Chapter 7 (post 6)

Chapter 7

Make a list of the sequence of skills necessary for ultimate mastery of the content of your lesson through a constructivist approach. 

Which of these learning activities/skills lend themselves to student’s individual or group construction?  How might you structure learning activities that lead students to discover these skills/these principles?

The lesson that my group chose to focus on in class was teaching time to a group of first graders. They will learn how to tell time on a digital and analog clock to the hour and half hour. 

•        The first activity we would do is create their own clocks using small paper plates and writing the numbers so the children have a better grasp of the location and the rotation of the numbers on the clock. 
•        We would then talk about the mind hand and the hour hand that are on a clock and discuss how time is read by using the term “o’clock” when referring to the hour.
•        After practicing telling time on small manipulative clocks and their hand made clock, we would practice making the time with our bodies. This would be done in groups with one person being the hour hand and another being the minute hand.
•      Children can practice telling time with a more skilled peer and then make a bridge when they believe they have shown the correct answer on their clock.
•        The final step would be to assess the children’s knowledge by doing a worksheet and the teacher walking around the classroom assessing the children’s understanding.
•        A final culminating activity would be to have the children document and create a daily schedule by drawing the time on an analog clock and representing it digitally and displaying it in the room. When transitions and activities occur children will take note and create the schedule.

When creating their own clock that will be an individual project that the children can take ownership in and will keep at their desk to refer to when they need it. A group/partner activity is creating the times with their bodies and working together to demonstrate the correct time in groups of three-four children. The children will also work together to create the daily schedule and apply the skills that they have learned over the week.