Grade & Subject:

Second Grade Math

Name: Mrs. Kathy Sahl

EDUC 5314
Lesson Cycle (5E Model)

Lesson Title/Topic: Polygons: Ponder, Practice, Pretzels, and Poems

Standards: Geometry and Measurement. The student applies mathematical
process standards to analyze attributes of two-dimensional shapes and threedimensional solids to develop generalizations about their properties. The student is
expected to: (A) create two-dimensional shapes based on given attributes, including
number of sides and vertices; and (C) classify and sort polygons with 12 or fewer sides
according to attributes, including identifying the number of sides and number of
vertices.
Lesson Objectives: Using the word
wall, students will work in pairs to write
a short poem, rap, or song that
communicates attributes of polygons to
90% accuracy.

Assessment (Evaluation): Working

with a partner, students will write a
short poem, rap, or song about
polygons that communicates their
specific attributes. When students are
done, they will recite what they have
created in front of the class (if they
choose) and all students will turn in
their work in for a grade. The teacher
will use a rubric to determine if
conditions were met, with the goal
being at least 90% proficiency.

Materials:
Teacher: polygon video clip, numbered bags of pretzels, numbered craft sticks,
teacher activity cards. Student: notebook paper and writing utensil.
The teacher will:
Focus (Engagement): [5 min.] The teacher
will first set up the YouTube video on polygons to
be displayed on the Smart Board: the Polygon
Song video, found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69lfTURDles.
Next, the teacher will have students come to the
front of the room and stand so that they are able
to dance and perform the hand motions of the
song. During this activity, the teacher will need
to be actively making sure that students are
engaged and participating in the activity. Once
the video is complete, the teacher will direct
students to go back to their seats to get ready

The student will:

The student will go to the front of
the room and stand. When the
YouTube video is playing, the
student will actively participate by
dancing and/or performing the
songs directed hand motions. As
students participate in this activity,
they should be recognizing and or
making the inference that their
upcoming lesson will be about
polygons. After the video is over,
students should return to their seats
to be ready for the teacher input

Name: Mrs. Kathy Sahl

EDUC 5314
for the next activity.
Teacher Input (Explanation & Elaboration):
[15 min.] PowerPoint Practice. While students
are settling in their seats, the teacher will
transition the Smart Board from YouTube to the
PowerPoint activity. Once the PP is up and
running, the teacher will direct students
attention to the front of the room and explain
how this next activity will work.

Directions: As the teacher moves through the

slides, s/he will ask individual students to come

up to the Smart Board and label attributes of
specific polygons: first, # of sides; second, # of
vertices; and last, the polygons name. The
teacher will decide which student to call upon by
pulling their name, which has been written on a
popsicle stick, out of a cup. After the student
labels the specific attribute, the teacher will ask
the student to explain his or her action. For
example, the teacher will pull Johnnys name out
of the cup and say, Johnny, will you come count
and label the number of vertices on this polygon
and explain what you did to the class? Next, the
teacher will move on to another student to label
# of sides and so forth. *The teacher may also
recommend that all students take notes if s/he
feels it would help keep the class focused.
Once students are clear on what will take place
and what theyll be required to do, the teacher
will begin instruction. During this activity, the
teacher should be actively checking for
engagement, participation, and understanding.
The teacher should encourage students to ask
questions as needed and offer their own insight
(elaborating on student explanations) as the
lesson progresses. After this activity is complete,
the teacher will move students into groups of 3-5
for the next activity.

Guided Practice (Exploration): [15 min.]

Pretzel Polygons. The teacher will first gather all
materials: numbered bags of pretzels, teacher

Grade & Subject:

Second Grade Math
portion of the lesson.
PowerPoint Practice. Once students
have settled into their seats, they
will direct their attention back to the
Smart Board. Students should sit
quietly, attentively listening to the
teacher as s/he explains the
activity. After the PowerPoint
presentation begins, students will
wait to be called upon, and if called
upon, will go up to label the
polygon. Students will label one
attributeeither # of vertices, # of
sides, or the name of the polygon
and then explain to the class what
they did. For example, the teacher
will call Johnny up to the Smart
Board, and he will go up and label
the number of vertices on the
polygon as requested by the
teacher. Next, he will explain what
he did: I counted five points on the
shape, so I labeled each point, 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, which means there are five
vertices on this shape. Next,
another student who has been
called on will go up and label the #
of sides on that same polygon.
Additionally, if instructed by the
teacher to do so, students will be
taking notes as the PP lesson moves
along. Students should be actively
engaged, listening attentively,
asking questions as needed, and
offering their own insight to
elaborate on other students
explanations. When this activity is
complete, students will move into
groups of 3-5 in order to get ready
for the guided practice portion of
the lesson.
Pretzel Polygons. Once students are
in their groups, they will listen to
the teacher as s/he gives directions

