SHAPES, Theyre Everywhere!

Graffiti Cooperative Learning Model

Page 320-323
Kindergarten Mathematics
1. MATERIALS/PREPLANNING

Materials
Chart Paper
Colored Pencils
Markers
Colored Pencils
Student Assessment Worksheets
Shape Worksheets

Vocabulary
Shape
Circle
Triangle
Rectangle
Square
Resemble

2. OBJECTIVE
Students will be able to:
Describe their physical word using geometric shapes: circle, triangle, rectangle and square.
Will identify, name and describe basic 3-dimensional shapes, such as rectangles, squares,
triangles, and circles, presented in a variety of ways.
Will successful communicate with their peers through meaningful relationships and use logic to
understand basic shapes and spatial reasoning of objects in their environment.

State the Cognitive Taxonomy

Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation

Affective Level
Receiving, Organizing, Characterization

Common Core State Standards Mathematics

KG.4 - Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations,
using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and
vertices/corners) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
SL K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and
1

texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

3. ASSESSMENT
When this objective is accomplished, students will be able to identify objects in their surroundings that
have specific shape characteristics. This ability will be assessed through the use of assessments.
Students achievement towards objectives will be assessed through formal and informal methods.
Informal assessment will take place through successful observation of student involvement and
interaction with peers while arriving at the correct answer. Formal assessment will take place at the end
of the unit in the form of a worksheet.
These assessments link and support this theoretical model because students have to analyze material
into parts, determining how parts relate or interrelate to one another or to an overall structure or
purpose. Students are required to evaluate their surroundings by making judgments based on criteria
and standards of the new shapes they have been introduced to. Lastly students are required to put
elements together to form coherent wholes; recognizing elements in our environment as specific
shapes.
4. LESSON OPENING/PURPOSE
Okay boys and girls, today we are going to participate in a cooperative learning experience called
Graffiti. It is called Graffiti because each of you will have the opportunity to write your answers on
piece chart paper that you can see stuck to the walls around our classroom (like graffiti). This lesson
will benefit you because we will be developing our social skills and mastery of academic content
standards at the same time. We will be working in groups of four and identifying what shapes the
objects in our environment are. Remember, it is important that everyone works together, meaning
EVERYONE is an active participant in this activity. I am looking for you guys to support one another!
5. MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING

Motivation will be intrinsic. Students have a natural tendency to want to build meaningful relationships
with their peers. Students will be place in groups where they will be motivated to collaborate and share
their thoughts about the question assigned.
This mode provides students something they need and something they want. Students need to learn
academic content, and most students want to interact with and have meaningful relationships with their
peers.
In order to support motivation to learn, I will emphasize to my students the importance of working
together as a group to achieve the goal of the assignment. I will emphasize the learning outcomes as
extremely beneficial to their learning.

6. LESSON BODY
Step 1

Prepare Graffiti Questions

Questions:
1. What objects in our room resemble the shape of a rectangle?
2. What objects in our room resemble the shape of a triangle?
3. What objects in our room resemble the shape of a square?
4. What objects in our room resemble the shape of a circle?
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Step 2

Divide Students into Groups

I will begin this lesson by splitting my class up into four groups. The number of student groups
will correspond with the number of questions asked. Each group will be responsible for
answering one of the proposed questions. Questions will correspond to their assigned group
number. These groups will support learning goals and intended social interaction goals.
Okay boys and girls; please get into your assigned groups.

Step 3

Explain the Process to the Groups

Today we are going to work in groups to help one another answer the assigned question. These
questions are important because they will help us meet the learning goals for this lesson. We
will learn how to describe our physical world by using our geometric shape vocabulary. This
lesson model is different than any other lesson we have done before. It is called Graffiti
because each of you will have the opportunity to write your answers on piece chart paper that
you can see stuck to the walls around our classroom (like graffiti).
You will begin this activity by responding to the question that corresponds to your group number
in an allotted amount of time. Group #1 will answer question #1, group #2 will answer question
#2, group #3 will answer question #3, group #4 will answer question #4. Then after answering
this question, the group members will cover their answers and proceed to the next question. We
will continue doing this until all groups have responded to all four questions.
Once each group has responded to all of the questions, each group will be responsible for
processing the answers from all groups for the first question answered (group # 1 will
summarize all answers to question #1) and then share the information with the class.
During this summarizing process, students will be asked:
What similarities and differences did you find among all of the answers?
What various objects corresponded with your groups assigned shape?

Step 4

Identify, Explain, and Practice Social Skill

Okay boys and girls, while we do this activity we are going to work on two social skills.
The social skills we will be working on today involve:
Taking turns talking in your group.
Being respectful of one anothers answers and questions.
These social skills are important because all need to be kind to one another. Being respectful of
one anothers answers and not talking while one of your group members is talking are two ways
we can be respectful and show that we are being good listeners. Now I am holding you all
accountable for being respectful students during this activity. Therefore, only one member in
your group should be talking at a time and everyone will be given an opportunity to talk.

Step 5

Distribute Materials

I will distribute drawing and coloring materials to my class for this activity: crayons, markers, and
colored pencils. (Chart paper will already be on the wall). Materials will be needed for students
to share their ideas on the chart paper. I will post the chart paper with the questions on the wall
in the different areas.
Note taking materials (note paper and pencil) for each student will also be distributed in order
for students to take notes on their group members performance and participation.
Step 6

Groups Answer Questions

Groups respond to assigned questions they have been asked on their chart paper. Groups are
careful that their answers are shared, but they do not look at the responses previously written by
other groups. When the time is up, each group covers their responses, moves to another
question, and responds to it. This step is complete when all groups have responses to all the
questions.

