Three-Part Lessons
A three part lesson is a method of instruction that provides students with an opportunity to introduce/brainstorm, investigate and practice a concept. It is the framework I use daily to support problem-solving based lessons in my classroom.
The three components of the lesson framework are:
The three components of the lesson framework are:
Step 1: Minds-On Getting students’ minds focused on the topic of the lesson
- Activate students’ background knowledge
- Revisit ideas/strategies from previous lessons that relate to the learning goal of the lesson
- Highlight skills needed to access new material
- Activities include: open questions (various entry points), class discussions, learning games or provocations
Step 2: Action What the students are doing to make meaning of the topic or skills in the lesson
- Students actively solving a problem in small groups, pairs or individually
- Students access the mathematical processes to help them understand and solve the problem
- Teacher circulates to make observations and offer support/ask guiding questions as needed
- Provides students with an opportunity to explore, investigate, struggle...and ultimately construct new knowledge!
Step 3: Consolidation Pull together learning for the day related to the learning goals
- This portion has three key components:
- Sharing: Students share learning and build understanding. This could be with a Gallery Walk, Bansho or Math Congress.
- Highlights: Summarize key strategies and ideas on anchor charts.
- Practice: Students are provided with an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned from the lesson with an independent problem or exit ticket.
Click on the link below to view a presentation on three-part lessons I created and facilitated with the staff at my school during a professional development session in 2014.
Three-Part Lesson Presentation
Three-Part Lesson Presentation
Click on the links below to view some examples of three-part lesson plans I have created.
1. Grade 3 Addition/Subtraction Lesson
2. Grade 3 Multiplication/Division Lesson
1. Grade 3 Addition/Subtraction Lesson
2. Grade 3 Multiplication/Division Lesson