Coaching Cycle: Teach (first grade)
Text on screen: Coaching Cycle: Teach (first grade).
Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.
Text on screen: Demo Lesson Part 1: Which One Doesn’t Belong?
On screen: In a classroom, the coach sits on the ground facing a group of children. The educator is sitting to the left of the coach and facing the children.
Coach: So, we’re going to do an activity called, “Which One Doesn’t Belong?”
On screen: A pink-colored page split into four quadrants. Each quadrant contains a different shape. The upper left quadrant contains a rectangle outline. The upper right quadrant contains an equilateral triangle outline. The lower left quadrant contains a right-angle triangle outline. The bottom left quadrant contains an isosceles triangle that is shaded in white. In the next scene, the coach holds up the pink-colored page for the children to see.
Coach: I’m going to show you four shapes, and you’re going to think about which one doesn’t belong. And I want you to say, “I think this one doesn’t belong,” and why. So, if you have your thumb up, what do you think?
On screen: The coach points to a child wearing a fuzzy pink sweatshirt. The child points to the pink-colored page and explains that the shaded triangle does not belong.
Child 1: Because the one right there at the last part.
Coach: This one?
On screen: The coach points to the shaded triangle.
Child 1: Yeah, that one. It’s all white and the rest of them are aren’t -
Child [off-screen]: Pink.
Child 1: - pink.
Coach: Yeah. So this one is white and the rest of them are pink?
On screen: The coach points to each shape and restates what the child said.
Child: Yep.
Coach: And if you agree, you can go like this. Remember this is the “I agree,” sign.
On screen: The coach puts down a pointer, middle, and ring finger, leaving just the pinky and thumb out. The coach uses the thumb side of the hand to point toward himself and the pinky side to point toward the children, demonstrating the gesture for children to indicate they agree with someone.
Children: Yeah.
Coach: All right. And if you have a different answer, I’m looking for a fist with a thumb up. And an answer right there. All right. What do you think?
On screen: The coach demonstrates the gesture by holding up a thumb. The coach looks to see which children are holding up their thumb to indicate they have a different answer. The coach points to a child, who then answers.
Child 2: Because the small triangle and the big triangle, it’s like aiming different side.
Coach: All right, if this is one, this is two, this is three, this is four, do you mean this one?
On screen: The coach points to each quadrant while numbering them. The coach points to the second quadrant that has the equilateral triangle outline.
Child 2: Yes.
Coach: Tell me about that again.
Child 2: It’s aiming up and the big triangle is aiming sideways.
Coach: Ah. Like it’s pointed up and these are not pointed up.
On screen: The coach points to the top of the equilateral triangle and motions up, indicating that the top of the triangle is pointing upwards. The coach then points to the other two triangles that have points facing to the center of the page. In the next scene, another child sitting directly in front of the coach stands up and points to the rectangle.
Child 3: This one doesn’t belong because it’s a rectangle.
On screen: The child gestures to the triangles.
Child 3: These are all in the triangle family. But this is in the square family.
Text on screen: Demo Lesson Part 2: Shape Sorting Activity.
On screen: In a classroom, the coach sits on the floor facing a class of first grade children. The educator sits with the children.
Coach: I’m going to hand each of you a baggie that’s going to have some cards in it, and the cards are going to have some different shapes.
On screen: The coach holds several zip lock bags full of cards. He opens one bag, pulls out the cards, and holds them up for the children to see.
Coach: When you get your cards, I want you to sort them into different groups based on what they can be grouped with, how they can be partnered, what is the same or different about them. Does that make sense?
Children: Yes.
On screen: In the next scene, the educator sits on the floor with a small group of children. They respond to the educator’s question about how they sorted the cards they have on the floor in front of them.
Educator: So what are some things that are the same? Tell me, Amelia.
Amelia: Okay. This looks like this.
Educator: Okay, those look the same?
On screen: Amelia picks up two cards with rectangles and holds them side by side.
Amelia: Yeah, but this one’s tilted.
Educator: It is tilted.
Educator: Do you see another one that’s almost same as that?
On screen: Amelia picks up a third card with an open rectangle. The other child in the group, Jordan, picks up a card and tries to hand it to Amelia. Amelia does not take it from Jordan.
Amelia: This one, but this is ...
Jordan: And this one too. That’s tilted.
Amelia: No, not that one.
Educator: Jordan, is there any other shapes that are not closed all the way?
On screen: The educator looks at Jordan. The educator holds their fingertips together and then moves them apart to help describe that there are incomplete shapes. Jordan picks up a card with an open triangle.
Educator: Yes. So, are these two open?
Jordan: Yes.
On screen: The educator takes the card with the open triangle from Jordan, picks up a card with an open rectangle, and holds them up side by side for both children to see.
Educator: Yeah, they have gaps, right? Do you see it? You said it doesn’t have a top? If I were to close it, what shape would it be?
On screen: The educator uses a finger to cover the top of the open rectangle, making it a complete shape.
Amelia: A rectangle.
Educator: Yeah.
Jordan: And, these are the same.
On screen: Jordan reaches down and picks up two cards with shaded shapes—a square and a circle—and shows them to the educator.
Educator: Okay. Why are those the same?
Jordan: Because the black and the black.
Educator: Oh, okay. They’re shaded in. Hmm.
On screen: In the next scene, the educator kneels in front of a different pair of children—a child in a red shirt [child 4] and a child in a yellow-striped shirt [child 5]. The child in the red shirt points to each card and explains that there is one of each shape.
Educator: Why do these not belong?
Child 4: Because there’s only one.
Educator: Oh, there’s only one what?
Child 4: Of all of these shapes? Diamond, rectangle ...
Child 5: Oval.
On screen: The child in the red shirt points to the oval, calling it a rectangle. The child in the yellow-striped shirt corrects him, and says, “Oval.”
Child 4: Oh, yeah. Oval, chocolate kiss [triangle], and rectangle.
On screen: In the next scene, the educator points to the cards. The child in the yellow-striped shirt points to the cards and names the shapes, explaining what is different about each one. At the same time, the child in the red shirt picks up the open triangle.
Educator: What is something ...
Child 5: Because they’re not the same.
Educator: So what’s not the same? What about their attributes? Like the sides?
Child 5: Like with the hexagon -
Educator: Yeah?
Child 4: Wait, this one is different, this one’s different.
Child 5: - and chocolate kiss.
Educator: Chocolate kiss.
Child 4: This one has no point.
Child 5: And the oval and diamond.
Educator: Yeah.
Child 4: This one has no point.
Educator: Oh, it has no point. You’re right.
On screen: Aclose-up of the two cards as the child in the yellow-striped shirt holds them side by side. One is an incomplete triangle. The second is a full triangle. The educator points to the triangle that is missing its top and then to the closed triangle.
Educator: If you were able to connect those points, what shape would it make?
Children: A triangle.
Educator: It would make a triangle. So, do you see how this one has a gap?
On screen: The educator reaches out and points to a card.
Child 5: Yeah.
Educator: That one’s called, “an open shape,” and these are called, “closed shapes.”
Text on screen: A special thanks to the children, families, and staff of the Kepler Neighborhood School, without whose help these videos would not have been possible.
Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.