While cleaning out my home office over the weekend, I was reminded about a few of my favorite math activities to do with kids. These lessons really show the mystery, fun, patterns, creativity, and "open-endedness" (I don't think that's really a word) of math. I decided to use both activities with a few of my students this week in the hopes that they would get excited and become more inspired about learning math.
The result? It was awesome! It was so much fun listening to their comments and seeing the wonder in their eyes. Now it's your turn!
The first activity is called the Subtraction Square. (Ms. Colando has another name for it.)
Here is my example:
The result? It was awesome! It was so much fun listening to their comments and seeing the wonder in their eyes. Now it's your turn!
The first activity is called the Subtraction Square. (Ms. Colando has another name for it.)
Here is my example:
The idea is that no matter what your numbers are in the first four outer corners, if you keep subtracting the corners of the squares, you will end up with the answer of zero. Here's how it works:
My first four numbers are 6, 2, 8, and 11. You subtract the smaller number from the larger number (this is not "negative subtraction square") and put the answer in the circle in the middle. Those answers are now the new corner numbers: 4, 6, 3, and 5. You subtract again, 6-4, 6-3, 5-3, and 5-4, again writing the answers to each problem in the middle circle. And so on ...
Depending upon the numbers that you start with, you can work your way down to zero quickly ... or not so quickly.
Give it a try! I am attaching a blank copy here that I am hoping will be downloadable and printable:
My first four numbers are 6, 2, 8, and 11. You subtract the smaller number from the larger number (this is not "negative subtraction square") and put the answer in the circle in the middle. Those answers are now the new corner numbers: 4, 6, 3, and 5. You subtract again, 6-4, 6-3, 5-3, and 5-4, again writing the answers to each problem in the middle circle. And so on ...
Depending upon the numbers that you start with, you can work your way down to zero quickly ... or not so quickly.
Give it a try! I am attaching a blank copy here that I am hoping will be downloadable and printable:
scan_apr_20,_2015,_12_36_pm-page3.jpg |
The other activity I like to call Line Art, but I am sure there are many other names for it. The pages that I have used here are from an organization called NRICH Maths, out of the University of Cambridge. NRICH is one of my all time favorite websites for math. I would highly recommend checking them out!
The lesson involves circles that are evenly divided with a certain number of points. The points are connected by counting around the circle by a specific number. If your circle has 12 points let's say, and you decide to count by 5's ... your design will look like the one on the top left corner in the picture below:
The lesson involves circles that are evenly divided with a certain number of points. The points are connected by counting around the circle by a specific number. If your circle has 12 points let's say, and you decide to count by 5's ... your design will look like the one on the top left corner in the picture below:
My first line went from 0 to 5, then from 5 to 10, and then 10 to 3, and 3 to 8, and so on. The design is complete when you end up back at the number that you started with - in this case 0. For the circle on the top right corner, I counted by 3's. Can you tell what numbers I counted by on the next two?
Another way to change this lesson, is by changing the number of points on your circles. Today my 4th graders counted by 6, but used four different circles. One circle had 10 points, one had 9 points, one had 8, and the last had 7. Even though they counted by the same number (6) with each circle, their designs were very different:
Another way to change this lesson, is by changing the number of points on your circles. Today my 4th graders counted by 6, but used four different circles. One circle had 10 points, one had 9 points, one had 8, and the last had 7. Even though they counted by the same number (6) with each circle, their designs were very different:
I am attaching blank pages for each of these below:
scan_apr_20,_2015,_12_36_pm-page7.jpg |
scan_apr_20,_2015,_12_36_pm-page6.jpg |
I hope you try at least one of these activities at home. I would also LOVE to see any pictures of what you did, or get comments about your experiences. I am also STILL waiting for your math thoughts on my post from last week ... so don't forget to check out my pictures, look for the math, and tell me what you find!
Have fun and enjoy!
Have fun and enjoy!