Module 13

Angles Video and Case Studies:

        In Nadia’s case 14, Martha looked at the triangles that she and thought that when you cut it in half you only came up with two angles so there could only be two angles in the triangle.  Also, she could have not been looking at the fact at where the lines meet on the triangle in the three different places is where an angle is actually formed.  Alana was explaining an angle by the slant of a line.  She understood that lines needed to work at a slant somewhat in order to actually form an angle but she was not completely grasping the concept behind an angle.

     

        In Lucy’s case 15 (line 251), Ron suggests that a certain angle “can be both less than 90˚ and more than 90˚": Ron was explaining how angles can be both 90 degrees or over 90 degrees but when he explained it as a “certain angle” can be both less than or greater than 90 degrees that is where he was incorrect.  He understood you can have angles over and under 90 degrees but did not explain how that changes the name of them.  

     

     In Delores' case 13: the students wrote their different ideas of what the angles were:   

Chad: explained small and large angles in the terms of long and short.  He understood that there were different types of angles that varied in size but I would want for him to actually know the names of the angles as well as a way to actually show them versus the way he explained them.

Cindy: explained angles in a different way to me.  The term slanted was one that was okay with me because when looking at angles they are slanted.  I did not so much like the comment about angles going down.  I feel like angles can be formed in moving in either direction.  I would want Cindy to be able to better clarify what she meant when describing angles.

Nancy: I like the way Nancy described angles because she used the actual terms that go along with angles.  She was able to explain that little angles are acute angles and obtuse angles are larger angles.  The only thing I would want Nancy to further explain would be what makes an acute and obtuse angle.

Crissy: did a great job at explaining angles to me.  She had the names as well as the definitions about what angles truly were.  The only thing that she could have done different was to draw a picture. 

Chelsea: I like how Chelsea included pictures and explained right angles.  The thing I wish she had done different was to draw all kinds of angles.  

  In Sandra’s Case 16: Casey says of the pattern blocks, “They all look the same to me.", Casey believes at first that there is only one kind of angle and that is a 90 degree angle.  As he continues to work with his teacher on the angles he realizes that there are actually other types of angles that are within shapes.

I found the Angle's video to be very interesting in listening to the students different explanations of what the believed an angle to actually be.  I liked watching the one little girl draw the pictures when describing her angles and I also liked how she gave the description's of what she was talking about as she was drawing.  The students in this video for the most part to me seemed to really understand angles and I feel like were more advanced when discussing angles than the students that were in the case studies.  In my classroom I want to allow students to draw images along with giving me an explanation.  Seeing the students give me a visual helps me to better understand if they are grasping the concepts or not.  

Annenberg Angles Module:

The usage of the straw as a protractor in part A was very neat to me.  I had never thought about using a straw before but not I would consider using them in my own classroom because it is a cheaper as well as more flexible device that an actual protractor.  I understand it does not give exact measurements but it still gives a general idea.  Using the straw during session A was a neat way to understand the angles.

In part B I did not have much trouble in answering the questions because angles were always something I enjoyed learning about in school and was pretty good at identifying without actual measurements.  I did have to freshen myself up on a few terms such as vortex but once I got all of my definition's in order I was able to figure out the problems.

In part C  I found the Geo-Logo activity to be fun once I figured out how to do my commands.  I could see students actually enjoying that part of the module because students like interactive computer things and I feel like they also learn better that way.  

Module 12

I apologize for the lateness I just kept running into different road blocks.
Case Studies:
 Barbara’s students in case 12 are under the impression of when referring to measurement you can use the terms, half, bigger, or smaller.  The students would use objects such as the wall to compare to saying it would be half the size of the wall.  Students did not necessarily know the units or distances of the measurements but they do know how to generalize size. The children in Barbara’s class still have to figure out how to take real measurements.  They also need to know correct terms instead of actually using half sized of objects.  

The students in Rosemarie’s case 13 struggled with the number of units in that they did not understand that the larger the unit they use the smaller the number was actually going to be, for example: if you use an inch instead of a centimeter then you would have less inches than centimeters. 

In Delores case 14, students actually were able to recognize the relationship between the sizes and the units.  Students were able to use a visual image to actually grasp the concepts. Everyone didn't measure in kids feet because they did not use kids feet but they used adult feet.  The other students are noticing that not all students feet are the same size because when looking around they made this observation. They are also noticing how most people measured as 60 and that  two students have really high numbers.

In Mabel's case 15, Students are able to recognize that you can in fact use a larger measuring device to measure smaller objects but you have to use the smaller lines that are on the larger measuring instrument.  In case 16 the issue of students choosing not a good tool for their measurements and not starting on the right place on the measuring tape was discussed among the class and solved.  Students worked through where to start when using a measuring tape.  The students understand how to use the measuring devices and realize how to start/where to start when using them. 

