Mathematics allows students to communicate in a special way in the classroom! Learning math helps students with basic life skills inside and outside of the classroom. These skills help students have a sense of numbers, patterns and shapes they see in the world around them! These skills build upon each other and will be applied to to ever day situations for the rest of their lives.

• Here is a useful article to read why math curriculum is important!

• Watch this TedTalk discussing math!

• Click here for the MA Mathematics Curriculum standards!

Lesson Plan Example: Seeing Shapes in my World

Standard: K.G- Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).

Learning Outcomes: Students will be working with 2D and 3D shapes located throughout their school. Students will be able to identify and mark up the shapes they found in the pictures they took on their iPads. Students should have a clear understanding of the difference between 2D and 3D shapes.

Essential Question: What 2D and 3D shapes are located around the school? Can you identify between 2d and 3d shapes?

Materials:

• iPad’s

• Smartboard

• Pencils/ Paper (if groups need it)

• Objects varied throughout the school

• Google Drive/ Google Photos

Vocabulary:

• 2D shape is a shape with two dimensions, such as width and height

• 3D shape is a shape with three dimensions, such as width, height and depth.

Procedures:

1. The teacher will review what 2D and 3D shapes mean. The definitions should be posted on the board for students to see with pictures of the shapes. The teacher will ask students to name some examples and she will have real manipulatives examples provided for the students.

2. The teacher will explain to the students that they will be working on finding 2D shapes and 3D shapes throughout the school working in small groups. These groups should be made before the lesson.

3. The teacher will provide examples that she did around the classroom for students to see. There should be a large variety of pictures for the students to look at. After, have the students look around the room and identify more shapes they see that were not mentioned in the teachers example.

4. As the students look for shapes throughout the school, they should be encouraged to find ALL shapes such as triangles, trapezoids, squares, rectangles, ovals, circles and etc. Tell them, there can be more than one shape in the picture.

5. Students should be able to find shapes throughout each specific location they will be visiting.

6. When the students get back to the classroom, they will be asked to use the markup editor feature on the iPad. These pictures can be located in the classrooms Google Drive under Google Photos. The teacher should show the students how to get to the photos they have taken.

7. The teacher should show the class how to access the markup feature and how to use it. She can use the pictures she collected as examples for the students.

8. After marking up the photos the students will discuss which shapes they have found.

9. When the groups are done discussing the shapes they found, the groups will categorize these shapes into categorizes by using the smart board.

10. This will lead to a whole group discussion to end the lesson.

Assessment: Students will be assessed during the whole group and small group discussion. Teachers will discuss with students their findings and have the group members explain which shapes they found and where they would categorize the shapes.