2016 Lesson Plan Format

EDEL 320 Core Teaching Skills

Kansas State University
Your Name: Aly Daniels
Grade Level: 1st
Lesson Title: The Length of Nature
Date Taught: N/A
Subject:
Math
Length of Lesson (minutes): 40 Minutes
___________________________________________________________________________
STANDARD:

DOMAIN: Measurement and Data 1.MD

CLUSTER: Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
STANDARD: Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by
using a third object
FOCUS OF DAILY LESSON: To learn how to order and compare objects of different lengths
indirectly.
IMPORTANCE:

This standard is important because students will be able to determine size of objects
without a measurement tool, which is often more practical. The students can then
determine the size of something such as, the desk five pencils long.
This standard is important because the students will be able to observe which objects are
bigger or smaller by only using the objects available. This is important because then
students can determine which fruit is bigger at the supermarket, or which shoe is bigger.
The students are in the preoperational understanding of measurement because they are
only looking at one feature of measurement in order to organize and sort the objects

RELEVANCY:

This standard is relevant because the students can then determine which fruit is bigger at
the supermarket, or which candy bar is bigger. This can help them to make the correct
decision on what will benefit them the most. Another reason the standard is relevant is
because then the kids can determine who is taller, or who has a bigger shoe size. Being
able to determine this is beneficial for them because it is something fun that they enjoy
knowing and being able to understand.

OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to rearrange three objects by decreasing
length.
By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to identify the larger of two objects,
using a third object.

MATERIALS:

The book the Best Bug Parade

Access to outdoors
Printable Action Cards
o Find something shorter than your foot
o Find something longer than this stick
o Find something shorter than your finger
o Etc.
3 Leaves of Different sizes for Seven groups
3 Rocks of Different Sizes for Seven Groups
3 Sticks of different Sizes for Seven Groups
Unifix Blocks
Worksheet (with blanks for length of each object)
Timer
Checklist of Materials

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How would you describe the longest bug on this page? (Beginning) (Understand)
What examples can you find of objects shorter than your foot? (Middle) (Understand)
How would you identify which rock is the shortest? (Middle) (Remember)
How did you determine which stick is the longest? (End) (Analyze)
How did you compare the length of two objects? (End) (Analyze)

BEGINNING OF THE LESSON:

The teacher will read the students the short story of the Best Bug Parade. During the story the
teacher will ask the students how would you describe the longest bug on the page? How would you
describe the shortest bug on the page? The teacher will tell them to put together the Unifix blocks to
show how long the longest bug is. Then the teacher will have the students put together the Unifix blocks
to show how long the shortest bug is, and compare the amounts of blocks they used for each bug length.
Once they finish the book and the block activity, the teacher will tell them that they are going to learn
about length and measurement. Once they finish the discussion, the teacher will tell the students, to get
ready, and lets go outside and explore measurement through nature. The teacher will say lets see if we
can apply measurement to the world around us.
MIDDLE OF THE LESSON:
The teacher will tell the students to line up to go outside. While the students are lining up, the
teacher will grab the action cards, and the Unifix blocks. Once the students have lined up, the teacher will
tell the students that once they get outside, they need to stand by the tetherball pole and wait for further
instruction. Once everyone is outside, the teacher will split the students into groups of four. After the
students are in their groups then the teacher will start to explain the game. The teacher will tell the
students that they are going to use action cards to learn about measurement. However, there are some
rules. The first rule is that the students cannot go past a certain point, specified by the teacher. Anyone
who goes past that point can no longer play the game, and they will have to wait and measure the objects
that there teammates bring back. Another rule is, no fighting over an object. The next rule is that you can
only bring back one object. The final rule is, have fun and be safe. If these rules become a problem, then
the students can no longer play the game. The game is called action cards. The teacher will yell out
something like Find something shorter than your foot, or Find something longer than your finger.
Then the students will get one minute to go out and find something that meets the description. The
students bring back what they find and the team receives a point for every object they have that meets the

description. The team with the most points at the end wins. The teacher will draw five to six action cards
and that will be the length of the game. Once the game is complete then the teacher will ask the students
questions like WHAT EXAMPLES DID YOU FIND OF OBJECTS SHORTER THAN YOUR
FOOT? The teacher will also ask the students, HOW DID YOU COMPARE THE LENGTH OF
THE TWO OBJECTS? The students will then answer those questions, then the students will begin the
next activity. For the next activity the students will stay in their groups. They will have five to ten minutes
to explore the playground. Their groups must find three sticks of different lengths, three rocks of different
lengths, and three leaves of different lengths. The same rule applies from above for how far the students
can venture. The teacher will give them time and once all of the groups return then they have an
assignment to complete. The teacher will have extra sticks, rocks, and leaves, just in case a group cannot
find all of the materials. Once the students return they will be given a worksheet. The worksheet will have
a section for stick, rocks, and leaves. There will be the words shortest and longest and a blank next to
each section. The teacher will then explain their objectives. The students will have to put the objects in
order from shortest to longest. After they have the objects in order then they must raise their hand and the
teacher will come by and check their work. Once the teacher has approved their work, then the students
need to measure the longest and the shortest object using the Unifix blocks. The teacher will tell the
students to get as close as they can to the exact length using the blocks. Then the students will measure an
object with the Unifix blocks and record the number of Unifix blocks in the blank on the worksheet. The
teacher will go around to each group and ask the students HOW WOULD YOU IDENTIFY WHICH
ROCK IS THE SHORTEST? The teacher would then explain that the shortest object would be the
least amount of Unifix blocks long. After each group completes the worksheet, then the teacher will ask
the students to gather in close, this is when she would begin to wrap up the lesson.
Instructional Strategies: (Academic Games) (Cooperative Learning)
END OF THE LESSON:
At the end of the lesson the teacher will tell the students what a great job they did today learning
about measurement. Then the teacher will ask the students questions that will help them to review and
understand the work that they completed today. The first question will be, HOW DID YOU

DETERMINE WHICH STICK IS THE LONGEST? Then the students will provide
different answers. Next, the teacher will ask the students HOW DID YOU COMPARE THE
LENGTH OF TWO OBJECTS? Then the students will provide various answers. Then the
teacher will say that they did a great job learning how to arrange objects by decreasing length,
and also being able to identify which object was the largest. Then the teacher will tell the
students that this lesson is building up to the lesson next class, which will be about measuring
objects by whole length units, instead of just comparing sizes. Then the teacher will say that the
ability to measure by comparison or exact length is useful in life because it allows you to
determine who is taller, and various comparisons such as, which fruit is bigger when you are
grocery shopping. Finally, the teacher will pass out an exit ticket to each student. The exit ticket
will contain two questions. The first question will ask the students to circle, which bug is longer
between the two. The next question will ask the students to order the objects from shortest to
longest by labeling the shortest object 1, the next longest object 2, and the longest object 3. The
teacher will then collect the exit tickets and use the students answers to determine if they are
ready to move on to the next measurement objective. If the scores are not almost all one hundred
percent, then the objectives from the lesson today need to be retaught.