OBJECTIVES:
The student should be able to:
• Dramatize fractions of a group. (Application)
• Second Grade Math GLE #2- Model the concepts of thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths using regions, sets, and fraction words (e.g., one-third, three-fourths, five-sixths)
• Theater Content Standard #3- Designing and producing by conceptualizing and realizing artistic interpretations for informal and formal productions.
TIME: 60 minutes
MATERIALS
Fractions in a Group PowerPoint Presentation
Computer
Fractions in a Group Record Sheet (Appendix 1)
Fractions in a Group Performance Rubric (Appendix 2)
INTRODUCTION/PREPARATION/ANTICIPATORY SET:
The teacher will ask several students to come to the front of the classroom. She will ask the class: “How many students do I have up here? How many of these students have _____ (any color) shirts on today?” The teacher will model writing this fraction on the board. The teacher will ask the students to tell her what they know about fractions. The teacher will discuss the student’s responses with the class. The teacher will explain that today we will be learning about fractions in groups of objects.
ACTIVITY:
Teaching Model: The teacher will go over slides 1-6 of a PowerPoint Presentation titled Fractions of a Group (Appendix 1). These slides review the vocabulary terms numerator and denominator and explain how to find fractions in groups of objects.
Guided Practice:On slide 7 of the PowerPoint Presentation, there is a link that will take the students to an online game titled “Fraction Race” (www.harcourtschool.com). In this game, the students will have to identify fractions in a group of objects. The teacher will play this game with the class. She will use popsicle-pulls to call on students. When called on, the student will come to the computer to click on the correct answer. Answers will be discussed. After seven correct answers, the game a race car will take off to tell the students what a good job they have done. The teacher will show slide 8 of the PowerPoint Presentation. This slide shows 5 kids with party hats on. The students are asked to give the fraction for the kids wearing red hats. The teacher will explain to the student that they will be getting in groups to act out a fraction like they just saw, but they will be using movement to do so. The teacher will brainstorm with the students to generate a list of movements they can use to perform their fractions (AR: jumping jacks, marching in place, twirling in place, etc…). The teacher will write this list on the board. An example of an acted out fraction would be: in a group of 5 kids, 3 pretend to dribble a ball and two pretend to shoot the ball. The teacher will go over slides 9 and 10 of the PowerPoint Presentation. These slides establish guidelines for the group activity and explain how the students will be assessed.
Independent Practice: The teacher will divide the class into four heterogeneous groups with about 4 or 5 students in each group. The teacher will assign each group a corner of the room to rehearse in. The teacher will set a timer for 10 minutes for the students to develop their ideas and rehearse. The teacher will monitor and offer suggestions to the groups as they work. The students will return to their seats for the performances and the teacher will call each group to perform one at a time. During the performances, the students will be given a record sheet to record the fractions each group performs (Appendix 2) and the teacher will evaluate the performances using a rubric (Appendix 3).
Closure: The teacher will show the students slide 11 of the PowerPoint Presentation. This slide asks the students to identify the fraction of kids dressed in a specific Halloween costume. There is a link on this slide which takes the students to an online game called Visual Fractions in which the students will have to identify a fraction in a group of shapes (www.visualfractions.com). Slide 12 of the PowerPoint Presentation asks the students to name fractions in group around the classroom (A.R.- 3/7 of my pencils are yellow, 1/5 of my folders are blue, etc…).
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Formative- The teacher will check for understanding using the student responses during the Fraction Race game, the Record Sheets, and the Visual Fractions game.
Summative- The students will be formally assessed on fractions later in the week. The Performance Rubric will be used as a performance assessment and this grade will be combined with other performance assessments to determine a participation/class-work grade for the nine weeks period.
ART CONTENT/CONCEPTS:
Technology- The students will use hyperlinks in a PowerPoint to access the Internet, use a mouse to select correct answers in an online game, and observe the teacher’s effective use of technology. (Technology Standard 6- Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems and operations. Students: a) understand and use technology systems, b) select and use applications effectively and productively, c) troubleshoot systems and applications, d) transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.)
COMPREHENSIVE
CURRICULUM, GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS/BENCHMARKS:
Second Grade Language Arts GLE #42: Deliver informal presentations that demonstrate understanding of a topic.
