As a part of their development in the skills involved in data analysis, children need experiences in classifying objects and looking for and extending patterns. However, one important thing to remember about classifying objects or sorting is that children need to know something about attributes. We as adults take this information for granted, but it is important before having children begin to sort or classify items, to hold up a particular item such as a button, or lid, or attribute block, and ask kids to describe it. Focusing their attention on the shape, size, color, texture of an object will help them to develop a sense of attributes or properties of an object. This will be helpful for getting children to sort items in a logical manner.
In this activity, instead of focusing on how objects are the same, children are asked to consider the set of attributes of a given object and then find another object that is different from the object in exactly one or two ways. Click here to download a copy of trains.gsp , this is a GSP file.
Introducing the sketch
This sketch has circles and squares that vary in size, color, and in border thickness. The students have the option to play the game by looking for either one or two differences between objects. They may choose to play the difference game as a track - along a line, or as a train - along a circle.
My particular style of teaching in working with my PST is to model for them / with them, activities using approaches similar to those I might make while working with children. The largest differences between my work with PST and children being the extension activities I use, the types of numbers that I choose, and the levels of questioning involved in the activity.
Opening a lesson with a whole group demonstration is important for me to model the type of discourse and discussion that is appropriate during whole group instruction with technology. I understand that there will be times when not all students can be on their own computer, and for my PST it is important for them to see that technology can be effectively employed even when it seems you do not have enough resources.
I suggest beginning with a track game in order to get students to understand the basic gist of the game. I would have a PST select a shape and then as a class list all of the attributes of that object. After listing all of the attributes, we can then think about one possible way to place our next shape. I would also ask for other possibilities until we had found all of our possible options. As a class I would continue this pattern until the track was completed. Next I would introduce the track diagram and give a quick talk about how this version works, then turn them loose to explore and play the games in pairs.
Activities and Challenges - Here are some of the activities that could be used with PST in this environment. In doing these activities it a good idea to have students keep track of their methods and ideas so there can be some sharing of problem solving approaches during a wrap up discussion of the activity. This is one progression to consider to increase the difficulty involved and extend the thinking of your students.
1. One difference track
2. Two difference track
3. One difference train
4. Two difference train
One of the important points to bring up during a wrap up discussion would be the inherent difference between the two setups of this sketch. One thing to pay attention to is the choices you have in placing the next piece as the game progresses. The fact that each shape can only be used once is a limiting factor, and when playing in the circle patern, your choice must work for both shapes that it is between.