Taking Shape
Math Strategy: Visualize, Verbalize, Verify
Math Strand: Geometry and Spatial Sense
Overview:
Wondering how to prepare students to be ready for the next 10 months of math? Try this activity to support spatial visualization skills, listening skills, expressive skills, math language, and prepare students to begin to give feedback (How am I doing at this, how are you doing at this, where do we go to next to improve our ability to do this?). This game will naturally promote the development of “Where to Next” thinking.
How 'Taking Shape' supports student learning:
This spatial thinking activity, from Taking Shape: Activities to Develop Geometric and Spatial Thinking is designed to improve students mental imagery abilities (visualization). It requires students to visualize before acting on a prompt. This strengthens their ability to move shapes in their mind. As noted by the authors of Taking Shape, it will allow students to form and manipulate shapes in their mind to develop their spatial visualization skills. The authors note, “children with strong visualization skills perform better in a number of academic domains, and specifically in science and math”. Visualization is a critical math skill that is useful in problem solving and in each math strand. Through the video, students are encouraged to visualize, verbalize, and verify. This process will support students efforts in problem solving.
As a bonus side to this activity, students will be able to realize the importance of clear, specific instructions. They can also be encouraged to use math language. As well, they will identify the need to listen clearly to find success.
Where to Next?
After re-creating this activity with a peer, students will be able to note a difference between peer directions and the model in the video. This is a perfect opportunity to naturally identify success criteria. Once students know what needs to happen they will be able to give feedback to their peers and themselves about communication in a math class (listening and expressing).
After the activity “Will your students be able to identify the need to listen with intent? Will they be able to tell a peer what they can do to give clearer instructions? Will they improve their visualization skills?”
Disclaimer - if you use the whole video students will want to spin the created shape. If you don’t want this to happen do not show the section where the final product is shown. You can build your own to use as a comparison
Share your classroom experiences with Taking Shape with us on Instagram and Twitter at @LKelempro #EngageLK or write a comment below!
This spatial thinking activity, from Taking Shape: Activities to Develop Geometric and Spatial Thinking is designed to improve students mental imagery abilities (visualization). It requires students to visualize before acting on a prompt. This strengthens their ability to move shapes in their mind. As noted by the authors of Taking Shape, it will allow students to form and manipulate shapes in their mind to develop their spatial visualization skills. The authors note, “children with strong visualization skills perform better in a number of academic domains, and specifically in science and math”. Visualization is a critical math skill that is useful in problem solving and in each math strand. Through the video, students are encouraged to visualize, verbalize, and verify. This process will support students efforts in problem solving.
As a bonus side to this activity, students will be able to realize the importance of clear, specific instructions. They can also be encouraged to use math language. As well, they will identify the need to listen clearly to find success.
Where to Next?
After re-creating this activity with a peer, students will be able to note a difference between peer directions and the model in the video. This is a perfect opportunity to naturally identify success criteria. Once students know what needs to happen they will be able to give feedback to their peers and themselves about communication in a math class (listening and expressing).
After the activity “Will your students be able to identify the need to listen with intent? Will they be able to tell a peer what they can do to give clearer instructions? Will they improve their visualization skills?”
Disclaimer - if you use the whole video students will want to spin the created shape. If you don’t want this to happen do not show the section where the final product is shown. You can build your own to use as a comparison
Share your classroom experiences with Taking Shape with us on Instagram and Twitter at @LKelempro #EngageLK or write a comment below!
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