In my Kindergarten classroom, the
students are expected to predict what the next shape in the pattern is. This
activity is during calendar time when they are discussing the days of the week.
The purpose of the activity is to get the students thinking about patterns and
also about the different kinds of shapes we have in math. It is also important
for the students to be able to name what shape comes next in the pattern and to
describe the characteristics of that shape. The big idea of this type of
practice is getting students to think about how shapes are different from one
another and to give other examples in the real world. This is a great idea to
help students see that these shapes are present in their homes and in the
classroom. The Common Core also states that Kindergarteners should be able to
identify and describe different shapes like rectangles and cylinders.
This type
of math topic could also be used by placing different shapes on the students’
desks. Then you could ask them to identify the shapes and then describe how
they are similar and different. A teacher could also take them around the
school and the students could point out the shapes that they recognize. A
student could look at this calendar and see that on today’s date there should
be a cylinder. Then the teacher could ask the class what other items are
cylinder shaped. In my class, one student said that a pop can was that shape.
Another student said that a candle was also that shape.
To complete
this math task, a student must realize what the pattern in the calendar is, and
then be able to identify which shape needs to be put on the 17th. Then
they have to describe the shape to their classmates, and also give examples of
the shape in the real world. This example of math in the classroom could show a
teacher that their students can either identify or not identify patterns and
also be able to understand shapes and their characteristics. These are
important mathematical concepts in Kindergarten and students should get more
practice in patterns and shapes if they are struggling. An example that the
teacher could use to advance student thinking is by making the pattern longer
and more complex. Another way is to add more shapes so that the whole group
discusses and gives examples of other shapes they have no talked about yet. This
is a great way to get students thinking about math when they first walk in the
classroom.
This is a good sample of student work (a collective one), but it would be most interesting to have an example of how you have seen students approach this task. What types of things do they say? What does this reveal about their understanding about the big idea of this mathematical task? What is the big idea of this mathematical task?
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