Entry # 2 Number & Operations-Fractions (3.NF)

Personal Objective: This week I chose to explore teaching fractions at the 3rd grade level .
My goal in picking this area was to obtain and formulate fun, engaging and tactile ways students can relate to and learn the basic concepts of understanding fractions. 

Common Core Standard:

3rd Grade: 3.NF

1. Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

Activities/Worksheets:

To better illustrate the concept of fractions I sifted through my four year old sons' vast collection  of LEGO bricks. Displaying bricks of different size and color help to provide a real life example of how fractions work. Students could be given a chance to manipulate LEGO bricks while exploring different fractions and their relationships to one another in an engaging manner.

Worksheets where students can reinforce the knowledge they have acquired regarding identifying fractions can be made fun, creative and low stress.     

 

Resources:

Reflection: As I started to think about how I might teach the basic concepts of fractions at the 3rd grade level, my eye caught a box of my four year old sons LEGO bricks from across the room. I began sifting through the box and picking out brick lengths that I could use to appropriately represent different fractions. I have always been someone who has benefited from visual and tactile learning. I think using something tactile like LEGO bricks to incorporate into a lesson plan would bring familiarity to many 3rd graders and promote engagement. In order to make this work, certain bricks would need to be designated so that the students could manipulate them and explore fractions after the lesson has been taught. I also felt that the worksheet I found where students are instructed to color in the presented fraction would be a fun exercise that would help reinforce what they have learned creatively. Providing a lesson plan that not only meets the standard but promotes engagement, will aide in ensuring the subject matter is thoroughly understand and relevant to students.

Entry # 1: Geometry (4.G)

Personal Objective: This week I chose to explore teaching 4th grade basic geometry (points, lines, line segments, rays, angles). While I feel I have a decent handle on this subject area, it was a good refresher as I start to think of how I might present such concepts to my future students. My goal was to find resources that clearly depict the subject matter in order to make it accessible to students.

Common Core Standard:

4th Grade: 4.G

1. Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.

Activity Worksheets:

https://www.math-salamanders.com/image-files/4th-grade-geometry-angle-classification-1.gif

https://www.commoncoresheets.com/Math/Lines/Identifying%20Individual%20Lines/English/1.pdf

https://www.education.com/download/worksheet/57356/lines-line-segments-rays.pdf

 Resources:

https://sites.google.com/site/ourcommoncoremathsite/home/grade-4/4-g-a-1

https://youtu.be/DGKwdHMiqCg

https://www.teachstarter.com/us/blog/20-fun-angles-activities-resources-us/

Reflection: As I explored several resources for identifying points, lines, line segments, rays and angles, it was immediately evident to me that good visual aides would be an essential part of ensuring students understanding of the subject matter. I particularly liked the simple key I found along with the idea of building a fun competitive game like BINGO around the content. I think the game presented the information in a manner that would engage students. I also felt that the worksheets I found were straight forward and effective tools that would assist with identification though practice. I know that for myself as a learner like many, I need to master and feel confident in simple tasks before I am comfortable to move on to more complicated ones. Spending adequate time to make sure students understand these fundamental areas of geometry will make certain they have a good foundation to grow from.