Context:

This Unit Lesson was written for the CI 4000 course under the supervision of Dr. Wanda Calvert in the spring of ’09. The unit topic was Geometry. The cooperating teacher was Mrs. Johnston at Startown Elementary School in the Catawba County system in the first grade. The students will be learning about the different shapes. They will learn how to draw parallelograms, squares, trapezoids and hexagons. They will compare and contrast geometric figures. They will also learn about cubes, cylinders, cones, and rectangular prisms.

Impact:

Students will need to know how to identify as well as explain the characteristics of different shapes. They will need these skills for the future, both in education and in their personal lives. They will need this knowledge as they move to the next grade levels as well as their future. As they progress in their education they will be required to know certain shapes in certain grade levels. The students will be able to identify parallelograms, squares, trapezoids and hexagons in the first grade. They will recognize the different shapes and be able to recognize the different characteristics of these shapes.

In the following grade levels they will have to know these shapes and be able to build on their knowledge of shapes. They will see relationships between two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes, as they grow older. They will be able to visualize how certain objects look from different angles. They will learn mathematical reasoning and learn about patterns.

Through these math lessons students will be able to see the different characteristics of two-dimensional shapes. They will also learn about the properties of three-dimensional figures as well as being able to see what they look like from different points of view. The students will also see how geometry relates to their world.

Alignment:

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

Indicator 1: Teachers develop and implement pacing and alignment of curriculum that is consistent with the NC SCOS, LEA standards and pacing guides, and national standards in all subject areas.

I met this standard by using the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to write my lesson plans. The cooperating teacher was also involved in making sure that the content was appropriate.

Indicator 2: Teachers understand and use interdisciplinary approach to teaching by connecting and integrating language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, healthful living, and arts concepts and processes, with appropriate technologies to enhance their teaching.

I met this standard by having the students read, write, and draw the different shapes that they are learning about in class. Students write words that match their pictures of things in our world that have the certain geometric shape.

Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using the students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons.

I met this standard by using a pretest to determine what the students know and then teaching them what they have to know. Modifications were made as my lesson progressed and as students learned about the different shapes.

Indicator 4: Teachers implement a variety of teaching and communication strategies for instruction.

I met this standard by having students perform different tasks while they are learning about geometry. They have to draw shapes that they see in their environments, they have to write what they are, and they have hands-on by having to make the different three-dimensional shapes.

Indicator 6: Teachers modify instruction and assessments to meet the needs of individual students.

I met this standard by pairing up students as well as working with students who need extra help. Pairing up higher-level students with lower-level students help each of the students. Higher-level students get a chance to develop their mathematical language as they are explaining what the assignment is and lower-level students are getting the help that they need to complete the assignment. Second language students and learning disabled students will get help from me and will be able to follow along.

Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.

I met this standard by having a pretest, posttest, and having games that assess their knowledge of the different shapes. Games are used as a way of seeing which students understand and which students need help. Assessments are done individually to determine what they know and what they have learned and group assessments are used to determine where the whole class stands.