How I’m Using the Teaching Tools – Connections, Spacing, Memory Recall, and Vocabulary – from the Science of Learning

I am currently using the exploration of symmetry through division of circles from the book Drawing Circle Images to use tools from the science of learning to review material we’ve learned earlier in the year. The activities that we are doing is the division of a circle by three through twelve in order to explore the respective symmetry. We are using 9 x 12 Stratford cold press watercolor paper and our stockmar paints. Our compass is set at 5cm for our original circle. We are then dividing the circle into 3 through 12 equidistant points depending on the symmetry that we are exploring. From each of the points we are adjusting our compass to different distances found within the circle and drawing circles or arcs from each of the points on the circle.  The circle that I am doing in the video is the division of eight. 

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In this post you’ll find:

Interdisciplinary Activity

This activity is interdisciplinary in that it reviews both math and art that we have previously studied. We started the year with our seventh-grade Waldorf geometry block. This block goes over the previous year, sixth grade geometry with teaching basic constructions such as bisecting circles, angles and a lines, finding the midpoint, drawing parallel and perpendicular lines to a given line, and using these constructions to divide a circle, thus allowing for inscribed polygons. After these are reviewed, grade seven geometry then focuses on the pentagon and the golden ratio, represented with the Greek letter phi, similar to pi, but this ratio is the ratio of Fibonacci’s sequence and the pentagon and pentagram. We also started our art with a watercolor series that went over washes, glazes, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques and a little bit of color theory. 

The benefit of having an activity that is interdisciplinary is that more neural connections are made. We know from the science of learning two things. One the more connections that we make, the more learning or memory that happens. The second is when we connect new material to something we already know, that new knowledge is easier to learn and easier to access. Essentially, you have more ways of making it from point A to point B. 

Spacing

I’m also using spacing and memory recall, two tools for learning, in waiting to do these activities further in the year. I knew that they would take focus and concentration (and time) to do these, and had originally planned to do these while listening to parts of our history study. I often save activities like this for review during our history blocks because the blocks are heavy in reading. Much of the time I either read some of the material aloud or we listen to an audio version to make the reading manageable for us. With our most recent history blocks, this didn’t happen because my daughter chose to do most of the reading independently. 

For that reason, we started our Number Bases block for math, I decided to pull these activities back in. This is where the spacing has come in. We have had time to ‘forget,’ so that the information can be brought back forward. This spacing increases learning. I waited with this activity until later in the year, so that we would have the ability to space the material and go over some of what we learned earlier. 

Memory Recall

I am also using memory recall which is one of the strongest tools for learning. Many think of tests and quizzes for memory recall which is true. However, the catch with memory recall is that it needs to be low stakes, meaning low stress, which tests are not. Though quizzes can be fun, I prefer games and activities over worksheets and quizzes. 

Before each activity, we would discuss how we could divide the circle. The even ones are far easier because we know simple constructions that allow us to divide the circle into most of the even numbers easily. Even three is easy, because we can divide the circle into six and use every other one. The pentagon is harder, but this a construction that we have done in our geometry block earlier in the year. 

Vocabulary

I’m also using the vernacular for geometry such as circumference, diameter, radius, arc, line segment, bisect, midpoint, angle and so forth. Using this vernacular in a practical application allows for better memory of the vocabulary. 

The nine-fold and eleven-fold divisions are far more complex. For these, I’ve taken the opportunity to review angle and protractor work. We discuss how we go about dividing the circle, meaning how many degrees a circle has, how many points we need, and how to divide that circle. We then also reviewed how to use the protractor. Then we check our calculations by measuring around the circle with our compasses to see how close that we came. 

Then after the circle is constructed, we may discuss what color choices we are making and what techniques we plan to use. We talk about positive and negative space. How we use these spaces changes how our piece looks. Then finally we paint. 

The projects are rather simple in nature, but an invaluable tool in teaching. 

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drawing circles

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