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Mathematics and Numeracy Assignment 2: Learning Plan

Learning Plan
Year Level: P/1/2

AusVel Levels: F/1/2

Week: 9 starting
21/09/15

Unit Title: Measurement

Learning Intentions/Focus : (one or more objectives or other appropriate
concepts, skills or attitudes students are expected to learn during the lesson)
This weeks lesson on measurement will be a revision week for all the
measurement classes that have been placed throughout the year and relating
measurement back to real world application.
Prep:
Students identify measurement attributes in practical situations and compare
lengths, masses and capacities of familiar objects.
Order events, explain their duration, and match days of the week to familiar
events. Students identify simple shapes in their environment and sort shapes
by their common and distinctive features.
They use simple statements and gestures to describe location.
Grade 1:
Students use informal units of measurement to order objects based on length
and capacity.
Students are able to tell time to the half-hour and explain time durations.
Students describe two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects.
Use the language of distance and direction to move from place to place.
Grade 2:
Students order shapes and objects, using informal units for a range of
measures.
Tell time to the quarter hour and use a calendar to identify the date, days,
weeks and months included in seasons and other events.
Students draw two-dimensional shapes, specify their features and explain the
effects of one-step transformations.
Students can recognise the features of three-dimensional objects.
Students can develop and interpret simple maps of familiar locations.
Links to AusVels:
Monday
Measureme
nt
Introductio
n
Foundation
ACMMG009
(Prep)

Tuesday
Activity
Maths

Wednesday

Thursday
Whole
School
Maths

ACMMG006

ACMMG006
ACMMG010
ACMNA289
ACMMG019

ACMMG010

ACMMG037
ACMMG038

ACMMG044

Grade 1

ACMMG022

ACMMG019

Grade 2

ACMMG042

ACMMG037

ACMMG023

Childrens Prior Learning

Students have learnt days of the week, months, seasons and time.
Second term focused on length and height, measuring various items and using
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different forms of informal and formal measurement.

Students have worked on weight using balance scales.
Shapes have been a large focus especially for Preps, therefore that is not a
major focus of this plan.
Grade 2 students have begun to focus on capacity.
Resources/ Materials:
Monday: Workbooks, pencils
Tuesday: MAB blocks, cups, rulers, measuring tapes, informal units including
unifix, MAB blocks and teddy bears, worksheets, paper, pins, worksheet,
pencils, scissors, balance scales, weights, classroom objects including rulers,
erasers etc.
Wednesday: unifix, blocks, string, scissors, containers, sticks and other
measurable items, measuring units informal and formal, rice and measuring
containers.
Thursday: sand pit, buckets, spades, iPads, pencils, measuring equipmentrulers etc.
Learning Plan
Monday
Measurement introduction: Students will begin to explore different
2nd session areas of measurement with particular focuses on length, time,
40
weight and capacity.
minutes
Introductory game: Ordering game, students to get in order from
smallest to tallest, birth month, how many members in their
family etc.
Teacher will facilitate class discussion and find out what they know
and what they need to pay further attention to.
Students will be draw and write what they know about
measurement in their maths workbook, this could relate to at
school or at home.
Students will then share with the class what they know in circle
time.
Tuesday
Prep:
Students will participate in mixed groups in 4 different
ACTIVITY
Grade activities. The activities will focus on four areas of
MATHS
1:
measurement including capacity, length, time and
(All year
Grade weight.
levels)
2:
Capacity activity: Students to fill various sized cups
2nd session
with MAB blocks and compare and order the different
1 hour
cups on how much each can hold using informal units.
Length activity: Students to measure different items
around the classroom using different measurement tools
such as rulers, measuring tapes, informal units including
unifix, MAB Blocks and teddy bear counters. Students to
fill in small worksheet (Appendix A).
Time activity: Students will be creating their own clock,
placing the numbers the right way and ensuring they
have an hours and minutes hand. Students will then need
to model with their clocks and draw 4 different times and
how they appear on the clock. (Appendix B)
Weight activity: With balance scales, students will
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weigh a number of different materials and record which

one is heavier and will work out how to make the balance
scales even.

