Behaviorism Lesson for Psychology

Lesson adapted from http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=21500

Place Value (Behaviorism Lesson)

Grade: 3
Objective: (Math Standard 1, objective 1) After classroom experience and homework practice students demonstrate their understanding of place value by representing whole numbers up to 10,000 and identifing relationships among whole numbers using base-ten models and symbolic notation.

Attention Getter: Taped under each students desk will be a card with a number on it. Numbers will represent every whole number place value between 1 and 10,000. Students will be asked to place their number card, backside (non-number side) showing, on the board under the appropriate heading (ones/1, tens/10, hundreds/100, one-thousands/1,000, ten-thousands/10,000). After all the cards are placed, the teacher will turn the card over and ask students to give a thumbs up or thumbs down based on whether the card was placed in the right column or not.

Activity:
Students will learn a song about place value.
Before learning the song students will write a numerical example of place value on separate sheets of paper (these will be used later in the lesson.) Students will now learn the song to remember the place values. As they sing they will point to the numbers either on their desk or written on the board.
A link to the music for this song can be found at http://www.songsforteaching.com/math/placevalue/onestenshundredsplace.htm.

Ones, tens, hundreds
Ones, tens, hundreds
Ones, tens, hundreds
The places in the place value line.
Just find the one’s place.
It’s on the far right.
The tens are next,
In the place value line.
Move left one place,
You’ll find the hundreds.
Three places for hundreds every time.
Ones, tens, hundreds
The places in the place value line.
Just find the one’s place.
It’s on the far right.
The tens are next,
In the place value line.
Move left one place,
You’ll find the hundreds.
Three places for hundreds every time.
Ones, tens, hundreds
Ones, tens, hundreds

Game:
Each student will receive a copy of the Place Value Houses. A copy for the lesson instruction will be projected from the overhead.Using the number cards they made before learning the song, students will play “musical cards” to exchange cards with their peers. (Play short clips of music. As soon as the music stops students exchange numbers with their peers.)When all the cards have been exchanged, the students will get to play a game. Divide the class into teams. Each student takes turns placing their new number cards in the projected number house and saying the number out loud.. If the number is placed or said incorrectly, the students can “phone a friend” on their team for help, but it will only count for half of a correct answer. For every 4 correctly placed cards (or more if there are “half correct answers”), a representative from the team will get to shoot a basket for a point. The team with the most points wins and will get to line up first for recess.

This game incorporates several behavorial strategies. A fixed ratio positive reinforcement schedule is employed. It is positive reinforcement because the a stimulus (getting to shoot a basket to earn points to line up first) is increasing behavior. It is a fixed ratio because the students will get to shoot a basket for every 4 correct answers. Positive practice is occurring as students get a chance to correct their wrong answers. Observational learning, learning by observing others, helps those who may be shaky with this concept as they see their peers correctly place their number cards and hear the numbers out loud.

Instruct:
Ask the students if they can name each column of place value. Discuss the following:
Teach students what each house represents. The first house on the right is called Units that have the values of ones, tens and hundreds. The second house is called Thousands with the values of ones, tens and hundreds and the third house is called Millions with the values of ones, tens and hundreds. Each house will have a group of three digits in a number. Each group is called a period. Explain to students that within each period the names are the same: hundreds, tens, and ones.

Numbers with zero, the placeholder:
Write a number on the overhead or chalkboard that has a 0 (e.g. 35, 207). Explain to students that the value of the first digit’s place determines how large the numeral will be and that any empty place to the right of the digit must have a zero place holder. Read this number to the students and ask them point to where each digit would be represented on the place value house chart. Explain that even though you didn't say anything for the zero in the tens place it is very important that they don't forget to put it in when writing the number. Each place value on any digit has to be represented by a numeral.

Homework 1: Mapping Students will be given a list of 15 numbers and asked to organize those numbers into a concept map, categorizing them by place value.
Homework 2: “The Price is Right”Tomorrow in class students will play “The Price is Right.” Items must be priced anywhere between one place value and ten-thousand place value. Each student, for homework, it to come up with an item and price for each place value. Explain to the students that they must have both homework assignments completed to play the game.
(Completing homework, a less desired activity, to play a game, a more desired activity, is an example of
the Premack Principle. This is also positive reinforcement)

Task Analysis: understand place value up to 10,000
1) categorize previously written numbers according to number of digits
2) write number example of each place value up to 10,000
3) learn the labels for each place value column up to 10,100
4) categorize written numbers into place value columns
5) verbalize categorized numbers
6) relate numbers and place value to real life examples