Lesson Plan: Classify
Unit of
Work/Topic:
Thinking
Maths
Yr Group:
Class/Set:
Number of
lessons:
National Numeracy Strategy – Using and applying mathematics and thinking skills
Thinking skills underpin using and applying mathematics and the broad strands of problem solving, communication and reasoning. Well-chosen mathematical activities will
develop pupils’ thinking skills. For example, you might devote occasional stand-alone lessons to an investigation of a problem. Used well, this approach can focus pupils’
attention on the ‘using and applying’ or thinking skills that they have used so that they can apply these skills more generally in their mathematics work. Reasoning skills enable
students to give reasons for opinions and actions, to infer and deduce, to make informed judgments and decisions, and to use precise language to reason.
CAME:
Thinking Maths lessons are characterised by two distinctions from existing good practice. While each TM lesson has a clear agenda involving fundamental concepts in
mathematics, the lesson does not focus directly on pupils learning these concepts, but rather on them ‘struggling on the way’ towards the concepts. The emphasis is on pupils in
small groups, individually or in whole-class discussion, producing formulations and gaining insights at different levels of complexity, all related to the concepts. The outcome of the
lesson is the thinking process and the sharing of ideas rather than the specific knowledge and skills themselves.
The teacher in a TM lesson ensures a common understanding of the task and clarity of the challenge points at the outset, rather than allowing varied interpretation of the task and
varied lines of enquiry, as often occurs in investigative or problem-solving lessons. The choice of appropriate challenge points in terms of the mathematical structure, and the
sharing of pupils’ generalisations around it, constitutes the main developmental episode of the lesson. TM lessons are not a substitute but an addition to the normal diet of pupils’
mathematical experiences, comprising instruction and practice on the one hand, and investigation and problem solving on the other.
Teaching Objectives:
A7 Use correctly the vocabulary, notation and labelling conventions for lines, angles and shapes.
B7 Identify parallel and perpendicular lines; know the sum of angles at a point, on a straight line and in a triangle, and recognise vertically opposite angles.
C7 Use angle measure; distinguish between and estimate the size of acute, obtuse and reflex angles.
D7 Know and use the formula for the area of a rectangle; calculate the perimeter and area of shapes made from rectangles.
A8 Solve geometrical problems using side and angle properties of equilateral, isosceles and right-angled triangles and special quadrilaterals, explaining reasoning with diagrams and text;
B8 classify quadrilaterals by their geometric properties.
C8 Investigate in a range of contexts: shape and space.
D8 Deduce and use formulae for the area of a triangle, parallelogram and trapezium; calculate areas of compound shapes made from rectangles and triangles.
E8 Know that if two 2-D shapes are congruent, corresponding sides and angles are equal.
A9 Know and use the formulae for the circumference and area of a circle.
B9 Distinguish between conventions, definitions and derived properties.
C9 Understand congruence.
D9 Solve problems using properties of angles, of parallel and intersecting lines, and of triangles and other polygons, justifying inferences and explaining reasoning with diagrams and text.
A9A Know the definition of a circle and the names of its parts.
B9A Know that if two 2-D shapes are similar, corresponding angles are equal and corresponding sides are in the same ratio.
Key Vocabulary:
Key Resources:
Prepared by Bedfordshire Numeracy Centre in conjunction with Sally Taverner and the BSIP Thinking Maths Group
Lesson Plan: Classify
Unit of
Work/Topic:
Thinking
Maths
Yr Group:
Class/Set:
Circle, square, parallelogram, triangle, isosceles, right angled, scalene, congruent, trapezium, quadrilateral, acute, obtuse, interior,
exterior, area, perimeter, properties, definitions, derived, similar, rectangle, kite, rhombus, concave, convex.
Number of
lessons:
Printed cards
Main Teaching Activity:
Introduction
This is a group activity for groups of 2, 3 or 4.
Stage 1
It starts with a brain storming session on one particular shape to start the students thinking about the relevant vocabulary, properties and definitions.
Stage 2
Then ask the students to sort the cards into groups of their choosing and to write any key vocabulary on the board as they come across them.
Stage 3
Ask for some feedback on how they decided on their groupings.
Stage 4
Ask them to design a new shape that
1. Fits each group
2. One shape that fits as many groups as possible
3. A Shape that doesn’t fit any of the groups
Ext
Ask students to consider the area or perimeter of each shape
Prepared by Bedfordshire Numeracy Centre in conjunction with Sally Taverner and the BSIP Thinking Maths Group
Lesson Plan: Classify
Unit of
Work/Topic:
Thinking
Maths
Yr Group:
Class/Set:
Number of
lessons:
Prepared by Bedfordshire Numeracy Centre in conjunction with Sally Taverner and the BSIP Thinking Maths Group