Wednesda
y
Individual
grade
focus
1st session
1 hour

Thursday
After
Recess
1 hour

Students will participate in circle time/reflection time.

Prep: Students will create a height board, measuring themselves
with string and seeing who is the shortest and tallest, making
comparisons. Students will then use informal units of
measurements such as unifix to measure and compare their
heights. (Integration Aide facilitated)
Grade 1: Will be focusing on estimation and measuring. Looking
at a series of different items including a container, a stick, their
foot and also other classroom objects, students will decide the
best way to measure be that informal or formal and then estimate
and measure the item. They will record these in their maths
workbook.
Grade 2: Work on capacity using rice to assist. Students will
measure capacity of 4 different container sizes using measuring
cups and fill in accompanying sheet. (Appendix C).
Children will conclude class by using the TAG approach in
circle/share time.
T: Tell them something positive
A: Ask them a question
G: Give some helpful feedback
Whole School Maths on Measurement.
Students will go outside and create a sandcastle using forms of
measurement, when building their sandcastle they must use
different concepts done throughout the week and record. Junior
students work with senior buddies on this task. Students will then
take photos with iPads of their sandcastles and write instructions
on how to make their sandcastle.
Students will also create a map leading them from the school
building entrance to the sandcastle.
At the end of the day during assembly, groups will present their
instructions to the school.

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Rationale
The learning plan created will provide additional evidence in support of the
AusVels curriculum. In particular students will focus on measurement and
geometry, using units of measurements and location and transformation
(AusVels, 2014). Measurement also encompasses a range of different topics in
mathematics (Reys et al., 2012, p.403) which this learning plan aims to also
examine briefly. Children will gain experience with comparison, standard
measure and seriation as they study length, height, weight, capacity and time.
Measurement is a topic that is used frequently and most directly in students
lives (Reys at al., 2012, p. 403) hence why this unit of work will be rewarding for
all students.
Sequencing and Catering for Differences
The sequence involves four very different activities however they all relate
closely to the topic of measurement focusing on different skills and concepts.
The lessons I chose related closely to my placement experience this year in a
prep, grade one and grade two classroom where I observed and taught
measurement. Following an introductory lesson to revise and introduce new
concepts, students will participate in three different measurement activities
including activity maths focusing on four measurement concepts. Students will
also have an individual grade focus lesson and the last mathematics lesson of
the week is whole school maths which allows the younger students to work with
senior students. The reason behind the sequence of this learning plan is building
students up to not only being able to apply measurement theoretically in the
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classroom but also practically in their own lives (Reys at al., 2012). Therefore the
learning plan steadily builds student knowledge and focuses on key
measurement concepts students will use frequently. In using this learning plan it
has provided an opportunity to cater for student differences by creating an
inclusive learning environment. This can be supported by having extension
activities for the higher achievers and early finishers and also being able to
scaffold activities to allow for students with learning disabilities. The activities in
the learning plan provide extension activities and scaffolding ideas, however
these will generally not be needed with the practical activities provided. As the
DEECD (2007, para. 1) points out, scaffolding student learning is the primary
task of teachers of mathematics, but this cannot be achieved without accurate
information about what each student knows already and what might be within
the students grasp with some support from the teacher and/or peers. Therefore
the importance of teacher assessment throughout the lessons is critical and also
the use of introduction revision lesson (Appendix D).
Discovery Based Learning
The activities chosen very much relates to discovery based learning
especially activity maths and whole school maths. Cognitive learning theorist
Jerome Bruner (1967) first outlined the principles of discovery learning in a book
about how people construct knowledge on prior experiences. This week of
measurement will be a reinforcement and revision week, therefore students need
to reflect on prior knowledge. There are also similar constructivist learning
theories which were developed by John Dewey (1916), Jean Piaget (1954), and
Lev Vygotsky (1978), all of whom suggested that discovery learning encourages
students to become active participants in the learning process by exploring
concepts and answering questions through experience which is what these
activities aim to achieve (Powell, K., & Kalina, C. 2009). The activity maths
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session involves the students being placed in mixed groups from all year levels.
This allows students to learn from each other rather than just the teacher, one of
the main reasons behind this activity being selected. The activities incorporate
four different measurement activities including capacity, length, time and
weight. Working around each activity, students will have the chance to explore a
discovery classroom and have little restraint. This also relates closely to the
whole school maths activity as students have to discover and create their own
sandcastle and find their own methods of measurement to create it. Discovery
based learning provides students more freedom to explore varying learning
styles. The learning styles have also been linked to the idea of thinking styles in
mathematics, and examines how the learning styles can interrelate to work
together giving a more diverse understanding (Clausen-May, 2005 p. 1-9). In
implementing this learning plan. It is crucial for the teacher to incorporate a
range of activities so students remain engaged and they accommodate for
different learning styles.
Collaborative learning in the Classroom
Collaborative learning is a developed skill in the measurement activities
offered in this learning plan. The importance of teamwork is especially prevalent
for activity maths, and whole school maths however the other activities integrate
in this aspect also. The benefits of implementing collaborative group work in the
classroom is it increases social interactions between students and also students
feel more confident to interact with their peers and teachers in their learning
environment (Gondinho, 2013) Group collaboration can take a variety of forms
and has been investigated in a broad range of contexts, including classroom
based learning (Plass et al. 2013). Students will participate in a number of
different group collaboration in this learning plan. Working to develop
instructions, maps, and sandcastles in the whole school activity and collaborating
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as a class in the introduction lesson. Group collaboration appears to be well

