Standard+4

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**Standard 4**  ** Teachers know how to teach. ** // The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. //


 * Evidence:** Wix WebQuest for area and surface area []


 * Rationale:** This WebQuest allows students to work at their own pace to make some decisions on remodeling their house. The first thing the students are given is a budget. It will make them keep a running total of all of their decisions and stay within that budget. This is the first time I have integrated using a budget as a mathematical standard. Budget calculations would normally be covered in a business or consumer math class. Many of my Honors Geometry students don’t take these classes so they are missing out on a life skill and the importance of a dollar. Looking back over the WebQuest, I plan to make some changes to it. In order to challenge the students and bring in more mathematical standards, I am going to change the floor plan the students use. I want to add trapezoids, triangles, or irregular shapes. The walls will allow students to work on the Area Addition Postulate by adding or subtracting rectangles to find the surface area of the room.

This WebQuest changes a lesson from direct instruction to applying their skills into a real-world situation. It will allow me to work with students one-on-one or in small groups to help them through their remodel. I also want to add a tab to show how to calculate the area of different shapes and the surface area of a wall. This will take away more direct instruction and create a more investigative lesson. This will require students to do more problem solving and critical thinking to finish all of their steps.


 * KSD**
 * 4.K.1 The teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning (e.g. critical and creative thinking, problem structuring, invention, memorization and recall) and how these processes can be stimulated.**

Critical thinking and problem solving skills will be required when students are given less information. They will need to use prior knowledge and the links given to recall how to calculate area.


 * 4.S.2 The teacher uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance capabilities and that help students assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.**

The students will be actively engaged and responsible for their own learning. I will be available for help and consultation, but they will be responsible for using the resources provided to complete their learning objectives.


 * 4.D.1 The teacher values the development of students’ critical thinking, independent problem solving, and performance capabilities.**

Research has shown that when students are given more open ended, real-world problems, their critical thinking and problem solving skills are developed more quickly. This WebQuest will allow both the open-ended and real-world problem solving to happen.