Lesson #4

Name: Haley Williams

Content Area: Math

Date:

Grade Level: 2nd

10-16-15

Goal(s):
2.G.1: Reason with shapes and their attributes

Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given
number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

Planning:

Before I do this lesson on Friday, I know that the students will be working a lot with geoblocks. They
will be learning about the shapes faces, vertices, edges, sides, and drawing them in 3D. So, the students
are being exposed to some of the beginning understandings of geometry. This lesson will be the first in
which they use the pattern blocks in this unit. However, working with a shape to fill it in with pattern
blocks is something that is partial review from first grade. In previous grades they have filled shapes in
with pattern blocks, but they were given a template to do the recording of the shape use. In todays
lesson the recording will be done in a new way, which requires the students to write all of the recording
on their own. So, most of the students will have the skills and knowledge to complete this lesson, there
will just be a couple of new learning targets than students were previously exposed to in a lesson like
this. Some students may need extra help remembering what pattern blocks are what shapes and also
what the recording method should look like. For this reason I will have an anchor chart that displays that
information throughout the whole lesson so that the students can use it as a reference. I will serve as
extra assistance for students who may not be understanding what the work is asking of them, or how to
record their information. I will also allow students to help one another if necessary. There are some
students in the classroom who are a part of the schools special education program. They receive an
intervention from a school aide at this time, so they can work in a one-on-one setting with her to have
their needs met. Some student behaviors that I am aware of would be loss of focus and excessive talking
which limits work getting done. To control this behavior there will be times when the students are
reminded of the level that their voices should be during the work time. I will also have various times
during the lesson when I cut in to remind students of what their goal is during the work time and what
they need to do to complete it. Some common misunderstandings for this lesson will arise at the points
when the worksheet asks the students to use one type of pattern block, two types of pattern blocks, etc. I
just will need to make sure that students understand what that language means in order for them to be
successful. Your thoughtfulness in preparing each lesson is exemplary and will serve you well (even
when you dont have to write it out for someone else)

Objective(s)::

Students will collect and display ways to fill in a shape using various pattern blocks.
Students will distinguish how pattern-block shapes are related.

Vocabulary: pattern-block shapes, ways to fill, related

Language Function: collect and display, distinguish

Assessment:

Informal:
o To informally assess todays lesson the students will be using two worksheets. Each worksheet
has two of the same shapes on it (two hexagons joined together). It is broken in half. One shape
is on the top and one is on the bottom. The goal of these worksheets is to fill in the provided
shapes with various pattern blocks. The first shape must only be filled in using one type of
pattern block, the second with two types of pattern blocks, the third with three types of pattern
blocks, and the last shape with four different pattern blocks. The students will be using a
recording method (on a separate sheet of paper) that is accurate and easy to understand in order
to show which types of pattern blocks filled in the provided shapes. These worksheets will show
if students are successful at figuring out which types of pattern blocks can successfully fill in the
shapes provided. Their recordings on the page will allow me to assess the students
understanding of what combinations of shapes make other shapes and how pattern-block shapes
are related. I will also be using a student checklist during the lesson worktime and the workshop
time. This checklist will help me to observe the following behaviors: Do students notice
relationships among various blocks? Do students see that some shapes (the square) will not fit on
the patterns no matter how they are arranged? Does the student accurately record the ways they
fill in the shape? As I discuss with the students I will be marking the behaviors on a 1-3 number
basis. 3 (independent), means that the students show the behavior on their own with or they can
explain how to showcase the behavior verbally. 2 (prompted), means that the students are able to
discuss or show the behavior after being prompted by me. 1(remodeled), means that students
need a remodel of the behavior because they cannot perform it/understand it on their own. You
know what you want students to do to demonstrate their learning, AND have thought through
what you will look for to determine if objectives were met. Excellent!!

Materials Needed:

Pattern Blocks (hexagons, squares, triangles, rhombuses)

Student worksheets
Smartboard
Anchor Chart (recording method and shape name)

Procedures:
Introduction (1 minute)

(Optional: gather students in front of smartboard) Engage the students in thinking about putting together
a puzzle. When doing a puzzle we need to make sure that all of the pieces fit together just right. Today
what we will be doing will involve putting the right pattern-block pieces in just the right spot so they fit
into another shape. It is similar to doing a puzzle. You have been working on geometry in your math
lessons all week. Geometry is all about working with shapes. Today we are going to be showing
different ways to fill in a shape using the pattern-blocks. We will also start to think about how the
pattern-block shapes we are using are related. Engaging introduction.

