Categories and sub-categories – Creative Learning

Categories and sub-categories

3^th Grade Mathematics
(Greek educational system)

Materials for the lesson

CD-player and sounds from the nature (birds and animals etc)
http://naturesoundsfor.me/Birds5994
https://www.calmsound.com/country-garden
Papers A4 or larger-colors
Elastic band by the meter
Pictures of exotic and strange animal
Teacher’s bell

Layout of the classroom

The tables create 3 semi-circles which we name EARTH- WIND –WATER

1^st Phase

The teacher discusses with the students that today they will be transferred in the animal kingdom with their imagination.
He/she encourages them to draw and then try imitating an animal. Preferably we are looking at exotic animals and not every day pets. The children have to choose between animals of the sea, the air and the earth. It would helpful if animal pictures were hanged around the classroom of unusual-wild animals collected beforehand by the teacher.

This will help the children’s imagination and thought

2d Phase

Children draw the animal they chose with colors and pencils. Creating a good drawing is not our goal in this case, as we are more interested in the creation of different animals and how these fall into different categories and therefore subtotals

3d Phase

A. MOVEMENT

Children stretch out and fill the space. They move around. They hold out their drawing of the animal and try to imitate it. The transform the classroom into a real jungle.

EVERYONE CONSISTS THE TOTAL. A TOTAL OF BEINGS. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM THAT EXISTS ON EARTH.

THE BELL SOUNDS AND EVERYONE STOPS
When the teacher rings the bell, the children stand still in their positions and listen to what he/she has to say.

Each time the bell sounds, the children stop and listen to what the teacher has to say.

The teacher will drive them to create sub-totals by telling each kind of animal to go to the environment they belong. This happens one sub-total by one, the rest of the children tie the elastic band around the sub-total. Fish etc into the WATER, birds into the AIR and the rest into the EARTH labeled, semi-circle.

The teacher now explains that the total of the animal kingdom can be divided (or consists of) in three sub-totals: earth-wind-water.

The above action can take place several times. One big total all together running around, three smaller sub-totals when divided.

Variations can be made if triggered by the teacher and answered by the children. Such as: in what else can we divide the animals? For example: small and large, mammals or laying eggs, two legged and four legged … and so on and so forth. It depends upon the creativity of the teacher and the children.

4^th Phase

The class returns to its first form and the children sit at their desks. The teacher explains and specifies the lesson. From the example of the animal kingdom, one can now move on to different subjects and examples and use the blackboard to explain the mathematical symbols of total and sub-totals ({…..}) that we add or deduct from the total to reach a final new total…