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Pause Before You Solve!

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Charles Grover

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Pause Before You Solve!

Students will learn to recognize impulses in math problems and apply a 'Stop, Think, Solve' strategy to improve accuracy and understanding.

Impulse control in math helps students avoid careless errors, understand concepts more deeply, and build confidence in their problem-solving abilities. It's a skill that extends beyond the classroom.

Audience

Middle School Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Direct instruction, guided practice, and quick reflection.

Materials

  • Impulse Control Warm-Up, - Pause Before You Solve! Slide Deck, - Stop, Think, Solve Cool-Down, - Whiteboard or projector, and - Markers or pens

Prep

Teacher Preparation

5 minutes

  • Review the Pause Before You Solve! Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
    - Print or prepare to display the Impulse Control Warm-Up and Stop, Think, Solve Cool-Down.
    - Ensure whiteboard/projector and markers are ready.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Quick Decisions (2 minutes)

2 minutes

  • Distribute or display the Impulse Control Warm-Up.
    - Instruct students to quickly answer the math problems provided, noting their first instinct.
    - After 1 minute, ask students to reflect on whether they checked their work or just went with their first answer.

Step 2

Introduction: What is Impulse Control? (3 minutes)

3 minutes

  • Use Pause Before You Solve! Slide Deck (Slide 1-2) to introduce impulse control.
    - Ask: 'What does it mean to act on impulse?' 'How might this apply to solving math problems?'
    - Explain that good impulse control in math means pausing before jumping to conclusions or the first answer that comes to mind.

Step 3

The 'Stop, Think, Solve' Strategy (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Introduce the 'Stop, Think, Solve' strategy using Pause Before You Solve! Slide Deck (Slide 3-5).
    - STOP: Pause, don't rush. Read the problem carefully.
    - THINK: What is the question asking? What information do I have? What strategy should I use? Is there more than one step?
    - SOLVE: Apply your strategy, show your work, and double-check your answer.
    - Model the strategy with a simple math problem on the board, verbalizing the 'Stop, Think, Solve' steps.

Step 4

Guided Practice (3 minutes)

3 minutes

  • Display a new math problem from Pause Before You Solve! Slide Deck (Slide 6).
    - Guide students through applying the 'Stop, Think, Solve' strategy as a class.
    - Encourage students to share their thinking at each step.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Reflect and Apply (2 minutes)

2 minutes

  • Distribute or display the Stop, Think, Solve Cool-Down.
    - Ask students to briefly write down one math scenario where they often act on impulse and how they can use 'Stop, Think, Solve' next time.
    - Collect cool-downs or have a few students share their reflections.
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Slide Deck

Pause Before You Solve!

Why do we sometimes rush in math?
What happens when we act on impulse?

Welcome students and introduce the concept of impulse control. Ask them to think about times they've rushed in math.

What is Impulse Control?

Acting on impulse means reacting quickly without thinking.
In math, this can look like:
- Jumping to the first answer you think of.
- Not reading the whole problem.
- Skipping steps.

Define impulse and connect it to math. Emphasize that it's natural but can lead to errors.

Strategy: Stop, Think, Solve

1. STOP.
- Take a deep breath.
- Read the problem carefully, at least twice.
- Don't rush to find the answer right away.

Introduce the 'Stop' step. Emphasize taking a breath and truly reading the problem.

Strategy: Stop, Think, Solve

2. THINK.
- What is the question really asking?
- What information do I have?
- What steps do I need to take?
- What strategy should I use? (e.g., drawing a picture, using a formula)

Explain the 'Think' step. Encourage students to break down the problem mentally or by jotting notes.

Strategy: Stop, Think, Solve

3. SOLVE.
- Work through the problem step-by-step.
- Show your work clearly.
- CHECK your answer! Does it make sense? Did I answer the question?

Detail the 'Solve' step, focusing on careful execution and checking.

Let's Practice!

A baker made 24 cupcakes. He sold 1/3 of them. How many cupcakes did he sell?

(Think: Stop, Think, Solve!)

Present a simple problem for guided practice. Lead students through 'Stop, Think, Solve' for this problem.

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Warm Up

Impulse Control Warm-Up: Quick Decisions!

Instructions: Answer these problems as quickly as you can, writing down the first answer that comes to mind. Don't worry about checking your work for now!

  1. What is 5 x 7?


  2. If a shirt costs $10 and is on sale for half price, how much does it cost?


  3. What is 10 + 2 - 3?


  4. A square has sides of length 4. What is its perimeter?


Quick Reflection (after answering): Did you check your answers, or did you just write down your first thought? Why might quickly answering math problems sometimes lead to mistakes?




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Cool Down

Stop, Think, Solve Cool-Down

Instructions: Briefly answer the questions below.

  1. Think about a time in math class where you might have rushed or acted on impulse. Describe that scenario briefly.



  2. How could applying the "Stop, Think, Solve" strategy have helped you in that situation? What would you do differently next time?





  3. What is one specific step from "Stop, Think, Solve" that you will try to remember during your next math assignment?


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