Grade: First Grade

Teacher Name: Sandra Braden

Description and purpose of grant: We are asking for funds to allow us to purchase colorful, targeted, engaging manipulatives to aid our learners in creating, exploring and manipulating angles. Our TEKS call for first grade students to use basic shapes and spatial reasoning to model objects in their environment and construct more complex shapes. Students are working to be able to identify, name, and describe basic two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional solids.   Students use basic shapes and spatial reasoning to model objects in their environment and construct more complex shapes. With these funds we will purchase colorful, reusable sets of Exploragons manipulatives in order to engage our learners as they begin their journey into Geometry.  These manipulatives are unlike anything we currently have in our onhand inventory, and we'd like enough pieces so that learners would not have to limit their imaginations or their constructions.  

Implementation process: We will begin using these manipulatives in March during Unit 5 Geometry of our Scope and Sequence.  At VRE there are currently 4 First Grade classes with approximately 20 students each. With this fully funded grant, we will have enough Exploragons sets so that up to 88 First Grade students will be able to use their own set of manipulatives to classify and sort regular and irregular 2D shapes including circles, triangles, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, and hexagons. Learners will then go on to describe angles shapes they've created, using informal geometric language to their peers in cooperative groups. Learners are also expected to partition 2D shapes into equal parts and to create specific 2D shapes, and then be able to describe the process to a peer. Exploragons can be used to learn these concepts, in informal STEM explorations, Math workshop small group instruction, partner collaborative activites, and whole class independent study. Exploragons could also be useful for our Unit 6 Measurement, when we guide learners to use non-standard forms of measurement to determine length. There will be enough sets for each individual learner to have one to use, thereby encouraging larger, more complex creations. Exploragons are durable, and storage cases are included, so they'll be usable for years to come.

Items you plan to purchase with grant money  Exploragons® are a hands-on manipulative tool that allow students to explore geometric concepts in the classroom. Students can easily snap the flexible sticks together and explore polygons and plane geometry. Exploragons® come in 8 different lengths and colors, which enable students to create a variety of angles. Exploragons® are hands-on manipulative tools that allow students to explore geometric concepts in the classroom. Students can easily snap the flexible sticks together and explore polygons and plane geometry. Exploragons® come in 8 different lengths and colors, which enable students to create a variety of angles and shapes. 

8 class sets of Exploragons will be purchased.  Each class set contains 10 student sets and 1 teacher set. Each set costs $136.45 X 8 sets = 1091.60

In the event my grant is not fully funded, this is minimum amount I would need to get started on this project: 

Grant must be fully funded to be implemented.