Organizing and Presenting Data
Case Overview
This case shows a fourth-grade classroom from an urban, dual language school, where the mathematics lesson focuses on data analysis. The teacher is a bilingual general education teacher who uses the Investigations in Number, Data and Space curriculum to serve 26 students, all of whom are bilingual. None of the students have been classified as needing special education services but several students have learning difficulties.
Lesson Details
The lesson consists of a mini-lesson during which the teacher introduces students to statistics. In the small group work time following the lesson, students work in pairs to estimate and count the number of raisins in a snack box they were given, and then record and organize the raisin data. The case documents the lesson through the experience of two boys. One of the boys is academically strong and particularly facile with math. The second boy is easily distracted and has difficulties expressing his ideas through language.