Making
Math Cheesy
Today in Third Grade, we got “cheesy” in
math!! With Cheez It crackers, of
course!!!
Today’s math concept was area. Before we began, children shared their ideas
of what they thought area was with their partners. After sharing their ideas, one child said
that area is “a place or location in a classroom.” Another child said that area is “how large a
place can be in a building.” After our
discussion, children were introduced to our new concept by our friends from
Brain Pop, Annie and Moby. They are so
funny and knowledgeable!
We learned that area is the measurement
of a space inside a shape. As a class,
we discussed how area is an important way to find out how large a room is for
carpet or for paint on a wall. We
learned that square units are created when you take a shape and divide it up
into equal squares. When you count the
square units, you discover the total area.
You can also determine the area by multiplying the length and width of a
shape. For example, 5ft long x 3 ft wide
= 15 square feet.
As the hands-on lesson started, my
students were provided with a piece of grid paper and Cheez It crackers. I modeled problems on the SMART Board for the
children to practice alongside my guidance.
We demonstrated our awareness of area with the crackers as manipulatives
to create our various shapes and count our square units.
Children then used Rally Coach to assist
their shoulder partner in practicing area on their grids. One child would act as a coach and encourage their
partner to calculate the area of the shape they have provided. Children work cooperatively to strengthen their
learning and deepen their understanding of the task at hand.
As I reflect on my lesson, it brought me
joy to see how the children happily engaged in the activity with their shoulder
partners. Everyone worked hard to be a
great coach for their partner and help them master the concept of area. But of
course, everyone agreed that the best part was eating the crackers!
Kristy Litwiller
3rd Grade Teacher
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