Teacher Page - ePortfolio

Introduction

This eportfolio has been designed to engage year three students in the using units of measurement and shape strands of the mathematics component of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2016).

The purpose of MUSTANG:

Students receive information explaining that this year was the first time ever a Ford Mustang was released in Australia. The students are then assigned the important task of designing the new 2018 model Mustang. The students are to present their ideas through making a model of what they would like the next mustang to look like, using their previously learnt knowledge of shapes and soon-to-be-acquired knowedge of units of measurement.

Prior Knowledge

The students will revisit and develop their prior knowledge of three-dimensional shapes, the nets of three-dimensional shapes and constructing three-dimensional shapes (ACARA, 2016). The shapes that will be mainly concentrated on are cubes, prisms, spheres and cylinders.

New Knowledge

The students will be introduced to using scaled instruments with standard units of measurement to measure lengths (ACARA, 2016). The students will be presented with some real life situations where the use of scaled instruments makes the task easier to accomplish.

Learners

The MUSTANG learning path has been developed for a grade three class attending a school of around 600 students located in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. The class is twenty-five in number, with students being mixed in terms of gender and ability level. Some students are quite advanced readers and mathematicians while most students are regarded as the average year three student. Two of the students have a mild learning disability. The class has access to iPads for one session a day and two computers are situated within the classroom.

*Explain to students that if they are having difficulty reading or understanding the student pages they can ask the person next to them for help. If that is not satisfactory then ask the teacher*

Proficiency Strands

The MUSTANG learning path has been created to meet the year three mathematics proficiency strands found in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2016). The students will explore the content of the MUSTANG learning path through:

Understanding	Fluency	Problem-Solving	Reasoning
Using numbers to represent the lengths that the studuents measure using standard units of measurement. Applying their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes and find a relation to the real life context.	Recalling units of measurement for specific puposes, the measurement process and the related concepts. Identifying and constructing three-dimensional shapes.	Using knowledge of measurement and three-dimensional shapes to solve a real-life situation.	Generalising the efficiency of using standard units of measurement and the uses they have with three-dimensional shapes.

Standards

The standards for this learning path have been sourced from the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics at the year three level (ACARA, 2016).

Prior Knowledge

Measurement and Geometry: Shape

Customised Content Descriptor: Make models of three-dimensional objects, describe its key features and explain a real-life application of the shape (ACMMG063 )

Customised Elaboration: Exploring the creation of three-dimensional objects through using the nets of the shapes to make models.

New Knowledge

Measurement and Geometry: Using units of measurement

Customised Content Descriptor: Use scaled instruments with standard units of measurement to measure and compare lengths (ACMMG061 )

Customised Elaboration: Recognising the importance of using common units of measurement compared to informal methods.

Student Learning Outcomes

In concluding the MUSTANG learning path, the students should be able to:

Identify three-dimensional shapes and descibe their key features.
Construct three-dimensional shapes with a provided net.
Create their own net for a three-dimensional shape.
Compare different lengths using non-standard and standard units of measurement.
Show the difference between millimetres (mm), centimetres (cm) and metres (m).
Use measurement to create three-dimensional shapes with a specific dimensions.

Process

Teaching Strategies:

Students are to be active members in learning and have the opportunity to engage with some hands on materials as well as the visual and aural stimulants provided through the online learning path.
Gradually build on the complexity of tasks.
Relatively simple language used within the learning path for all students to understand. The teacher provides reading support for those in need. The class can read difficult sections together.
Individual and collaborative tasks.
Concise instructions.
Emphasis on student-dircted learning.

Step number and activities	The students' role:	The teacher's role:
Step 1: Students revisit their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes through watching a short video, engaging in a game and making some three-dimensional (3D) shapes.	Students individually watch the video and tackle the educational game. They will work as a team to make some three-dimmensional (3D) shapes from their nets and to create some of their own nets of shapes. The students will refer back to the rubric to ensure they are on track with what they are learning.	The teacher provides the students with the nets of some three-dimensional (3D) shapes. The teacher checks how the students are building their shapes and provides assistance when required.
Step 2: Studentsfind the importance of using standard units of meaurement.	Students watch a video to remind them how to measure informally. Then then measure their desks with their pencils and compare their answers, finding many inconsistencies. The students watch a video showing the standard units of measurement. The students measure their desk using a formal method and discuss their answers, finding some accuracy in this method.	The teacher monitors the measurement process and provides assistance when required.
Step 3: Students gain a solid understanding of the difference between centimetres and millimetres.	Students interact with an online game that asks them to identify certain lengths on a ruler, showing the difference between centimetres and millimetres. They also engage with an online game that asks them to meausre objects with a metre ruler. The students also complete a worksheet asking them to decide if objects should be measured with millimetres, centimetres or metres.	The teacher monitors how well the class is coping with the content and helping when needed, The teacher discusses the students' answers to the worksheet with the students.
Step 4: Students learn how to measure the nets of three-dimensional shapes so that when the shapes are constructed they are a certain size.	Students work through the content individually. They will measure they net of a cube and share what they think the dimensions will be. They then construct the cube and measure its dimensions, comparing it to what they initially predicted.	The teacher ensures the students understand the task and provides help when constructing the cubes.
Step 5: The Assessment. The students make a design to submit to the Ford Mustang engineering crew for the creation of the next Mustang.	The students collaborate with a partner to use the provided nets to create a model car. They measure the nets to make sure they will fit together in proportion with one another. Then the students constuct the shapes and glue them together to make their car. The students complete the assessment by videoing themselves describing why they used those specific shapes on their design.	The teacher esures the students understand the task and provides the nets of the shapes to the students. The teacher provides assistance with the recordings if necessary.

Resources

All of the materials required for this learning path have been made accessible throughout the eportfolio and within this section. The teacher will need access to a computer, printer, stickers, cardboard for nets and hard copies of the worksheets.The students will require computer or iPad accessibility, pencils, erasers, sharpeners scissors and glue.

The following provides links to the online and off-line resources found within the eportfolio.