Big Idea Module for Geometry

By: Amanda Favia, Ashley Suarez, and Amy Peabody

FOCUS PROBLEM

CCS: 6.G.3 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures.

Materials: Connecting cubes Graph paper Pencil Ruler

Draw the letter T using 10 identical squares. Label each of the vertices using the letters A-H. How many sides are parallel and how many sides are perpendicular?

There are 9 cubes (each representing 1 cubic unit) glued together in the shape of an L. If this is dipped in red paint and then taken apart, how many faces will be red?

Learning Shapes

Grades: K-1

CCSS: K.G.2 Correctly name shapes, regardless of their orientations or overall size. K.CC.4 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality. K.CC.5 Count to answer how many? questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a lone, a rectangle array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects. 1.G.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size) ; build and draw shapes, to possess defining attributes.

Materials: Pencils Pizza handout Ruler

My mother told me I had to watch my little brother after school. He brought three friends home, as well. They were all playing video games in the living room when I heard them all complaining about how they were hungry. Being a good sister that I am, I decided to make them a pizza. I asked my brother and his friends what they like on their pizza. They decided they wanted cheese, carrots, mushrooms, and pepperoni on their pizza.

Name the different shapes shown in the picture of the pizza.

How many of each shape can you find?

How many quadrilaterals are there total in the picture?

Draw lines to cut the pizza into equal slices so that all four boys have an equal amount of pizza.

Understanding Fractions and Partitioning in Shapes

2 3 Grade
nd rd

CCS: 2.G.2 Partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same size squares and count to find the total number of them. 3.G.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. 2.G.3 Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths. Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need to not have the same shape. 3.MD.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measure. 3.MD.6 Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).

Materials: Graph paper Pencil Ruler

Draw a 3 unit by 5 unit rectangle and separate it into equal squares.

What is the area in units for the rectangle?

Answer the next two questions using figure A at the bottom of the page. Whats the total area of the rectangle?

Whats the area of the shaded part of the rectangle?

Figure A

Understanding Coordinates and Symmetry

Grade 4 and 5

th

th

CCCS: 4.G.3 Recognize a line of symmetry for a two dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw line of symmetry. 4.NF.2 Compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators, e.g., by creating common denominators or numerators, or by comparing to a benchmark fraction such as 1/2. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. 5.G.2 Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.

Materials: Graph paper Ruler Pencil

Graph the following points on a piece of graph paper: (1,2) ; (4,2) ; (1,7) ; (4,7). What shape do the coordinates make up? Explain how you know which shape it is.

How many lines of symmetry does the shape have?

On the same graph paper, plot the following points: (2,3) ; (2,6) ; (3,6) ; (3,3). Shade in the new shape.

What portion of the original shape does the new shape make up? Write the portion in the simplest fraction form.

Connections to Common Core State Standards and Focus Problem

Ashley Suarez, Amanda Favia, and Amy Peabody Dr. Bulgar ELD 375 May 2, 2013 Big Idea Module Summary

For our Big Idea Module, our group chose geometry as the topic to center our group of problems on. The problems created for this module consisted of concepts such as identifying shapes, understanding fractions and partitioning in shapes, determining areas of shapes, understanding coordinates and symmetry, and surface area of three-dimensional figures. Each problem is designed for specific grades using the Common Core State Standards and connects to the focus problem explained in the beginning. The focus problem created for this module was designed for a sixth grade math lesson, based on the common core standard 6.G.3, which states that the students should represent threedimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of the figures. To go along with this standard, the problem requires students to identify the total amount of vertices found in a T-shaped figure, followed by identifying the names of the parallel and perpendicular lines. After reviewing the fifth grade standards, it is understood that the students have already learned the characteristics of quadrilaterals, including parallel and perpendicular lines. The second part of the problem focuses on the understanding of surface area on a three-dimensional figure. Using connecting cubes, the students are required to identify the surface area of nine cubes connected together in the shape of an L. The concepts used in this focus problem can be seen throughout the other problems explained in the module.

In the problem centered on kindergarten and first grade, the main concept meant to be understood was learning shapes. The problem consists of story involving a picture of a pizza, in which each topping represents a different shape. The students are required to determine the number of each shape, as well as specifically identifying the quadrilaterals found in the picture. We also introduce the concept of partitioning shapes into equal parts by giving the students the task of drawing lines to cut the pizza into equal slices for the individuals listed in the problem. The standards used to create this problem were K.G.2, which states that the students will correctly name the shapes. Along with this standard, K.CC.4 requires students to understand the relationship between numbers and quantities, and connect counting to cardinality. K.CC.5 explains that the students count to answer how many? questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a lone, a rectangle array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration. These standards are performed by the students in ways such as counting the shapes of each topping in the entire pizza. The New Jersey common core state standard 1.G.1 talks about distinguishing between defining attributes versus non-defining attributes. Students use their knowledge on the characteristics of different shapes to identify which are shown on the pizza. For the second and third grade problem, we focused on the understanding of fractions and partitioning shapes. In this task, the students are required to draw a 3 unit by 5 unit rectangle and separate it into equal parts. We ask them to determine the area of the figure, as well as the area of the shaded part of a different figure. The standards used in this problem are 2.G.2, 2.G.3, and 3.G.2, which all talk about partitioning shapes into equal parts. The partitioning of the figures also relates to the focus problem because it introduces the concept of understanding the separation of the unit cubes in the second part of the problem. Standards 3.MD.5 and 3.MD.6

refer to the concept of area measure. This ties into the focus problem by having the students determine the surface area of the second figure. Understanding coordinates and symmetry was the main focus of the 4th and 5th grade problem. The problem uses graph paper for students to draw and graph specific points and answer questions about the different figures. For this problem, standards such as 4.G.3, 4.NF.2, and 5.G.2 were used to teach students. For example, 4.G.3 refers to recognizing a line of symmetry for a two dimensional figure. Standard 4.NF.2 talks about comparing fractions with different numerations and denominators by finding the greatest common denominators. The last standard used in this problem was 5.G.2, which refers to real world and mathematical problem solving using graphing points. This can be seen in the focus problem by having the students identify the vertices found in the first figure. The students also have to understand the concept of symmetry when understanding the surface area of a figure. Finding the partition of certain figures can influence students to create an equivalent fraction in simplest form. These problems all connect to the focus problem designed for a sixth grade classroom. The standards used in this module helped keep focus on the main idea or problem we wanted the students to understand how to solve. The standards were specifically used to fit each grade level and to make sure the students were up to their grade level requirements. The Big Idea Module itself was created to be a challenge to students in order to learn numerous different concepts in mathematics.