Ordering Rectangles Activity:

1. Take the seven rectangles and lay them out in front of you. Look at their

perimeters. Do not do any measuring; just look. What are your first

hunches? Which rectangle do you think has the smallest perimeter? The

largest perimeter? Move the rectangles around until you have ordered

them from the one with the smallest perimeter to the one with the largest

perimeter. Record your order.

When placing my rectangles I came to the idea the rectangles that had the larger lengths and widths would have a greater perimeter and the ones with the smaller widths and lengths would have the smaller perimeters.  The order I chose to use was: E D G A C F B.

2. Now look at the rectangles and consider their areas. What are your first

hunches? Which rectangle has the smallest area? The largest area? Again,

without doing any measuring, order the rectangles from the one with the

smallest area to the one with the largest area. Record your order.

Rectangle G and E with their similar lengths and widths I believe would have bigger areas than the rectangles with different lengths and width like C probably have the smaller areas.  The order I chose to put my rectangles in was: C B F D A E G.

3. Now, by comparing directly or using any available materials (color tiles are

always useful), order the rectangles by perimeter. How did your estimated

order compare with the actual order? What strategy did you use to

compare perimeters?

The perimeters smallest to largest are C D B E  F A G.  My first go around when estimating the order for the perimeters were pretty far off.  The strategy I used to compare orders was to use actual measurement lengths to get a number instead of just eye balling. 

 4. By comparing directly or using any available materials (again…color tiles),

order the rectangles by area. How did your estimated order compare with

the actual order? What strategy did you use to compare areas?

I was way off on my order again on the area.  I came up with the order of E, D, A, B, G, C, F when I did the actual measurements for the area.  When drawing my color tiles and using the area formula I learned that the order I had chosen originally was not correct. 

5. What ideas about perimeter, about area, or about measuring did these

activities help you to see? What questions arose as you did this work? What

have you figured out? What are you still wondering about? Share your

responses to all the questions in 1-5 in your small groups on the discussion

board.

These activities helped me to realize that estimating can give you an idea of measurements but you really need to take the time to do the actual measurements in order to determine the correct measurements.  I am still confused at how I was so off on my estimates though because when looking at the rectangles I thought I was really doing good.

For further Discussion:

As adults we use standard measurements almost without thought. Nonetheless, nonstandard measurements also play a role in speech and behavior. We ask for a “pinch” of salt or a small slice of dessert. We promise to be somewhere shortly or to serve a “dollop” of whipped cream. In some situations we might even prefer nonstandard measurements – for example, in cooking, building, or decorating. Do you or someone you know use nonstandard measurements on a

regular basis or even instead of a standard system? Give some examples and discuss why a nonstandard measurement might be preferred in some cases.

My family and I are all very guilty of using nonstandard measurements on a daily basis especially with direction and cooking instructions.  When asking where somewhere is we will say “right up yonder” or “just up the road.”  People all around where I live say things like that but people who were not around would not understand what we were trying to say.  When cooking my step-dad tells me recipes and he will say “a splash of milk, a pinch of this, a dab of this, and a dash of that”.  When you are trying to cook non standard measurements are hard to follow because you do not want to mess up a recipe.  With directions I do not have a hard time when someone gives me nonstandard measurements because I do not have a good idea of what a mile would be when walking or driving without actually measuring it.  Nonstandard measurements could be good but just depends on the situation.

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Module 11

Coordinate Grid:

Billy Bug was the first one I played because it was the first one on the list and I enjoyed it myself so I know my students would too.  It is a neat way for students to learn their coordinate points and it is interactive which I feel like helps students a lot.  Billy Bug 2 I thought the same of and could be used in collaboration with Billy Bug.  The teacher could use Billy Bug to teach coordinate points and then when teaching about quadrants she could introduce Billy Bug 2 because the students are already familiar with it.  When playing Catch the Fly I enjoyed it as well.  I found it to be like Billy Bug 2 in teaching points and quadrants.  I did not really enjoy the building blocks game because even I got confused on some of the questions it was asking.  I feel like students may have a problem with this but maybe if it is something they have just been introduced to they would be able to do it.  Stock the shelves is a neat game I would like to use in my classroom too when teaching about coordinate planes.  I found it to be fun as well as educational.

I really enjoyed going through and playing with all of the different applets because I like interactive learning tools that are fun.  I advantages of using these computer activities for students are that: students tend to really enjoy them, they are fun, interactive, and usually very helpful in teaching students the content in which you want them to learn.  The only disadvantage I could really think of in using these activities is the amount of computers at hand.  A lot of schools only have enough computers for all students in their computer labs which are generally occupied with other classes.

For further discussion:
*A fellow teacher says that he cannot start to teach any geometry until the students know all the terms and definitions and that his fifth graders just cannot learn them, what misconceptions about teaching geometry does this teacher hold? 

