Initiating the Excursion
To introduce this excursion, distribute two coffee stirs and one twisty tie to each student. Demonstrate how to attach the stirs together with the twisty ties to create a moveable angle manipulative. Students should use these twist ties to produce angles and measures of 45 and 90-degrees. This will help them understand the relationship of the angle to the shape of the triangle.
Distribute a copy of the My Triangles Activity Sheet to students and ask them to draw the different types of angles they created using the
manipulative.
Once the angles have been illustrated on the activity sheet, discuss the properties of the different triangles, and ask students to share their triangles with the class.
Developing the Excursion
Place students into teams of two and distribute a Make My Path Activity Sheet to each group.
If this is the first time your students have used the Hiding Ladybug Applet, you should provide a brief overview of the four directional
buttons used to navigate the ladybug at the interactive applet. It is important for students to understand how clicking each of the buttons affects the direction of the ladybug. Remember to include movements for left, right, forward and backward. (See directional figures below). Students should also review strategies that can be used to help the ladybug turn corners.
|
move
backward
|
move forward
|
45 degree |
90
degree
|
After students understand how to manipulate the directional buttons, they should visit the Hiding Ladybug Applet.
Working together, partners share the responsibilities of "Mouse Driver" and
"Reader/Recorder." The "Reader/Recorder" will read the directions from the activity sheet and record observations while guiding the activity. The "Mouse Driver" controls the action of the mouse and movement on the computer screen.
Partners should switch roles until all have moved the ladybug.
Demonstrate that two "small turns" (45-degrees) are required to equal a "big turn". Ask students to predict how many corner-turns are required to equal a "big turn" (90-degrees).
Students should experiment with specific strategies to plan the route for the ladybug to reach the leaf, based on an understanding of the 45 and 90-degree options that are available on the applet. As the students are developing
solutions for the ladybug to hide under the leaf, the following guided questions will encourage reflection.
Closing
Now that the students have experimented with the ladybug applet, distribute the Make My Path Activity Sheet to each member of the class. The mission is to help the ladybug navigate a path to the leaf using a different route from the one they created on the applet. Ask students to compare their first route
with the second describing the similarities and differences with particular emphasis on the 45 or 90-degree angles.
For example you could have students consider
questions similar to the Questions for Students, as shown below.
