Equal Shmequal

Last month, we were working on understanding equality as balance in relations to numbers and equations.  

During the first lesson, I handed out the number balances and gave the class about twenty minutes to explore this new apparatus.

After exploration time was over, we gathered into a sharing circle and each student was asked to share one thing they noticed and one thing they wondered about the number balances.

After our sharing time, we headed back to the number balances to explore some of our wonders.

This lesson led nicely into a problem solving lesson using the book Equal Shmequal.

This problem evolved from a study group that I was a part of in 2009/2010.  The study group explored communication and mathematical problem solving.  We spent the year creating problems, often linked to picture books that were open ended, focussed on problem solving and children communicating their learning in a variety of ways.

Equal Shmequal is about animals wanting to have a tug- o- war.  But all of the animals are different sizes, so they try to sort out how to make both sides equal.  From the book, I posed the question, "How many different ways can you arrange the animals so that they can balance on a see saw.

I like to see all of the different ways the students make sense of the problem and show their learning.

Thinking Outside the Box: Make a Board Game

As an introduction to this task, I asked the students what board games they liked to play.  I chose a few games that many kids were familiar with, such as Candyland and Snakes and Ladders and we talked about the rules for these board games.

I unpacked a whole bunch of cereal boxes, cracker boxes and cardboard that I brought from home and told the kids they were going to create their own board games.  The only criteria, their game could have no more than three rules.

Each student had to complete a planning sheet before beginning to build the game including the name of the game, the rules and materials needed.

The part that the kids enjoyed the most, was teaching their game to others.  We spent some time, once the games were all completed trying out the games.  The inventor of the game took the role of the teacher and taught the other participants how to play the game.

A new version of Snakes and Ladders called Swim to 100.

Shake the apples board game.

A soccer game for two people.

A fishing game.

An elaborate game modeled after the board game, Mouse Trap.

This game was a board game version of the solitaire game called Mine Sweeper.

Math: Geometry Problem Solving

We continue to have a great time in math this term.  The kids have been exploring 3D objects through sorting them into groups according to one attribute (e.g. these all have 4 sides), building towers and looking for these shapes in the real world.  When we work with 2D shapes, we also sort them according to one attribute and also replicate objects and create other shapes using shape materials such as pattern blocks and tangrams.  We still do problem solving on a regular basis.  Here is a geometry related problem that we completed recently.

There are 3 shapes in a bag.  The total number of sides is 13.  What could the shapes be?

What I like about this problem is that it allows the children to demonstrate their knowledge of 2 dimensional shapes and there are many possible outcomes.

The kids organize their thinking in many different ways.  It is another thing I love about problem solving.  We almost always include a debrief or sharing time at then end of a problem solving lesson.  We ask kids to share their strategies.  Sometimes we let anyone share.  Other times, we target specific kids to share a strategy that we think could support other students.  Throughout the year, students develop quite a repertoire of strategies that they are comfortable using.

Some used equations with the shape name written underneath.

Other children created equations, but instead of numbers drew the shapes.

Others chose to "act it out" with pattern blocks and then trace the blocks onto the page.

Some kids asked me the name of ten sided and thirteen sides shape so they could use them in their equations.  Thanks to google we had some fun trying to pronounce some of their names.

This student, used equations and then the initial letter of each shape underneath to show which shape he was referring to.

Thinking Outside the Box...Again

Okay, can you tell we are super excited about all the big thinking our students are doing during these challenges.  I thought I would share some of the things we have been doing on my days for Thinking Outside the Box.

Feather Challenge

I posed the challenge, who could get the feather to travel the furthest?  I told them they could use anything we had in the classroom/school.  I asked them to first create a labelled diagram of their plan and include a list of the supplies they would need. The students were highly motivated to write. There is nothing better than looking across a grade 1 classroom and seeing everyone totally engaged in their writing.  Once their labelled diagrams were done, the children started building.  I just loved going around the room and hearing all their ideas.  I especially loved hearing them chat, question and assist each other.  For example, one student had built a plane and was putting the feather inside.  His friend was watching and said, "Don't you think the feather will fall out when you try to fly it.  I think you should tape the feather inside."

Here are some of the solutions:

This student had taped a magnet to his feather and then threw it to the metal cookie sheet.  It was exciting
 to see him use what he was learning about in Science (magnets) to assist with this challenge.
Science to Science Connection!!!!

This was our second place winner!

It was exciting to see this student's thinking during the project.  Initially he had taped a bunch of popsicle
sticks to his plane.  After testing it a few times, he asked for a new piece of paper.  When I asked him why
he said, "I have to start over, I made my plane too heavy.  The sticks were weighing down the plane.
  If I want the plane to go far I need to make it lighter. " 

This was the big winner.  He had taped his feather to a ball and threw it across the room.

Instrument Challenge

Our school had a visiting Vietnamese music performance come to entertain us.  As part of the show, one of the musician's shared a few instruments he had created himself.  I thought it would be cool for the students to try to create their own instruments.  We began by looking through some books of instruments and having a discussion about how instruments make sounds.  I then raided the supply cupboard for anything I could find that could make a sound.  The children were given an opportunity to experiment and explore the supplies  Once again, I asked them to create a labelled diagram and supply list.  Not only did this give them a meaningful writing task, but also gave me a chance to see what other supplies I needed to gather for the students to create their projects.

The criteria for this challenge was:
-it must make at least 3 sounds
-it could not be an instrument that already existed

Here are some of the solutions:

This one was pretty amazing.  He wanted to make it like his piano at home with notes
that would press down.  Under each chopstick he put a different material so that each
 would make a different sound.  Pretty big thinking for a seven year old!

This one used the chopstick in different ways.  First he plucked it like a guitar then
he bowed the elastics like a violin.  It was great to see him problem solve different ways
 to get the popsicle sticks to hold the elastics.  It took many different tries before he found this one.

This instrument had two sides.  This side had different length and width elastics.
 It was neat to see them discover the different sounds they could make.

I just loved the variety of this one.  In fact, it was more like a one girl band than a single
 instrument.  I'm not sure what those blue things on top are actually used for but they did
make a cool sound when she blew on them.
   

I just loved this labelled diagram, complete with text boxes and wonders.

Thinking Outside the Box: Build a Catapult

This week's Thinking Outside the Box challenge was to build a catapult.  My son got the Angry Birds board game for Christmas and the catapult that the game came with, inspired me.

I brought it to show the kids and we talked about catapults.  We also spent some time watching short videos on You Tube how to make different catapults.  I asked the kids to make a plan that included a picture and a list of materials that they would need.

I was amazed at how well they did.  These weekly Think challenges have really developed our students into independent thinkers and problem solvers.  Because there is not one right answer and there are so many ways to go, our kids are able to take risks and create things that seem way beyond their years.

I brought in marshmallows for them to use with their catapults and we designated a shooting area so that no one would get hit or hurt.