Chocolate FACTORy: Finding Factors of Numbers 1 Through 36

In this lesson students create rectangular arrays to represent sizes of chocolate boxes. They find all of the factors of each number up to 36 and learn the difference between prime and composite numbers. Then they play an online game to practice finding factors for each product up to 36.

Basically Base Ten: Discovering Place Value Meaning Using Base Ten Blocks

In this lesson, students use base ten blocks to construct two- and three-digit numbers on a place value board. They then play a game using base ten blocks to model numbers up to 100.

Coin Blocks: Counting Money with Value-Sized Blocks

Students use coin blocks, a concrete representation of coins, to compose and decompose numbers by counting money. They also use an interactive tool to practice the same skills pictorially.

Making Tens: Finding Addends That Sum to Ten

In this lesson, students use 2 colors of snapping cubes and other manipulatives to model addend pairs for the number 10. They explore the different addend pairs, and play a game to apply their understanding.

Magical Magic Squares: Constructing Simple Magic Squares in Odd-Numbered Square Arrays

In this lesson, students will use operations to discover patterns with integers in magic squares. They will apply what they have learned when building their own magic squares.

Mouse=Mouse: Using a Book to Explore Variable and Equality

In the book Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh, two mice find a teeter-totter and have a fun time balancing each other. When more animal friends come along to join them, they find their teeter-totter unbalanced. This hands-on lesson uses the book as an introduction to the concept that both sides of an equation need to be equal and balanced in order to use the "equal to" symbol; otherwise the "not equal to" symbol must be used. In addition, students use pictures and symbolic letters to represent variables in an equation.

Odd Man Out: Identifying Sums of Numbers as Odd or Even

In this lesson, students use a visual model using snap cubes or grid paper to build numbers in two columns to show whether they are odd or even. They then use the models to generalize about sums of odd and even numbers.

Extending to Symbols

In Parts I and II of this investigation, students learn about the notion of equivalence in concrete and numerical settings. As students begin to use symbolic representations they use variables as place holders or unknowns. This part of the i-Math investigation illustrates the continued transition from the concrete balance view of equivalence to a more abstract view.