suited for problem solving because collaboration encourages students to explain
their thinking, verbalize it, and engage in joint elaboration on their decision
making (Mullins, Rummel, & Spada, 2011). Students in this learning plan will
elaborate on various measuring skills and the activities also require students to
explain their thinking with reflection circle time at the end of lessons to debrief
and for students to tell others what they have learnt.
Literacy, visual assistance and the use of manipulatives to support the
teaching of Measurement
Students incorporate various disciplines while learning measurement in
mathematics especially with the use of drawing and literacy which is especially
prevalent in a prep to grade two classroom. According to Crespo and Kyriakides
(2007), "drawing can be a powerful way of engaging many students, especially
young ones, in representing and communicating their mathematical ideas" (p.
118). It also helps students support, solidify, and extend mathematical ideas
(Carter, 2009). In the activities, students need to use drawing and literacy in
many of them especially whole school maths where they are required to draw
and detail their maps with instructions. Students are also required to draw
diagrams in their individual grade focus class and also the introduction lesson.
Another assistor for understanding measurement is the use of manipulatives.
Students also use a variety of manipulatives in these activities, in the individual
year level focus class students use manipulatives as informal units of
measurement especially by the Preps. The power of using manipulatives is that
they let the student connect mathematical ideas and symbols to physical
objects, thus promoting better understanding. With many experiences building
and representing using manipulatives, students can deepen their understanding
of abstract math concepts. Research in mathematics education and cognitive
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psychology encourages educators to shift from the memorization of facts and

algorithms toward instruction that involves students in mathematical concept
construction (Moyer & Jones, 2004) Using cups to measure capacity and teddy
bear counters to measure height, students utilise a range of manipulatives in this
learning plan to give meaning to knowledge that is being learnt. Integrating
these resources and skills is important because they complement each other in
powerful ways, as well as offer a means for mathematics and language skills to
develop simultaneously as learners listen, read, write, and talk about
mathematics (Hellwig, Monroe, & Jacobs, 2000).
Conclusion
This measurement learning plan offers students the opportunity to explore
a range of mathematical skills and concepts. Students will be engaged and
elaborate in all activities supported by a discovery based learning approach and
also incorporating collaborative group learning. This is supported by the use of
literacy, visuals and manipulatives to engage and give real examples to student.
Extensive engagement in these activities offered provide a rich mathematical
environment and will lead to higher levels of competence and supports
Vygotskys (1978) theory that through problem solving with adult guidance and
collaboration a students potential development will be enriched (p.86)

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Reference List
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014a).
Mathematics Curriculum [ONLINE]. Retrieved 16 October 2015 from:
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/mathematics/curriculum/f-10?
layout=1
Bruner, J. (1967). On Knowing: Essays for the Left Hand. Boston: Harvard
University Press.
Carter, S. (2009). Connecting mathematics and writing workshop: It's kinda like
ice skating. The Reading Teacher, 62(7), 606-610.
Clausen-May, T. (2005). Teaching maths to pupils with different learning styles.
London: Paul Chapman, 1-9.
Crespo, S.M., & Kyriakides, A.O. (2007). To draw or not to draw: Exploring
children's drawings for solving mathematics problems. Teaching Children
Mathematics, 14(2), 118-125.

