Lesson Design Template: MAT/Certification Elementary

Candidate Name: Allison Erickson Host Teacher Name: Shelby Theriault

School: Ravenwood Elementary Grade Level(s): K # of Students: 6
Date & Time of Lesson:10/20/14: 12:15-12:35 Length of Lesson: 20 minutes
Topic of Lesson: Spatial Orientation Content Area(s): Math
Materials including technology: Shape Blocks, Markers, White Boards/Markers, felt boards/characters

Alaska Standards: Math, K.G (Kindergarten, Geometry)

Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the
relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in
front of, behind, and next to.

Profile of Your Students (cultural, language, developmental and behavioral characteristics):

All students are English speakers. There are varying levels of dexterity and communication skills. Some students are
identified for SPED support.

STAGE ONE STAGE TWO:

Objective(s): Student Assessment:
1. I can describe where a shape is in relation to other 1. When presented with shapes in relation to other objects, I
shapes can correctly identify if the shape is above, below, or next to
the object.

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to Learn

Introduction/Hook
“Today we are working on (or continuing to work on) our shapes, but this time we are going to describe where they are
instead of what they are. We are going to work on the felt board, and make up a story about a pirate, his parrot, and his
search for treasure!”

Procedure and products Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications

Name spatial concepts
1. Using the felt board, place a pirate shape on the
board.
2. Identify and name the location:
a. Place the pirate on the plane that will be
the ground. Also place a rock, a tree, and a
lake in the scene.
b. Review the following terms using
examples on the felt board: Above, Below,
Next To, Beside, Under, Over.
c. Divide the students into two equal groups.
The first group is the “hiders”. Give each
group member a felt shape, and instruct
them to put the shape on, above, below, or
next to one of the objects on the board.
1. Students will gain comprehension at different
speeds. Take time to provide one-on-one
instruction when needed.
2. If a student cannot provide a question, ensure a
supportive group environment by emphasizing that
this work is a team effort, and other group members
can help if needed.
3. Students have varying levels of communication
abilities. Ensure that students who do not speak
clearly have adequate time to communicate.
4. Provide different sizes of shapes for students who
have varying levels of dexterity capabilities.
 d. The second group will be the “finders”.
They must identify where the shapes are in
relation to the objects on the board, using
word such as above, below, on, or next to.
e. When a student in group 2 identifies where
the shape is, he/she can come up to the
board and move the shape into the treasure
chest.
Repeat this process, switching groups.
3. hand out worksheets for students to identify
spatial concepts.

Closure:
As students achieve each of the spatial concepts, they receive a sticker on their Achievement Chart. Chart reflects their
accomplishments over the course of the whole lesson.

Reflection

In conducting this lesson, I integrated some of the things that I have learned from my previous small groups.
First…Location Location Location! I found an area of the room where the group had more space to spread out, they had
clear pathways to move about the work area without stepping over their classmates (I know this sounds crazy, but I hadn’t
previously realized the importance of this consideration in my previous lessons!), and there was a more clear line of sight
to the “front” of the lesson space where I was delivering instruction. This new arrangement worked well for a couple of
reasons:
1. As this activity incorporated movement into the lesson, it allowed students to get up without impeding on the
space of their peers (a distraction that seems to readily derail this group of students).
2. Students had an easier time focusing their attention on the instruction when I was clearly situated at the front.
I also revised my strategy on two fronts to keep the pace moving. First, I exchanged the individual whiteboards for a
central felt board, and provided each student with shapes. I had pirate themed felt objects in place before the lesson, and
walked the group through the terminology by demonstrating the task that I was asking them to practice. I divided the
group as outlined in the lesson plan, turned the felt board around, and let the “treasure hiders” a chance to do their work
out of sight of the “treasure hunters”. The “hiders” came to one side of the board while the “hunters” were tasked with
sorting and identifying the shapes that they were given. This movement/activity combination was engaging enough to
keep all students on-task, even when it was not their “turn”.

Another item that helped move the lesson along was to have the plan laid out in advance, with differentiation embedded
into the process. The “hiders” were my students who I thought might need a little extra support, and their time “behind
the scenes” allowed them to place the shapes in relation to their object (one hid their shapes around the tree, one around
the pirate, one around the ship). I focused their experience on identifying the shape, the color, and the location that they
chose. I then challenged them one-on-one by moving their shape to another location, and engaged them in a short
conversation about where it was. This took some of the pressure off, as they did not have to identify an unexpected
placement in front of the entire group. The “hunters” were my students who had confidence to speak in front of the
group, and who I knew could process the information at first glance.

All in all, I felt that this lesson went very well. By the end of the lesson, each student was able to describe the shape in a
full sentence that included the shape, the color, and the location of the object in relation to its surroundings.
Attachments: 3 artifacts of student work

Multiple Choice Question:

How did Allison incorporate differentiation into the lesson plan?

A. Some students only had to identify what color and shape they were placing.
B. Some of the students just placed the forms, and didn’t have to identify where they were placed.
C. Students were assigned different roles in the exercise.
D. All students had to stand in front of the group and answer the questions.
E. There was no differentiation in this lesson.