Quick Images Video
I found the video this week very interesting. It really highlighted the way that everybody thinks of things differently. Most of the children connected the shape with a real life object such as a boat or banana. My first thought was that it was a picture of the shape, crescent. I always remember what a crescent looks like because I think of a crescent moon. I thought it was really interesting that one of the students said that she remembered the shape because it was part of a circle. I have never thought of a crescent as part of a circle, but it really is.Case Studies- Shapes and Geometric Definitions
The case studies outlined students' responses to seeing familiar shapes in unfamiliar positions and proportions. In Andre's case, she presented students with an array of triangles. All of the students agreed that the oddly shaped ones looked like triangles, but could not decide whether they were "real" triangles. The kids had become so accustomed to seeing a triangle depicted as an equilateral triangle that it did not feel comfortable to classify different triangles as being the same shape.Annenberg Polygons Module
Problem A2
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How many polygons can you find in the following figure?
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The video was very interesting. Just as you said, I really thought it was interesting one student pointed out the shape looked like half of a circle. I think this shows that he is advanced in his math skills and is beginning to notice that different shapes can be used to make new shapes.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the case studies this week. At first I was somewhat confused on how triangles could be confusing. They just seem so simple. However, when reading the comment one student makes that they have been shown one type of triangle "their whole lives" and then all of a sudden, there are new shapes that look different that are triangles too, I realized how confusing this can be. I think we need to show students different types of triangles when they are younger so this doesn't become such a confusing problem later.
I think it is great that you are getting to work with these things in your field experience. I think it is funny that the students were skeptical that you could make a square with two triangles and then became interested in seeing if they could make squares with other shapes. This shows that they are learning. Also, like you mentioned in your further discussion, shapes are everywhere we look, and by completing this with students, you are opening their eyes to this
Sarah, I see that you posted problems A2 and A3 from Annenberg but wasn't sure why. Did you have questions about this?
ReplyDeleteAwesome post I realized the other day about all the shapes in my house when my kindergarden nephews homework told him to make a list of the shapes he sees in his house and what are they. Great work
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