Demonstration (5-8 minutes)

Gather the students focus on the smartboard. The smartboard is showcasing what the empty shape (two
hexagons joined together) will look like on the students worksheets. Ask the students; How many sides
does this shape have? (Ten)

The first task is to use one type of pattern block to fill in the shape. As the teacher, model for the
students what this will look like. Drag and drop two hexagons into the shape. Manipulate them until
them fit exactly inside the shape. Tell the students that you are using one type of pattern-block (the
hexagon) to fill in this shape. It will take two hexagons to fill in the shape. Tell the students that it is
important to record how many pattern-blocks and what type of pattern-block was used to fill in the
shape. Tell them what symbols they can use to record that information next to the shape. For example, it
takes two hexagons to fill in the shape. That would be labeled as 2 H. Then a box would be put around
that information. All methods of recording will be on an anchor chart on the board for students to
reference.

Remind the students that they will be trying to use each type of pattern-block to fill in the shape, so they
need to save space to record more information.

After you have demonstrated the hexagon, move onto using another 1 type of pattern-block. Use the
trapezoids. It will take four trapezoids to fill in the shape. Record this underneath your recording of the 2
H, by writing 4 T.

Higher Thinking: Do we notice anything about how the hexagons and trapezoids are related?
o We can see that two trapezoids make the shape of a hexagon. Excellent, so glad youre
including this type of question in your plan!

Now that you have demonstrated what the students are supposed to do with the pattern-blocks, tell them
that they will be receiving a worksheet with the same shape on it. They will be working with 5 different
types of pattern-blocks. (Hexagon, triangle, trapezoid, rhombus, and square.) Remind the students that
we only tried the hexagon and the trapezoid together and that they still need to try and fit the other
pattern-blocks into the shape.

Make certain that students understand that the pattern-blocks may not all work.

Make sure to reiterate what it means on the worksheet when it says to fill in the shape using 1 type of
pattern block, 2 types of pattern blocks, 3 types of pattern blocks, and 4 types of pattern blocks. For 2
types of pattern blocks we need to be trying to use only two types at a time. We also need to be sure to
record that correctly. It will mean, for example, writing 1 H and 2 T to fill in the shape. For 3 it will
mean, 1 H, 1 T, and 3
For 4 it will mean writing 4 different letters and numbers. The anchor chart will
showcase that information. Take the time to walk the students through that chart now. Also show them
the recording chart they are receiving.

Make the students aware that they will need to finish the first problem and then continue onto filling in
the next shape and so on. Remind them to record their work.

Send students back to desk. Pass out worksheets for students and buckets of pattern blocks.

During this work time walk around to the various tables making sure that students are understanding the
concept of using just 1 type of pattern-block, 2, 3, etc. Also, make sure they are accurately recording
information.

Participation (5 minutes)

During worktime, interrupt student work to gather ideas about what some students have found for using
1 type of pattern block as well as 2 types of patter blocks. (Optional: gather students back to the carpet
in front of the smart board with their worksheets.)

**For interruption, possibly turn off lights and have students freeze with their hands on their heads and then
have them put hands on their knees so they are not distracted during the mini conversation-or gather to
carpet.** Very appropriate (and necessary) for second graders

Once students think that they have shared all the ways ask:
o (Higher Thinking) You all seem to agree that we can fill the shape only four ways when we
use one type of pattern-block. Thats with 2 hexagons, 4 trapezoids, 6 rhombuses, and 12
green triangles. Are you certain there are no other possibilities? Why or why not?
Talk about why the squares not working. All other shapes seem to be able to fit into
one another some way, squares do not.

Gather 1-2 ideas about what students have done to fill in the shape using 2 different pattern blocks. This
will give students who have not started that portion yet an example of what to do.

Refer to the importance of recording the information once again to make sure students know that they
need to write down what they find out. Refer to the anchor chart once again to make sure students know
they have this as a reference. Use a thumbs up quick assessment technique to get a quick gauge of
student understanding.

Closure (1 minute)

Remind students that today our goals were to (collect and display) show what pattern-blocks can fill a
shape and also to (distinguish) think about how the pattern-block shapes we are using are related. The
worksheets we are working on help us to achieve those goals.

