Student name: Penelope Anderson

Student ID: S00148251

WEEK 10
EDMA262: Mathematics Learning and Teaching 1
Mathematics teaching portfolio

Key ideas for mathematics content area

Koester (2003) widely explores the use of three-dimensional shapes in the
classroom and emphasises that students often have more exposure to
two-dimensional shapes than three-dimensional shapes. She
demonstrates the ease of introducing three-dimensional shapes with
students and the cost effective materials used. Koester (2003) emphasises
the use of play and exploration of the objects before they are being used
and how previous knowledge can be integrated and applied to new
information. Van de Walle, Karp, and Bay-Williams (2015) explains that
working with definitions of three-dimensional objects will help students
when looking at a non-regular three-dimensional object as they can tick
off the properties and make conclusions. Sexton (2016) looks at symmetry
and other properties of shapes, assisting students with particular names
of shapes. Looking at a polyhedron, he mentions that three-dimensional
shapes with the same cross-section is a prism, and those with shapes with
apexes are cones, or pyramids. It is important to first look at the base
shape in order to find the correct term for the object (Sexton, 2016).

Teaching strategies for the mathematics content area

As Koester (2003) explains, students are regularly exposed to two-
dimensional shapes but three-dimensional shapes are often forgotten
about. Teachers need to facilitate and leave time for the teaching of three
dimensional shapes to happen in order for students to expand their
knowledge on geometric shapes as a whole (Van de Walle, et al., 2015).
Roberts (2007) agrees with Koester and explains that students should be
able to describe three-dimensional shapes in words as well as using visual
prompts.

Learning activities for the mathematics content area

- Straw shapes (Koester, 2003)
o As students are creating these objects, they are thinking
about the properties, also what is it that is making this shape
three-dimensional?
- Whats my net (Sexton, 2016)
o This activity looks at each face to a three-dimensional shape
and emphasises the importance of children understanding
that the net can be made into a three-dimensional shape.

Concrete and/or virtual materials for learning the mathematics

- Three-dimensional net worksheets
- Drinking straws
Student name: Penelope Anderson
Student ID: S00148251

Links to Early Years Learning Framework and/or Australian

Curriculum: Mathematics curriculum documentation
Content descriptor - Connect three-dimensional objects with their nets and
other two-dimensional representations

Proficiency descriptor - describing transformations and identifying line and

rotational symmetry

Achievement standard - Students connect three-dimensional objects with

their two-dimensional representations. They describe transformations of
two-dimensional shapes and identify line and rotational symmetry

Implications for future teaching

Teachers need to have a better emphasis on three-dimensional shapes in
the classroom (Koester, 2003). Research has shown that children are
knowledgeable on two-dimensional shapes but this lacks in the three-
dimensional objects. Constructing three-dimensional shapes out of
materials by hand, students are more exposed to the propertoes of a
three-dimensional shape (Sexton, 2016; Koester, 2003).

Reference list
Koester, B. (2003). Prisms and Pyramids: Constructing Three-Dimensional
Models to Build Understanding. Teaching Children Mathematics, 9(8),
436-442. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41198209

Roberts, S. (2007). Watch What You Say. Teaching Children Mathematics,

14(5), 296-301. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41199910

Sexton, M. (2016a). EDMA262 Lecture 9: Development of Geometric

Thinking [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
http://leo.acu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=19166&section=14

Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay Williams, J. M. (2015). Elementary
and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (9th ed.,
global ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.