Many teachers believe that to learn materials you need to know all the terms, definitions, and background information before you can teach them a lesson. That is not true.  The teacher in this case is wanting his students to do this as well.  The misconception he is having here is that students can learn as they go.  Many students learn a term better by seeing it first and then being told what it is.  For example: the teacher could show the students a picture of a coordinate plane and then tell them that it is a coordinate plane instead of hitting them with a definition and they have no idea what it will even look like.  Students learn better when they are not being forced to learn a term or definition but yet have something to relate these words to.

Now that you've had some time to explore the world of geometry, how has your view of the 

key ideas of geometry that you want your students to work though changed? 

I can not say that my view has necessarily changed when thinking about they key ideas of geometry but I can say that I feel like I even more about the key ideas of geometry than I did before.  Through this module I have learned from my own experiences that it is easier for the student when you show them something in relation with a term or definition that just making them memorize words.  I also believe that when teaching about shapes it is a good idea to show examples and non-examples.  For example: when teaching about what a circle is show students circular objects and non circular objects and have them to classify which one is a circle and which one is not.  I am sure as I continue to learn more about geometry that my view will probably change on some things.  

Module 10

Pentomino Narrow Passage:

In doing my passages I tried multiple times to try to make mine as large as Dr. Higgins but I was nowhere close to being able to make mine as large.  I was only able to make my passage using 13 pieces.  Each time that I tried to add more in I would wind up having branches coming off.  I am not able to upload a picture at the time because I am using a family members computer and for some reason the picture will not pull into the blog.  I will try an upload a picture on my own computer later to see if it will work. I thought I would be able to form a pentomino narrow passage as Dr. Higgins did because I thought of it as almost like a puzzle (which I am generally good at) and was surprised to see how hard it was to actually use a lot of the pieces.

Tangram Discoveries:

Which polygon has the greatest perimeter?...the least perimeter? How do you know?

When forming my polygons in this activity I had trouble at first with myself in thinking I would not be able to figure out perimeters without a ruler but once I started forming them it made sense to me.  When forming the shapes and looking at the perimeters it appeared to me that the rectangle had the largest perimeter and that the square had the least perimeter.  How do I know?  Well, when looking at the shapes it appeared that the rectangle had the greatest distance around where as the square had the least distance around which is what perimeter is.

Which polygon had the greatest area?...the least area? How do you know?

I believed my rectangle again to have the largest area and my square to have the least area. My reasoning for seeing this (which could be wrong) is in comparing area to perimeter.  If my sides on my rectangle made the greatest perimeter it only made since to me that they would combine to make the greatest area as well.  The same concept I applied to my square.  Also, when looking at my square in comparison to my other shapes the area inside did appear to be the smallest. 

Pentomino Activities:

When going through the PowerPoint and completing the Pentomino activities I had a fun time.  I really enjoyed the first activity of the line symmetry.  I feel like this would be a simple activity to use in the classroom and also one that students would enjoy.  This is a good activity for students to do in order to learn hands on.  The rotational symmetry activity was another hands on activity that I thought would be fun for students to complete.  It is one that I found simple and enjoyed so I feel like my students would as well.  Having students use the pentomino pieces to fine perimeter and area is also another activity I enjoyed.  It gives the students to work with the pieces to find the dimensions instead of having to look at numbers on a paper to configure answers.  The tessellation activity I did not like as much when I had to follow the instructions on the PowerPoint.  I found myself growing increasingly aggravated and not being able to do it.  When using the website I was however able to form the tessellation's and highly enjoyed the activities.

Annenberg Symmetry Module:

When completing Part A of the Annenberg Symmetry Module I found question A1 easy to complete and I completed it with 100% accuracy.  Problem A2 (although asking pretty much the same thing) I had a little more difficulty with.  On the regular pentagon and the regular hexagon I was able to find half the number of lines of symmetry than what really appeared.  I feel the reason I struggled on the was because of the way I was viewing them.  I felt like 5-6 lines of symmetry was just too much so I did not look into finding that many.  Question A3 I did not do well on.  I was confused on the directions so I tried and when I did not feel like I could do it I just looked at the solution and then it began to make more sense to me.

When completing Part B of the Annenberg Symmetry Module I found myself struggling with what the actual degree measurements needed to be.  When I changed the degree measurement each time to rotate the object I was able to see if it was rotationally symmetrical but as for the actual degree measurement and knowing how to determine which ones would work; I need improving on.

For Further Discussion:

I found an article that talked about how the Ancient Greeks used geometry in their art forms.  The Greeks were the first believed to understand "the laws of perspective" which meant they knew how to make a 3-D figure onto a 2-D surface.  Artist of the Renaissance Period also understood the "laws of perspective" and they believed in forming parallel lines in their work as a symbol of forever.  The artist of this time believed that parallel lines went on forever so that's what the parallel lines in their work symbolized. 

Also, I looked at a lot of Mexican paintings just on the Google Images page and it stood out to me that a lot of the paintings that used geometric shapes used a lot of triangles as well as a lot of circles.  In researching I could not find any reasoning behind it but I did find it to be a neat attribute.