This lesson is for a first or second grade class learning about the basic shapes and their properties. As well as how basic shapes fit into the world around them.
The theory which is applied to this lesson is the theory of Jean Piaget. Piaget developed the idea that children go through four different stages of development: the Sensorimotor, Pre Operational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational Stages. At each stage, the child further develops their way of thinking. The lesson which I developed on shapes is for first and second grade students who will be at the Pre Operational or Concrete Operational Stage in their life. Children in the Pre Operational Stage demonstrate their intelligence through the use of symbols. This is applied in the lesson through the many visuals and pictures used. Each shape has a large, easy to distinguish picture as well as a description so students in this stage can see the symbol which represents the shape. Also, students see pictures of real world objects and then name the basic shape which it represents. Not only does this help students in this stage to relay their knowledge through symbols, but it helps them to view the world in another way. This is a positive attribute since children at this stage only see the world through their eyes. By viewing objects and looking for something specific, children learn to see objects in another perspective, not just their own.
Since all children develop at their own pace, not all children will be at the same stage at the same time. Other children in the first or second grade may be at the Concrete Operational Stage. At this stage, concrete concepts are mastered. The lesson on shapes which I developed relates to this stage by allowing children to develop the concrete concept of basic shapes and basic shapes in the world around them. This is a concrete concept which is crucial and by allowing students to see pictures of the shapes as well as simple definitions, this helps them to develop the concrete concept of the basic shapes. Children at this stage also are able to view the world through the eyes of others and are able to handle more than one perception of a situation. By allowing students to guess what shapes are present in real world objects allows them to perceive something ordinary as something which is composed of a basic shape. By allowing the students to draw the shapes on their own, they also are handling another perspective on the situation. Not only are they seeing the shapes and learning their definition, they are applying what they have learned, their own perception of the activity.
By the students taking what they have learned on shapes
and drawing their own shapes on a computer program, they are fulfilling
Piaget's idea of assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is
taking in new events from the environment and placing them into an already
existing cognitive structure. Accommodation is when the already present
cognitive structures change to fit the new information from the environment.
During this lesson on shapes, children learn new names and properties for
already existing shapes in their environment. They then accommodate
this by naming the shapes of objects and drawing their own shapes.
Piaget also believed that assimilation and accommodation was gained by
children gaining the needed information on their own. The lesson
on shapes allows children to explore on their own by allowing them to guide
themselves at their own pace on the computer. Students can navigate
the simple program themselves and see for themselves the shapes and definitions
as well as guess what shape the real world object is themselves.
The students can check their answer by clicking on the page to see if they
are correct. This allows children to develop their own understanding
of the subject of shapes. Students also construct knowledge of the
real world by naming the shapes of real world objects, as well as being
able to draw shapes the shapes themselves. As I designed my web based
instructional lesson on shapes, I kept in mind the ideas of Piaget and
the idea of student centered learning.
I. Specify Objectives
Given pictures and definitions of
different shapes, students will be able to determine simple shapes and
and their names as well as apply it
to everyday objects.
II. Matching Objectives to Computer Functions
Students will learn about the shapes
through pictures and definitions on a web based instructional
activity. They will navigate
it themselves as well as play a game on the web based activity. Students
also used Microsoft Publisher to draw
shapes on their own.
III. Specify the problem the students will investigate
and solve as part of the instructional process
Students will gain most of their
information from the computer. They will be able to learn about the
shapes through the pictures
and definitions on the computer. Students will apply this to the
real
world through seeing real world
objects and naming the shape which it is.
IV. Planning Information Manipulation
Students will be given a sheet to
fill out as they explore on the computer. The sheet will be given
out
by the teacher. The teacher
will lead a discussion on what the sheet says and what the students
must do. The sheets entail writing
a definition of the shape and drawing the shape, all of which
will come from the computer. CLICK
HERE TO VIEW THE WORKSHEET
V. Planning the results
After filling out the sheet given
to the students by using the computer. Students will produce their
own
shapes. Each student will print
out directions to Microsoft Publisher and how to draw the different
shapes using the program.
VI. Plan Activities while using the computer
Students will used the web based instruction
on shapes to fill out the worksheet given to them. They
will be able to navigate the program
themselves. After filling out the worksheet, students will be
able to guess what shape the real
world object is and then check themselves by clicking on the page to
see if they were correct. Students
will then print out instructions on how to make their own shapes
using Microsoft Publisher. This
can be done individually or in groups of two.
VII. Plan Activities prior to using the computer
Prior to using the computer, students
will receive the sheet which they must fill out while using the
computer. The directions will
be explained by the teacher. The teacher will then explain to the
students how to use the computer and
click on the places where it says to with the mouse.
VIII. Plan Activities after using the computer
After using the computer, students
will use the pictures of the shapes which they have printed off of
Microsoft Publisher and color it and
draw on it to turn it into a real world object. Each student will
explain their pictures to the class
by stating what the object is and what shape it is that they just
learned about on the computer.
IX. Plan Support Activities
This lesson can be linked to a science
lesson. By going on a nature walk and naming all of the
different shapes in nature and what
each object is a different shape to play its part in the
life cycle. A language arts
lesson can also derive from this lesson by allowing the students
to write about the picture which they
drew.
X. Plan Assessment
Students will be able to determine
different shapes and their names as well as relate them to real
world objects by drawing their own
pictures of real world objects with basic shapes and being
able to demonstrate their knowledge
by explaining their pictures to the class.