Marana Unified School District: Formal Observation Lesson Plan last modified

July 2015
Teacher: Ms. Johnson
Lesson Date:
Lesson Time: 8:15-9:30
3/9/16
Arizona College & Career Ready Standards:
3.MD.D.8. Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of
polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown
side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or
with the same area and different perimeters.
Connections: 3.RI.3; 3.RI.4; 3.RI.7; ET03S1C301; ET03S1C201; ET03S1C202
Essential Question:
Why is perimeter important?
Content Goal:
I can measure the lengths of the sides of a shape to find its perimeter.
Language Goals:
Answer Questions
Collaborate in small group problem solving discussions
Participate in whole group discussions
Social Goals:
Students will work in small groups according to our established parameters for
productive group collaboration and respectable talk.
Describe ways you will check for understanding throughout the lesson: I will be
walking around the room observing the groups as they measure the sides of each
polygon in order to find the total perimeter. I will be asking guiding questions such as,
Why? What else could you do? How? and asking individual students as well as
groups to explain their mathematical reasoning. They will be asked to provide evidence
for their reasoning. Student understanding will also be gauged during the closing
discussion.

Lesson Sequence:
X Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
X Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
X Whole X Partner
group
s

Intro/Hook: What is perimeter? Can we think of any real world

situations when we would need perimeter? Discuss this with
your elbow partner for a few minutes. 3-4 students to will
be selected to share their ideas (think-pair-share).
Restate the essential question: Why is perimeter important?
Lets keep this in mind while we do todays activity. Write
essential question on board and leave for the
remainder of the lesson. As we continue to learn more

Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed: None

about perimeter, we will continue to find new ideas and

answers for our essential question. Now, lets take a look at
our content goal. Can you read this with me? The whole
class will read content goal in unison: I can measure
the lengths of the sides of a shape to find its
perimeter.
Ask class:
What are some math words here that are familiar to us?
Why are they familiar? Discuss this with your elbow
partner. Students will discuss answer with their
partner and teacher will walk around the room
observing their discussions. 3-4 students will be
selected to share their answers.
What does it mean to measure something? Have we
measured lengths before? Students raise hands and
answer.
We have seen the word shape before, where? What are
some shapes that we have seen in math? Students
raise hand and answer.
And one more time, what is perimeter? Students raise
hand and answer.
We worked on measuring the lengths of objects last week,
and we were introduced to perimeter yesterday. Now, lets see
how measurement can help us find the perimeter of a shape.

X
X

I can see everyone is curious about the shapes on the

ground. You will be using those shapes in a few minutes, but I
am going to model for you what we will be doing with my
smaller shape
Measure side length A and select one student to
tell you what measurement they see. Ask the
class if we all agree that side A is that length. (The
length will be 6 inches.)
Write the length in the corresponding box for side
A. Repeat this step with sides B and C.
Ask the class, What do we think my next step will be? I
have the lengths of all of my sides, but how do I use
these lengths to find the perimeter? Students raise
hand and answer.
Yes, just like we learned yesterday, I need to add up all
of the lengths in order to find the total perimeter. Can
anyone tell me the perimeter? Take a minute to add the
lengths together. Students raise hand and answer.
You will be doing this, but with the larger shapes you

Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
X Whole
Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed: Premade tape triangle,
ruler, Shape length
organizer, pencil

Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
X Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
Whole
Partner
group
s
X
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed: Yard
sticks, Length
organizers, 10 duct tape
polygons (teacher will
create these on the
floor prior to the
lesson), pencils,
clipboards
Focused Instruction
X Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
X Independent
Learning Task

see on the floor. Not all of the shapes are common

shapes we see everyday, but do we think we find the
perimeter the same way?
You are going to be in groups of 3, so I want you to find
your partners and go to the shape closest to you.
Students will form groups of 3 and move to shape
closest to them.
This will be your first shape. You will be writing the
information about this shape next to the same number
on your organizer. Find the number in the middle of the
shape and then find the number on your piece of paper.
Once you have finished measuring the sides of the
shape and finding the perimeter, you and your group will
move to the next open shape. There are 9 groups, and
10 shapes, so there should always be an available shape
for you to move to. Repeat this process at your new
shape.
Before activity starts, restate the content goal
and refer to the Accountable Talk rule chart.

Students will begin activity. Teacher will be walking

around and assessing student learning as well as
asking guiding questions.
While youre working, remember to think about our essential
question! Restate essential question.
Once students complete the activity, they will turn
their sheets into the math basket.
If students finish earlier than other groups, they
will find objects in the room to measure and find
the perimeter of. Objects can be pieces of paper,
tables, folders, etc. They will record the
perimeters in their math journals.

Closure: Have students put their supplies away and

return to their desks.
Lets take another look at our content goal. Everyone read
this with me.
Class will reread content goal together in unison.

Student Grouping:
X Whole X Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed: None

Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
Whole
Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed:
Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
Whole
Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed:
Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
Whole
Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe

In your math journals, I want all of you to write down one

thing you learned during todays lesson, one thing you liked
about the activity, and one question you still have. When you
are done writing your answers, share your answers with your
elbow partner. Remember to be thinking about our essential
question: Why is perimeter important?
Students will share their answers with their elbow
partners and the teacher will walk around and
listen to assess student learning. Then 4-5
students will share their answers.

group
ndent
Materials needed:
Focused Instruction
Guided Instruction
Productive Group
Work
Independent
Learning Task
Student Grouping:
Whole
Partner
group
s
Small
Indepe
group
ndent
Materials needed: