- Lesson Plan Title: Grade 1 Mathematics: Exploring Growing Patterns
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Materials Needed:
- Coloured counting blocks available in classrooms
- Pencil and paper for recording and drawing
- Smartboard or chalkboard with chalk or markers for visual demonstrations
- Learning Objectives:
- Recognise, identify and describe growing patterns in sequences of objects.
- Extend a growing pattern by adding or removing objects.
- Draw and explain a growing pattern using various shapes.
- CAPS Curriculum Vocabulary:
- Pattern: A repeated design or sequence.
- Growing pattern: A pattern that grows by increasing or decreasing with each repetition.
- Sequence: The specific order in which objects are arranged.
- Repeat: To do something multiple times.
- Increase: To add more and make larger.
- Prior Knowledge:
- Learners have exposure to basic shapes and colours.
- Learners can recognise and count number sequences up to 20.
- Anticipated Misconceptions and Remediation Strategies:
- Misconception: Difficulty understanding the abstract concept of growing patterns.
- Remediation: Utilise tangible objects and visual displays to clarify concept. Reinforce pattern recognition before introducing growth concept.
- Beginning Activities (3 min):
- Begin with a brief review of the concept of patterns and sequences, utilising basic shapes and colours.
- Introduce the concept of a growing pattern with a clear and simple demonstration (2 min).
- Middle Activities (30 min):
- Explicit Teaching (8 min): Exhibit growing patterns using block towers of incrementally increasing size. Highlight the growth concept by adding an extra block in each sequence.
- Collaborative Practice (11 min): Assisting learners as they experiment with creating their own growing block patterns.
- Individual Practice (11 min): Instruct learners to independently represent their growing pattern on paper using a variety of shapes.
- Closing Activities (3 min):
- Summative Activity: Learners articulate their patterns to the class. Motivate learners to spot and describe the growing pattern in their peers’ work.
- Assessment Strategies:
- Formative Assessment: During the collaborative practice, gauge learners’ understanding of and ability to create growing patterns.
- Summative Assessment: Evaluate the learners’ independently created patterns for correct execution of the concept.
- Review Activity Assessment: Use the summative activity to summarise the lesson and confirm learners’ understanding.
- Differentiation:
- Support: For learners needing more assistance, reinforce with additional demonstrations and offer smaller group interactions.
- Extension: Encourage advanced learners with intricate patterns, such as patterns featuring alternating increases and decreases.
- Teaching and Cultural Integration Notes:
- Facilitate understanding by connecting the concept to learners’ daily experiences.
- Consider cross-curricular integration with the Arts: for example, ask learners to express growing patterns through music, dance, or drama.
- Ensure the material and instructional approaches are accessible and inclusive — catering for diverse learning needs.
Reiterate the necessity for a steady lesson pace, and the importance of establishing an environment that accommodates full participation. An engaging and comprehensive exploration of growing patterns will enable our Grade 1 learners to thoroughly understand and appreciate this mathematical concept.