Lesson observation

Grade: 5
Topic: maths- length
Duration: 45mins

Aims: define length; units of measurements; conversion of units; estimating length of

objects

Skills: how to estimate the length of objects accurately; how to use a metre ruler

What happens in the classroom: comments, questions and suggestions

Introduction:
- Educator asked student what they think length is (distance between objects; long
or short of something; width of something;)
- Educator asked learners how they think length is measured (mm, cm, m, km)
- How various objects are measured (in which unit)
- Conversions of units
- Estimating the length of objects in the classroom. (Explained that estimate
means an educated guess.)
- Suggestion: to go around the classroom asking each learner what they think
length means, ensuring that each person answers.

Activity: (teacher and learner)

Estimate length and width of classroom. Educator asked learners to measure in metres
using their steps, and explained that the average step is 1 metre. Educator checked
estimation using a metre ruler to get the correct value.

Assessment:
The learners will do an informal assessment (IFAT) in 2 weeks time and a formal
assessment (FAT) in 4 weeks time.

Resources:
Metre ruler; educator measured learners height using a tape measure; YouTube clip
showing incorrect ways of measuring things and why we use a standard unit of
measurement. (to eliminate human error).

Teaching method/approaches/instructional strategies:

From the unknown to the known. Then applying their knowledge to measuring everyday
things (length of class, length of door, length of peers; Group work was used when
measuring the classroom; class discussion.
What am I (student teacher) doing to accommodate the range of needs in the
class:
Assisting with keeping discipline under control. Walk around the classroom to help the
educator check that each learner is on the right track. Help those who are struggling
tremendously; explain it again to them.

What went well:

Asking the learners what their prior knowledge is of length; having all the learners
participate in estimating the length of objects; measuring each learners height.

What went wrong:

Learners wanted more than one opportunity to measure the length and width of class;
all the activities took lots of time and the lesson plan content could not be completed.

Improvements:
Place misbehaving learner in an isolated area in the classroom as to not distract the
other learners around him. Instead, the teacher sent him out and the learner missed out
on all the work.

General comments:
I enjoy how the educator appealed to every learning style (the visual, kinaesthetic and
auditory) by explaining the concept of length, writing it on the board and making the
learners estimate and measure the objects themselves.