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Category: Geometry

What Do You Notice? Lego Blocks

What Do You Notice? Lego Blocks


Skills:
K-2: counting, subitizing, geometric shapes
3-5: skip counting, repeated addition, multiplication, beginning algebra


Although there are no numbers represented, this What Do You Notice? poster is filled with number concepts. Young students should be able to quickly recognize that there are 4 circles on each square (subitizing). From there, they can decide how they want to count circles. Maybe they want to count just the circles on the pink squares or blue squares. Or maybe they want to count all the circles to arrive at the total number. Others may notice the squares and decide to count how many squares there are all together.

Older students can use repeated addition to determine the total number of squares (4 + 4 + 4 or 3 + 3 + 3 + 3) or they can multiply 3 x 4 or 4 x 3.

There are a variety of ways these students can determine the total number of circles: skip counting by fours; determining the total number of circles in a row and multiplying that by 3; multiplying the total number of squares by 4, multiplying 6 circles x 8 circles, etc.

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Grid Dots: A Family Math Night ‘What Do You Notice?’ poster

Grid Dots: A Family Math Night ‘What Do You Notice?’ poster

Grid Dots


Skills:
K-2: subitizing, counting, colors, shapes, pattern
3-5: counting, shapes, even, odd, addition, subtraction, multiplication


Subitizing, being able to quickly recognize the total amount without having to count each member of the group, is an important part of developing number sense. In the primary grades, students who subitize are able to count on from the subitized number. In upper elementary, students can use subitizing to break a larger group into smaller equal groups to find the total. In this 10 x 10 grid, I used colored sticky dots to create opportunities for students to subitize.

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What Do You Notice? Target Practice

What Do You Notice? Target Practice


Skills:
K-2: number recognition, counting, pattern, addition, geometry
3-5: addition, even numbers, geometry


The idea to do something with a target came to me when I was watching the World Curling Championships. Although the sport of curling doesn’t use number values for each of the rings, it reminded me of archery targets which do have number values, although not necessarily indicated on the target itself.

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Family Math Night Collaborative Project: Rose Window

Family Math Night Collaborative Project: Rose Window

I’m very excited to share with you my latest Family Math Night Collaborative Project: Rose Window. I was inspired to do this project after visiting the beautiful Chartres Cathedral in France.

Here is the final result:


The theme for this rose window is geometry and fractions. I can’t think of a more fun way to get in some important work in fractions! As with each of my Family Math Night Collaborative Projects, I put together a video where I walk you through each of the three activities and give tips on station set-up.

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What Do You Notice? Gumballs

What Do You Notice? Gumballs

So this was a super fun What Do You Notice? poster I created for my last Family Math Night event. Not only is it colorful, but who doesn’t like gumball machines?!



Skills:
K-2: counting, even numbers, skip counting by twos, comparison
3-5: probability, fractions, money


This is a fun one simply because of the fun gumballs and gumball machine. That said, there is still a lot of math going on. Young students can count the number of different colored gumballs. They can compare colored gumballs to see which color has the least and which color has the most. They can even count all the gumballs to arrive at a total.

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