Name: Mrs. Kathy Sahl

EDUC 5314
activity cards, and the cup with numbered
popsicle sticks. Before the teacher hands out the
bags of pretzels, s/he will explain to students
what will happen.
Directions: The teacher will tell students that
s/he will be passing out bags of pretzels and that
these pretzels are not to be eaten. After each
student has been given a bag of pretzels, the
teacher will instruct students that theyll be
building polygons with their pretzels. The teacher
will say, I will tell you the name of one of the
polygons that we just went over, and you will
have to decide how many pretzels youll need
and how youll put together that shape. After you
have put your shape together, you may look to
your team members to see what theyve done.
Also, if you need help, feel free to ask someone
in your group. After students have assembled
the specified polygon, the teacher will call on
students to answer questions about the teacher
activity cards. *These cards are located in the
pink box and are put together in the order that
the activity should move along. The cards will
guide the teachers questions to students. For
example, one card has a shape built with 5
pretzels but has an open side. The teacher will
ask the student, Is this a polygon and a
pentagon? It has five sides! Why or why not?.
The teacher will use the provided popsicle sticks
to decide which student to call on.
Once the teacher has moved through the activity,
s/he will tell the students that they may eat their
pretzels as long as they dont make a mess and
as long as it doesnt distract them from the next
activity. The teacher will then place students into
pairs, however s/he decides.
Independent Practice (Evaluation): [20
min] Poems for Two Voices. Once students are
paired up, the teacher will instruct them each to
get out several sheets of notebook paper and a
writing utensil. Before beginning the activity, the
teacher will have students suggest words that
are related to the days lesson (e.g., polygon,

Grade & Subject:

Second Grade Math
on the next activity. Students will
receive a bag of pretzels, and will
know that they are not supposed to
eat them. After all students have
received their supplies, they will
listen to the teacher give them
directions on which polygon to
build. When the teacher tells them
which shape to build, they will have
to remove the correct number of
pretzels from their bag and put
together that particular polygon.
After students have put their shape
together, they will need to examine
what their teammates have done in
order to compare actions.
Additionally, if students need help,
they may ask another team member
for assistance. Once all students
have put together their pretzel
shape, the teacher will then call
upon students, one at a time, to
answer questions. Students should
be paying attention to the teacher
and student called upon and be
thinking about what they are both
saying. All students will expect to be
called upon. Once the activity is
over, students are allowed to eat
their pretzels, as long as they do
not make a mess and it doesnt
distract them from moving on to the
next activity. To get ready for the
next activity, students will move to
groups of two, according to teacher
placement.

Poems for Two Voices. Once

students are in pairs, they will each

get out several sheets of notebook
paper and a writing utensil. Before
beginning the activity, students will
work with the teacher in order to
come up with content words related

Grade & Subject:

Second Grade Math

Name: Mrs. Kathy Sahl

EDUC 5314
pentagon, points...) and then brainstorm rhyming
words. The teacher will make a word wall by
writing out all the words on the board so that
students can have ideas for their writing. The
teacher will then tell student pairs that they will
have ten minutes to write a poem, song, or rap
using some of the brainstormed words if theyd
like. The teacher will instruct partners to label
each line of their poem, A, B, or AB, representing
who will read each line. The teacher will also go
over the grading rubric, so that students know
what, exactly, to include in their work. After ten
minutes is up, partners may volunteer to share
their creation with the class, but everyone will be
instructed to turn in their work for a grade. After
the teacher checks to make sure that all students
have turned in their work, students will be
instructed to clean off their desks and get ready
to leave for lunch.

Closure: [5 min.] Please Tell, Exit Ticket. The

teacher will now tell students that in order to get
in line for lunch, they must share something new
that they learned, something theyre still
confused about, or something they thought was
interesting about the days lesson. The teacher
will call on students as they raise their hands
until everyone is lined up.
Options:

Enrichment: Students will be able to

choose one of two options. 1.

Challenge students to research the
meaning of prefixes poly, tri, quad,
pent, hex, oct, and dec. Students can
use dictionaries or the classroom
computers. Once they are finished,
students will be able to post their
findings on the class webpage. 2.
Students may get on the iPads or class
computers to play a Polygon or Not

to the days lesson (e.g., polygon,

pentagon, points...) and will then
brainstorm words that rhyme with
the content words. Students will
then be able to use these words (on
the word wall) to work together to
write either a poem, song, or rap.
Students will have ten minutes to
work and will need to complete the
assignment according to the rubric.
Additionally, students will have to
decide which lines theyll label A, B,
AB, reflecting which person will
recite which line written. After the
ten minutes is up, students will then
choose if they want to
recite/perform their creation in front
of the class. Either way, students
will turn their work in for a grade.
Once all students have turned in the
assignment, they will clean off their
work spaces and get ready for
lunch.
Please Tell, Exit Ticket. In order to
be able to get in the line for lunch,
students will raise their hands in
order to share something new that
they learned, something theyre still
confused about, or something they
thought was interesting about the
days lesson.

Reteach: For students who had

trouble grasping the concepts of

todays lesson, the teacher will need to
adjust his or her instructional method.
The teacher will place these students in
a small group and will have them work
with polygon manipulatives and
vocabulary cards. Students will be
asked to match content vocabulary
cards to the manipulative. This way,
students should be better able to

Name: Mrs. Kathy Sahl

EDUC 5314
game. This game will enrich what they
learned in todays lesson and will also
stretch their understanding because it
introduces students to complex
polygons. The game can be found at
http://www.math-play.com/polygon-ornot/polygon-or-not.html.

Modifications:
First and foremost, the teacher should
follow students specific 504 and IEP
plans. Additional suggestions: provide
these students with a partner or have
them sit close to the teacher for
additional help or guidance.
References:

Grade & Subject:

Second Grade Math
associate ideas because the material is
presented in a more organized manner.
For example, the vocab. card that
reads, Octagon: 8 sides and 8
vertices. will need to be matched with
the octagon manipulative. As students
are making matches, the teacher will
have them point out and count the
shapes sides and vertices. Taking a
more direct, simplistic approach, and
working one-on-one with students,
should help them better understand
the concepts.