Task: Flow in A LessonAttach a lesson, and explain how you would modify the lesson so that it encourages flow for the learner. Please describe why it does not currently meet the guidelines for flow, and what specific changes you will make.
Lesson: How Many Cherries?
SCI: Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that vibrating matter creates sound and that sound can cause matter to vibrate.
VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.
VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.
Journal Entry:
This is a kindergarten lesson taken from www.cryaola.com lesson plans. Teaching number decomposition helps build on fact fluency and is a crucial part of math readiness for Kindergarten. I enjoy using the Crayola lessons because they always tap into the creativity that many young children thrive on. However, this specific lesson lacks “flow” that will keep students happily productive.
With a few basic changes this lesson will instantly have more students in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s conditions of flow. During the introduction of this lesson I would present the task as a challenge the students find meaningful. We will be having an end of the year ice cream party and we need to find out how many cherries we will need for a variety of situations (if parents come, if siblings come, if someone wants multiple cherries, etc). Students now feel their hard work of adding cherries has a purpose. During the main lesson I will challenge students to find the answer using a variety of math tools instead of telling how to answer the problem (using manipulatives, counting, drawing, storytelling). Multiple strategies allow students to be challenged but allows them to use their learning style to complete the task. For an assessment I would have students create an “ice cream shop” and model with a partner dishing out cherries for the correct sum and creating addition stories. Students will feel more in control because they are working with another student instead of telling the entire class but excited because they can choose any addition problem they want.
Overall students are in the “flow” because they have purpose with their project since it relates to something happening in the real world. Students feel challenged to use a variety of methods to find their answer. When students create their own ice cream shop they will be excited to try out different number stories with cherries instead of be dictated and told to just draw it on a piece of paper.
Cite:
https://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/how-many-cherries-lesson-plan/
Lesson: How Many Cherries?
- Directions
- Students work together as a class to solve simple word problems involving cherries. Make sketches to use as a tool for solving problems.
- Choose a partner. Select an addition or subtraction problem to illustrate and solve with Crayola® Construction Paper Crayons and construction paper.
- Fold the paper in half. First draw cherries, cherry pies, or cherry trees to illustrate the problem. Use bold crayon numerals and symbols.
- On the other half of the paper draw cherries, cherry pies, or cherry trees to illustrate the solution. Be sure to include the answer to the problem by making it big and bright.
- Standards
SCI: Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that vibrating matter creates sound and that sound can cause matter to vibrate.
VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.
VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.
Journal Entry:
This is a kindergarten lesson taken from www.cryaola.com lesson plans. Teaching number decomposition helps build on fact fluency and is a crucial part of math readiness for Kindergarten. I enjoy using the Crayola lessons because they always tap into the creativity that many young children thrive on. However, this specific lesson lacks “flow” that will keep students happily productive.
With a few basic changes this lesson will instantly have more students in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s conditions of flow. During the introduction of this lesson I would present the task as a challenge the students find meaningful. We will be having an end of the year ice cream party and we need to find out how many cherries we will need for a variety of situations (if parents come, if siblings come, if someone wants multiple cherries, etc). Students now feel their hard work of adding cherries has a purpose. During the main lesson I will challenge students to find the answer using a variety of math tools instead of telling how to answer the problem (using manipulatives, counting, drawing, storytelling). Multiple strategies allow students to be challenged but allows them to use their learning style to complete the task. For an assessment I would have students create an “ice cream shop” and model with a partner dishing out cherries for the correct sum and creating addition stories. Students will feel more in control because they are working with another student instead of telling the entire class but excited because they can choose any addition problem they want.
Overall students are in the “flow” because they have purpose with their project since it relates to something happening in the real world. Students feel challenged to use a variety of methods to find their answer. When students create their own ice cream shop they will be excited to try out different number stories with cherries instead of be dictated and told to just draw it on a piece of paper.
Cite:
https://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/how-many-cherries-lesson-plan/