Teachers have a rule about teaching with math manipulatives: Let the kids explore with the tool before asking them to use it for instructional purposes. This is the rationale behind our first lesson with unifix cubes.
As with most of our classroom materials, I introduce a new tool using the Guided Discovery method. The lesson begins with a mystery - a box wrapped in butcher paper and covered with stickers.
"What is it?" they beg to know. Inside my head I hear my teacher voice cackle with glee - they are already hooked.
As with most of our classroom materials, I introduce a new tool using the Guided Discovery method. The lesson begins with a mystery - a box wrapped in butcher paper and covered with stickers.
"What is it?" they beg to know. Inside my head I hear my teacher voice cackle with glee - they are already hooked.
After collecting several predictions of what might be in the box, we open it.
"Unifix Cubes!" they declare with excitement.
"Have you ever used these before?" I ask. Hands shoot up, and I start a poster full of their creative ways to use our new tool.
"Unifix Cubes!" they declare with excitement.
"Have you ever used these before?" I ask. Hands shoot up, and I start a poster full of their creative ways to use our new tool.
I give the Magical Minds 20 minutes to work with the manipulative, encouraging them to try something not even on the list. While they explore, Mr. H and I walk the room, documenting and recording their thinking.
We leave 15 minutes at the end of the lesson to reflect on our projects. The children use their improving presentation skills to share their projects.
We leave 15 minutes at the end of the lesson to reflect on our projects. The children use their improving presentation skills to share their projects.
Some kids tell stories with their cubes. For example, Ben built a house and Yasmeen built a castle with a moat. Zara, of course, has taken a more artistic approach and created a sunflower under a partially cloudy sky.
Luci has used a dry erase marker to write numerals on her cubes, which she fashions into a math game. Isa and Ellora created graphs. Ellora explains that hers might document how many people like different colors. Isa explains she is recording the value of different stocks, "This one is Apple, this one is Zynga..."
Wow! I haven't taught anything, but already we've learned so much from each other.
After taking a gallery walk around the room, I ask the Magical Minds to quickly estimate how many cubes they think they used in their project.
Then, while they count exactly how many cubes they used, Mr. H and I roam the room, listening to their counting skills and asking them to explain how they got their estimation. We are looking to see how their number sense is. Are their guesses reasonable? Can they count what comes after 59?
The children want to know when they can do it again.
After taking a gallery walk around the room, I ask the Magical Minds to quickly estimate how many cubes they think they used in their project.
Then, while they count exactly how many cubes they used, Mr. H and I roam the room, listening to their counting skills and asking them to explain how they got their estimation. We are looking to see how their number sense is. Are their guesses reasonable? Can they count what comes after 59?
The children want to know when they can do it again.
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