New Maths Project

Challenge: What do I want to do?
I want to teach a Maths unit which combines Measurement, Geometry and Number (specifically multiplication strategies) and I want it to be a collaborative project. Instead of teaching multiplication strategies in isolation, I want these to be used in the context of a measurement/geometry project. E.g. learn the mult strategies in order to find the volume of 3D shapes. They need to put the strategies into practice in a relevant learning context, so that hopefully they will remember them more easily and see the relevance and usefulness fo them in future life.

After the success of my teacher inquiry into Maths last year, it would be a backwards step to go back to teaching Maths the way that I used to. I think there needs to be elements of my old teaching combined with elements of this project based style and with these powers combined, I can have a great engaging maths programme, which still covers the curriculum expectations for Years 6-8 students.

Anyway, I had been thinking for weeks about how to come up with a new idea that was equal to or better than the city project we did last year, and it has been difficult. When you teach the same students for 3 years in a row, you can't simply reuse the same lessons again year after year! Personally I would probably find that quite uninspiring anyway. So what on earth was I going to do?
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I started with my trusty pal Google who led me to a Pinterest post advertising a product a teacher was selling on TPT. https://www.pinterest.nz/pin/29977153747782960/
Basically she has made cute nets for 3D shapes and that was enough to lead me on a path of inspiration. I do not know how I made this connection but I thought, hey wouldn't it be great to make a castle out of 3D shapes? 

I started blurting my ideas into a Google doc before refining the process further in a proper Maths plan. Below is my blurt...may not make sense...

How will we do it?

Sequence

Collect assessment data to prove progress is made

WARM UP CHALLENGE…

Buy 3d shape  buddies from TPT.

Students do a STEAM challenge in a mixed ability collaborative group. Make a building out of these shapes using the shape buddies. Also write on the shape buddies how many corners, sides etc these shapes have. ALL shapes must be used. Multiples can be used.

Shapes included are

• cube

• rectangular prism/cuboid

• cylinder

• square based pyramid

• cone

• triangular prism

• triangular pyramid

ACTUAL CHALLENGE…

Research castles. Collect photos of your favourites. Create a collage of castles for the wall. Fill an A3 piece of paper.

Explore aspects of design such as symmetry and its impact on aesthetics.

What shapes are made from other shapes put together? For example a common castle shape is a cone on top of a cylinder.

Plan: Draw a castle- front, back and side views using 2D shapes. Basic sketch. Not flash.

Students create the castle they have designed in groups.

Must include all the shapes from previous challenge. Students have to follow criteria. Criteria will ensure students find the volume for all the shapes using multiplication. Criteria will involve measurement as students have to measure the sides etc to calculate the volume of their shapes.

Can include mm and cm in criteria to encourage conversions.

Make link between area and volume.

E.g. find area of 2D shape before finding the volume of the 3D shape.

Students will create nets based on the 3D shape buddies from the warm up lesson..

Need to include perimeter and circumference too in the task.

This unit will be integrated multiplication/ Division/ Geometry/ Measurement

We will spend a few days a week on the mult/div strategies and initially one day a week on the Geometry and measurement project. When students have mastered the strategies, that’s when the project will take over all 4 sessions per week because they will integrate and use their mult div strategies as part of the project.

LEARNING COVERED

Geometry

Identify 3D shapes

Identify features of 3D shapes eg faces, vertices and edges

Create nets for 3D shapes- first using the resource but then creating their own

Put shapes together to create other shapes

Draw a plan of the castle from different views

Symmetry-

Measurement

When creating all nets, sides must be measured in cm and mm.

Find perimeter of 2D shapes

Find area of 2D shapes

Find volume of 3D shapes

Find circumference of a circle

Multiplication

Use a range of multiplication strategies to multiply numbers. E.g. calculating volume.

Multiplying decimals will be necessary when using pi to calculate the volume/circumference of some shapes.

Addition and subtraction

This was taught in term one but many strategies will come in handy.

E.g. when using most mult strategies, there is an addition or subtraction component to the strategy. E.g. Place value, area mult, algorithm all use addition. Rounding and compensation involves subtraction.

Will also come into play when calculating perimeter.

Division

This isn't a key feature of this project but I am sure division will be part of this somehow.

If it isn't, I will integrate my teaching of division into my teaching of statistics next term. You must be able to use division to calculate the mean/average.

My next step is to create the instructions and criteria for the project for the students to use. I think this time I will create a checklist so that students can tick things off as they go. I will also add into my criteria some compulsory aspects so that each student in the group has to contribute some things to the project independently. Otherwise, some people in the group will not learn the above things and will let more confident peers do all the work for them.

I also think it's important for students to see WHAT they are learning to do, so I will provide them with the curriculum objectives. Then they will make a connection to the project actually covering things they should be learning at their age rather than just being for fun.

27/4/19
I have now finished all the instructions and criteria. Here are the instructions for the kids.

Here is the criteria for the students to include in their project in order to meet the curriculum objectives.

This is where the students will record their calculations that go with the above criteria.

This is an example of how the students can record who is doing what within the group in Phase 3 of the project.