Open the gate, close the gate

Open the Gate, Close the Gate is a variety of activities to provide practice identifying and discriminating between open and closed figures. The activities are designed to meet varying learning styles, and to move students from the concrete level to the abstract level of learning.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Mathematics

By Mary Deans

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Related topics

• Learn more about closed figures, geometry shapes, hands-on, kinesthetic learners, mathematics, and open figures.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• identify open and closed figures
• distinguish between open and closed figures
• construct models of open and closed figures.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• yarn, cut in 36″ lengths — enough for half of your class
• manipulative objects — teacher’s choice: for instance, unifix cubes, miniature plastic horses, etc.
• geoboards
• flash cards for numerals 0-9 and letters of the alphabet
• papers with 10-12 blocks, front and back
• blank paper and two stickers per student

Pre-activities

Review directional/positional words, such as inside, outside, with students.

Activities

Activity 1

Have students stand in a large circle with hands joined, forming a “corral.” Students take turns being “the horse.” The child identified and “the horse” will move about inside and outside of the “corral” as directed by the teacher. Discuss how the structure of the fence changes as two students “open the gate” to allow the horse in or out of the corral, then “close the gate” behind the horse to keep him in/out. Define the changes as open and closed figures. Repeat the process as students take turns being “the horse.”

Activity 2

Have students sit in a large circle on the floor to work in pairs. Give each pair of students a piece of yarn. Direct students to use the yarn to form a shape that represents a “corral.” Identify the figure as closed. Using a manipulative object as the “horse,” students take turns placing the horse inside or outside of the “corral” as the teacher directs students to open or close the gate. Have students identify the figure each time as open or closed.

Activity 3

Pass out geoboards between pairs of students. Have students create a “corral” on the geoboard with no opening. Identify the shape as a closed figure. Using a unifix cube, direct students to place their “horse” inside the corral. Have students make an opening in the corral that will let the “horse” out. Identify the new shape as an open figure. As students continue to work in pairs, allow them time to create additional open and closed figures. One student creates a figure. His/her partner identifies it as an open or closed figure. Students reverse roles.

Activity 4

Show students flash cards of numerals and letters of the alphabet. Have them sort the numerals and/or letters as open and closed figures. Give each student a piece of paper divided into 10-12 blocks. Have them write the numerals from 0-9, one in each block. Direct them to color the numerals that have closed figures. On the back side of their paper, have students label the left side “Open Figures” and the right side “Closed Figures.” Direct them to choose 5-6 letters that are open figures and 5-6 letters that are closed figures. Write them in the appropriate boxes.

Assessment

Give each student a sheet of paper folded in half. Have students draw a closed figure on one side of their paper and an open figure on the opposite side. Have them label their drawings as “Open” or “Closed” figures. Give each student two stickers to use as their “horses.” Direct them to place one “horse” inside the closed figure, and the other “horse” outside the closed figure.

Supplemental information

Comments

Although the time frame for this lesson is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, these activities may be used as separate lessons over a period of 5 days, approximately 15-20 minutes per activity.