Module Nine

Quick Images Video

In this video the first image the teacher shows the students is one that to be I would describe as a moon with a small circle in the middle of it. After showing the students the shape 2 types and allowing them time to draw the shape they talk about it as a class. One thing the teacher says is she asked the students is the shape reminds them of anything. This is a good way to remember things because you are comparing it to an actual item. One student says what I stated in the beginning that is looks like a moon. Another student compares the shape to the letter C. Other students name things that is reminds them of, this shows that there isn't just 1 correct answer for questions like this. 

Did you think of anything else that is looks like that the students didn't say?

Shapes and Geometric Definitions

My definitions for these geometric terms come from many years ago in elementary school or maybe even before that in preschool. I just always remember that a triangle had 3 sides. A square had 4 sides and all the sides were equal. A rectangle was like a square with 4 sides but the sides weren't all equal just the opposite sides had to be. I think the more we talked about shapes in school the more we added to their definitions like that triangles always make up 180 degree angles. To me I think the definitions of most shapes include there properties or attributes because that is what we learn to describe them by. I believe the purpose of a definition is to help us determine what something is. 

The issues that students are having in these cases are that if the shape doesn't look like shape its suppose to be, in the same position, the students dont think it is the same shape. The students need to have an open mind about the shapes and understand that they aren't always gonna look the same.  In each case the students react differently. In Dolores case many of the students couldn't get over the fact that shape 1 was a triangle because of the way it was turned but had no problem stating that the second shape was a rectangle even those this too was turned. 

By the end of the case Susannah realizes that triangles can be flipped any way and that as long as they have 2 slanty lines they will still be considered a triangle. She didn't get this concept in the beginning because she was saying that certain ones weren't real triangles because of how they looked because they were flipped. 

As far as Evan goes he understands that for it to be a triangle is has to have 3 pointy ends and that they cant have curvy lines because curvy lines won't make the point they need to make to be a triangle. He understands that the shapes dont need to be the same size to be considered a triangle. He explains this to the class by saying if he were turned upside down he would still be Evan. 

The students in both Dolores case and Andrea's case talk about what it is like to understand a new concept or to make sense of a new idea. Lawrence explains this by saying you can turn triangles any way and they will still be triangles. Things like this are hard for students to change their mind on their thinking because it is something they have always known and having it change just blows their mind. 


Have you ever had something that you thought was one way all your life but then found out you were wrong? Could you imagine that as a student having to learn new rules about shapes. 


Math Activity with Color Tiles

I had a hard time with this activity. At first I could only come up with 8 out of the 12 pentominoes.  After seeing the whole set I realized what I had missed and realized how easy it would be for students to do the same thing. I think I was in too much of a hurry to try and find all of them that I didnt think about all the different ways shapes could be made. As far as naming the shapes I feel I did a pretty good job but a few were tricky. 

Did you have a hard time with this activity?

For Further Discussion 

I live in an apartment building so when I look at my home I see tall rectangles for the building. Then my apartment is filled with more rectangles from doors, windows, cabinets, fridge, microwave, bathtub, desk, etc. The lights in most of the rooms are made up of circles. Plates, cups, bowls are all made up of circles. My drive to work I see rectangles for the roads, hextagons, circles, and rectangles for the road signs. At work I have an L-shape desk so that is 2-rectangles put together. When you think about it there are shapes everywhere.

What is the most common shape in your life?