- Loading…
This lesson is designed to help students deepen their understanding of geometry – shapes and their attributes.
Prior to the lesson, students must have been introduced to the vocabulary (names of shapes, angles, sides, corners). Start with playful exploration, read a story about shapes, allow for some independent practice and then introduce this group project.
Students should have practice with working together and understand the importance of participation by all.
A tutorial educating students about the software and equipment that we will be using will also precede the lesson.
Students will design and build geometric shapes in small groups using Inkscape and a laser cutter. Next they will display their shapes in a way that shows their learning.
Finally, time to share the process and learning will be important for students and good feedback for the teacher in assessing understanding and varied participation.
PRE-LESSON PREPARATION:
THE LESSON:
POST-LESSON ASSESSMENT:
The learning objectives include a focus on attributes of polygons and the shapes themselves – triangle, square, rhombus, quadrilateral, paralellogram, rectangle, pentagon, polygon, hexagon.
Social learning objectives include collaborating and cooperating with others and practice with self-regulation.
Traditional methods used to teach geometry usually involve worksheets or using materials like pattern blocks and geoboards to show learning. In this case, allowing students to use digital methods to create their own shapes and allowing groups to display their products and learning in a creative way deepens the level of engagement and provides varied methods for sharing new learning.
Using digital technology will be brand new to this group of learners so that learning curve could add time to the lesson. Additionally, if groups do not work together effectively there could be an issue where not all students are participating equally.
I’ve learned to be thoughtful with the planning when approaching a digital lesson. It takes time when you’re learning something new and students will need to work together to support each other in their learning.
There are many shortcuts on the keyboard that help to accelerate the process but these are not intuitive for all. A cheat sheet could be helpful for new students.
I felt a real sense of accomplishment when my pieces were complete and tangible!
Guided discovery with materials and story to introduce concept and vocabulary.
Direct teaching on the topic of geometry and an opportunity for students to test their knowledge.
In a whole group, students will listen to a tutorial to understand how to use the software and to provide an explanation of the activity and desired outcome.
After Class:
Allow 45 minutes for students to explore, sort and display their work. Provide a rubric and/or examples of some completed projects.
Reflecting on the content and the process allows for deeper learning and supports the teachers future lesson planning.
Additional Ideas:
Having trouble? Let us know by completing the form below. We'll do our best to get your issues resolved quickly.
"*" indicates required fields