Focus area 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
- Apply knowledge of content and teaching strategies to develop engaging activities.
Focus area 2.2 Content selection and organisation.
- Develop well sequenced lesson plans.
Focus area 2.5 Literacy and Numeracy Strategies
- Demonstrate teaching strategies to support literacy and numeracy achievement.
The school is a large metropolitan state primary school. It is situated in high socio-economic area. I was teaching a grade 2 class. During my time in this class I designed a money inquiry unit. I had not taught money before and was unfamiliar with the best way to teach this concept and what content was stipulated in the curriculum. The overall goal for this unit was for students to be able to count small collections of Australian notes and coins and associate with their value. Using the curriculum content descriptor and with this overall achievement standard in mind I developed a coherent sequence of lessons that engaged students’ interest and introduced them to counting small collections of notes and coins (2.1., 2.2).
In the first lesson students were introduced to Australian money through an inquiry approach (Artefact 2.1). Inquiry based learning is a constructivist approach where the overall goal is for students make meaning (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015). In pairs students examined the different features of Australian currency and made comparisons on how they were the same or different. To make this authentic I provided students with real money. In the second lesson (Artefact 2.2) students placed coins in their order of value and were taught the importance of placing cent and dollar beside the value. Students recorded this both numerically and in words. This demonstrates the inclusion of literacy (compose text and word knowledge) and numeracy (use money and understand and use numbers within a context) (2.5). In the third lesson (Artefact 2.3) students counted small values of notes and coins.
In lessons two and three students worked in previously set math ability groups. The content was differentiated for each group to ensure that all students could engage with the activity within their zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978). All groups used play money as a manipulative as this provides students with a good foundation for conceptual understanding (Piaget, 1972).
The inquiry approach to this sequence of lessons really engaged students and I believe motivated them to learn (2.1). This was also observed and noted by my mentor teacher (Artifact 2.4). Students questioned the features they observed on the notes and coins. One student shared their visit to the Royal Australian Mint, leading to discussions about how money is made. Students brought in different currencies and old coins to share with their peers. Students were able to construct knowledge for themselves through interacting with each other and using concrete materials. I realised after this series of lessons that I need to encourage learning through this constructivist approach (Reys, 2021). This demonstrates that I can apply knowledge of the content area and develop a coherent lesson sequence that engages students in learning.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015). Approaches to Learning, Inquiry Based Learning. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/media/1360/lutheran-education-queensland-inquiry-based-learning.pdf
Piaget, J. (1972). The Psychology of Intelligence. Littlefield.
Reys, R. (2021). Helping children learn mathematics, (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological Processes. Havard University Press.
