Submitted by Kim Wieber duSaire

Objectives:

Content:
Students will ...

• demonstrate their knowledge of the shapes by identifying them upon hearing their names.
• demonstrate their knowledge of basic shapes by comparing and contrasting characteristics of the shapes.
• demonstrate their knowledge of basic shapes by working in small groups to form shapes with yarn.

Cultural:

Language: Content Obligatory
Students will...

• use new vocabulary to identify each shape by name with the correct article, repeating the teachers' prompts when necessary, with words like:

triangle / un triángulo, square / un cuadrado, rectangle / un rectángulo, oval / un óvalo, circle / un círculo, trapezoid / un trapezoide, rhombus / un rombo, hexagon / un hexágono, and diamond / un diamante

• use present tense (3rd pers sing) to answer questions with the verb tener ("El cuadrado tiene cuatro lados.", "El triángulo tiene tres lados.")
• use comparative structures to compare the sides of the shapes using "más que", "menos que" ("El ___ tiene más lados que el ___." , "Los dos tienen ___ lados." , and "El ___ tiene ___ lados y el ___ tiene ___ lados." Students fill in the blanks with the names of the shapes.)
• use the new chunk "Nosotros hicimos un/a _______." after forming a shape to identify its name 

Language: Content Compatible
The students will...

• use the new chunks "Estamos listos." and "Nosotros terminamos." to share that they have completed forming the shapes in groups.
• demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary related to the computer, e.g. computadora, ratón, teclas, pantalla, borrar, abrir, apretar el botón, guardar, cerrar, and archivo, by responding appropriately to instructions involving these terms.

Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will...

• demonstrate active listening skills during the powerpoint presentation.
• cooperate in small groups to form basic shapes. 
• interact with the Formas Powerpoint game.

Time Frame:

One class period of 45 minutes; plus additional time in the computer lab

Materials Needed:

• PowerPoint presentation (see attachments)
• geometric pattern blocks
• ball of yarn
• PowerPoint software
• computer lab, if possible. If not, the students will need to take turns interacting with the PowerPoint game.

Description of Assessment (Performance Project):

Pre:
PowerPoint presentation created and presented by the teacher. Use only the introductory screens of the Formas Powerpoint for this introduction. During and after the presentation the teacher should ask questions to extend student thinking. Examples of questions are:

Which shape has three sides? Which shapes have four sides? Which shape has the most sides? the least sides? How is a circle different from a square? How are a circle and an oval the same? different? How are a square and a trapezoid are the same? different?

To assist students who are unsure about the answers, have the students answer each question in small groups. Ask a student from each group to share the group's answer with the class. The teacher should model the phrases listed in the content obligatory objectives, and have students use those phrases to answer the questions.

During:

• Each group of students receives a container of shape blocks. Each container should have no less than one of each shape for each student in the group.
• Allow students to "play" with the shapes for a few minutes.
• After that time, ask students to return all of the shapes to the containers.
• The teacher will call out the name of each shape, giving students time to pick out of the container the shape that is named.
• The students should repeat the name of the shape when they place it in front of them.
• The teacher can watch for students who may need more practice in identifying the shapes.
• After storing the geometric shape blocks, students form groups of three or four.
• Each group is given three feet of yarn.
• The groups will use the yarn to form the shapes as the teacher names them. Students will need about 30 seconds to a minute to form each shape, although some groups will need longer depending on how well they work together.
• Guide the students in using the chunk Nosotros hicimos un/a _______ when they complete a shape.
• To increase language use, engage the groups in conversation about the shapes they are creating.
• If applicable, have a discussion about team work during or after this activity.

Post:
During computer time, the students will interact with the game part of the Formas Powerpoint to review the shapes presented in this lesson.

Assessment:

Observe students as they interact with the shapes in the identification activity, the yarn activity, and the Formas Powerpoint game.

Attachments:

NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)

formas.ppt - PowerPoint introduction to shapes lesson 1 and shapes game

A Lesson from the CoBaLTT Project
/cobaltt
Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition
University of Minnesota