“Christmas Shopping at Harrods” is a problem-solving lesson involving monetary conversions

Title – Christmas Shopping at Harrods Department Store
By – Tommasa M.C. Imbesi
Primary Subject – Math
Secondary Subjects – Language Arts
Grade Level – 4

Topic:

Problem Solving

Objectives:

Transversal:
• Learning through experience (learning by doing)
• Acquiring the ability to work well in groups
• Obtaining information from various sources, including the Internet and having them interact
• Reflecting upon the process of learning

Mathematics Objectives:
• Converting from one commonly used monetary unit of measurement to another
• Performing the four basic arithmetic operations

Language Arts Objectives:
• Acquiring the ability to observe, describe and represent reality using specific disciplinary languages
• Understanding simple and clear messages with known structures and vocabulary on familiar topics.
• Gradually acquiring a wider vocabulary to describe situations
• Improving language skills

Disciplinary Content:
• Monetary Conversions (Mathematics)
• Asking and saying the price
• Interacting in short exchanges (dialogical L2) monitored by the teacher and stimulated with visual media
• Writing simple messages following a pattern

Procedure:

1. The students create a list of Christmas items to buy in order to decorate a new flat (apartment) in London.
2. They calculate how much they can spend, staying at or below the designated amount.
3. The students also calculate how much change they should receive, if any, and the exchange rate between euro (European currency) and pound (British currency).

Anticipatory Set:

1. Teacher says that “friends have just bought a flat in London. As it is Christmas time, they would like to buy new decorations and Christmas items.
2. The pupils suggest a list of Christmas decorations and visiting Harrods online. They know their prices in pounds.
3. For the missing items (on Harrods online, they can’t find crib items), they look on advertising flyers and calculate the exchange rate euro/pound. At least, they calculate the total amount.

Group concept development/activity:

1. Organize students into groups.
2. Every group looks for the price of Christmas items on Harrods online.
3. The students, with the help of the teacher, write the problem by including illustrations of the items and prices.
4. Where necessary, they calculate the exchange rate between euro and pound.
5. They calculate the total amount.

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