Lesson Six:

Spatial Sense

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Objective: This lesson is designed to give students an introduction to the different types of triangles that they will be dealing with. Students will demonstrate an understanding of isosceles, equilateral and scalene triangles and will be able to differentiate between the three types. 

Grade: Three/ Four

Length of Lesson: 1 hour

GCO: Students will demonstrate spatial sense and apply geometric concepts, properties, and relationships.

Related SCOs:

·        4E7: recognise name, describe, and construct equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles  

Materials:

·        Straws cut 6cm long

·        Straws cut 8cm long

·        Straws cut 10 cm long

·        Pipe cleaners

·        Classifying Triangles worksheet

·        Making Triangles worksheet

·        Pencil

Procedure:

·        The teacher will have the students discuss the differences between the three types of triangles as a class and will then give the class definitions of equilateral, isosceles and scalene triangles.  

·        The class will then be able to create their own triangles by using the cut out straws and attaching them together with pipe cleaners.

·        The students will be asked to form different combinations with the straws such as 6+6+6, 6+6+10 and 6+6+8 and see what type of triangle the different lengths make.

·        The students will be asked to try different combinations with the straws and record their ideas on the worksheet provided. 

·        The teacher will ask the class questions about different combinations and discuss why the lengths affect the shape of the triangle.

·        The students will be given a worksheet on classifying triangles which will ask them to determine the correct names for the triangles shown.  

Evaluation: To determine the level of student progress the teacher can collect the worksheets and correct them and also look at the students triangle models made from the straws to see if they were done correctly. 

Extension: Students can classify the different angles (acute, obtuse and right) produced by the different lengths.

Inclusion Strategies:

Hearing Impaired: Visual aids will be used for those students who are hearing impaired and handouts will be given with instructions for the lesson. The hearing impaired student will be paired with a non-hearing impaired classmate and class discussion points will be written on the chalkboard for all students to see.

Visually impaired:  Visually impaired students will be paired with a student who is not visually impaired.  These students will be given the instructions orally.  These students will be able to know what is going on in the class discussions through hearing. Their partner can write the answers on the worksheet for the student and the visually impaired student can still participate in making the models of the triangle with some assistance from their partner or the teacher. The visually impaired student will also be provided with models of the shapes in question so that they can feel the shape and make judgments about the properties that they feel.

Students of English as a second language:  Students where English is a second language should be provided with lots of visual support, as with students with hearing impairment.