Rationale
I teach first grade at Ross/Woodward Classical Studies Magnet School in New Haven. Our magnet theme is Classical Studies where we focus on educating the whole child. “We support a rigorous classical curriculum through which students engage in studies of great work over time. In pursuit of excellence, Ross Woodward focuses learning on that which is timeless and of lasting significance.”6 I knew I wanted to design a unit that would create opportunities for my students to engage in experiences that would last long after first grade. For this reason, I knew that I would want them to actually create real life versions of what we create with manipulative tools. A special feature of my school is that we have a courtyard that can be used for gardening. My students and I have been cleaning up this space and turning into an outdoor classroom. Since we are the ones who have been cleaning the space, we get to determine how to utilize it. For this reason, my students will be able to complete the end of unit activities “Tetris Garden” and “Polyomino Walkways” in our courtyard. If your school does not have this type of space, this unit could be adapted to any available and accessible grassy areas near or around your school with approval of administrative staff for these activities.
Another component of teaching the whole child is that we focus on the importance of Socratic Seminars. “Socratic questioning and student dialogue are the central teaching and learning device at Ross Woodward. All teachers use relatively little didactic teaching; instead we use product-oriented coaching for the majority of our instruction.”7 In the seminar model, students are guiding the discussions and sharing their reasoning with each other. What I have noticed is that my students struggle the most during our math seminars. They struggle to use math vocabulary correctly and have trouble articulating how they got their answer. Due to this, there is a heavy focus on math talks in my curriculum.
I had three learning goals for this unit. The first was that my students would learn how to use a ruler. While using a ruler is not an expectation based on the Common Core Math Standards for first grade, I felt that my students should learn this skill as a counting strategy as well as a tool for measurement. This curricular unit would come after our regular measuring unit from Singapore Math which focuses on non-standard units of measure. This curricular unit serves as an extension of their learning which focuses on rigor and relevance for my students. The second goal was that my students would be able to comprehend the array structure of a rectangle, with whole number side lengths can be decomposed into an array of unit squares. This is commonly taught as a strategy for students to learn multiplication. We would use repeated addition with the array structure, which would set my students up for success when they begin to learn multiplication. My last learning goal is that students should comprehend and explain the difference between area and perimeter when measuring. Again, this is not an expectation for first grade, but I am confident that my students can grasp them. While these three goals seemed lofty and well above grade level, I knew that I could help my students reach them if I provided the proper strategies to help them.
My unit also had smaller strategies that appear throughout it to help my students achieve the learning goals. These strategies are measuring with manipulatives, math talks, cooperative learning, and gardening. They will help my students reach full levels of understanding. They will ensure that my students can apply the skills in their final activities and projects. My hope is that these strategies will make the math concepts and learning goals relevant to them. The strategies and goals will also help my students develop spatial awareness, which some of them are lacking. This curricular unit will extend the learning from our district given curriculum and make math relevant to their lives.
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