Second Grade Language Arts GLE #43: Give rehearsed oral presentations about general topics using eye contact, appropriate volume, clear pronunciation, and appropriate visual aids.
Second Grade Language Arts GLE #44: Use active listening strategies, including asking for clarification and explanations.
MODIFICATIONS | ACCOMODATIONS:
The students will be grouped heterogeneously for their group performances. Peer assistance will be used as needed.
Repeated directions will be used as needed.
Popsicle-pulls will be used during the guided practice activity to ensure an equal number of genders and races are called upon
VARIATIONS | ENHANCEMENTS:
none provided
TEACHER REFLECTION:
Level 1
My students loved this lesson! The set induction, teaching/modeling, guided practice, and closure were similar to how I normally teach, and the students behaved as they typically do. The independent practice is where I saw a change in the student’s interest and excitement levels. The students were noisy when rehearsing their performances, but were completely into developing their movements. I was pleased that no groups argued over movements or about who was going to act out what. I had anticipated that I would have to intervene and help most of the groups with this, but they did a great job of working together. I had one group that decided the boys would shoot a basketball while the girls dribbled the ball. When the boys practiced jumping, they were not very aware of the small space they had to rehearse in my classroom. Two bumped into desks and knocked over some pencils and supplies. I also had one student who began to cry while she was in her group. She is a very shy and nervous child and was overwhelmed by the idea of performing for the class. I talked to her and assured her that she was doing everything right and that no one was going to laugh at her. She calmed down and finished the lesson without a problem, but I do not believe that this activity was the best for her individual learning style. The students did a wonderful job during their performances. I had to prompt a few students to continue doing their motions so we could clearly see what fraction the students were acting out. They clapped for each group in between performances and were really well behaved and interested in watching their peers. Academically, the students had a little trouble grasping the content during the guided practice. During the independent performances, all of the students I called on stated the correct answers and as I monitored I saw that most were recording the correct answers on their record sheets. During the closure, the students I called on all got the correct answers. I am confident that the students learned about fractions of a group as well during this lesson as they would have learned during a more traditional lesson.
Level 2
The independent practice of this lesson was completely out of my comfort zone. As I mentioned before, the rest of the lesson was typical for me, but this activity was far from it. My students are used to working in cooperative groups with assigned roles and very specific tasks. When I do cooperative groups, there is usually a paper and pencil task and I tend to stay in control of the entire activity. This was the first time I let go of all control and gave the students the freedom to use their own creativity and ideas to develop the final product. Before I began this lesson, I wondered if I should have assigned specific fractions and movements to perform those fractions to the groups. In out LINC Art class, we have had to use our own ideas to develop performances, so this is what I had my students do even though I was unsure of what the outcome would be. I was overwhelmed with what the students were able to come up with on their own! I am glad I did not assign movements and fractions to the students because I do not think the outcome would have been as good. I need to work on my tolerance for this type of activity because I realize how meaningful and enjoyable it was to my students. When I teach this lesson again, I will stop after each performance and write the fractions that were performed on the board so the students can check their record sheets. I think this would help keep the focus on the fractions and what the students will be expected to do during a formal assessment. I was so uncomfortable with the performance aspect, that I think I focused more on that than the concept I was teaching through the performances.
Level 3
I used the Conceptual Framework “Responsible Educators Engaging in Professional Practice” in the planning and implementation of this lesson. The movement activity was a positive change in the way I normally teach and the way my students normally learn. The lesson did not require students to have any specific prior knowledge, but what they had was welcomed. I observed gender preferences with the movements the students developed. The girls chose more dance related movements while the boys chose more sports related movements. The online games provided a chance for students to practice the use of technology skills that have been ongoing throughout the year. The students were actively engaged throughout the entire lesson. At the end of the lesson, I asked the students to identify fractions in a group around them. They gave examples such as: 2/5 of the cards on the calendar are red, 2/4 of the computer monitors in the back of the classroom are black, and 1/5 of the people at my table are wearing red shirts. This connected their learning from the lesson to the reality of their everyday classroom environment. If I had been formally observed by my principal or if parents had been present in my classroom, I believe they would have viewed this lesson as innovative, interesting, and meaningful.
REFERENCES:
Louisiana Second Grade Comprehensive Curriculum; Unit 6, Activity 17
www.visualfractions.com
www.harcourtschool.com
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