Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Lesson Planning
I always tend to overthink my lesson plans...I want to be able to use them later if I need them, so I want everything to be perfect...or at least close to perfect. :) I started in class on Monday creating a lesson plan for 5th grade math. I do not really enjoy math per say, but I need to know how to teach the various skills and techniques for math so that I am able to help my students. The thing I struggled with was the strategy to use for my math lesson...I decided to create a round robin sort of activity where the kids rotate activities after a certain amount of time. I have not decided how many days this activity should last or how long would be beneficial at each station? I want it to be long enough that everyone gets to participate, but not so long that it would become boring. The activities I was thinking of deal with volume. The "hook" would be a video on volume found here that is set to the song of "Happy", I thought it was catchy and would be a fun starter! :) The activities I thought about using would be creating our own cubic units with paper that I found here, a station where they read the book "Perimeter, Area, and Volume A Monster book of Dimensions" by David A. Adler, and finally a station where they measure the length width and height of sample household items found here. I wasn't sure if it would be best to do all three or focus on the first two so we could spend more time on them and then do the last one, the measuring one as a closure activity or homework? The strategies I was considering using are either the I-say chart on page 65, the knowledge map or knowledge ladder on page 72-74, the Frayer model for math on page 86, or the KWL Chart on page 136. Anyone use any of these strategies for a math lesson or have a better idea?
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(That song will be in my head all day now.) I really think the idea of the round robin stations over a couple of days can be very effective, if the students are well prepared in advance to do the activities independently. Do you have any thoughts about differentiation for more capable students? Or those that are finding any of the activities to be challenging? I have found less able students to be VERY responsive to these hands on activities. It really brings the lesson to life for them.
ReplyDeleteAt the school I work at, the less able students would work more one on one with a paraprofessional to help. At a reg ed school, depending upon the needs/struggles of the students, the book could be read to them by a more able student. For the creating their own cubic unit they would be working in their groups so hopefully that would provide enough support as well, for the measuring of household items I could maybe give the less able students a worksheet where they make guess-timates on the measurements. For example, have a picture of a cereal box with 3 different measurements listed and they have to circle the measurement that makes the most sense instead of actually measuring.
DeleteI use to over think the lesson plans also. Now I just go with them what come and to my mind and I have them all saved and have actually used some of them or parts of them in my classroom so it is fun. I want to use more of them when I get to become a teacher. I love math so I love your lesson. I love the frayed model I think that is a great idea for you to use!!!
ReplyDeleteI also try to make my plans so that they can be used in the future if I need them. Including all the worksheets and examples of what projects look like make things easier. I haven't seen the Frayer model used in math but I have seen it used in science and it was successful. I think you could implement it successfully.
ReplyDeleteRound Robin is a great idea! I think kids really like to be able to move around. I think it generates interest in the topic. I've observed good results with it in my student observation experience.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think that the Frayer model could be used for something like rational numbers. As fas as volume, you could use the model for showing examples of what has a volume (3D objects or shapes, like a can or pyramid) and what does not (2D figures or shapes, like paper or triangles). It would be a simple model but it would definitely help students organize the properties of "volume".
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