Step 7

Groups Process Responses to Questions

Each group will go back to the question they answered first. Group members will read and
review all of the answers written by all the groups. They will then process the responses by
summarizing, analyzing, and synthesizing.

Step 8

Share Information
Once each group has processed the responses to their assigned question. Each group will then
compose posters to share the results of their findings using words and pictures, to the class.

Step 9

Measure Group and Individual Accountability

During this step, I will facilitate the process of measuring individual and group accountability by
asking students to complete a reflection about their work, and their group members work.
Students will engage in self-analysis and reflection to determine and articulate details of the
quality and quantity of their own participation and their peers.

Step 10

Assess Learning
In order to assess learning, I will assign an assessment to measure the attainment of the
lessons academic standards. This assessment will measure individual learning of standards.
Assessment will take the form of an informal assessment in the form of a worksheet; Matching
Shapes Worksheet.

7. Student Work Examples/Technology Support

Attach samples of student work.
Include a variety of levels of performance
Add technology support (ex. www resources/interactive activities etc.)

Reflective Statement for Graffiti Cooperative Learning Model

SLO 3: Employ leadership practices to optimize educational and institutional outcomes.

Relevance: Why is this assignment relevant to demonstrating your competence with this SLO?

This assignment is relevant to demonstrating my competence with the SLO because my lesson
requires students to work together in order to optimize educational and institutional outcomes. With the
Graffiti Model, questions are the foundation of the lesson. Students are presented with questions, and
then asked to develop answers to these questions by working together with the peers to achieve
learning goals for the lesson.

Significance

This lesson models my professional development as an instructional designer because it requires me to

master my strategies as an educator in order to provide my students the opportunity to cooperate
together in an environment that involves (1) positive interdependence, (2) individual accountability, (3)
group processing, (4) promotive interaction, and (5) interpersonal and small-group skills.

This lesson helps students reach levels of deeper learning because it touches on the top levels of their
blooms taxonomy levels towards knowledge attainment; Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Recognize the Details

This lesson encourages learners to elaborate on the questions that they are asked. Students are asked
to describe objects in their environment that they believe fit into the specific criteria. Students are asked
to elaborate, synthesize others information and describe the answer to their initial question.

Language of the Discipline:

During this lesson, students are required to use appropriate language when addressing specifics in the
curriculum; correct shape for describing their object. Students are also required to act as professionals
and use inside voices.

Appropriate execution of this teaching model would be in a kindergarten classroom with a wide range of
student ability and diversity. This lesson requires students to work with each other in groups to
accomplish individual and group learning goals to learn academic content while developing their social
skills. This teaching model is appropriate for students because it allows students to foster positive
development in the following areas: (1) relationships among diverse student populations, (2) student
self-esteem, (3) 21st century skills, and (4) inclusive education.

Adaptations/Accommodations (Advanced, ELD and IEP learners)

This lesson model encourages tolerancethe structured interactions experiences by students

participating in Cooperative Learning model lessons promote the development of cross-racial
friendships. This outcome appears to be true regardless of differences in ability, level, sex, disability,
ethnic membership, social class, or task orientation.

The CCSS are accomplished and supported in this lesson model:

o KG.4 - Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and
orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g.,
7

number of sides and vertices/corners) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
SL K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

.
Link to Theory

This lesson supports the social learning theory in that students learn by observing others. Social
learning theory explains how people learn new behaviors values and attitudes by observing others.

Big Ideas Connection:

1. Learners do not passively absorb information from the environment; rather, they actively work to
make sense of their environment and construct their own, unique understandings of the world.
o

8. Learners benefit from hearing or reading the ideas of others.

o

This teaching model asks students to take content learned, and apply it to the world around
them. By assigning objects they see, to shapes they have learned, they construct new
knowledge and a new way of understanding the world around them.

Students collaborate on their thoughts and ideas and the ideas of others to synthesize
information.

9. Learning is enhanced when learners engage in self-evaluation.

o

Students are requested to assess their involvement and their groups involvement in the activity.

New Learning Sciences Connection:

The New Learning Sciences emphasizes the importance of focusing on learning and innovation skills.
This lesson involves learning and innovation skills that include creativity, critical thinking,
communication and collaboration with their group mates. Students are required to use their critical
thinking skills when identifying objects in their environment that reflect their object assigned. Through
communication and collaboration with their group members, students are required to decipher this
material and use their creativity to come up with a more synthesized response to convey on their poster
board that is presented to the class.

Curriculum Resources:
Kilbane, C.R., Milman, N., Teaching Models: Designing Instruction for 21st Century. (2014). Boston:
Growth Mindset

This lesson helps students develop a stronger growth mindset because it requires students to bring
forth information to the table that they already have by applying it differently. By doing this in a lesson,
students feel important and intelligent, rather than overwhelmed. Students also have the opportunity to
work with their peers, which poses as an internal motivational factor for their achievement. Providing
students this autonomy provides them further interest in what they will be learning. Therefor, they have
a positive attitude and they are much more inclined to participate in their learning experience by
wanting to learn more.

Resources/Technology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU3PsRNNypc

Professional Actions/Areas for Growth

What went well during my lesson was the intensity of student interaction. What worked out well
assigning each group their question and then asking them to share the answers of their initial question
with the whole class. This allowed for all students to participate and allowed me as a teacher to grasp
what areas students are excelling in and what areas need improvement.

Next time I might select more difficult questions for this lesson. Students appeared to understand all the
material well and applied the shapes to their environment seamlessly. Also, in the future, when I have a
chance to use this model in my own classroom, I plan to better implement technology into my
instruction. It would be very beneficial to have a smart board and more resources to teach my students.