Differentiated Lesson/Learning Task

Name and Student Number: Andrew Sommers 2101410

Topic of Lesson/Task: Area & Perimeter
Curriculum Area: Mathematics
Year Level/s: 4

This lesson/task is differentiated by:
Readiness
Interest
Learning Profile
(Mark all that apply)

Context:
The Area & Perimeter unit will build on previous work that students have done with linear
measurement. It will examine rectangular shapes and the relationship between their areas and
perimeters. This lesson will centre on a series of self-selected tasks based on student interest
which are designed to provide students with a real-world application of the uses of area and
perimeter.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in the lesson, students will:

Understand that (Concepts, principles, big ideas)

Perimeter and area are important concepts in daily life as they are widely applied by builders,
architects, painters, farmers/gardeners and other designers.

Know (e.g. facts, vocabulary, dates, information)

Perimeter is the distance around a closed figure
Perimeter is measured with units of length, including metric units (centimetres, metres, etc.)
Perimeter of a shape can be found by adding the lengths of the sides
Area is the size of the space inside a two dimensional object.
Area is measured by units of area, including metric units (square centimetres, meters, etc.)
The area of a rectangle can be found by multiplying length by width

Be able to (do) (Skills, processes)

Use scaled instruments to measure and compare lengths, masses, capacities and
temperatures (ACMMG084)
Compare the areas of regular and irregular shapes by informal means (ACMMG087)
Compare objects using familiar metric units of area and volume (ACMMG290)
Compare and describe two dimensional shapes that result from combining and splitting
common shapes, with and without the use of digital technologies (ACMMG088)

Essential Questions:
What is the perimeter of a shape?
How do we find the perimeter of a shape?
What is the area of a shape?
How do we find the area of a shape?
What is the difference between measuring area and measuring perimeter?
Which unit of measurement is most suitable for measuring particular things?
Pre-assessment of Students Interest
Over the duration of the unit students have measured objects around the room which
has given then exposure to how area and perimeter work in the real world thus allowing
them to make connections to broader applications of the concepts.

At the end of the previous lesson a whole-class brainstorming session about the uses of
area and perimeter in daily life took place. As a result of this brainstorming session ideas
of how professionals use calculations of perimeter and area in their jobs or daily lives
were generated. Students were then introduced to the interest-based task for the next
lesson (appendices 1-3). Students were then instructed to allocate which two choices
they would be interested in investigating.

From the data collected, students are to be divided into even groups (3-4 students)
based on mixed level of readiness (students level of readiness would be determined in
the first lesson) and their area of interest.

Lesson Plan
Lesson Sequence

Introduction
Whole class introduction:
Address the essential questions
relating to perimeter and area as
revision for students.
Review the interest based tasks
that were introduced to students at
the end of the previous session.
Students have chosen whether to
complete the sports facility, school
re-decorating, or garden design
task.
Display which group each student
will be working with on the board
along with the task which they will
be completing.
Students will pick up sets of
materials based on their task, plus
their order form to buy any other
required materials from the store
(teacher).
Each group will then be assigned
to a different work space in the
room.

Interest based explorations
Option 1: Classroom Decorating (Appendix
1)
The group must redesign the
classroom by covering the walls
with wallpaper, and installing a
decorative border around the top of
the walls.
Students will be supplied with 4
Explanatory notes






Interest-based groups help students to not
feel invalidated by too much readiness-
based grouping (Tomlinson, 2004).


The first task will hopefully be of interest to
students interested in school and/or
decorating, the second to students
interested in sports, and the last to
students interested in gardening or
farming.



















identical sized cardboard walls
which represent the classroom.
Three of the walls will have an
opening with a rectangular shape to
show a window, door, etc.
They will need to calculate the area
of wallpaper needed for each wall
(without covering up the doors and
windows) as well as calculating the
length of decorative border needed
to go around the top of the wall.
The group will be given an order
form, and the other materials
(scissors, glue, tape, play money)
needed to complete their wall.

Option 2: Sports field construction
(Appendix 2)
The group is to create a sports
complex in which they must buy
and install turf for the sports field, a
fence to go around the property
and asphalt around the field.
Students will be supplied with a
large flat piece of cardboard
representing the site, on which a
pre-drawn large rectangle will
represent the sports field.
The group will also be given an
order form, and the other materials
(scissors, glue, tape, play money)
needed to complete their sports
center.

Option 3: Garden Design (Appendix 3)
The group is to create a garden
with a flower bed, a vegetable
patch and a rectangular path that
crosses the garden included in the
design.
Everything other than the path and
plant beds should be covered with
grass. A fence around the garden
for privacy must also be included.
Students will be supplied with a
large flat piece of cardboard which
represents the garden. They will
also receive two smaller pieces of
cardboard which will represent the
flower bed and vegetable patch.
The garden path will be pre drawn
onto the large piece of cardboard.
The group will also be given an
order form, and the other materials





As they work, each group can use a
system of stacked cups (red, yellow, and
green) to signal if they need teacher
assistance. A green cup on top of the stack
indicates that all is well, yellow means a
group has a question but can still make
progress, and red indicates that the group
is stuck and needs teacher assistance to
move forward at all. Circulate throughout
the room as students work, and distribute
materials from the store when students
have completed order forms.


Having the students fill out their order
forms completely before coming to the
teacher-operated store provides plenty of
time to circulate among the groups to
assist.




















(scissors, glue, tape, play money)
needed to complete their garden.

Lesson Closure/ Check for Understanding

Each of the above activities is designed to allow students to demonstrate their level of
understanding and skills with measuring area and perimeter. It is intended that by
differentiating by interest students will make a stronger connection between the task and
real life implications for area and perimeter.

