EDLD+5364+UDL+Lesson+Plan

It is important for curriculum to align with core standards as well as Universal Design for Learning, therefore, lesson plans should encompass both elements. There are many resources available to teachers to help them develop effective lesson plans to meet the needs of diverse learners. CAST is one that provides free templates for these types of lesson plans that give teachers a starting point. There are also many others, like Lesson Planet (www.lessonplanet.com) where teachers can purchase lesson plans that are already designed to meet these standards. With the explosion of digital media, teachers have resources at their finger tips that can eliminate time in "re-inventing the wheel" and/or creating plans that are already available to them. Below is my attempt to construct a lesson plan for mathematics- Grades 6-8. Please keep in mind, I am not a teacher and have little experience in the classroom but I always had an affinity towards math. So here goes...

After the students determine the proper shape of an effective juice box, they must create their own shape to meet a defined factor of their choice. ||
 * Lesson Overview**
 * Title || Juice Box Geometry ||
 * Author || Ginnie Harwood ||
 * Subject || Mathematics ||
 * Grade Level(s) || Grades 6-8 ||
 * Duration || 3 Days ||
 * Subject Area || Geometry ||
 * Unit Description || Students will be provided two juice box subjects, each from different companies. One of the subjects is flawed and they must determine a geometrical solution for the defective juice box.
 * Lesson Description for Days 1 & 2:

Lesson Description for Day 3: || Students will investigate and collaborate on the defective qualities of one of the juice boxes as compared to the properties of the superior juice box to determine the improvements needed for the flawed juice box to work properly. Students will create a solution/recommendation letter to send to the company of the defective juice box describing how to fix the flaw in the design of the juice box. ||


 * Goals**
 * Unit Goals || Students will:
 * Analyze the different shapes and sizes presented to them
 * Collaborate on mathematical problem solving and improvement strategies for the defective subject
 * Develop and utilize ways to use digital media to identify the solution to the problem(s)
 * Improve knowledge of geometry by studying different shapes and sizes of the juice boxes and investigating the properties of superior shapes ||
 * Lesson Goals || Students will:
 * Analyze the different shapes and sizes presented to them
 * Collaborate on mathematical problem solving and improvement strategies for the defective subject
 * Develop and utilize ways to use digital media to identify the solution to the problem(s)
 * Improve knowledge of geometry by studying different shapes and sizes of the juice boxes and investigating the properties of superior shapes ||


 * Methods**
 * Anticipatory Set || Share lesson goals and objectives with the students: they will apply a geometry lesson with the shapes of juice box subjects, the length of the straw in proportion to the height of the juice box, and which juice box sample provides the best geometric proportion between the height of the box and length of straw.

Introduce an interactive geometry software called GeoGebra to the students by showing them how to create geometric shapes in the program. After an introduction to the program, the students will be divided into groups of 2 and have 20 minutes to analyze, synthesize, remix, design and manipulate the geometric shapes of the juice boxes in the program. This will help them identify the geometric defect of the juice box whose straw is too short and always falls inside the box.

After the students have identified the geometric defect of the juice box, they will show their drawings to prove the defect to the class and discuss how they reached their conclusion.

The next day, the pairs of students will determine the solution to the geometry of the defective juice box (i.e.: the straw needs to be a defined length longer in order to for the top to remain exposed) and design the shape of the new juice box in GeoGebra. The students will create a letter to the manufacturer of the juice box company providing them a solution for the defect. ||
 * Introduce and Model New Knowledge || The teacher will present sample geometric shapes of juice boxes in GeoGebra and give them a tutorial on the use of the software program. The students will also be provided with a superior juice box from a different company that is not defective and works properly. ||
 * Provide Guided Practice || Each student will be asked to research juice box websites so they can determine the different geometric shapes in which they are designed and made. ||
 * Provide Independent Practice || Each student will independently design their own juice box based on the research and practice in determining the most effective shape for a juice box for kids. They will be able to determine what their most important factor is in designing their perfect juice box; preventing spillage, ergonomically designed, ease of assembly, etc. ||


 * Assessment**
 * Formative/Ongoing Assessment || Observe by walking around to the different groups of students and offering encouragement and guidance and ideas; asking the students if they have a good understanding of the solution to the defective juice box; making sure they understand the lesson and the objectives ||
 * Summative/End of Lesson Assessment || Evaluate whether or not the students depicted geometrically sound juice box shapes and accomplished the design factor that was most important to them in the subject matter.


 * Was the analysis of the defective juice box accurate?
 * Was the student competent in the use of the software program?
 * Did the student work well with their partner?
 * Did the letter of recommendation accurately describe the defect and solution?
 * Did the students design a drawing that accurately matched their most important factor? ||

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 * Materials**
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