ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

The last few years I have noticed that my students have been struggling with learning some of their shapes and retaining the information they have learned. The data that I have gathered from the past two years shows that 30 percent of my students cannot correctly identify the six basics shapes. I am creating this unit to help make learning their shapes a more meaningful experience for them so they will become more successful at retaining and learning their shapes.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Students will understand and distinguish the differences between the basic shapes, be able to recognize and name them upon command, and be able to create and form recognizable shapes using different mediums, all while having fun in the process. This unit will hopefully stick with my students way past the time they leave my classroom. Shapes will be a part of their every day live forever. Goal(s): Students will be able to recognize and name the shapes. Students will demonstrate how to make shapes correctly.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: How do you make a square? ...triangle? ...circle? ...rectangle? ...oval? ...diamond? How are circles and squares different? ...and so forth. Name ten things in our classroom that use shapes? Why are shapes important? How often do you use shapes? How are some different ways to make shapes into things? Objectives: With the program Kids Pix, students will draw their shapes, scoring in the 3-4 range on a rubric. Using an overhead projector, students will classify shapes using at least three attributes. Given playdough, Wikki Stix, finger paint, and etc. students will make shapes with 100% accuracy. Using Jump Start Kindergarten, students will match, pattern, draw, and build using shapes with 100% accuracy. Using the digital camera students will capture themselves forming the shapes using correct formation with their bodies for further study and practice.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?  In the student’s Write and Draw Journals they will complete one page for each shape coming up with things in the world around them that are the same shape. Using flash cards, Kid Pix, and the smart board I will assess their knowledge and ability to recognize and name their shapes. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? I will use probing questions at the beginning of each new shape we learn. During circle/sharing time we will talk about what our favorite shapes are and why. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding?  We will take pictures of the students making the shapes with their bodies and create a link to our class website: http://web.central-cass.k12.nd.us/kweb/04-05/Pillows/ShapesMWF.htm using our pictures. We will make a class book of our pictures and create a slide show to further our knowledge. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect?

Instructional Strategies

I will be using the project based method with my students. Most things we do in kindergarten are hands-on. Using different mediums like CD ROMs, internet, Wikki Six, Play dough, digital cameras, and etc. to create and learn the shapes will help reinforce the skills needed to master the standards. In Kindergarten I do a lot of collaborative learning activities. At this age level they seem to work better together learning from each other. After we have practiced the skill enough, then I will break down to do independent learning.