Lesson 3: Fairness

Grade Levels: 1-3

Subjects:  Language Arts/Reading, Math and Social Studies

Learner Outcomes: 

• Recognize that fairness is an admirable human quality
• Recognize that being fair lessens stress and ill feelings, thus improves the school’s climate
• Recognize shapes that are divided equally (fair shares)
• Compare and recognize equivalent fractions

Duration of Lesson: three 45 minute periods

Materials: 

overhead projector, overhead fractions, construction paper circles, apple slices, dip, poster board , ( construction paper or oak tag), markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils

Technology Tools/Courseware: 

computers, computer drawing programs, word processing programs, Internet, presentation software, overhead projector

Teacher Notes:

Teacher will die cut circles and triangles.
Teacher will check emergency cards for food allergies. 

Procedures:

Language Arts:  Read Tyrone, The Dirty Rotten Cheater.  Discuss the type of  character Tyrone was.

Ask these questions:

• How did Tyrone’s friends change the way they felt about him throughout the story?
• Although Tyrone is an imaginary character, do his actions reflect the way some real people behave?
•  Without mentioning names, tell how you feel about people at school who do not play fairly.  Why do you feel this way?
• Do you agree that fairness is an admirable human quality?  Why or why not?

During Creative Writing time, have one group on computers using available word processing program to write about what they think will happen to Tyrone after being stung and spending the night in the water.  They could also write their own ending to the story.  Help them import clip art dinosaurs to decorate or border their pages.  Give students an opportunity to share their papers if they so choose.

Have another group illustrate and write about a situation at school in which they have played with a team or an individual who did not play fairly.  Remind them to use a fictitious name, to include the setting, describe how the situation was resolved, and what feelings were involved.  Provide time to share.

Switch groups.

Math:  To introduce this lesson, read The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins. 

Discuss different ways cookies were divided.  Did everyone receive a fair share?  Ask for their definitions of fair share.  Write an agreeable definition on the board. Discuss meaning of equal.  Draw three rectangles on the board or overhead.  Divide each into thirds, but with only one of them divided equally.  Explain that these shapes represent three candy bars.  Have a volunteer circle the shape that shows; if 3 children were sharing, each child would get a fair share.  Discuss why the other two would not represent fair shares.  Use overhead to illustrate other examples that include circles for pizzas, squares for crackers, etc.

Display three apples of approximately the same size.  Divide two unequally, and  one equally.  Have a volunteer choose the one  that shows fair shares.  Put aside. Give each child a die cut construction paper circle. Have them fold it to show two equal parts.  Next give them an equilateral triangle cut from regular copy paper.  Instruct them to draw very light, erasable lines to see if they can divide it into 3 equal parts.  The first person to get it may demonstrate to the class using the overhead projector.  Although this is a Primary level lesson, it could be easily adapted to include equivalent fractions for Intermediate grades.

  Provide apple slices and dip (or cookies) for everyone to enjoy.

Social Studies:  (A Powerpoint Presentation on feelings will proceed this lesson.) 

During a Character Education lesson, discuss Fairness Counts.  Have volunteers express why they think it does or does not count.  Remind them that fairness certainly does count, and review some of the situations and feelings discussed in prior lessons.  Tell them that they are going to make the whole school aware of the importance of fairness in our everyday lives by creating Fairness Counts posters to display around the school.

Each poster could be made of 9x18 inch construction paper, poster board, or oak tag.  The title Fairness Counts should be written across the top, a caption written across the bottom, and an illustration in the middle.  Some examples: Don't give fronts in line.  Always take turns.  Take only your fair share.  Rules should be the same for everyone.  No cheating.

An extension activity would be to write about how fairness could improve the quality of life in the school environment.

Modifications:  Special needs students could work with a Buddy or peer tutor during these activities.

Enrichment Activities: 

Enjoying the apples and dip (or cookies and milk) would enrich the Math lesson.  Creative writing extends both the Language Arts and Social Studies lessons.

Evaluation/Assessment:

Teacher Observation, creative writing story content, poster content (see Rubric)

National Standards:

Mathematics: 5. Understands the concept of a unit and its subdivision into equal parts (e.g., one object, such as a candy bar, and its division into equal parts to be shared among four people.

Behavioral: 4. Understands conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among individuals, groups, and institutions.

Writing: 1 Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

Viewing: 9  Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and  interpret visual media

Technology: 2  Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs

 West Virginia Goals and Objectives:

Social Studies: 1.7, 1.28
Language Arts: Listening/Speaking/Viewing 2.3, 2.5, 2.10
Math: Fractions/Decimals 2.12

References:

a) Internet
www.emotionaltechnologeies.com
http://character.self-science.com

b) Tyrone The Dirty Rotten Cheater  by Hans Wilhelm   ISBN  0-590-44080-2
The Doorbell Rang  by Pat Hutchins   ISBN  0-395-45989-3

Authors:

Tammy Samples
Connie Wright
Deanna Young