Module 3 Project Exploration

Here is a lesson Mrs. Hacket and I developed for a grad school class.  It is an excellent way to incorporate technology while extending the core geometry skills we have to teach in the lower grades.

 We designed this lesson to use technology and math together in a real life setting. The goal of the lesson is for students to find shapes in bushes and trees. We hope this is a lesson that can be extended for many grade levels.

1. Make sure that the digital camera is cleared and the batteries are charged.
2. Discuss with the class about the various different shapes that trees or bushes might take. For example, triangular, rounded.
3. Draw some examples on the board.
4. Ask the students what types of shapes they already know the names of and list them on the board.

5. Explain how they are going to collect pictures of trees from the local area for examination and classification.

6. Send each group out into the school grounds or local area to photograph trees and bushes.
7.  Connect the camera to the loading cable on the computer and download the images using the camera software.

8.. Save the images into a folder where they can be accessed easily.
9. Open a word processor or publishing program and on each page add a drawing of a square, rectangle, triangle or circle so that there is a page for each shape.
10. Import all the pictures into the document.
11. Move them around by dragging them until they are grouped based upon shape.
12. Save the file as "Group ...... - tree shapes".
13. Print out the pages for comparison and discussion with other groups.