Paint Tools & Geometric Figures

This lesson is meant to teach or review for third grade students the use of "Paint" tools. These tools are generic to many multimedia tools such as "HyperStudio" and "Kid Pics." For the student who is unfamilar with "Paint," it provides another tool of expression and illustration.

This lesson is also designed to reinforce geometry math skills. This ability to illustrate a three dimensional object on a flat one dimensional surface is important to enable the student to visualize geometry math problems.

A lesson plan for grade 3 Mathematics

By Barbara Waters

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Learning outcomes

To review/teach the use of tools from a program such as “Paint” and to reinforce geometry math skills using visual and tactile reinforcement. This can also serve as the review phase of a multi-media project.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

120 minutes

Materials/resources

• An information sheet done by the classroom teacher that lists and gives sketches of the geometric figures she is teaching.
• A worksheet for each student with the geometric figures they will be copying. This should be done using the “Paint” program.
• Real geometric figures that the students can hold would be useful.

Technology resources

• A “Paint” program (usually found on Windows) or a similar program using standard multimedia tools
• Floppy drive
• Printer

Pre-activities

The classroom teacher will have worked on a unit identifying geometric shapes and groupings of shapes.

Activities

Session One: (45-60 min)

1. The students will be brought into a lab setting (if possible). 9-12 students would be the best number unless two instructors are available.
2. The students will be given a demonstration on how to enter the program, the tool functions including changing size of brushes, moving items, etc. This demo should include information such as the use of the shift key to round an oval, two clicks to attach a line point, brush sizes as well as color and the use of the screen erase. (One good demo is a smiley face with the curved line used to show a happy or sad face.) The depth of information given can be adjusted according to the group. For example an advanced group would need to be reviewed on color gradation, zoom, changing views, etc.
3. Students will have independent practice of the “Paint” program. This should include getting into the program and exploring on their own. This should have few restrictions except to practice what they have seen, especially shapes and color. They should have a text box with their first name and last initial. (The number of times they are allowed to erase may have to be restricted.)
4. Have the students save or print a few of the paint practices. If you want to keep more than a couple of these you may have to ask them to keep their backgrounds white unless you use one disk per student. Like any graphic program these can be memory hogs.

Session 2: (40-60 min.)

1. Explain to the students that they are going to use the “Paint” program to practice their geometric figures. Give them a copy of the geometric figures you did on the “Paint” program. (It is important that the teacher draw these figures with this program in order to understand what parts may be difficult.)
2. You will need to demonstrate several of the figures the students are asked to draw. (In the classroom or the lab there should be a discussion on how three dimensional figures are illustrated on a flat surface.) Some of the items to demonstrate are:
   
   • how to draw a broken line (pen or line and erase using small size)
   • that an oval shape works best to complete the top and bottom of a cylinder
   • a hemisphere is a circle half-erased with a line across the bottom
   • a cube and a rectangular prism can have one face drawn using the shape tools but the rest must be lines
   • if the base of the pyramid is drawn first then all that needs to be done is to draw the lines from the four corners to connect

   Finally discuss the size of the area they are working in. Some want to do very large figures. If they finish and have time they may add color to their figures but the background should be white.

3. Have the students enter the program and put their names on the screen. With some classes, a challenge to draw better figures than the teacher may get excellent work.
4. Have the students save their work as they finish. Print them later and give to the classroom teacher so that the students can label them. Most students will not complete the labels on the computer.

Assessment

Assessment is determined by the geometric figure sheets printed and completed. Extra points for those using creativity in drawing, coloring or labeling.

Supplemental information

Start with basic shape figures - Plane Figures(Circle, Square, Rectangle, Triangle) then move to the Space Figures (Sphere, Cube, Rectangular Prism, Triangular Prism, Cone, Hemisphere, Pyramid, and Cylinder.)

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