Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Rachel Swierenga

Date

Subject/ Topic/ Theme Geometry/Composite Figures

Grade 9 - 10

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
This lesson enforces area and perimeter formulas, may introduce new ones depending on students prior knowledge, and gives students a solid foundation on working
with dimensions of two-dimensional figures. Students should be able to calculate area and perimeter to use that in Lesson 2 (Area and Perimeter in the Coordinate
Plane) as well as in Lessons 3-5 because students will work with volume and surface area, so the formulas are similar for two and three dimensions.
cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

Learners will be able to:

physical
development

socioemotional

R U Ap An
U Ap An E
U Ap An C E

Use the Area Addition Postulate to find the areas of composite figures.
Use composite figures to estimate the areas of irregular shapes.
Create composite figures and analyze them

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
CC.9 12.G.MG.1 Use geometric shapes, their measures, and their properties to describe objects
CC.9 12.G.MG.3 Apply geometric methods to solve design problems
21st Century Skills (from skills21.org)
Problem Solving: Experimentation of new and familiar concepts while processing information until a viable solution is reached.
Creativity & Innovation: Exploration of imagination. Refining and improving original ideas.
Collaboration: Working together to share, advocate, and compromise on issues critical to teams success.
Communication: The ability to properly read, write, present, and comprehend ideas between a variety of mediums and audiences.
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Students should know formulas for area and perimeter of rectangles, circles, triangles, and trapezoids,
which were taught in the previous unit. Students should know basic shape properties, and students
should recall the Pythagorean Theorem from first semester.
Pre-assessment (for learning):

Students will complete a warm-up that reviews finding area and perimeter of simple shapes (triangle,
trapezoid, etc.) as well as Pythagorean Theorem. The warm-up will be typed into a Google doc, which
I will go over at the end of the unit (for completion), but the students will be able to ask questions as
they work if they do not understand or remember a concept.
Formative (for learning):

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your

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Students will provide answers to the problems as I walk them through the processes in class. Students
will also list steps for problem solving.
Formative (as learning):

Students will complete a classwork worksheet (either in groups or alone) while I circulate to answer
questions.
Summative (of learning):
Students will continue the class worksheet as a homework assignment that will be checked in class the
next day. Additionally, these concepts will be used in the next lesson, so it will be clear if students did
not fully understand the lesson.
Provide Multiple Means of
Representation
Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible
Students can follow along in the
textbook, or print my PowerPoint
off the blog, and they will look on
the screen as I teach and write on
the board.

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression
Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction
Students may work with partners
on homework/classwork
assignments.

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats
Students can work in groups or
alone on the classwork, students
choose which problems to do

students to do this lesson?

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression

Provide options for sustaining

effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback
Homework will be checked for
completion and questions answered
during the next class

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies
Teachers will walk around to
monitor progress. I will also
explain how these concepts will be
used in future units and how what
were doing now is only a
beginning to the rest of the lessons.

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection
I will ask each student how the
homework went and what concepts
the student did/didnt understand

Remind students of formulas for

perimeter and area; provide
review formulas on the board
Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight
I will work out multiple examples
of problems with student
participation. I will also discuss
vocabulary and highlight important
terms.

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?
How will your classroom
be set up for this lesson?

I will need the composite figures handout (two pages). Students should have laptops (online
textbooks), pencils, and paper. My PowerPoint will be uploaded to the blog, and students can print that
off to write/take notes on it. To present my PowerPoint, I will need the PowerPoint downloaded onto
the teachers computer and I will have it (along with the textbook website to use while answering
homework questions) ready in the morning.
My classroom will be set up with desks facing the front of the classroom. Students will have the
option to look at the screen to the left if they want to. There will be an aisle between every group of
two columns so I can walk through the students.

