A Constructivist Project Plan
Title / Using Literature to Stimulate Problem SolvingEssential Question / Can literature enhance children's problem solving skills?
Summary / April and Jeff Sayre’s delightful children’s book One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab offers an opportunity for students to develop their number sense and problem solving skills. After reading the book, students search for different ways of representing numbers as animal feet. Students make drawings showing their solutions and try to come up with as many different solutions as possible. This activity allows students to be creative and to learn to think more flexibly about numbers. It can be used for counting, recognising odd and even numbers, place value, estimating and early multiplication
Stage Level / Stage One
Curriculum Links / English, mathematics, creative arts, science and technology
Quality Teaching Elements / Deep knowledge / Explicit quality criteria / Background knowledge
Deep understanding / Engagement / Cultural knowledge
Problematic knowledge / High expectations / Knowledge integration
Higher order thinking / Social support / inclusivity
Metalanguage / Student self-regulation / Connectedness
Substantive
communication / Student direction / Narrative
Engage / Meet XXX class via video conferencing link.
If possible, bring in a real snail and a real crab or show a movie clip or live web cam of a snail and crab.
Read One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab. Ask the students to predict what is coming next.
After reading the text have students draw out examples from the book such as twenty is five dogs, or ten people and write about how that is true. The students will use mathematical concepts to justify the author's reasoning.
Explore / The students will choose their own number (not shown in the book) and create a pictoral representation of that number. For example a child might choose a number like twenty-four and state that the number is twelve people or three dogs. Activity can be repeated using other number combinations.
Explain / Small groups are formed to write/design a story book that explores ideas about numbers. Students bring together their ideas from the previous stage (explore) to share and compate with their group.
Elaborate / Groups will create an electronic version of their story using the Photostory program.
Evaluate / Each group will read their stories to the class and explain the process that they used (creating the story and the mathematical process used to support their story).
The stories will be shared with XXX class via video conference link.
Timeline / Four weeks
Communication with participants / Video conferencing, wiki discussions, student journal.
Online Possibilities / Video conferencing, wiki discussions
Learner Diversity / This lesson plan can be adapted to multiple grade levels. It can also be modified to the specific learning needs of students.
Sequence of Learning Activities / Contact teacher of XXX class to discuss the project.
Background information about snails and crabs to introduce characters
Read text, One is a snail, ten is a crab.
Mathematical investigation - students will use problem solving strategies to create a pictorial representation of a number.
Organise students into groups to create/design story book.
Story will be transferred and presented electronically in Photostory.
Each group will present their story to their class and to XXX class via video conferencing link.
Resources Required / Children's book - One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab written by April and Jeff Sayre
Paper, coloured pencils, computers
Assessment
How will you know students have gained an understanding of topic? / Observe strategies and pictorial representations used by individual students during the 'explore' stage.
Examine students learning journal and wiki discussions.
Examine the finished work sample.