I am teaching three sections of Grade 7 this year, and when we hit the Water Cooler problem in lesson 5 during my first period class, I knew I had to hit the emergency stop. The students were not ready to analyze equations at all, let alone with decimal equivalents to fractions. We shifted to something else, and I quickly tried to regroup for the following classes. I felt that the students needed more experience with writing equations before they analyzed the meaning of the parts, and they needed a less steep approach. I split the activity into two days, the first with whole numbers and unit fractions, and the second using the more complicated fraction relationships. I also built in more scaffolding in the way of careful discussion of the parts of each equation throughout, and pushed the equation analysis to the end of day 2. Here are the the lessons, my adapted lesson plans, and practice for Lessons 2.5.1 and 2.5.2:
2.5.1 Lesson Plan
2.5.1 Lesson (Problems)
2.5.1 Practice (Word)
2.5.1 Practice (PDF)
2.5.2 Lesson Plan
2.5.2 Lesson (Problems)
2.5.2 Practice (Word)
2.5.2 Practice (PDF)
2.5.1 Lesson Plan
2.5.1 Lesson (Problems)
2.5.1 Practice (Word)
2.5.1 Practice (PDF)
2.5.2 Lesson Plan
2.5.2 Lesson (Problems)
2.5.2 Practice (Word)
2.5.2 Practice (PDF)
Looking ahead, I think I will need to adjust Lesson 6 as well. My students did not go through the Grade 6 materials, so some of the skills are new to them.