Standard+7

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**Standard 7:** **// Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons. //**

The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, pupils, the community, and curriculum goals.

**Evidence 1:** Shape Detectives PowerPoint [|Shape Detectives PowerPoint (Math Moodle)]

**Rationale 1:** When completing our “Everyday Math” unit about geometric shapes, we culminated our lessons by locating shapes in our school building and on the school grounds; identifying and photographing those shapes, then creating an interesting PowerPoint that showcased my student’s detective abilities. Small groups of students (two to four per group) went to specific locations in search of the various shapes that we had learned. The students discovered examples of as many shapes as possible in their area and I took pictures of their shapes. We downloaded and looked at all of the shapes that we located and chose the best examples of each shape to include in our PowerPoint. Through discussion, we chose how we were going to describe each shape and what their attributes were. This provided me a great opportunity to conduct an informal assessment of my students’ understanding and application of the geometric principles to the “real world.”

This was my first experience at completing a PowerPoint and I enjoyed experimenting with all of the designs and animations available. Since my initial PowerPoint, I have created quite a few more on various subjects including: math, Responsive Classroom, poetry, seasonal topics, science, and social studies.

 **KSD:** **7.K.2** **The teacher knows how to take contextual considerations (instructional** **materials; individual student interests, needs, and aptitudes; and community resources) into account when planning instruction that creates an effective bridge between curriculum goals and students’ experiences.** I liked how the Shape Detectives PowerPoint utilized our school environment to help students better understand geometric shapes and to discover those shapes throughout our building. Everyday objects (tables, desks, floor tiles, doors, etc.) became answers to our geometric detective work. It was fun to see the students “find” our answers and apply their knowledge to the real world!

**7.S.1** **As an individual and a member of a team, the teacher selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, and based upon principles of effective instruction (e.g. that activate students’ prior knowledge, anticipate preconceptions, encourage exploration and problem-solving, and build new skills on those previously acquired).** This lesson within my “Everyday Math” unit on geometric shapes did a really nice job using my students’ prior knowledge and understanding, while encouraging exploration and problem solving. Their search for appropriate shapes and picking objects that best fit the shape needed was an effective way to present, teach, and review the concepts.

**7.D.2** **The teacher believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision based on student needs and changing circumstances.** As we completed our project, I was open to suggestions from the students to look in many parts of the building and on our playground for appropriate geometric shapes. The students did an excellent job “detecting” objects that fit the curricular goals.