Watchthe video below to see how simple objects like tiles, stickers, rubber stamps, dice, and graph paper help teach students important concepts in number theory: factors, primes, composites, and square numbers…not to mention the great reinforcement of multiplication facts. Grades 2 – 5 CCSS: 2.OA.4; 2.NBT.2; 3.OA.1; 3.OA.3; 3.OA.5; 3.OA.7; 4.OA.1; 4.OA.4
Super easy way to have 2nd or 3rd graders physically make each of the multiplication facts. They roll two dice (two different colors, one color for rows and the other color for columns) and create the array using stickers or rubber stamps. Sometimes having them use graph paper helps keep the rows and columns lined up. Also, since a regular die only goes up to 6, you can use dice that has 10 faces. Another options would be to cover…
Students use sticky dots to create a caterpillar with a head and 10 body parts. They add eyes, a mouth, and antennae to the head. Then they add two legs to each body part. Finally, they skip count by 2s and write in the number. For the younger ones, I provide a 0-110 number chart for them to use as they write in the numbers. . . . Oops…I didn’t catch this one in time. Her caterpillar is skip counting…
Crossword puzzles are symmetrical?! That’s usually the response I get after students have been given a chance to look through blank crossword puzzles I’ve cut from the paper. Then I show them how all crosswords are designed with 180-degree rotational symmetry. Starting with 90-degree rotational symmetry, we rotate an object 1/4 the way around the circle. See photo below. Then we rotate an additional 90 degrees so that we end up with a turn of 180-degrees. (We’ve done work in…
Remember when I said there is no math gene? I meant it. But to underscore it, I’m going to share my son’s artwork. What does art have to do with math genes? Take a look at the photo. These are some of the art pieces that are hanging on my wall created by my oldest son. (My youngest son has an art wall, as well.) I’ll have to admit, these pieces are pretty good. The longboard piece (Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris…