Classroom Activities
This part of the unit will occur in the beginning (introduction of the concepts and the Marilyn Burns story only) of the implementation of the unit. Upon introducing the concepts, I will model how to solve for perimeter, area, and volume respectively. During that time, I will make use of storybooks to help with the facilitation and implementation of the lessons. One of the stories that will be used is Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! A Mathematical Story by Marilyn Burns. Since perimeter and area can often be slightly complicated concepts for students, it is important to immerse them with varied resources in order to help each student with comprehending, which will allow for a smooth transfer of the skills acquired to other tasks.
The Marilyn Burns story features a couple holding a dinner to include other family members and friends. The seating arrangement is manipulated numerous times and the reader becomes involved with the concepts of area and perimeter, for example, initially, there were eight tables arranged for the guests of which the perimeter of each individual table is four which would seat four people at each of the eight tables for a total of thirty-two available seats. Soon, in haste, the tables were re-arranged so that all eight tables were pushed together into two rows of four. With the re-arrangement of the tables into two rows of four, fewer people would be accommodated as opposed to the way that the tables were originally arranged. The students will use manipulatives to determine the most efficient seating arrangement as they listen to and enjoy the story!
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