math

50th day of school using 50 unifix cubes

Hi. It has been a while since my last post and it feels like time to write an update. The children and I are definitely getting to know each other. They come to me third period and some days they have more energy than other days. This group is particularly interested in working on their number scrolls and drawing together; and what is truly lovely is that each student is as invested and eager to work on his or her scroll whether the next number to write is 201, or 7,000 or anywhere in between. Some things to focus on at home could be number formation, sky to earth, and pencil grip.

Some of our recent math explorations include the 4 Triangle Problem and How Many Pockets?. In the 4 Triangle problem, partners are asked to create new shapes by putting together two green triangles and two blue triangles. These shapes are then labeled and organised on a class graph which includes triangles, rectangles, squares, trapezoids, parallelograms, pentagons, hexagons, and septagons. Throughout the experience we discuss the shapes and how they resemble and differ from each other and what determines the name of the shape.

In How Many Pockets?, we each place a unifix cube in each one of our pockets and then physically demonstrate our number of pockets by snapping the cubes into a train. Students then join unifix cubes in trains of ten and we determine how many pockets the class has as a whole on that day by counting how many tens and how many ones. Students have been known to wear extra clothes in order to gain more pockets. I try to take advantage of teachable moments and prior to handing out cubes I ask for predictions as to total number of pockets for the day. We also compare the number for various days and discuss patterns.