III. The Plan

Time

Components

:00
:02

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

:12
:17

:20

:23

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Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Say: Good morning! The warm up is on the
Get out laptops, work on warm up on Google doc,
board; please be working on that while I come
have homework out, describe any difficulties with
around and check your homework.
the homework.
Ask individual students: How did the homework
go? Any tough problems? Gauge how well the
students understood the previous nights
homework.
Answer homework questions. (The key for the
homework questions is in the Teachers Edition
Ask: Are there any questions from the warmup?
Provide formulas for areas of shapes when
If yes, go over questions.
prompted.
If none, or after reviewing homework, say: Before
we start todays lesson, lets review some
formulas.
Ask: What is the formula for area of a triangle?
Respond with formulas: Area of a triangle is one
Area of a rectangle? Area of a circle? Area of a
half base times height Area of a rectangle is
parallelogram?
length times width Area of a circle is pi r
squared Area of a parallelogram is base times
height
Ask: Now, what happens if we combine two of
Think about what happens when we have the area
these shapes? What if I put a triangle on top of a of two figures; answer that you should add the
square? What would we do with the area in that areas together
case? This is a composite figureone that is
made up of two or more simple shapes.
Remind: Was it first semester where you talked
Answer that the Area Addition Postulate says that
about the Area Addition Postulate? What does
the area of a region is the sum of the areas of its
that postulate tell us?
nonoverlapping parts.
Ask: So what does that tell us about the area of a Explain that we can add areas of shapes together to
figure?
get the area of a composite figure.

Ask: Can you think of any real-life examples of

Think of and discuss composite shapes theyve
composite figures? I know how when I was little, observed or how one might draw something
I used to draw houses with a square and a
complicated with composite shapes.
triangle.
:27
Switch to Student Edition PowerPoint (found on
Work through examples with teacher, write down
website), work through examples with students.
important notes
Point out possible tricky spots, remind students to
state formulas and use correct units.
If short on time, do not work through all 5
examples just work out ex. 1, 3, 5; talk through
what shapes would be used for ex. 2, 4.
:40
Say: For the last fifteen minutes, you can work
Write down which problems are assigned, move
on this homework sheet. Listen carefully,
desks to work with partners on worksheet.
Closure
because were going to shorten the assignment.
Ask questions if necessary.
(conclusion,
Do all the problems on the first page, pick any
culmination,
two from the second page, pick any three from
wrap-up)
the last page (but make sure one is a circle
problem!), and then do all on the last page,
which are the word problems.
Repeat instructions as needed.
:42 Walk around classroom to answer questions and
:55
check on how students are doing.
Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)
I taught this lesson on March 25, 2015. It was the first lesson I taught and I was also observed while I taught it, so I began a bit
nervously, but I had calmed down enough while answering homework questions that I was able to get into my lesson and enjoy the
teaching and the discussion during it. I decided to do this lesson more traditionallyteacher lecture, some student participation
because I felt that it would be a good way to get concepts across, given that the students were still learning how to use the formulas
and had not dealt with breaking up figures before. I asked the students for examples of composite figures and I received answers like
a person, with lots of rectangles and a circle and a tree, cause you could do a circle and a rectangleI feel that that engaged the
students because I asked for examples from their lives. As I observed when I graded their quizzes (over this section and the next
section) a few days later, the students received what I taught well, even breaking up figures more than necessary, and I saw justified
answers and correct units and methods that I used to teach shown on the quizzes (for example, the way I labeled parts of figures and
then showed work for each part was done by the majority of the students on their quizzes). The students also participated and offered
opinions on which figures we could divide shapes into, as well as giving me formulas when I asked for them. My questions like so
whats our base? Whats the radius? Why isnt this the radius this? etc. were answered, and I had a student ask why we would use
one formula when the other would work just as well, which showed me she was thinking about other options and ways to work the
problems.
I can improve by depending less on the calculator and more on mental math, so the students dont grow as dependent on the
calculator. I also could spend less time working through examples and instead ask, which shapes would we break this into? How
would we do that? Which formulas would we use? but not also go through the process of actually doing it, if the students show that
they understand what were doing. I should have given the students more time to work on the worksheets in class with partners
(which I had wanted to do, but going over the previous homework assignment took more time than I planned).

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