Help my class become Architects! My students enjoy creating designs with paper scraps and their limited pattern blocks from out of date math kits. I would like to have pattern blocks that we can formally discuss geometry as a class, design, and develop an awareness of geometry in our environment.
My students are creative thinking second graders.
We live in a small, military town in NC. My class is comprised of military dependents and children from low wealth families. They enjoy math and are eager to use tangrams, leggoes, etc. Geometry is an important strand in the math program. My students enjoy working together in small groups and with partners. Recently, we designed a replica of our town. The class used paper scraps and their prior knowledge of shapes to design their buildings.
In the fall we went on a field trip to a nearby historic city. While on the walking tour of downtown I focused the student's attention to observe the architecture design of many of the historic buildings, statues and artistic designs and the use of geometric shapes. After we returned each child chose two geometric shapes and designed something they remember from our walking tour. This activity is one of many taught to assist children in visualizing geometry and its importance in our environment.
My Project
These materials will provide me with an organized unit that includes materials that are aligned to our state's curriculum. These materials ensure every child will have a complete set of blocks to successfuly participate in lessons and build objects, repeat patterns and work in small cooperative groups. The students will be able to learn geometric terms and relate their pattern set to what they see on paper and are expected to learn. They will have a set of blocks they can manipulate, trace, flip turn, slide and answer questions about the properties of each shape ex. sides and corners. They will have enough blocks to duplicate patterns seen in nature and pattern design cards. These pattern blocks will give students the hands on manipulatives to master objectives required by our curriculum. Access to the materials will build a foundation of geometry skills that will carry them into future grades and perhaps their future careers.
Many of my students do not have pattern blocks in their toy boxes and we only have a partial set at school.
I am directed to teach geometry, but I'm not adequately supplied. These materials will open a new and innovative way for me to teach geometry. A hands on approach is always more suitable than pictures on paper and a few samples that don't supply each child. These pattern blocks will provide my class with the concrete experiences needed to develop an understanding of
geometry.
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