M & S Methods 12:30 MWF

Germaine Taggart

Jenny Gibson and Joleen Bieker

Title of Lesson:

Student Level: 3rd

Objectives: The students will work together, measure, and record. The students will demonstrate an understanding of patterns by collectively creating a pattern graph and individually observing their own fingerprints.

Materials: Colored construction paper, pens, scissors, tape, chalkboard, markers, pencils, white paper, baby wipes, and objects with a pattern.

Prerequisite Skills: Need to now how to compare, make conclusions, graph, arrange patterns, and know pattern criteria. Time Required: 25 minutes

Introduction: Greet class and announce that it is time to clear off desks and have a pen or a pencil ready. Explain to them that today we will be discussing patterns. The definition of pattern is: the way that something is arranged or put together. Then we will show students some familiar patterns around us. To engage the activity we will have the students stand up and look around the room at all the people. What differences do they see between the people as they stand (height)? Have everyone sit down and stretch their arms out. What differences do they see now (length of arms)? Then we will ask them to make predictions about feet of all the people in the room.

Review: Graphing (the different types of graphs) and arranging patterns.

Strategies: Have students full attention when giving directions. Verbally award the groups that are working together and on task without a lot of off the topic talking. One important strategy we are doing is splitting up the boys who talk a lot. So each group will have 2 or 3 boys to each table. Ask students to repeat directions.

Conclusion: Ask the students what they made with their feet (graph)? What conclusions could they make about the sizes of feet in the room or even in their family? The students have made a foot graph They can see easily how many big feet, little and medium-size feet there are in their class. Families usually represent a variety of sizes until everyone in the family has reached adulthood. Explain that they created patterns and rhythm. After the students found their prints, we will graph how many students have one of the three different skin patterns on their pointer finger. The students will make a mental note of their pattern prediction to see if they were right after the project is completed. Each group will pick any graph they choose to use, using their groups data on the three differentprints. They will have a spokes person to tell what graph they used and the data of the group. Such as, a bar graph with 5 boxes shaded and the rest white because their are maybe 5 loops in the group.

Evaluation: Seeing which students participated in the feet and hand project. Also watch each student to see if they could find the correct place on the group graph for their foot. See if students contribute to the rhythm part of the project. This all will show if they understand patterns and graphing. All in all, we are looking to see if they understand patterns by observing their group work and conversations. Also their is a variety of patterns.

Extension: Have the students take construction paper home and trace the families feet and bring to school to do more patterns, graphing, classifying. In the class you could also to this project with hands, ears, noses. Feet are the easiest! With ratio students can use their family at home and bring their prints in. See what the ratio of each pattern of the class and families is.

Resources: 100 Best Ideas for Primary Science By Beverly Hartman, 1994 Teaching and Learning Company.

Apples, Bubbles, and Crystals. Your Science ABCs By Bennett and Kessler, 1996 Learning Triangle Press.