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Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [DEECD]. (2007).

Assessment for common misunderstandings [ONLINE]. Retrieved 15
October 2010 from
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/maths/
common
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Godinho, S. (2013). Pedagogy: the agency that connects teaching with learning
in Churchill, R. et al. (2nd ed). Teaching: Making a Difference (chapter 8)
250-285. John Wiley & Sons: Milton, QLD.
Hellwig, S.J., Monroe, E.E., & Jacobs, J.S. (2000). Making informed choices:
Selecting children's trade books for mathematics instruction. Teaching
Children Mathematics, 7(3), 138-143.
Moyer, P. S., & Jones, M. G. (2004). Controlling Choice: Teachers, Students, and
Manipulatives in Mathematics Classrooms. School Science & Mathematics,
104(1), 16-31. doi:10.1111/j.1949-8594.2004.tb17978.x
Mullins, D., Rummel, N., & Spada, H. (2011). Are two heads always better than
one? Differential effects of collaboration on students computer supported
learning in mathematics. International Journal of Computer Supported
Collaborative Learning, 6, 421 443. doi:10.1007/s11412-011-9122-z
Piaget, J. (1954). To Understand is to Invent. New York: Grossman
Plass, J. L., OKeefe, P. A., Homer, B. D., Case, J., Hayward, E. O., Stein, M., &
Perlin, K. (2013). The impact of individual, competitive, and collaborative
mathematics game play on learning, performance, and motivation. Journal
Of Educational Psychology, 105(4), 1050-1066. doi:10.1037/a0032688
Powell, K.C., & Kalina, C.J. (2009). Cognitive and Social Constructivism:
Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom. Education, 130(2), 241-250.
Reys, R., Lindquist, M., Lambdin, D., Smith, N., Rogers, A., Falle, J., Bennett, S.
(2012). Helping children learn mathematics. Milton, Queensland: John
Wiley and Sons Australia, 403-405.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological
processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Appendix A:

Measure:

What did
you use to
measure?

How long is
it?

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The length of
the table.

The height of
the THRASS
Chart.
The length of
the
whiteboard.
The height of
your chair.

The length of
your
workbook.

Appendix B:

TIME

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Using your clock you have made, draw

pictures of what your clock looks like with
these times.

7 oclock

Half past 9

12 oclock

Half past 2

Quarter past 8

Quarter to 11

Appendix C:

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Source: Ministry of Education (2007) A Guide to Effective Instruction in

Mathematics Measurement K-3. Ontario Education, 118.

Appendix D: Extension and Scaffolding.

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Monday: Due to this being an introductory activity, it is important to gain the

understanding of which students will require extension activities and scaffolding.
However to do this the teacher will need to observe which students are finding
the activity easier than others. Though this is a simple activity of discussion and
students drawing and writing about what they know, the teacher can observe
which students are completing the work faster or slower than others. The teacher
can also refer back to the students work book to see what they drew and wrote
about measurement.
Tuesday: In activity maths, due to moving around the stations set up, students
will constantly be moving and have limited time to complete the activities
therefore are less likely to finish early. However scaffolding may be required for
some of the worksheets especially for the Preps. For example in the time
worksheet the Preps may have difficulty with the last two boxes therefore, a
simpler sheet.
Wednesday: The Preps have integration aide assistance therefore their
extension and scaffolding can be judged at the time of the activity. The Grade
one activity may require assistance with selecting the best form of measurement
to use, if it is noticed that there is difficulty the teacher could narrow it down to
two measurement forms and get the students to choose which would be better.
The Grade twos are just beginning to focus on capacity so this activity will be an
assessment to see whether they need extension or scaffolding.
Thursday: Due to the assistance of senior students, it is unlikely extension and
scaffolding will be needed for this activity.

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