At the conclusion of the lesson each group will present their completed product to the
whole class. This will lead to a group discussion regarding the different possibilities of
approaching the tasks, which are fundamentally similar. During this discussion it is
important to ask if any of the groups of students bought any extra materials (or too little
material). If this happens to be the case it is a clear indication that these students are
having difficulty with measurement or perhaps calculation of perimeter and area and
further investigation on these areas are required.

Students will also discuss what went well while working in their groups as an opportunity
to reflect on and improve group work effectiveness. Students will complete the self-
assessment rubric and their end product will be marked using the summative
assessment rubric (appendix 4).


References
Tomlinson, C, A (2004) How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, 2nd
edn, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Va, pp. 52.

























Appendix 1
Option 1: Classroom Decorating

Materials Required:

Cardboard, glue sticks, tape, scissors, measuring utensils (rulers & transparent area grids),
markers, play money, coloured papers to represent wall paper and decorative boarder.

Procedure:

Your task is to improve our classroom by covering the walls with wallpaper, and installing a
decorative border around the top of the walls of the classroom. This will be completed using
a scaled design of our classroom using 4 cardboard walls.

First you will need to calculate the area of wallpaper needed for each wall (dont cover up the
doors and windows!). Then calculate the length of decorative border needed to go around
the top of the wall.

Fill out the order form below, pay the appropriate amount of money, and the shopkeeper
(teacher) will fill your order for materials. The shopkeeper wont take your form unless it is
completely filled out.

Once you have your wallpaper and border materials, use them to cover your walls and add
your decorative border around the top edge of your room.

Order Form:





























Group Names:

Wall 1: Wallpaper needed: __ _square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $__ __

Wall 2: Wallpaper needed: _____square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $__ _

Wall 3: Wallpaper needed: _____square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $_____

Wall 4: Wallpaper needed: _____square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $_____

Total Wallpaper needed: ______ square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $_____

Total Decorative border needed: ________ cm x $.20 for each cm = $ ________

Grand total all supplies: $ _______ payable by cash only
Appendix 2
Option 2: Sports Field Construction

Materials Required:

Cardboard, glue sticks, tape, scissors, measuring utensils (rulers & transparent area grids),
markers, play money, smaller cardboard to represent the stands, coloured papers to
represent turf, asphalt and fence.

Procedure:

Your task is to create a sports complex. You must buy and install turf for the sports field, and
a fence to go around the property. Your construction boss wants the rest of the complex
(other than the sports field) to be paved in asphalt. Important: No asphalt needs to be poured
underneath the stands. Decide where you want to put the stands and glue them to your
construction site.

You will need to calculate the area of turf needed, the area to be covered by asphalt
(remember, your boss wants to save money by not paving under the stands), and the
lengths of fencing needed to go around your construction site.

Fill out the order form below, pay the appropriate amount of money, and the shopkeeper
(teacher) will fill your order for turf, asphalt, and fencing. The shopkeeper wont take your
form unless it is completely filled out.

Once you have your materials, use them to build your site!

Order Form:



























Group Names:

Turf: Turf needed: __ _square cm x $0.05 for each square cm = $__ __

Asphalt: Asphalt needed: _____square cm x $0.10 for each square cm = $__ _


Total turf and asphalt needed: ______ square cm = $_____


Total Fence needed: ________ cm x $.20 for each cm = $ ________


Grand total all supplies: $ _______ payable by cash only
Appendix 3
Option 3: Classroom Decorating

Materials Required:

Cardboard, glue sticks, tape, scissors, measuring utensils (rulers & transparent area grids),
markers, play money, smaller pieces of cardboard labelled flower bed and vegetable bed,
coloured papers to represent grass, gravel and fence.

Procedure:

Your task is to create a garden for the school. The school wants a flower bed and a
vegetable bed included in the design, PLUS the school has already decided where they
want a rectangular path that crosses the garden. Everything other than the path and plant
beds should be covered with grass. Also, you must build a fence around the garden for
privacy.

Decide where you want to put the flower bed and vegetable bed and glue them to your
construction site.

Next you will need to calculate the area of gravel needed to cover your path along with
calculating the area youll need to cover with grass so you know how much grass seed to
buy. Important: Grass seed is not needed for the flower bed or vegetable bed.

The school also wants a fence all around the garden site so youll need to calculate the
length of fencing you have to buy.

Fill out the order form below, pay the appropriate amount of money, and the shopkeeper
(teacher) will fill your order for gravel, grass seed, and fencing. The shopkeeper wont take
your form unless it is completely filled out.

Once you have your materials, use them to build your site!

Order Form:





















Group Names:

Gravel: Gravel needed: __ _square cm x $0.05 for each square cm = $__ __

Grass Seed: Seed needed: _____square cm x $0.02 for each square cm = $__ _


Total Gravel and Seed needed: ______ square cm = $_____

Total Fence needed: ________ cm x $.20 for each cm = $ ________


Grand total all supplies: $ _______ payable by cash only

Appendix 4
Summative Assessment


Learning Objectives

Yes

No

Sometimes
Use scaled instruments to measure and
compare lengths, masses, capacities and
temperatures

Compare the areas of regular and irregular
shapes by informal means

Compare objects using familiar metric units
of area and volume

Compare and describe two dimensional
shapes that result from combining and
splitting common shapes, with and without
the use of digital technologies


Self-Assessment


Learning Objectives
(Do you understand..)

Yes

No

Sometimes
Perimeter is the distance around a closed
figure

Perimeter is measured with units of length,
including metric units (centimetres, metres,
etc.)

How to find the perimeter of a shape?

Area is the size of the space inside a two
dimensional object

How to find the area of a rectangle?