How To Teach Area of a Circle Through Problem Based Lessons
Sneak-a-Peek Into an Online PD Webinar Experience
Both Jon and I have been really enjoying spending time creating videos that unpack effective mathematics pedagogy and help to build the mathematical content knowledge of educators!
This time, we’re going to be exploring how to teach area of a circle through problem based lessons in a developmentally appropriate way.
Not long ago, we gave you a sneak peek into a grade 7 virtual classroom where we emerged Pi (π) through an amazing problem based math lesson called Tile Circle. This time, we’re going to leverage the same context, except we’ll be asking students:
How many tiles will it take to fill the circle?
While students might not realize it immediately, we’ll be uncovering the big idea of area of a circle and emerge the formula by asking them to make estimates and to use their prior knowledge without just gifting them the formula, A = πr^2.
While we’ll be modelling how to teach the area of a circle through this fantastic curious lesson, note that this is plucked from Day 2 (Circumference of a Cirlce) and Day 5 (Area of a Circle) of our 8-day circle measurement unit that you can dig into.
As we do in each problem based math lesson we lead, rather than simply pre-teaching concepts, we’ll be using the Curiosity Path to dive into a context-rich problem.
Watch as we dive into an edited ‘summary’ of this online teacher professional development webinar where we share some of the key parts of the lesson and strategic purposeful questions we can ask students to guide through a productive struggle.
Give a quick watch below and note that all relevant links are located below the video.
Resources Related To The Video
- Dive into the Tile Circle problem based lesson with your students
- Explore our other Problem Based Math Lessons related to circles including:
- Learn how to consistently Make Math Moments in our Academy
Want to Run Problem Based Lessons Without a Hitch In Your Classroom?
Head over to the Make Math Moments 3-Part Framework page to dive right in or click below to download the guidebook to take with you!
DOWNLOAD THE 3-PART FRAMEWORK GUIDEBOOK
Why not bring the 3-Part Framework Guidebook with you?
Download the PDF so you can share with your professional learning network via print or email!
DOWNLOAD THE 3 ACT MATH TASK TIP SHEET SO THEY RUN WITHOUT A HITCH!
Download the 2-page printable 3 Act Math Tip Sheet to ensure that you have the best start to your journey using 3 Act math Tasks to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in your math classroom!