Practice/Workshop (20 minutes)

Allow students to go back to their desks and continue working to fill in the shapes and record what they
figure out.

Walk around with the students and have one-on-one discussions about work being done. Use student
checklist to analyze behaviors.

Strategies for students requiring additional assistance:

Special education students will receive additional assistance from aid who comes into the classroom
during the math period. I can communicate with the aid prior to, during, and after the lesson to
ensure that the students are understanding and learning to their full potential.
During the allotted work time I can walk around the classroom and assist any students who are
struggling to fill in the shape using their pattern-blocks. I can also encourage students who
understand the ideas to help the partners at their table.
Keep the shape and recording anchor chart on the board for students to reference throughout their
work.

Lesson Self- Assessment #4

Name: Haley Williams
Lesson topic: Ways to fill a shape with various pattern blocks
Date: 10-16-15
School/grade level/ number of students: Rawson Elementary/2nd/25
Name of Cooperating Teacher: Laurie Nicholson
Planning and preparation: Describe how your plan provided opportunities for active engagement. How did
you provide for the needs of diverse learners? Did you adjust your plan in any way? Describe how and why if
you did.

My plan had multiple opportunities for active engagement. The introduction part of the lesson involved
the use of the smart board. The students had the task of dragging and dropping the pattern block shapes
on the smart board into an outline of a shape. And, youre making the best use of an interactive
whiteboard. Too often I only see teachers using the board. The students were excited to get a turn and it
also served as a great incentive for students who were sitting quietly with their hands raised, to come up
and have a try. The workshop part of the lesson was focused on students using pattern blocks to
complete their work. This manipulative is what made the lesson more hands on and interactive. The
students also had a chance during this time to work with their table group and compare what pattern
blocks they used to fill their shape in with. The mini discussion that was had in between the lesson and
in the middle of the work time gave students a chance to share their work and also compare it with what
their class mates found.

In my lesson I tried to provide for the needs of diverse learners by giving the instructions of their task
multiple times. I first gave the instructions in reference to the anchor charts that were on the board,
showing students how the anchor charts could be used to their advantage as they worked. I also gave the
instructions immediately a second time after that in reference to the worksheet that they would be
receiving. I also modeled a few times how that worksheet would be filled in. More modeling had also
been done in the introduction of the lesson when we filled in the shape outline with the blocks as a class.
Simply having the anchor charts was also a tool to help those learners who find visuals to be most
helpful during their work. As the workshop time was going on I walked around the classroom helping
students and remodeling how they could accurately fill their shape in with pattern blocks. For this lesson
there was also a substitute aid in the classroom who was assigned to give the special education students
their one-on-one math intervention. Before the lesson started I got to converse with him and tell him the
goals of the lesson and what we would be doing so he initially had a better idea of how to meet the needs
of the students that he would be working with. Excellent. This demonstrates your level of
professionalism.

This plan was adjusted a little bit right in the beginning of the work time. My cooperating teacher had
forgotten to print out the workbook worksheets that went with the worksheet that I created for the
lesson. So, it took her some time to find the right page and then go make copies of it. Because the
students could not start the lesson right away they got a little bit rambunctious and loud, while also
playing with the pattern blocks. To redirect their attention and to calm them I did a couple of small
activities with them before they received the worksheet with the empty shape outline on it. These small
activities included seeing how many different ways they could make a hexagon using various pattern
blocks. This seemed to help the noise level and was also a way to prepare them for something that they
could create and record when they received their shape outline worksheet. Quick thinking and a good
idea

Classroom environment: Evaluate the ways in which you encouraged student participation. How did you elicit
student responses? How did you engage them in responding to you and each other? Evaluate your plan for
individual, small group and/or whole class work. How effective were these different organizational techniques
for keeping students involved in your lesson?

