March 12, 2009 - Graphing and Tangrams with Living Math
More adventures into living math!
I took a look at what topics in our Singapore Math we had not yet finished. Then I went through my Family Math book to find or think of hands-on activities and puzzles that would teach those concepts.
Graphs were easy enough. For data, we went to the sidewalk and recorded the types of vehicles that passed during a four minute period. We had quite a discussion when a woman pushing a wheelbarrow passed by. Is a wheelbarrow a vehicle? Sprite decided it did qualify as a vehicle, so it got added to the data sheet.
First, I have Sprite number blocks and asked her to create a graph of her data with them. I got this idea from Westward's blog post of making 3D graphs.
Then she input this data at this site to make a fancy circle graph.
Another topic was angles, so I chose tangrams. We read our brand new book The Warlord's Puzzle, made homemade tangrams with craft foam, and of course solved tangram puzzles. (All of the tangram resources are linked at Tangrams.)
Sprite created some tangram inspired art and ATCs (artist trading cards) as well.
Jockeys on horses.
These ATCs are a work in progress that we will finish later.
Comments
March 13, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by westward
Your lessons look like so much fun! Thanks for linking to my graphs.
We watched "Enchanted" the other day for the first time and I couldn't get over how much the little girl in the movie reminded me of Sprite! I'm sure you've never heard that before, right?
March 13, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jimmie
That's funny. We actually saw that movie in a theater with a whole bunch of other foreigners (Americans). When the little girl came up, lots of people said, "There's Sprite!" So, yes, I have heard that before. Cute kids both of them.
March 14, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I just love your photography and am really enjoying the Living math books. Have you read Grandfather Tang? It is a Tangram story.
I enjoy you so much, I am giving you an award. Stop by my site http://boysplusacademy.blogspot.com/ to pick it up.
Christie
March 15, 2009 - Looks great!
Posted by covemom
Thanks for sharing the tangrams and graphs. We are studying the Iditarod International Sled Dog Race and used the graph website to make a graph for the ages of the mushers. Leah liked it so much she asked if she could do another one! On her own, she make of graph of our cats' favorite toys and kept saying how fun it was! Linda
March 16, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Dana @ School For Us
Another great idea!!! I love how you just went through Sprite's textbook to see what topics you still needed to cover - and found a FUN way to cover them!
Dana, www.alexml.blogspot.com
March 17, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by momofsix
You are such a great teacher. I love the pictures of the tangram animals.
March 18, 2009 - living math!
Posted by JamieLee
I always love the ideas you share. We really need to do more living math, but I just don't have a clue how to really get it started. I need to come back and peruse all your posts about it & take notes. :-)
March 18, 2009 - Tangram math
Posted by Anonymous
This looks fun! I love the tangram bunnies...very cute :-)
March 19, 2009 - Living Math
Posted by Mama Bear
Hi Jimmie,
I was just thinking about living math and thought you might be interested in this. I recently played some games with my son (9) from a book by Box Cars and One Eyed Jacks. It's a great (Canadian) company with many books filled with math games. Using dice and cards. There are also reproducible sections in the book and helpful suggestions. Here's the site if you'd like to check out if you haven't already come across it.
http://www.boxcarsandoneeyedjacks.com/
On the left side scroll down a bit and you'll find an ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH.
liveswearegiven.blogspot.com
March 24, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by kristenph
Great ideas. You're inspiring as usual :-)
March 26, 2009 - Playing Battleship on Graph paper
Posted by Lisa
My kids "got" graphing after I taught them to play battleship on paper. Just make a grid [at first I made it BIG] and have them color the squares for their "ships" in a certain color. Then give them another graph to plot their "hits" on the opponents ships. It's been years since we did this, but they still get out paper and play it like this from time-to-time. Of course at 13 and 14 the "ocean" has gotten a lot bigger.
Lisa @
http://hopewellmomschoolreborn.blogspot.com/
