Submitted by: Dodie Whitt
School: Rivers Edge Elementary
Summary
This lesson is intended to be the introductory lesson for a unit on Geometry for Third Grade students. This lesson will quickly review ideas and concepts learned in Second Grade (and maybe even First and KG) while focusing on an essential Third Grade skill of using geometric vocabulary/terms. Critical thinking and communication are the focus with this 60 minute lesson. Students will have an opportunity to also communicate in a new way by using the web 2.0 tool called Scribblar. Students will need to take shapes and think/problem solve on what they see using math terms learned in previous grades and presently.
TIPC Ratings
This lesson does not focus on the research component of our H21 skills. This is an area where the lesson could be altered in the future.
The students are collaborating and communicating their own thoughts throughout this entire activity. This activity incorporates group work and collaboration to solve a problem/complete a task. The children are also required to write to communicate their thoughts about the secret sorting rule using an interactive online white board. The lesson ends with reflective writing in journals, as well.
This activity is a problem-based activity. The teacher gives the students several tasks (see step #2, 3, 4, and 6 from the activity plan listed above) and requires that they work together to find a solution (or in the case of the secret sort, multiple solutions) to each posed question/problem. .
During this activity, students are given many opportunities to be creative and innovative. They get to choose shapes and comment about what they see, they are finding shapes that fit their secret sort and are trying to find shapes that fit other group member’s secret sorts, and they are using technology in a creative and innovative way to communicate ideas to the teacher and to other member of their class.
Student Artifact
