Fourth

Grade Reflection
MIAA 350
John Green
Reflection: Lesson on Area and Perimeter

During this lesson the students were being introduced to the concept of area and
perimeter. The teacher began the lesson with a math warm up to reinforce
subtraction skills using a game called Math Path. The students took about 10
minutes to complete the problems. If any student was struggling, they were allowed
to consult a peer for help. Next, four students were chosen at random to come to the
whiteboard to present their solutions and explain their rationale.

Next up was a brief review of the previous nights homework and any unresolved
questions were addressed. The homework dealt with Use addition and subtraction
to solve multi-step word problems involving length, mass, and capacity.

Following this was the first unit of the next module, dealing with Investigation and
usage of the formulas for area and perimeter of rectangles. First, the teacher pulled
down a laminated roll of graph paper (really cool) and introduced some of the
vocabulary ta would be used (array, grid, area, perimeter)

The teacher discussed the similarities and differences of area and perimeter. She
drew a rectangle and asked the students to talk about what they knew about the
shape and if they had any ideas about perimeter and area that they could share.
After discussion, the teacher randomly called on several students to share what they
had discussed.


Next, the teacher began counting the number length of each side until she had gone
completely around the perimeter. She was very conscious to use the word units as
she counted, telling the students that it wasnt important what the units were (cm,
inches, etc.), but rather that they were counting units. She likened the perimeter to
walking around the outside of a field or a building. She then drew a series of
different sized rectangles and squares and had the students find the perimeter. She
was continually checking for understanding by asking the class to use hand signals
for got it, kind of and I need help.

For the kind of students she would ask another student to help the struggling
student to see f they could work it out peer to peer. For the I need help students
she would individually work with these students in a small group at the front of the
classroom so that she could show the students on the graph paper. She worked with
this group for several more minutes until they were getting the concept.

Next the students worked on multiplying a number by itself as an introduction to
area. She then moved to drawing a rectangle with uneven units of width and height.
She presented the concept of area as the product of length and width. First she
counted the individual squares and then presented the concept of multiplication to
calculate the area. She was still very conscious to use the term units.

She apologized that she used very little technology, mainly due to the presentation
of the lesson, but she did confide that the extent of her technology integration in the
class was to use the Elmo projector. She added that since she had the graph paper
roll, that she felt it was a much better way to integrate the units into the
curriculum that the Elmo.

She encouraged the students to discuss in their groups and then report out what
their discussions had uncovered. She challenged the students to explain their
thinking and defend their answers. She also allowed the students to peer teach
when appropriate and she provided direct instruction to those struggling more.

Overall, I thought the teacher did a very good job in keeping the students engaged,
focused and using critical thinking to expand their mathematical vase of knowledge.
She provided the students with many ways to interact and engage, as well as
explaining to their peers their thought processes and applying the new academic
vocabulary. I found several techniques that she used (especially the hand signals)
that I wanted to try to integrate into my 3rd grade classroom, and I was also pleased
to see that I was using some of the same techniques as she did. I was very
impressed at the learning that was going on in the classroom.