Name-Collection Boxes

Math Lesson 5


NCTM Standards
Number and Operations: Understand , ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems;
            (Grade 3): recognize equivalent representations for the same number and generate them by decomposing and composing numbers.
Number and Operations:  Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another.

NETS Standards

Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively. (Performance Indicator 1)

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (Performance Indicators 3, 4)

Grade level: 3               

Duration: 3-4 days

Objectives: Students will create a name-collection box, processing all of their number research into a PowerPoint presentation.  Third grade students will communicate to second graders, the process of finding other ways to represent the given number.  Students will also revisit estimation strategies and complete the Estimation Station bulletin board with print-outs of the presentation.

Materials: One computer per student, digital video projector, printer (color optional), one storyboard planning worksheet per student, bags of objects from estimation bulletin board.

Preparation: Connect personal computer to digital video projector and place in a spot where all students can see PowerPoint presentations.  Take Ziploc bags of objects off of Estimation Station bulletin board and give to respective students.  

Procedures: The lesson begins by asking students to share any interesting information they found during the research of their number.  Revisit any startegies discussed during the previous lesson to formulate new representations of each number.  Explain to the students that they will be making a Name-Collection Box with the facts they have gathered on their numbers.  Remind students what a name-collection box is, and explain that by using PowerPoint, they will be creating and presenting the boxes in a number of slides.  Discuss how this might be possible and address similarties and differences between creating a Nmae-Collection Box on paper, versus a Power Point presentation.  

Give students a Power Point planning storyboard to plan out each slide prior to spending time in the computer lab.  Give students an adequate amount of time to sort through their data and organize it.  If necessary, give students labels to identify the focus of each slide, such as "multiplication facts", "subtraction facts", "interesting facts", etc.  Encourage students to plan out their dialogue for use in presenting their finished product.  "What will you say as each slide is presented on the screen?  How will you communicate to the second grade what the information means and/or how you figured that out?"  

As students become ready to move on to the computer lab, instruct them to open Microsoft Power Point, new presentation.  Students will create their name-collection presentations at this time.  Insert digital photographs (taken in lesson 3) into each child's array slide.  When it is clear that each student has completed the presentation with accuracy, promote the use of the design template and slide transition features of the program.  Encourage students to experiment with sound effects for each slide and embrace creativity and diversity among projects.  When students are satisfied with their name-collection presentations, allow them to run the slideshow and practice dialogue along with the presentation. Save each presentation to an accessable file.  Print each of the presentations (2 slides per page) to attach to the Estimation station bulletin board, under each corresponding object.  This may take more than one class session to complete.

Connect the digital video projector to one personal computer.  Students will access their file, and run through the slideshow for second graders, using it as a presentation to show what they have learned about multiplication, estimation, arrays, and representing large numbers.  As each student presents his/her findings, they will remind second graders of the estimation activity they did (see lesson 3), and reveal the number of items actually in the bag.

Assessment of Objectives: An informal assessment will be made during discussion of research techniques and findings.  Usage of Power Point software will be evaluated during circulation in the computer lab.  Final presentations will be critiqued for accuracy, depth, and difficulty, and also how well third graders communicated information to the second grade through their name collection box.