My students and I designed a variety of activities for Discovery time together. We also posed open ended questions so they could investigate areas they were interested in. Questions such as:
What could we make with these resources?
How could we incorporate these shapes in our design?
I wonder how we could use these shapes?
enabled students to develop their wonderings and explore shapes in a variety of ways. They were free to investigate their own and/or other's questions through out the term.
Investigating shapes and having a 'shape race.'
Designing a mini golf course using different shapes.
Making a 3D shape marble run.
Designing shape robots and describing them with the help of our Year 4/5 buddies.
Our finished products. I love how they are all so different!
Making different shapes bubbles with our hands and other shapes made from straws.
Designing shape jewellery with wire and cardboard.
'Baking' with play dough.
Making shape 'mood boards' These have a New Zealand beach and outdoors theme.
Although the students had the freedom to explore I still incorporated workshops to focus on our Junior Team learning intentions. I could then support or solidify their maths learning with rich learning tasks. Embracing their curiosity meant we could investigate shape concepts as they came up through discussion, reflection and sharing.
I really like this image from uLearn 2016 as it shows the heart of our maths learning this term.
The utilising connectivity came primarily through the class blog but it is something that we would expand on in the future.
In particular thinking critically, communicating clearly, working collaboratively, developing creativity and embracing culture were particularly evident during the term. This is why I value play based learning as I see students thriving in these areas.
Nga Mihi Nui
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