Student participation was encouraged in this classroom by asking many questions, even yes or no
questions that the whole class could answer, throughout the lesson. For example, as we were
participating in the smart board portion as a group, I would have a student come up and move a pattern
block into the shape, I would then ask the class, Alright, is this a good fit yet? and they would respond
no. I would then ask them to tell me when to stop turning it until it fit perfectly into the shape. This was
a great way to keep student attention on the task at hand. Also, the fact that the students could have the
chance to touch the smart board if they answered the question was a motivating factor. In the middle of
the workshop time I was able to get the students to respond and focus on me by asking them to freeze
and put their hands on their heads. I informed them that they could go back to their fun work on with the
pattern blocks if they discussed with me for only a couple of minutes. With their time to prepare to
answer and also with their motivation to continue working, the students were excited and ready to share
some of the ways that they found to fill in their shape. The students also wanted their classmates to be
able to see the interesting ways that they found to fill their shape in using the pattern blocks. The
students also knew that one of the goals of the lesson was to think about how the shapes of their pattern
blocks are related, so when I asked them about why some blocks did not fit, they could tell me why
those shapes did not work.

My lesson plan focused on whole group and small group work. I think that this organizational style
worked great. The students participated effectively in the introduction of the lesson as a whole group.
There was ample response that told me the students understood what the lesson was asking of them and
what they would be completing during the work time. This group setting also allowed me to give
direction to the whole group and show them some of the reference materials they would have available
for the worktime. In a group setting there are also questions that are asked by the students that some
other students may have been wondering about, but were not confident enough to ask. In a group setting
I was also able to use a quick thumbs up method to do a class gauge of understanding. The small group
work was effective because we had limited supplies of pattern blocks, so the table groups were able to
share. It also provided a great opportunity for some students to help other students who may have been
having some trouble filling their shape in or recording their information. The use of the recording
worksheets was also a good tool to keep the students involved in the lesson because it made them
accountable for the work they were doing.

Instruction: Evaluate your choices of instructional strategies. Did they have the effect you intended? Were the
needs of all learners met? What changes would you make if you repeated this lesson?

I think that the choices of instructional strategies for my lesson were effective and worked well for
student achievement. During the whole group work I specifically planned for the students to see the
work that they would be doing on their own during the workshop time and also to model that work in an
effort to eliminate some student questioning and confusion. The use of the smart board was also a fun
and interactive strategy in the lesson, which kept students involved. Another effective instructional
strategy was creating the anchor charts for the students to reference throughout the lesson. It provided
them with a place to go to answer their own questions before they went to a teacher for the answer.
Another choice that I made was to actually create a worksheet that was specifically for recording the
ways they filled in their shape with various types of pattern blocks. This was created to match the
directions on the anchor chart as well as to eliminate the students having to come up with their own
recording method, which could have taken away from the goals of the lesson. Choosing to break up the
worktime with a mini discussion was also helpful because it provided a time to check in to see if the
students were understanding and doing what was asked. It also gave students a chance to share the work
they were doing, while giving other students examples of what their work could look like. The higher
order thinking questions were also a part of both the intro to the lesson and the mini discussion in the
middle of worktime. These questions are what allowed the students to think of the shapes as more than
just pattern blocks, but as shapes that are similar and different.

I think that the needs of all learners were met in a variety of ways. There were several times when I
modeled the lesson tasks or when I wrote student answers on the board, so that other students could get
an idea of what their work should look like. I also used precise anchor charts that described, explained,
and depicted what the students information recording should look like. I was able to walk around and
assist many groups during the workshop time. The students with more in-depth needs were also being
given one-on-one intervention with an aid, whom I got the chance to converse with before the lesson
began.

I felt like this lesson had an ample amount of student engagement throughout. It also seemed like my
objectives for the lesson were being met with the instruction that was given. Overall, I felt like the
simplicity of this lesson and the short lesson/discussion really made for a fun and interactive math lesson
for the students. There would not be anything that I would want to change too drastically if I repeated
this lesson.

Assessment: What assessment processes did you plan and how did they work? What did you learn from
listening to student responses, examining their work or listening to their interactions? How well did your
assessment procedures inform you about student attainment of your lessons objectives?

