Pre-K-2
In this lesson for grades 1‑2, students balance pairs of like and
unlike objects by changing distance from the fulcrum. Students use a
crayon (as the fulcrum) and a ruler to represent the balance.
6-8
In this lesson for grades 6‑8, students participate in activities in
which they focus on patterns and relations that can be developed from
the exploration of balance, mass, length of the mass arm, and the
position of the fulcrum. The focus of this lesson is the relationship
between the length of the arm and the mass of the objects.
Pre-K-2
In this lesson, students participate in activities to develop concepts of measurement and statistics. Students are asked to measure distances using non-standard units and to record their measurement in a bar graph. Then they are asked to make comparisons using the bar graph.
Pre-K-2
The following lesson introduces elementary students to subtraction. The
objective is to create a link between students' experiences and
mathematics. By the end of the lesson it is expected that students have
a deep understanding of subtraction and how it relates to their world.
This lesson was adapted from "Helping Students Understand Subtraction"
by Anita Page, which appeared in the November 1994
Teaching Children Mathematics, Vol. 1, No. 3.
Pre-K-2
In the following lesson, students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children's literature. Specifically, students use clues to sort and classify buttons.
Pre-K-2
Students read the poem "Shapes" from
A Light in the Attic, by
Shel Silverstein, and create their own illustration of the poem. In
this lesson, students explore geometric figures and positional words.
Pre-K-2
In this lesson, students read the book
How Big Is a Foot?, by
Rolf Myller. They then create non-standard units (using their own
footprints) and use them to make "beds." As a result, students explore
the need for a standard unit of measure.
Pre-K-2
In this lesson, students participate in activities in which they investigate the data in connection with recyclable materials and develop plans to help the environment.
Pre-K-2
A toy-shop theme is used to help stimulate and generate discussion about numbers. Students use examples from a toy-shop to identify real-world uses of numbers and to write stories about those numbers.
Pre-K-2
This lesson focuses on forming 3-digit house numbers to meet specific requirements. Careful reading of information and understanding of mathematical language are important to finding appropriate solutions. Using the problem-solving strategies of looking for patterns and establishing an organized list will aid students in finding all the possible solution sets.