Teacher(s) Name: Mrs. Williams
School: Hungary Creek MS
Grade Level(s): Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8
Content Area(s): English, Math, Gifted
Lesson Summary
Inspired by the book, All of the Above, by Shelley Pearsall, students engage in activities which makes this unit interdisciplinary and real world. The activities include:discovering Sierpinski’s triangle through coloring patterns of 2; building a giant Sierpinski’s gasket (a tetrahedron described in the book); participating in a Google Hang out with the book’s author; library stations to do further research on other fractals; and using TinkerCad and our 3D printer to actually create a 3D model of other fractals that they discover through their library group research time. And to” top it off” a barbecue including recipes included in the book that the students make and bring in to taste.
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating:Approaching – Explanation: Students researched Fractals using guided research library stations set up by the school librarian and the teacher. Students selected the most appropriate tools as they acquired, evaluated and applied information to address the authentic task of researching their story, background on fractal art and how to assemble their own fractal creation & recipes.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students are asked to build the 3D tetrahedron as a large group activity. As the activity progresses students must decide their roles and how they can best contribute to the entire project. Students grouped themselves in smaller groups to improve the goal of completing the task of building the model. Some students become “cutters” others “quality control”, thus modeling the characters in the book as they too learned to collaborate in the best interest of the club. They also worked together to build 3D models using Tinkercad. The lesson went beyond the walls of the classroom through a Google Hangout with the author of the book, Shelley Pearsall, discussing the elements of the book and her design process in creating the characters’ personalities in relation to the fractals.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: These activities allow for many examples of critical thinking and problem solving. Students had to figure out how to construct the pyramid; relate the recipe book to the personal characteristics of the characters in the books; construct their own fractal designs using Tinkercad to successfully create a 3D Print of a Fractal.
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students synthesized existing and self-generated knowledge to create new ideas and products within and beyond the assignment parameters. Students created original Fractal Sauce recipes and published their own Fractal recipe book. Students used Tinkercad to create their own fractal designs to be printed out on a 3-D printer. Students also created paper fractal pyramids to display in the school library and for the book author. And reflected on their work through the MakerHub reflection document.
Student Artifact
Lesson Materials
