"The Horse

             Shoe Match"                   

Objective:  Students will explore the relationships between two-dimensional geometric shapes, using a horseshoe. They will discover the shape of a horseshoe throughout the classroom.

Tools:  Laminated horseshoes ( Each horseshoe can be matched with another horseshoe based on size, shape, and color ) 

Lesson Plan:  Begin the activity by holding up a laminated horseshoe. Ask the children if they know what it is.  Talk about its shape.  Turn in on its side to illustrate the shape of the letter C.  Hold it right side up to show the letter U.  Then, focus a discussion on the holes in the shoe or the “nail holes.”  Ask the students to guess why the shoe has holes. Then, talk about how a blacksmith puts a shoe on the horse using nails.  “The horse doesn’t feel it, his foot is very hard.”  Next, hand each student a horseshoe.  (Every shoe has a match based on the same color, size, and the number of “nail holes.”)  Students must work with the other children in the room to find the match to their shoe. Pose the question:  “How will you figure out who else in the class has the same horseshoe as you?”  “What can you compare?” “What can you count?” Students can estimate the height of their shoes by placing them against other horseshoes in the classroom.  Students will be able to differentiate between shoes based on color and can count the number of “holes” on the horseshoe to find the correct match.

      Alternative Activity:  Find the shape of a horseshoe throughout the classroom.

Evaluation:  Encourage students to think about how they were able to complete the activity. Ask the children to hold up their horseshoe once they find their matching partner.  Then, ask each pair of students how they were able to figure out that they had matching shoes.  “What did you compare?” “What did you count?”  

Objective: Using a nonstandard measurement tool, students will learn about the proper way to measure a horse.  They will practice measuring objects, using “hands” in the classroom. Students will estimate objects based on the width of their hands. When students visit museum, they will measure Buddy, the museum’s exhibit model horse

 What is a hand ?  Horses are measured in terms of “hands.”  Each hand is about 4

 inches. When talking about how tall a horse is, it is proper to say the horse is “16” hands high.

 Lesson Plan:  While students are sitting at their desks, ask them to think about how an object can be measured. Then, talk about the way that horses are measured — using hands.  While traveling around the classroom, pick students to measure different objects by horizontally placing their hands, one on top of the other.  Explain that as people grow older, their hands grow too. Trace the width of a student’s hand on the chalkboard.  Then, trace a teacher’s hand. Using words like longer, shorter, wider, and thinner, ask the students to compare the two hands. Compare the difference between measuring an object with a teacher’s hand and with a student’s hand.

    Evaluation:  While holding or pointing to an object in the classroom, ask the students to guess 

       how many “hands” high the object would be if measured with a student’s hand versus a teacher’s hand.

Apple Hunt:

How to Play:  The teacher tells the students that they will participate in an “object hunt” around the classroom.  The teacher informs the students that they must listen to directions carefully.  First, students guess the name of the missing object based on descriptive clues provided by the teacher.  Since the missing object is an apple, the teacher talks about its color, its shape, size, and taste. Next, the teacher gives the students directions about how they may look for the missing apple.  Students look for the missing apple using their eyes.  Once a student discovers the location of the missing apple, the student returns to his or her seat without telling the other students where the apple was found.  Continue the game until all of the students discover the location of the apple and return to their seats.  

Supplement:  The teacher may help the children find the apple by giving an indication of a “hot” (close) or “cold” (far) location in relation to the apple.  After all of the students find the apple, allow the winner to hide the apple and play the game again.