Developing Spatial Relations Describe Draw Describe Geometry is

Developing Spatial Relations Describe, Draw, Describe

• “Geometry is grasping space. And since it is about the education of children, it is grasping that space in which the child lives, breathes, and moves. The space that the child must learn to know, explore, and conquer, in order to live, breathe, and move better in. ” (Freudenthal, 1973)

Spatial reasoning- What to look for • Name objects • Name and describe the details of the objects (color, patterns) • Name objects in relation to other objects • Name objects in relation to spatial cues (above, below, next to, on top of, etc. ) • Identify critical elements of shapes (attributes, etc. ) • Partitioning/combining shapes • Name objects in relation to orientation • Can use mathematical language (square, straight line, twice as big, rotated, etc. )

Spatial reasoning- What to look for • Represent objects • Represent the details of the objects (color, stripes, size) • Represent objects in relation to other objects (dog is smaller than the boy) • Represent orientation (can show a turn, or a reflection of an object, symmetry)

Student Work Samples • After discussing what they saw, children were prompted to: “Draw what you see” • Before we look at student work, anticipate what you think we will see in the samples. What do you think children would see and draw?

Describe-Draw-Describe • Grab a book from the back table • Discuss how you would use a page to do this activity in your classroom • Be specific about – the kinds of questions you might ask – how students might respond – the range of follow-up support you could provide

Describe-Draw-Describe • Find a partner • Review activity description • What are your initial ideas about getting started with D-D-D in your own classroom?