Measure It!Length

• Brief description: – Name: Measure it!– Measuring in standard units (cm, mm,

inch.)• Reviewed by Catherine and Shannon.• http://www.funbrain.com/measure/index.html

How the applet works…

How To Play:

1. FunBrain will show you a ruler with a red bar above it.

2. Click on the length of the red bar.

3. You can play with centimeters or inches.

There are levels of difficulty ranging from

1.Easy

2.Medium

3.Hard

4.Super (inches)

Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

1. Easy to use.2. Reinforcing the idea of counting using standard units.3. Allows for choice of difficulty.4. Keeps track of your points- allows you to go back if too challenging.

1. Limited to reading students.2. Too much information on the page (ie. The menu is close to the game- too crowded.)3. The image and font size of words are very small.

Evaluation of Applet• Appropriateness: For the level of student

capabilities this applet is easy to use and provides effective instruction and practice using tools of measurement.

• Conceptual knowledge of measurement: When answers are incorrect they are provided with the correct answer by comparing a visual what they chose with the correct answer.

A Problem-Based Task

Task: How many inches would the red string be if it stretched all the way across your computer screen?

• Connection to the standards and/or big ideas:

– Using standard units to measure and putting an amount to it.

Questions to Ask to Assess and Advance Student Thinking

• Launch : So I notice that the red string stops at 6 inches...

• Explore How long would it be if it stopped there (a point on the screen the student would need to measure up to.)

• Summarize: Students could find out that monitors are different sized, as well as people could have measured using different units! This it what I want to see, the different units, and how we can convert them to make sense in each unit of measurement. ex. Inches, centimeters, millimeters, finger points.

Table of Contents

AREA/PERIMETER

This applet gives student a feel for the relationship between area and perimeter and how the two are inter-related.

Here’s the applet:

Reviewed by Chris

HOW THE APPLET WORKS…

This applet works in two ways. The first allows a student to work with randomly generated images counting the perimeter and the area and putting each into an answer position. The applet then can compare the measures of multiple images for students to notice trends or differences. The second way gives the student a chance to create their own shapes and can show them the areas and perimeters of their own explorations giving them a chance to directly affect the area/perimeter relationship.

ANALYSISStrengths Weaknesses

• Easy to use

• A large catalogue of images

• Small in memory usage so can be run in various functions

• two modes that can be used singly or in conjunction with each other

• Students can create puzzles or each other

• Only uses squares

• Would like to be able to create my own images by inputting area and perimeter

EVALUATION OF APPLET

This applet is produced by Shodor, a well-respected provider of educational materials.

The applet does not allow control by the instructor

There is no licensing needed for the applet, although pulling it off the website requires a little specialize knowledge.

This program will run on Mac or Windows platforms and only requires an updated Java plug-in which is free from Sun Microsystems.

A PROBLEM-BASED TASK Task: Use the applet to create 10 different images and

record their area and perimeter in a T-chart. What observations can you make. Use the applet to answer area and perimeter of 10 generated shapes and record on the same T-chart. Are there similarities/differences? Can you make any generalizations about the relationship between area and perimeter?

Connection to the standards and/or big ideas: Recognize a square that is one unit on a side as the

standard unit for measuring area. (ODE 4.3.3) 4.3.8 Recognize that rectangles with the same area

can have different perimeters and that rectangles with the same perimeter can have different areas.

explore what happens to measurements of a two-dimensional shape such as its perimeter and area when the shape is changed in some way. (NCTM)

QUESTIONS TO ASK TO ASSESS AND ADVANCE STUDENT THINKING

Launch (Task Set-Up): What do you look at to decide perimeter? What kind of piece do you use to figure out area? (squares) What is the perimeter of the square? If I make a larger square of four squares, what is the perimeter/area?

Explore (During Task Implementation): Do you think there is a relationship between perimeter and area? What makes you think that? What happens to the area/perimeter when you a squares? Why do you think there are differences depending on where you add the square?

Summarize (As students share findings, strategies, reasoning, etc.): Can you make any generalizations about perimeter? Area? What about the relationship between them? Do you think these generalizations will always be true or can you imagine a situation where they may not be true?

Table of Contents

ANGLES TURTLE POND

Brief description of the mathematics of the applet

Turtle gets to the pond by directions of going straight, backwards, left and right, as well as turning different directions of angles

Link to websitehttp://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?

ID=83 Reviewed by Tasha and Megan

HOW THE APPLET WORKS…

The student uses the area grid and their knowledge of angles and directions to guide the turtle to the pond.

They have to get around rocks and bushes The goal is to get the turtle there in as few

directions as possible

ANALYSISStrengths Weaknesses

-Good practice counting grid areas

-Fun and uses a turtle (appeals to kids)

-Differentiates by allowing students to control the difficulty

-Good direction building

-Has the possibility of being too easy

-bottom left buttons are confusing unless you click on them

EVALUATION OF APPLET

-gives students a real environment/situation to create a deeper understanding

-The frills end up causing deeper engagement in the content

-The program is very easy and easy to understand, doesn’t cause much frustration

-Students are applying their knowledge of angles, area and direction and how it can apply to a real situation. Wrong answers take the turtle back to the beginning of the maze. There really aren’t any clear direction, that’s a fault of the program

-There are no assessments provided, the teacher would have to create their own. There are many options to change the program and make it easier or more difficult. The teacher would have to create their own record sheet as well, there isn’t one provided.

-There is a small online instruction. It’s low quality because it offers minimal instruction and no trouble shooting assistance.

-The program appeals to all genders and cultures, its about getting a turtle to a pond and who wouldn’t want to help it

-It’s a free internet applet available to anyone who gets on the inspiration website. Yes, our schools have full internet access and computers for an entire class

A PROBLEM-BASED TASK

Task: Get the turtle to the pond in the shortest route, map out route on grid paper, and then use classroom tile floor to re-create the route

Connection to the standards and/or big ideas: MA.04.ME.14 Use referents for U.S. customary measurements to make estimates of length, weight, and volume and evaluate the reasonableness of the estimate (e.g., length of one floor tile and estimate length of classroom). (Some of the skills and concepts in the preceding standard are assessed at the classroom level and others at the state level.)

QUESTIONS TO ASK TO ASSESS AND ADVANCE STUDENT THINKING

Launch (Task Set-Up): Introduce applet and directions of what you are asking students to find out. Model how to transfer the computer screen to grid paper, and then how to measure it out to the tile floor.

Explore (During Task Implementation): Make at least three different routes, and then one final route without the grid lines.

Summarize (As students share findings, strategies, reasoning, etc.): Ask students what strategies they used and to show their routes using the elmo

AnglesTable of Contents