Ruiz 1 Michelle Ruiz Fourth Grade Lesson Plan Kirkbride Elementary School Projected Lesson Date: April 8th,

2014 Term IV: Math Lesson Plan Goals/Objectives SWBAT: - Apply mathematical concepts to real life situations in the form of garden designs - Learn how to make a change in their community through gardening - Discover solutions to gardening problems and invent methods of irrigation or even how to develop planter boxes using geometry facts, area and perimeter Standards According to the Pennsylvania Standards (Pennsylvania Department of Education: Standards Aligned System, www.pdesas.org): - CC.2.3.4.A.2: Classify two-dimensional figures by properties of their lines and angles. - CC.2.3.4.A.3: Recognize symmetric shapes and draw lines of symmetry. - CC.2.4.4.A.1: Solve problems involving measurement and conversions from a larger unit to a smaller unit. Materials and Preparation - Slideshow of garden ideas/irrigation, how to create urban gardens in small spaces - Permission for students to go outside of the school building (permission slips/permission from principal) - TedTalks on urban gardening by Stephen Ritz: A Teacher Growing Green in the South Bronx http://new.ted.com/playlists/118/plantastic OR (with approval pending) - TedTalks on urban gardening by Ron Finley: South Centrals renegade gardener http://new.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la - Graphing paper putting Kirkbrides outdoor space into scale, putting plant size into scale - Math problem that encompasses creating a garden at Kirkbride in a given amount of a space with a given amount of plants and materials - Pencils, erasers, textbook to lean on - Projector, laptop Learning Environment and Management Issues 1. The arrangement of the classroom will be the same as it has been for the students all year to provide stability and familiarity for the students. There will be 8 desks per group in four groups to optimize group work during the lessons, and the 8 groups can also be split further into 2 groups of 4 per table for even smaller group work to occur so more students voices are heard. Students will be in these groups for the lesson. When we transition outside into the courtyard, the students will be expected to sit in their groups while surveying the area with the option of working together to determine what area would best be suited for a garden.

Ruiz 2 2. Materials that the students need will be passed out by the Classroom Helpers (assigned in the beginning of the week) and will be assisted by myself when needed. In the event of behavioral issues with students, I will be utilizing a Stop Light chart colored blue, green, yellow and red meaning excellent behavior, good behavior, needs improvement of behavior, and unacceptable behavior. Students will move their name when behaving outstandingly well and when they may need a reminded of how to behave. A chime will also be used to silence the classroom when they become too loud. Plan (Approx. 1 hour, 30 minutes) 1. The Hook a. From ideas created through prior lessons, especially focused on resources like the Science lesson and Social Studies lesson in the previous week, we will begin to talk about ways to make the community a greener space. b. After discussing ways to improve the community, we will watch a slideshow showing pictures of what students and communities do to make spaces much greener in their neighborhood c. After viewing pictures of urban gardens and urban irrigation systems, we will discuss what ideas looked interesting and if the students believe this is possible in their own community and what areas would be a great space to make the community greener or even what areas are already making the community greener 2. Exploration a. We will then watch a TedTalks about how one teacher made his community greener in the South Bronx Community he teaches in b. After discussing what they saw and clarifying any questions the students may have, Classroom Helpers will then pass out a worksheet that will have a map of the courtyard with a key that shows what scale the plants will be and what different items represent c. On the back of the graph, the students will be given a scenario where they will be asked to create a garden in the courtyard of Kirkbride for specific dimensions, following a certain area, having a certain amount of plants in the area given. Students will also need to be able to tell me what the perimeter is and what shapes they have used to create the garden. With prices of objects also involved, students will also need to ensure the garden is at a specific budget given the amount of materials and plants they will need. d. After answering any questions the students may have about the assignment, we will then go outside to the courtyard where students will be able to work on their garden blueprints with a partner 3. Closure a. Students will be given time to create a way to explain their design and how they could persuade the class to vote for their design. b. The design that wins the classes votes in a later class will then possibly be displayed outside of the classroom in hopes of showing other students how we can make Kirkbride a greener place. Assessment of the Goals

Ruiz 3 Each of the blueprints the students will have created will be collected and graded according to the amount of effort they have put into the design and if it fits the criteria of the problem at hand. Their drawings should take into account the amount of area they have used, the perimeter of the shape, the amount of plants that can fit in the planter and the location of the garden in the courtyard in terms of the question asked of them. This will give me an opportunity to see if the students understand area and perimeter and if they have used these two concepts correctly in creating their garden under the standards given. A minirubric will be created in order to show the students what I expect from them. Monitoring and observing conversations between the students and in the whole class discussion, especially after the video is shown, will also give me an idea of the students understanding. Anticipating Students Responses A) For any management issues that may occur, a system of moving names on a chart has been set up where students move their names to a particular color according to their behavior. A chime will also be used to silence the class and gain their attention. For tracking participation, a chart will also be created that will give tally points to each group of 8 for their contributions to the discussion. This will determine which groups gets to pick a spot in the yard first for our gardening blue prints. B) Because the lesson is very interactive and does require moving from one location to the next, transitions will be a crucial part of the lesson. A chime will be used to silence the classroom and methods of lining up and moving through the hallways silently will be used that reflect what the students are used to now, which includes moving to specific locations, reminding the students to be silent and giving positive praise when they listen to the directions. Accommodations A) For students who find the material difficult or challenging, ensuring they are paired up with a student who shows understanding of the material but who also has compassion for others who want to learn will be one method to keep all students on track for learning. Assisting with blueprints will also be part of keeping the students on track, but also making their blueprints much more simplistic than other students is one way to differentiate, which could look like having more objects already to scale for the student and giving them more clear instruction of what I want them to do to the courtyard space. For example, giving them the space already shaded on their worksheet where the garden will go is one option, which can help them determine the area and the perimeter, eliminating possible frustrations and giving more visual aid. B) For students who finish early or need more of a challenge, beginning to think about the needs of the plant would be the next step. Ensuring that the space has enough sunlight, they would need to estimate where the sun would be shining in the sky, possibly making a diagram of where they believe the sun will be using just the amount of time we will have spent outside. They could also use their drawing of the garden with the amount of plants in it to determine how many plants they could fit if they were half the size of the plants given in the problem, or twice the size of the plants in the problem. They would need to think about their design and possibly create a new design for the new scales given of the plants.