem-solving strategies to various mathematical challenges, understanding that math can be a tool for mental well-being and critical thinking.

This lesson helps students see math as more than just numbers; it's a way to train their brains, build resilience, and develop powerful problem-solving skills applicable to everyday life. It fosters a positive mindset towards challenges.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Engaging activities and collaborative problem-solving.

Materials

Smartboard or Projector, Markers or Chalk, Warm-Up Challenge, Brain-Boosting Slides, Problem-Solving Workout Worksheet, and Answer Key for Worksheet

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Brain Teaser!

5 minutes

  • Display the Warm-Up Challenge on the board.
    - Ask students to work independently for 2 minutes to solve the problem.
    - Facilitate a brief class discussion on their approaches and solutions. (Refer to Script: Brain Workout for guiding questions.)

Step 2

Introduction: Math as a Workout

5 minutes

  • Use the first few slides of Brain-Boosting Slides to introduce the concept of math as a mental workout.
    - Explain the benefits of
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Slide Deck

Math: Your Brain's Workout!

Get ready to strengthen your mind!

Welcome students and set an energetic tone. Explain that today's lesson will reframe how they think about math.

Your Brain: A Muscle!

  • It gets stronger with practice.
    - Challenges help it grow.
    - Math is its personal trainer!

Introduce the idea that just like physical exercise, mental exercise makes our brains stronger. Math problems are like 'reps' for our brains.

What's Problem Solving?

  • It's like being a detective for numbers!
    - Finding strategies to crack tough questions.
    - Not giving up when things get tricky.

Explain that problem-solving is a key skill. It's not always about finding the right answer immediately, but the process of figuring it out.

Strategy 1: Break It Down!

  • Big problem? Make it smaller.
    - Too many steps? Focus on one at a time.
    - **What information do you really need?

Introduce the first problem-solving strategy. Encourage students to think about how they might break down a problem.

Strategy 2: Draw It Out!

  • Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand numbers.
    - Diagrams, tables, or charts can reveal solutions.
    - Don't be afraid to doodle your way to an answer!

Introduce the second strategy. Emphasize that visualizing or drawing can make complex problems clearer.

Strategy 3: Guess & Check!

  • Make an educated guess.
    - Check if it works.
    - If not, learn from it and adjust your next guess.

Introduce the third strategy, highlighting the importance of making an educated guess and then refining it.

Time for Your Workout!

Explain that they will now apply these strategies to some problems on their worksheet.

Collaborate & Conquer!

  • Share your ideas.
    - Discuss different strategies.
    - Help each other understand, don't just give answers.

Encourage collaboration and discussion. Remind them it's about the process.

You're a Math Strong Human!

  • Keep practicing!
    - Every problem solved makes your brain stronger.
    - Math helps you conquer challenges in all areas of life.

Wrap up the lesson, reiterating the main message about math being a tool for mental strength and problem-solving.

Keep Flexing Those Brain Muscles!

You've got this!

End with an encouraging thought.

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Warm Up

Warm-Up Challenge: The Great Cookie Share!

You have a baker's dozen (13) cookies. You want to share them equally among yourself and two friends. How many cookies does each person get, and how many are leftover?

Show your work and explain your thinking!







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Script

Teacher Script: Math - Your Brain's Workout!

## Introduction (5 minutes)
"Good morning, future math athletes! Today, we're going to talk about something really cool: how math is like a fantastic workout for your brain. Just like you exercise your body to make it stronger, math helps you exercise your brain to make it sharper, faster, and more resilient!"

Transition to Warm-Up Challenge on screen.

"Let's kick things off with a quick warm-up. Take two minutes to solve this 'Great Cookie Share' challenge on your own. Think about how you would approach it."

Allow 2 minutes for students to work independently.

"Alright, let's hear some ideas! What strategies did you use? Did anyone draw a picture? Did you try dividing? What did you find?"

Facilitate a brief discussion, guiding students to share their methods and solutions.

## Unveiling Problem-Solving Strategies (10 minutes)
Transition to Brain-Boosting Slides - Slide 2: "Your Brain: A Muscle!".

"Excellent job with the warm-up! Now, let's dive deeper. Think of your brain like a muscle. What happens when you work out a muscle? It gets stronger, right? The same goes for your brain! And math, my friends, is its personal trainer."

Transition to Slide 3: "What's Problem Solving?"

"So, what exactly is 'problem-solving' in math? It's not just about getting the right answer. It's about being a math detective! It's about exploring, trying different approaches, and not giving up when a problem seems tricky. It's about finding strategies to crack those tough questions."

Transition to Slide 4: "Strategy 1: Break It Down!"

"Our first strategy is 'Break It Down!' Sometimes, a big, complex problem can feel overwhelming. But what if we break it into smaller, manageable pieces? It's like eating a giant pizza – you don't eat it all at once, you take it slice by slice! We'll look at how to identify what information you really need and tackle one step at a time."

