EDUC 2220- Educational Technology

Infant-Pre-K Curriculum Plan: Technology-Based Lesson/Activity

Your Name: Donna Jacoby

Activity Title: Shape Exploration

Number of children participating at one time: 1-10

Ages: 3-5

Activities written for previous classes cannot be re-used and must be the original work of the
student.
Ohio Early
Learning &
Developme
nt
Standards:

Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge

List at least 1
standard that
is addressed
by this
activity. Write
out each
component
completely
and exactly,
as published
in ELDS.

(2) Name three-dimensional objects using informal, descriptive vocabulary (e.g., cube for

Lesson
Summary:

Estimated
Duration:
Preparatio
n of
materials
and
environme
nt:

Strand: Geometry
Topic: Identify and Describe Shapes
Standard Statement: (1) Understand and use names of shapes when identifying objects.
box, ice cream cone for cone, ball for sphere, etc.).
Domain: Cognition and General Knowledge
Strand: Geometry
Topic: Analyze, Compare and Create Shapes
Standard Statement: Compare two-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and
orientations, using informal language.
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce and explore shapes with children. Children will be
finding shapes in their environment and learning to identify them. Children will also be
learning to differentiate shapes based on their size and relation in space. The first day will
be spent observing children and seeing what they already know. The second day I will
begin noticing different shapes throughout the classroom and observing how the children
respond. After the first two days, we will begin concentrating on one shape per day
(Circle/Sphere, Square/Cube, Rectangle, Triangle/Pyramid). After we have finished learning
about these basic shapes, children will create a project in which they use a digital camera
to take a picture where they will then identify 3 of the 5 shapes we talked about. *This
timeline will vary depending on childrens interest and comprehension.
I plan on doing this unit for one to two weeks depending on the childrens interest. I will
spend 15 to 20 minutes a day during the first week and shorten/lengthen it depending on
how the children react/respond the materials and activities.
What preparation is needed? Create QR Code Bingo codes/cards. Create drag & drop
shape sorter. Find/take pictures that have well-defined shapes that can be easily
identified. Cut out construction paper shapes for geometric art collages. Create
geoboard/cards.
What materials will be used? SMART Board, iPad, digital cameras, various art materials.
Books: Circle, Square, Moose by Kelly Bingham, Perfect Square by Michael Hall,
Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
How will the learning environment be set up? Classroom will be set up with new
decorations, relying heavily on geometric patterns/shapes. There will be Magna-Tiles and
different types of blocks/shapes dispersed throughout the room.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1/2: I will be doing pre-assessments and gauging childrens knowledge on geometric shapes. I will
use a checklist and ask each child if they know what each (object) is. I will be observing in the classroom
as children interact with the setup and take notes on what shapes they inadvertently work with. This
might include circular objects such as wheels, mirrors, coins, etc. Square/rectangular objects such as
blocks, tiles, paper, cards, etc.
Day 2/3: The class will be similar to the day before. I will continue to observe the children, but I will begin
to add conversation into the process. When I notice a child exploring a shape, I will ask the child what they
are exploring, and then ask them what it reminds them of. I will then say it reminds me of I will then
grab the iPad so that we can look up the shape and compare how they are similar.
Day 3/4: Before the children come for the day, I will set out different circle-shaped things around the
classroom. When the children come in, there will be circles everywhere. We will have cheerios and
bananas for snack. We will paint using the end of toilet paper rolls. We will read the book Circle, Square,
Moose. We will use the SMART Board to decide whether or not objects look like a circle (Yes or No
columns).
Day 4/5: For the next shape(s), I will also set up the room accordingly: squares/rectangles. We will eat
graham crackers (some square and some rectangular) and applesauce for snack. Read the book Perfect
Square. We will use square and rectangular pieces of construction paper to make a collage. On the iPad,
we will take a picture of our classroom and put it on the SMART Board. We will look for objects that make
squares, rectangles, or circles and trace them using the smart board pens.
Day 5/6: Triangles. I will have the room set up with triangles. The children will have triangle tortilla chips
and hummus for snack. We will read the book The Greedy Triangle. The art project will be using triangle,
square, rectangle, and circle pieces of construction paper to create a piece.
After learning about the four shapes, we will use the SMART Board and iPad to play QR Code Bingo. Use
the SMART Board to drag-and-drop shapes to their respective column.
Day 6/7: After I feel the children are comfortable with identifying shapes on their own, I will have them
take/choose a picture that they want to describe. They will use digital cameras to take their pictures. I
will upload the pictures to my Google account and from there, the children can find shapes in their pictures
and trace them.
Extension
- http://pbskids.org/games/shapes/
PBS Kids is a television channel that specializes in childrens shows and cartoons. The website offers
videos and interactive games featuring characters from the cartoons. The link above goes directly to the
games that involve shapes. This can help my children learn to identify shapes by giving them extra
practice, and it also provides them with the opportunity to increase their computer skills.
Differentiated Instructional Support: Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or
altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated students: Increase the number of shapes introduced in
the unit (diamond, oval, hexagon, octagon). Have child(ren) compare circle/oval, square/diamond.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material: Work one-on-one with the child and provide more/repeated opportunities to explore different
shapes. Use scaffolding comments to direct the childs learning.
Vocabulary: Triangle, Square, Circle, Rectangle, Sphere, Cube, Pyramid, Similar, Different, Shape, Two
Dimensional, Three Dimensional, QR Code
For teachers:
iPad, SMART Board, Computer, Camera, Art Materials, Books, Google account
For students:
iPad, SMART Board, Camera, Art Materials