Autumn Leaves
Duration:
Allow at least four math periods.
Materials:
Leaf samples
from school grounds
Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins
Bar Chart Outline
(on graph paper)
Crayons/Markers
Colored Paper
Glue
Math
Journals
Scissors
Overview:
In this activity the
children will explore the various shapes and patterns of leaves from the
school grounds. Based on the samples collected, the class will determine
four groups into which the pile of leaves will be sorted. The class is
then broken into small groups of 2 or 3 students. Each group will sort
their allocated leaves into the four categories. Each group will make a
bar chart of their sorted leaf samples.
The whole class will come
together and make a bar chart of all leaf samples on an overhead, board or
wall chart. The small group charts will be compared to the class chart to
see any similarities or differences. The lesson will end with the children
discussing the results of the bar graph, making entries into their
journals on their findings and creating a collage of fall leaves from
construction paper.
Vocabulary:
Bar
Chart
Category
Characteristics
Differences
Patterns
Properties
Samples
Similarities
Sorted
Literature
Connection:
Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins. "...This sumptuous
picture book is a primer on tree and leaf identification. Close-up
pictures reveal leaf details, a simple text provides easy clues for
identifying trees ..." This book will help children to see likenesses,
differences, and patterns which are an essential part to mathematical
thinking.
Description:
Period #1: Whole group. Begin by
telling the children that they will be going out as a class onto the
school grounds to collect leaves. They are to collect at least five leaves
each, and the leaves should be as different as possible. Before going out,
read the book Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins to the class. The information
provided in the book will help the students to select different types of
leaves. This activity will take approximately half-hour to 40 minutes.
While the children are outside point out some of the other aspects of
nature -- such as animals, insects, the weather etc. Bring the children
inside and ask them what they saw outdoors that relates to nature. (The
discussion can continue for whatever time remains in the period.) Have the
children place their leaves in one box. This concludes period #1. After
class, place the leaves between the pages of a heavy book to keep them
from curling.
Period #2: Small Groups. Start the second period off
reading the book Autumn Leaves again. The book focuses on origin, types,
shapes of leaves etc. Show and describe to the children the various types
of leaves featured in the book; pointing out the different patterns
(characteristics.) Talk about the origin (i.e., what type of tree the
leaves likely came from.) Discussion Question: Do the trees these leaves
came from exist in Massachusetts? Work with the children and help them to
determine the four groups they will use to chart their samples. What
properties will they use to sort the leaf samples? This part of the lesson
is allocated twenty minutes to complete.
Break the whole group into
small groups of two-three students each. Have one child get the group's
leaf allocation. Instruct the group to sort each of their leaves into one
of the four groups and have another child keep track of the number of
leaves that fall into each category, while another child records the data
in the bar chart outline, on the graph paper. This part of the activity
will take about twenty five minutes and will conclude the second
period.
Period #3: Whole group. At the start of period three, the
entire class will make a bar chart of all the leaf samples. You (the
teacher) will construct this chart on an overhead transparency, on the
board or on a wall chart. Once the class bar chart is constructed, the
individual group charts will be compared to the class chart. Have each
group state the number of leaves they sorted into each category. See if
there are same or different numbers throughout the class. Ask the class
the following discussion questions:
· What do you notice about the
chart?
· What might the bar chart tell you about the trees in our
neighborhood?
· How are the leaves similar?
· How are the leaves
different?
· Which type of leaf appears the most from the class sample
of leaves?
This activity should take the entire
period.
Period #4: Whole group. The final period will be spent
constructing a collage of fall leaves from construction paper. Distribute
the paper, glue and scissors for the whole group. Each student will create
his own collage. This activity will take the entire
period.
Assessment:
Have the children answer the
following open-ended questions in their math journals.
· What
similarities do you see between the whole group chart and your small group
chart?
· What differences do you see?
· What patterns and
relationships do you see?
|