Transition to Slide 5: "Strategy 2: Draw It Out!"

"Next up, 'Draw It Out!' Our brains are amazing at visual information. Often, simply drawing a diagram, making a table, or even just doodling can help you see the solution more clearly. Don't underestimate the power of a good sketch!"

Transition to Slide 6: "Strategy 3: Guess & Check!"

"Finally, we have 'Guess & Check!' This isn't just random guessing. It's about making an educated guess, then testing it out. If it doesn't work perfectly, you learn from that attempt and adjust your next guess. It's a powerful way to narrow down possibilities and get closer to the answer."

## Hands-On Workout (10 minutes)
Transition to Slide 7: "Time for Your Workout!"

"Now it's time to put these strategies into action! I'm going to hand out the Problem-Solving Workout Worksheet. You'll see a few problems there. Your task is to use one or more of the strategies we just discussed to solve them. You can work with a partner or in small groups, but I want everyone to try to solve each problem individually first before discussing."

Distribute the Problem-Solving Workout Worksheet. Circulate around the room, offering guidance and prompting students to use the strategies.

Transition to Slide 8: "Collaborate & Conquer!" (After about 7 minutes of individual/group work)

"Alright, let's take a few minutes to collaborate. Share your ideas with your group. Discuss the different strategies you used. Remember, the goal isn't just to get the answer, but to understand how you got there. Help each other understand the process!"

## Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 minutes)
Transition to Slide 9: "You're a Math Strong Human!"

"Fantastic work today, everyone! You've just given your brains a great workout. Remember, every problem you tackle, every strategy you try, makes your brain stronger. Math isn't just about numbers; it's about developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that help you conquer challenges in all areas of life."

Transition to Slide 10: "Keep Flexing Those Brain Muscles!"

"Keep flexing those brain muscles, both in and out of math class. You've got this!"

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Worksheet

Problem-Solving Workout Worksheet

Instructions: Use the strategies we discussed (Break It Down, Draw It Out, Guess & Check) to solve the following problems. Show your work and explain your thinking!

## Problem 1: The Zoo Trip
A group of 30 students and 3 teachers are going to the zoo. Each car can hold 5 people. How many cars do they need for the trip?













## Problem 2: The Mystery Number
I am a two-digit number. The sum of my digits is 10. If you reverse my digits, the new number is 36 less than my original number. What number am I?













## Problem 3: Garden Growth
Sarah planted a sunflower. On the first day, it grew 2 cm. On the second day, it grew twice as much as the first day. On the third day, it grew 3 cm less than the second day. How tall is the sunflower after three days?













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Answer Key

Answer Key: Problem-Solving Workout Worksheet

## Problem 1: The Zoo Trip
Question: A group of 30 students and 3 teachers are going to the zoo. Each car can hold 5 people. How many cars do they need for the trip?

Thought Process:
1. Break It Down: First, I need to find the total number of people going.
* Students: 30
* Teachers: 3
* Total people = 30 + 3 = 33 people
2. Next, I need to figure out how many cars are needed.
* Each car holds 5 people.
* Number of cars = Total people / People per car
* Number of cars = 33 / 5 = 6 with a remainder of 3
3. Since 3 people are leftover, they will need one more car for those remaining people.

Answer: They will need 7 cars for the trip. (6 cars for 30 people, and 1 additional car for the remaining 3 people).

## Problem 2: The Mystery Number
Question: I am a two-digit number. The sum of my digits is 10. If you reverse my digits, the new number is 36 less than my original number. What number am I?

Thought Process (Guess & Check / Draw It Out):
1. List numbers where digits sum to 10: (19, 28, 37, 46, 55, 64, 73, 82, 91)
2. Test each number (Guess & Check):
* Try 19: Reversed is 91. 91 - 19 = 72 (not 36)
* Try 28: Reversed is 82. 82 - 28 = 54 (not 36)
* Try 37: Reversed is 73. 73 - 37 = 36. This works! Let's double-check the original condition: sum of digits 3 + 7 = 10. Both conditions are met.

Answer: The mystery number is 73.

## Problem 3: Garden Growth
Question: Sarah planted a sunflower. On the first day, it grew 2 cm. On the second day, it grew twice as much as the first day. On the third day, it grew 3 cm less than the second day. How tall is the sunflower after three days?

Thought Process (Break It Down):
1. Day 1 Growth: 2 cm
2. Day 2 Growth: Twice as much as Day 1 = 2 cm * 2 = 4 cm
3. Day 3 Growth: 3 cm less than Day 2 = 4 cm - 3 cm = 1 cm
4. Total Height after three days: Sum of growth from each day = 2 cm + 4 cm + 1 cm = 7 cm

Answer: The sunflower is 7 cm tall after three days.

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