|
Patterns with Cuisenaire Rods:
The first activity, Comparing Trains, reinforces the concept of inequality, as students create two-car trains that are shorter than a given rod. The symbol "<" is used in a meaningful way as students learn that the commutative property of addition is true for inequalities as well as number sentences. Students use problem-solving strategies in this activity, such as making an organized list and a table to organize data and look for patterns.
The next two activates, Just Right and Growing Squares, involve students in creating and extending concrete geometric patterns, recording these visual patterns numerically on tables, and then analyzing the numerical patterns to find rules (or generalizations) to explain the data and predict future patterns.
In the fourth activity, Growing Volume, students build, extend, and analyze growth patterns, then use their analyses to predict future growth patterns. The concept of volume, as the number of cubic units a structure is built of, is reinforced.
Algebra with Cuisenaire Rods:
You can also model algebra using rods. Students are first introduced to it by organizing data into tables in the first and second activity. In Comparing Trains students are learning the critical components of algebraic thinking as they analyze the patterns. Just Right has students work through algebraic concepts of equivalence and substitution through concrete, visual models.
The fifth activity, Stamping With Rods, reinforces the concept of surface area and links it to the problem-solving strategy of making a table. As students analyze their data tables and look for rules to predict further data, they learn about the algebraic concept of function (i.e., the pairing of two sets of data). Students can begin to understand that equations and formulas are based on real physical models.
The last activity, Ordered Pairs, has students find coordinate pairs of numbers to describe the specific location of an object on a grid. The game format provides an opportunity tor students to use coordinate graphing algebraically.
Discover hundreds of classroom applications for the most versatile hands-on math tool! Developed by educators to conform to the NCTM's latest content strands and topics, this field tested 48-page book includes complete lesson plans with teaching notes, hands-on activities, blackline masters,
math extensions and more!
Activities and Topic Included:
|
