Lesson Plan - Pattern Blocks

The lesson I chose was dealing with the pattern blocks and would be done a the day after all students completed their free explorations. We discussed the relationship of the pieces to the hexagon. Students were able to quickly see the relationship and this also served as a review of writing fractions. Once we agreed that only the parallelogram, trapezoid, and triangles could be turned into the hexagon I then took it one step further. The lesson involved assigning a value to the hexagon and then based on that value determining the value of the remaining pieces. For example: the hexagon is worth $3.00 what would the value of the remaining pieces be? Once the values were determined we created a design that had a total value of $10.00. We utilized the interactive whiteboard and the virtual manipulatives to model the process. Students were then allowed 10 minutes to create their own $10.00 design. We then discussed how to prove that our designs were actually worth $10.00. Independent practice was to create a $12.00 design and homework was to create a $15.00 design. Students could use either the hands-on pieces or the virtual manipulatives to complete both practice and homework. Lesson plans will be distributed during class.

Lesson Plan
This lesson is based on the lesson: "What's My Shape Worth?"
Anticipatory Set:
Complete/Review Do Now and homework

Learning Expectations:
* investigate relationships among the areas of different shapes
* perform computations with money
* discover that shapes with the same area may look different

Activities:
* Review the characteristics of the pattern block shapes to be used - hexagon, parallelogram, trapezoid, triangle
* Determine the value of the shapes if the value of the hexagon is given - If the value of the hexagon is $0.30 what is the value of the remaining shapes?
* Give students an opportunity to create a design that is worth $1.00. Call for volunteers to put design on Promethean Board (Virtual Manipulatives - Grades 3-5 Geometry Pattern Blocks)
* Discuss ways students went about deciding which shapes to use in their designs.
* Break into centers to create a $12.00 design. (Values are given in directions)
~ Laptops - use Virtual Manipulatives - Grades 3-5 Geometry Pattern Blocks
~ Hands-on - use pattern block pieces - use triangle paper to recreate design
^ work with students who are having trouble with monetary values and building designs

** Enrichment Activity - assign a money value to each of the shapes and create a design that is worth more than $7.00 and less than $20.00.

Assessments:
* teacher observations, designs, student-centered discussion

Materials:
* pattern blocks, trangle paper, colored pencils, communicators

Tech Infusion:
Promethean board - flipchart, Virtual Manipulatives website, laptops

Accomodations/Modifications:
* teacher designed groups
* differentiated assignments/activities (centers to reach all levels)
* extended time-classwork/assessments(when needed)
* restructured homework assignments for both above level and below level students
* use of manipulatives/graphic organizers
* extension activities/alternative assignments
* organizational strategies - notebooks/book boxes/folder systems
* cloze-notes/study sheets/practice sheets for further reinforcement
* modified assessments - M/C, SCR, ECR, O-E
* preferential seating
* seating near positive role model
* encouraging independence/student initiative
* includes a rich variety of resources, media ideas, methods and tasks
* proximity to teacher
* personalized monitoring tools (checklists, goal sheets, thumbs up/down level understanding monitors)

Homework: Math - $15.00 design with pattern blocks - use the shapes to create your design or you may use the Virtual Manipulatives and print out your design

Standards: MA.4.4.1.4 B.4.a, MA.4.4.1.4 B.5, MA.4.4.1.4 B.6.a, MA.4.4.2.4 E.1, MA.4.4.5 C.1