Swimmy's Friends

Designed by: Christine LeBlanc, A.C. Moore Elementary

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten             SUBJECT: Math

CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:

Develop and justify appropriate strategies for solving problems such as: graphing, estimating, patterning, charting, listing, and drawing pictures (KPS1-3)

Explore length and height of objects. (KME5-1)

Explore linear measurement with non-standard and standard units. (KME5-2)

Describe quantitative relationships found in the real world using language (such as more, less, same) (KPF1-5)

Demonstrate knowledge of whole numbers up to 10 with manipulatives such as: modeling, counting, estimating and checking, recognizing and matching sets reading and writing numbers, ordering, comparing (KNR1-5)

OVERVIEW: Students will read the story, Swimmy by Leo Lionni . This story describes a group of small fish working cooperatively to swim in the shape of a large fish to avoid the dangers in the ocean. Students will replicate the fish's swimming pattern as they explore measuring their own handprint. Students will explore the linear measurement of their hand including the length, width and perimeter and area. Students will estimate how many goldfish crackers they would need to construct a larger fish the size of their hand. After constructing their fish, students will compare their estimate and actual number using words such as more, less, and same. Finally, students will use digital cameras to take photographs of their fish. They will use the photographs to compare and contrast each other's fish to further explore the concept of more, less and same.

FOCUS/ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):

Estimate how many goldfish it would take to measure your hand?

How many did it actually take?

Compare your estimate and actual number. Are the numbers the same? Which number is more(greater) or less?

Who used the most goldfish in the class? Who used the same number of goldfish? Who used less goldfish?

TIME FRAME: Two forty-five minute lessons.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:

construction 
paper 
scissors 
crayons/pencil 
goldfish crackers 
digital camera 
printer 
poster paper 
markers

Books:

Swimmy , by Leo Lionni 
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss 
Fish Eyes, Lois Ehlert 
Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister

Software:

Freddi Fish Bailey's Math House

Internet Connections:

http://www.seaworld.org 

http://www.allaboutnature.com/coloring/f.shtml

CULMINATING ASSESSMENT:

Teacher observation of objectives and student's ability to collect data, and make observations comparing and contrasting data.

Swimmy's Friends Rubric 
Student develops and applies strategy to use crackers to measure the length, width perimeter and area of the handprint:

+Student counts and records the number of goldfish required to measure the handprint with 100% accuracy / Student counts and records the number of goldfish required to measure the handprint with 75% accuracy . Student is unable to count and record the number of goldfish used to measure of the handprint.

Student compares estimate and actual numbers using words such as more, less or the same: + Student compares numbers using words such as more, less or the same with 100% accuracy / Student compares numbers using words such as more, less or the same with 75% accuracy . Student is unable to compare numbers using words such as more, less or the same.

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Read the story Swimmy, by Leo Lionni and discuss how the fish cooperated by swimming together to give the illusion that they were one big fish instead of many little fish. Explain to the children that they will replicate this idea using their handprint as an outline of a bigger fish and goldfish crackers to represent the smaller fish. Inform the children that the purpose of the activity is to explore ways of measuring the size of objects and that sometimes we use different tools to get this information.

Working in pairs, direct the children to help each other trace their hand (with fingers held together) on to a piece of construction paper, cut out the hand print and write their name on the paper.

Children, with partners, will discuss and choose either large or small goldfish crackers. Pass out bowls of crackers to each group and ask students to examine one cracker and the handprint. Allow the children to freely explore the crackers and handprint. (Management Hint: Establish rules for handling the goldfish. ex: take only a few crackers at a time, keep the goldfish on the table, do not eat the crackers until activity is finished, throw out crackers that fall on the floor.) Generate ideas of what might be measured on the handprint and estimate how many crackers will be needed to accomplish activity. Model the procedure for measuring the length of a handprint and allow students to measure their own handprint. Students will discuss with their partners and with the class the amount of crackers it actually took, who used the most crackers, the least, the same. Repeat procedure measuring the width and perimeter of the handprint.

Use the same process for measuring the area of the handprint: however, this time ask the students to record the numbers of their estimate and actual number of goldfish used(Hint: Writing the number and circling it can serve as the eye of the fish later and make it easier to locate the number).

Assist the students in taking a photograph of their fish with a digital camera. Print and display the photographs of the fish. Discuss similarities and differences between the fish. Encourage the students to compare their fish to others using language such as more (greater), less, same (equal). Finally, instruct the students to put the fish in order based on the number of goldfish used. The pictures can be attached to a poster sequenced by size and number of goldfish used and displayed in the hall. Students will use the same procedure to measure objects in future lessons.

Practice and Enrichment:

Repeat the lesson using other materials. For example marine animal crackers are now available. Students can explore what happens when you measure the same object using different tools.

Create a huge fish using a group of children as the individual fish. Have the children explore what happens as they move together as a group. Incorporate different words for the group to move to such as glide, quickly, slowly, bending, under, over, quietly, slowly, etc. Discuss the value of cooperation.

Investigate the relationship of shape to the movement of objects through water. Provide a tub of water and a variety of objects with different shapes and sizes, including some plastic marine animals. Have the students maneuver the objects in the water and discuss what happened and which objects moved with the least resistance.