Activities
This activity is listed for day 11. It would be a great task to have the students work with 12 tiles and an enclosing rectangle of area 16. The students will also have graph paper to record their figures. The students will work in small groups to determine a progression where the area stays fixed at 12 square units and the perimeter increases. There are different ways to arrange the tiles for a desired perimeter. So this type of task would generate excellent mathematical discourse and higher level thinking. (Determining area and perimeter – van Hiele Level 1; developing a progression and the mathematic discourse pushes this lesson into Level 2.)
The activities for Day 14-16 are discussed together as they build on one another. The activity for day 14, students will be given a bag of quadrilaterals that are all the same. They also will receive a “tool kit” which will contain an inch ruler, a “Crisscross Vise,” wax paper for determining reflection symmetry, and a pushpin and foam core board for determining rotational symmetry. The teacher will model how to use each “tool” and what all of the categories on the data collection sheet mean. (Determining the properties is van Hiele’s Level 1 and moves into Level 2.)
The students will examine the shapes and complete a data collection sheet. When all groups are done, the students will share their data as I add it to a master sheet.
On day 15, the students will examine the data, at first in pairs, then small groups, and finally it will be shared with the class. I will collect observations from each group. (Discussing the properties of the shapes found with the tools is van Hiele’s Level 1; Examining the data and looking for relationships among the properties is van Hiele’s Level 2.)
On day 16, the students will receive the same tool kit with a bag of mixed quadrilaterals. Each group will work to determine whether or not they agree with the observations. Discrepancies will be shared and discussed. (Discussing the properties of the shapes found with the tools is van Hiele’s Level 1; Examining the data and looking for relationships among the properties is van Hiele’s Level 2.)
Day 1: Students will complete a pre-assessment (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 2: Students will find the area and perimeter of classroom objects with manipulatives. (vH Level 1).
Day 3: Students will find the area and perimeter of classroom objects with manipulatives. (vH Level 1).
Day 4: Students will go to the hallway with string and construction paper squares and measure the area and perimeter of objects. (vH Level 1).
Day 5: Students will go to the playground with skein of yarn, a yardstick, and construction paper squares (1 foot x 1 foot) to measure area and perimeter. (vH Level 1).
Day 6: Students will work on the fixed area problem in the strategy section. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 7: Students will work on the fixed perimeter problem in the strategy section. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 8: Students will work on the problem that adds 1 square unit over and over in the strategy section of the unit. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 9: Students will work on the take away 1 square unit problem and the perimeter stays the same in the strategy section of the unit. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 10: Students will work on the second take away 1 square unit problem and the perimeter increases in the strategy section of the unit. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 11: Students will work on activity 1. Given 12 tiles and an enclosing rectangle of 16 units, students will keep the area fixed and make the perimeter increase by rearranging the tiles. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 12: Students will work on irregular-shaped perimeter problems. ((vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 13: Students will work on irregular-shaped perimeter problems. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 14: Introduce quadrilaterals and have students explore the characteristics of each. (vH Level 1).
Day 15: Students will explore the similarities and differences between quadrilaterals. (vH Level 1 & 2)
Day 16: Students will explore a group of the same shaped quadrilaterals with a “tool kit” and the data will be collected. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 17: Students will analyze the data collected and share observations. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 18: Each group will receive a bag of mixed quadrilaterals and will examine them with the tool kit. The class will discuss if the observations were correct or if adjustments need to be made. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 19: Students will work in small groups to explore how to determine the area and perimeter of parallelograms as shown in the strategies section without being told a formula. Each group will have graph paper and scissors. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 20: Students will work to determine the area and perimeter of isosceles trapezoids as shown in the strategy section. Each group may use scissors and graph paper. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Day 21: Students will complete a post assessment. (vH Level 1 & 2).
Comments: