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Concept Attainment
Kindergarten and First Grade Students
by Shannon Horning

          Introductory Note: This lesson has been adapted to fit the needs of
        young children. In general, a concept definition should not be given
        at the beginning of the lesson, and items are not moved from the
        Positive to the Negative list. The lesson was adapted with the
        permission of the instructor.

1. Title of Lesson: The Introduction of Hexagons Using Concept
Attainment.

2. Part of Unit: Hexagons will be introduced to my students during
math class.

3. Lesson SOL's and Objectives: SOL K.11, K.13, 1.16, 1.17

Tsw identify and describe a hexagon

Tsw identify hexagons mixed in with other shapes.

Tsw tell that a hexagon has six sides and six angles.

4. Rationale for using this model: My students will be working with
    shapes as part of their geometry unit. I plan to use the Concept
    Attainment model to introduce the hexagon shape to my students
    as part of the geometry unit.

5. Summary of Lesson:

    Step 1: I selected the concept of introducing hexagons to my
    students. I have generated the definition of a hexagon as being
    a shape having six sides and six angles.

    Step 2: I selected the attributes essential to the definition. The
    hexagon must be a shape, have six lines that meet, six angles
    that are made where the lines meet, no curved lines.

    Step 3: I developed the positive and negative examples. Some
    of the negative attributes will contain some of the essential
    attributes, but not all.

Positive Examples

A drawing on the board of a hexagon using red chalk.

A drawing on the board of a hexagon using blue chalk.

A paper cutout of a hexagon.

A hexagon notepad.

A hexagon-shaped little book.

    Negative Examples

    A drawing of half of a hexagon, in which not all of the sides
    meet.

A drawing of six lines that do not meet.

A drawing of three lines that do meet.

Overhead shapes of a square, circle, triangle, and rectangle.

    Step 4: I plan to introduce the process to the students by
    putting word Hexagon on the board along with the definition.
    We discussed in class that this would be appropriate for
    younger-aged children. I will tell the students that we will be
    learning a new shape today, and it is called a hexagon. I will
    read the definition to the students and tell them that a hexagon
    is a shape and is made up of six lines that touch and make six
    angles. I will tell them that a hexagon must have theses qualities.

    Student Responses: When I introduced the word and definition to
    my class, some of the students said that they already knew what
    a hexagon was. I told them that I was glad they knew this
    information, and that we would be looking at many different
    shapes as well as hexagons. I told them that I would see if
    they were able to recognize hexagons through this process.
    I will then place the two columns on the board, one being the
    positive and the other the other being the negative. I will
    place a J by the positive column and tell the students that
    we will write all of the things that a hexagon has in this column.
    This is the happy column that must contain attributes of a
    hexagon. I will place a L by the negative column and tell
    the students that we will place all of the attributes that do
    not have to do with a hexagon in this column. Anything that
    does not have to do with a hexagon will be placed in this
    in this column. I will explain to the students that we may cross
    some words off of the positive side and add to the negative side
    if we find that they do not match the positive attributes for a
    hexagon. I will tell the students that by placing the positive and
    negative attributes in the columns and looking at pictures, we
    will be able to correctly identify hexagons.

    Student Responses: During this part of the lesson, my students
    were very quiet and did not have a lot to offer during my
    explanation of this part. I'm sure that they were paying very
    close attention because this exercise is not like any that we had
    done as a class.

    Step 5: I presented the first positive example. I drew a
    hexagon on the board using red chalk. I asked the students
    what they observed about this drawing. They told me the
    words listed under Positive. I told them that this was a
    positive example of a hexagon.

    Student Responses: One of my students said that this was
    like a stop sign. I told her that they were very similar, but
    that a stop sign had more sides.

Words we listed under Positive

Lines

Six lines

A shape

Lines touching

Red

6 areas where the lines meet (we discussed that these
are angles)

    I presented the second positive example. I drew a hexagon
    on the board using blue chalk. We discussed whether or not
    all of the words under Positive would describe the hexagon.
    I coached them along and asked them if they saw anything
    that was different from the first hexagon. The students
    decided that this hexagon was not red, so we scratched red
    off and moved it to the negative column. The students
    decided to count the lines, and they said that a hexagon
    contains six lines, so we changed "lines" to "six lines." We
    discussed all of the things that they have in common, such
    as six lines, it is a shape, lines are touching, and they have
    six angles. I told them that this shape was a positive
    example of a hexagon.

    Student Responses: One student said that the color was
    different, being red this time. Another student said that
    they had the same shape. They all agreed that the shape
    was the same as the first.

Words we listed under Negative

Red

New Positive list

A shape

6 lines

Lines touching

6 angles

    I then presented a negative example. I presented a half
    drawing of a hexagon with an open space so that not all of
    the sides are showing. Many students raised their hands
    and said that this was not a hexagon. I asked them what
    was different from the positive example given.

Words we added under Negative

Not all lines touched

Did not have 6 angles

Did not have 6 lines

    I then presented another positive example. I presented a
    cutout of a paper hexagon. I asked the students if this was
    a positive example of a hexagon, and they all said yes. We
    reviewed the attributes. The students said them aloud and
    together. We read the positive attributes column together
    and agreed that this was a hexagon.

    Student Responses: One student said that he liked to draw
    hexagons, and I told him we would practice drawing them at
    the end of the lesson. Another student said that the cutout
    was smaller. I agreed and told him that it was smaller, but
    had the same shape.

    I then presented another negative example. I presented a
    drawing of six lines that did not meet. I asked the students
    to answer yes or no if this was a hexagon.

    Student Responses: They answered no. I asked them why,
    and I called on some students that had their hands raised.
    One student said that it had six lines, but they did not touch.
    Another student said that there were no angles. Another
    student said that these lines did not make a shape; they were
    just scrambled up. They were all correct.

After completing this step, I felt confident that the students
knew what a hexagon was.

Step 6: We already came up with the concept definition, so
we reviewed it and read it aloud together.

    Step 7: During this step, I gave additional examples and
    called on individual students instead of asking the whole class.
    The first positive example I gave was a hexagon notepad.
    I called on a girl and asked her if this was a positive or a
    negative example.

    Student Response: She easily said positive. I asked her
    why and she told me the things we listed on the positive side.
    I asked the class if they agreed and they said yes.

    I then gave a negative example of a drawing that contained
    three lines that did not meet. I called on a boy and asked
    him if this was a positive or negative example of a hexagon.

    Student Response: He said negative. I asked him why.
    He told me that it did not have the six lines and six angles
    that we talked about. I asked him if these lines made a
    shape and he said no. I asked the class if they agreed and
    they said yes.

    The other examples that I gave were negative examples.
    I placed a circle, square, triangle, and rectangle on the overhead,
    one at a time. I asked the class to yell out yes if they were
    hexagons and no if they were not hexagons. They all yelled
    no for all of the shapes. I was very pleased.

    Step 8: We reviewed the process for describing a hexagon.
    I asked the students if they knew what a hexagon was by the
    second positive example that I gave.

    Student Responses: Nine students raised they hands yes.
    Thirteen students raised their hands no. I asked some of the
    "no" students why they were not sure what a hexagon was by
    the second example given, and some said that they wanted to
    see a negative example to make sure.

    Step 9: I evaluated my students' understanding by asking
    them to copy the definition off the board into their math
    notebooks and to draw a picture of a hexagon on the page.
    I then asked some of the students what their favorite part
    of this lesson was. They said they liked the drawings,
    guessing the shapes, and guessing if the shape was a hexagon.
    I feel that the students will become more comfortable with
    this model the more that I use it. I was pleased with how
    well they participated and what they learned.