MetaPet Field Mode — Australian Schools
Lesson 3: One Identity, Many Representations
Students compare two representations of one companion and find the shared feature.
- Years
- 3–6
- Suggested time
- 20 minutes
- Use
- Teacher-led
- Records
- Alias-only, local device
Learning intention
I can explain that one thing can be shown in more than one way and still be the same thing.
Learning areas: Digital Technologies · Mathematics
Success criteria
- I can find the same thing shown two different ways.
- I can name one feature that stayed the same.
- I can explain that a different picture is not always a different thing.
Teacher opening
Show the same companion as a picture, as a word and as a number. Students often assume a different display means a different thing. Naming that mistake out loud is the lesson.
The same thing can be shown as a picture, as a word, or as a number. It is still the same thing. Today we look at two views and find what did not change.
Five guided steps
1. Same thing, two views
- Teacher says / does
- Say: "You will see the same companion shown two ways."
- Student task
- Get ready to compare.
- Expected outcome
- Students know they are comparing, not judging.
2. Look at both
- Teacher says / does
- Show both views side by side. No talking yet.
- Student task
- Look at both views.
- Expected outcome
- Students have seen both representations.
3. Find what stayed the same
- Teacher says / does
- Ask pairs to find one thing that did not change.
- Student task
- Find one thing that stayed the same.
- Expected outcome
- Each pair has found a shared feature.
4. Explain it
- Teacher says / does
- Take answers to "What stayed the same, even though they looked different?"
- Student task
- Explain your shared feature.
- Expected outcome
- Students explain representation versus identity.
5. Stop here
- Teacher says / does
- Say that Session Three is finished.
- Student task
- Remember what stayed the same.
- Expected outcome
- Session Three is recorded on this device.
Support option
Point to one part that looks the same in both views.
Extension option
Draw a third way of showing the same thing and label the shared feature.
Discussion prompts
- What looks different between the two views?
- What stayed the same?
- Why does the same thing look different in two places?
Teacher notes — aliases only
Do not record student names, contact details or identifying information.