One of the assessment pieces I planned/wrote was a student checklist chart. This chart had room for
analysis of all twenty-five children, however, based on previous lessons I knew that I would not be able
to sit down and meet with each student during the workshop time. In the columns to follow the students
names there are three student behaviors that include the student being able to notice relationships among
blocks, the student seeing that not all of the pattern block shapes will fit into the outlined shape, as well
as the student accurately using the given recording method. As the students were working on the first
problem during the lesson work time and also during the workshop, I carried this chart with me and used
a numbering system (3-independent, 2-prompted, 1-needed remodeling) to evaluate student
understanding of the various concepts of this lesson. This is a great way to keep track of informal
assessment data. Having a system in place makes it quick and easy, and understandable when you refer
to your notes at a later time. These behaviors were directly connected to the objectives of my lesson so I
could see if students were meeting the objectives or not. I was able to use this chart to assess about five
children during workshop time. Using this assessment piece I was able to see that students could notice
the relationships among the blocks, when being prompted. However, through discussions and wandering
around the room I also learned from student response that other students who I did not get to talk to
individually understood the relationships among the pattern blocks. I also learned from the assessment
that some students needed a little bit of help accurately recording their information. It often just took
reminding the students to look back at the charts on the board. The assessment, walking the room, as
well as just listening to a couple of student responses, allowed me to see that the objectives of this lesson
were definitely met. I also was using one worksheet in particular for the students to record the ways that
they used pattern blocks to fill their shape in. This shape allowed me to see if the students were meeting
the objective of using various pattern blocks to fill their shape in. It also allowed me to see if that
recording was accurate. I could see from observing those worksheets that the students definitely were
able to meet that objective of collecting and displaying ways to fill in their shape. There was limited
time which did not allow for the students to find every single combination, however, they were going to
have more time to finish after lunch.

Professional responsibilities: What did you learn from your cooperating teachers feedback on this lesson?
How will you apply it to future lessons?

My cooperating teacher noted the importance of being prepared with anchor charts prior to actually
doing the lesson. I noticed the value of having anchor charts in my literacy field, so it is something that I
have carried forward to this field placement. I also know what a great visual reference tool anchor charts
are, so I will definitely be including them in future lessons. My CT also noted the importance of having
those higher order thinking questions spread throughout the lesson. I think that sometimes questions,
especially those directed at the whole group are a great way to elicit student response and focus,
however, I think that students really begin to understand a concept when they are asked to think more indepth about what they are doing. These questions also help to drive the work of the lesson; providing

students with something to think about the whole time they are working. I will use these in future
lessons as a way to get students to think more critically about their work and why what they are doing it
is meaningful. So important, and it works for any grade/subject. My CT thought it was helpful to do a
quick thumbs up check in with the students before they started their work to get an overall gauge of their
understanding. I think that this is a great tool that I will use in my lessons, as a way to see if the
directions I just gave were clear and understood. I know that it is not to be used as the only form of
checking understanding, but it is helpful when used appropriately. Another note my CT made was that
sometimes it is hard to check individual student thinking because other students are getting off task. To
help with that task in future lessons I plan to do quicker and more effective check-ins, while also
focusing on students who I am learning need more help than others. I want to be able to oversee the
whole room, but also make sure that I get in time to help those students who really need it. Lastly, my
CT thought that using the freeze with hands on head was a good strategy to call student attention back
to me for a quick mini discussion. This is something that I find works really well with this group of
students, especially because they were using manipulatives. Having their hands off of those helped to
focus attention. I think that is will be an effective strategy for those future lessons that do include the use
of hands-on-materials.

Reflection: What did you learn about student learning and assessing from this lesson? How will it affect your
planning for future teaching?

From this lesson I learned that student learning can be improved and supported with the use of strong
anchor charts that relate well to the students task at hand. I specifically created the charts for this lesson
knowing that the recording part of the students work might be a little confusing. I thought that having
this chart for them to see and refer back to was more effective that me just trying to explain what their
work was supposed to look like. Like I noted earlier in this assessment, I want to continue using anchor
charts, when they can become an effective part of a lesson, because not only do they serve as a great tool
during the time of the lesson, but they are also something that can be hung in the classroom for future
reference. From this lesson I also began to think about how I could use the assessment of a student
checklist during more than just workshop time. In previous lessons, I was just limiting myself to using
this checklist during workshop time when I could talk to a student one-ono-one, however, after thinking
about this lesson, I learned that this chart can also be used during whole group discussion because some
student responses relate directly to the behaviors of the chart. Doing this provides me with yet another
way to gain information on student achievement. For the future I want to think about the ways that one
type of assessment can be used in various parts of one lesson. This is an excellent goal. You are carefully
considering how to keep track of data, which is essential. Having a system in place will allow you to
make quick notes that will provide you with important information at a later time. The thumbs
up/thumbs down, gives you a quick check and allows you to make adjustments to your plan if needed.
Your attention to assessment now will be a huge bonus as you prepare for student teaching and
classroom of your own.