builders inc | strempletechtools

Math Playground: Builders Inc

Curator: Lauren Weller

Name & Link to Tech Tool or Resource homepage: http://www.mathplayground.com/MathApprentice/Builders.html

Brief Description of Specific Math Activity: Students can drag various geometric shapes to a coordinate plane and modify their size. Once a shape is on the grid, the program identifies the shape's perimeter and area. Students can compare perimeters and areas of different shapes and make inferences about the relationship between a shape's size and it's perimeter/area.

EVALUATION

Description of Learning Activity

This activity could be used for finding the area and perimeter of shapes for practice as well as exploring the relationship between different shapes and their perimeters. I could see this game being used by students for both reinforcement and exploration of a new idea.

1. Learning Activity Types

LA-Practice - practicing for fluency (understanding the relationship between dimensions/area/perimeter for various shapes)

LA-Explore - exploring/investigating mathematical ideas

LA-Apply - applying mathematics to problems and situations (Students could be given a task to try to create. For example, find an area of a square with side lengths of 3)

2. What mathematics is being learned?

NCTM Standards

NCTM-Geo-analyze - analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships

NCTM-Geo-specify locations - specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems

VA SOL Strands

8.11 - The student will solve practical area and perimeter problems involving composite plane figures.

Proficiency Strands

PS-conceptual understandingThis activity provides understanding on geometric concepts such as perimeter and area.

PS-adaptive reasoningThis activity allows for opportunities for students to reason with various concepts and to adapt them to new situations that they can create themselves.

3. How is the mathematics represented?

The mathematics is being represented through a virtual manipulative. This activity is a tool in which students can create and manipulate various shapes since it is a visual representation of geometric figures. This representation captures the relationship between a shape's dimensions and its respective area and perimeter.

4. What role does technology play?

This technology's role holds many advantages for its purpose. Students have the freedom to create various shapes and to manipulate them by changing their size. Students are also able to see and instant change in area and/or perimeter as they change the size of the shapes. A disadvantage of this technology is that it restricts students on what types of shapes they may create (square, rectangle, circle, trapezoid, parallelogram, triangle). I think it would have been beneficial if students were able to create other unique shapes to see how the perimeter and area can be calculated and changed with the various shapes. The fact that the website allows students to change size of the shapes that are available, however, allows for a unique learning experience.

Affordances of Technology for Supporting Learning

Computing & Automating - This tool allows for students to learn how to compute area and perimeter based on a shape's dimensions.

Representing Ideas & Thinking - This tool represents area and perimeter in a unique way, and also represents shapes in various ways depending on what the student creates.

Capturing & Creating - Students can create various shapes and designs with the program.

5. How does the technology fit or interact with the social context of learning?

This technology fits with the social context of learning because it can be used by either an individual or a group. The technology seems to primarily support individual work because it can be used on a single computer; however, a small group of people could work together on the computer and collaborate.

6. What do teachers and learners need to know?

Technology skills needed to work the program include basic internet knowledge (to reach the website) as well as working a mouse/trackpad to move the shapes on the grid. Basic geometric skills are needed as well, such as understanding shape terminology as well as what the terms "perimeter" and "area."

7. How could this resource supplement/facilitate PBL?

This resource can be used to supplement or facilitate PBL. Students are asked questions and need to create shapes with different areas/perimeters and these concepts are linked to real-life situations. In order to facilitate PBl with this resource some additional elements are needed, but it is possible.