Next month my grade 6 students will begin to look at the Shape & Space strand, starting with Understanding Angles. My module focuses on the first lesson of the unit “In The Real World”. Grade 6 is the first year that students really dive into working with angles, and I have always believed that it is important for students to see their math outside of the classroom. With Lumi I was able to create a video that visually accommodated this goal. Students will access this module from Google Classroom with a link to their Google Site. When they get to the site they will navigate their way to Lesson 1: In The Real World. The layout is quite simple so that students do not get overwhelmed and can ease into their learning. Below is a breakdown of how students will work through the module.
Step 1: Video – Students will watch the interactive Lumi video.
Step 2: Notes – Students can choose to copy their notes during or after the video is complete. I decided to do fill-in-the-blank notes to save time and keep students engaged. Having notes to go along with the video also ensures students will watch it (or at least part of it).
Step 3: Paper Practice – These questions are meant to support the video and notes provided in steps 1 and 2. They are not graded but students will have a chance to correct their work during the “pause” portion of the module.
Step 4: Padlet – In the past, I have used Mathletics as a formative assessment for each lesson. However, real-world application is never an assignment option. In this case, I decided to use Padlet so that students can see and share the experience with their classmates. With the focus of this lesson being that angles are everywhere, I thought it was necessary for students to physically find objects around them. If you are unfamiliar with Padlet, it is a digital board on which students can collaboratively post comments, pictures etc. The expectation for my students on this step will be for them to walk around the class and find 5 examples of angles, take a photo of one and post it on Padlet for their classmates to see. I will then use their responses as a formative assessment.
Step 5: Every 2 lessons students will complete a paper exit ticket which they hand to me before moving on to lesson 2. Since this is lesson 1, they will not do an exit ticket.
My students have been using Google Sites since the start of the school year. I have been trying to figure out how to make it more engaging and personalized. With using Lumi to create my own videos (own voice) instead of random YouTube videos I think my students will look forward to watching the videos and actually being able to interact with them. Padlet will also help with engagement as students get to see what their classmates post and share their learning with one another.
Module Links
Hi Amber! I couldn’t open your Lumi video for some reason – but I think your strategy is great! I especially like the activities to find angles in the real world, which will keep the topic interesting and really reinforce their learning. Padlet is something I hadn’t seen before – it looks like it could be useful in a lot of classrooms. Well done!
Thank you for pointing that out, Lauren! I tried to update it. Hopefully, it will work now. Padlet is pretty awesome. A few years back I connected with a friend who teaches in Scotland for an E-pal project (digital pen pals). We used Padlet for students to introduce themselves to each other. It was the perfect tool!
Amber, I was one of the folks who looked at your unit and I have to say I really appreciated how you laid out your course. In particular your use of large clickable objects in bright colours made it easy to know where to go and should work really well with your target audience. The grid based layout of the module with worksheets and lessons worked very well also. Great job!
Thank you, Matt. I appreciate the feedback you gave! It’s refreshing to have an outside perspective look into your work and take note of “the small things/choices” you made that sometimes go unnoticed. Thank you!