Page 10 - Demo

Lesson 3: Spin, build and record with GrobbySpinners add a nice dimension of randomness to the generation of numbers in mathematics. Spinners can combine with Six Bricks to provide all sorts of opportunities for students to generate problems to be solved and recorded as algorithms. The use of spinners is an ideal way to incorporate the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach to doing mathematics.Learning outcomes%u2022 We are learning to count out sets%u2022 We are learning to combine sets of objects to find the total%u2022 We are learning to record our workMaterials2 spinners, a copy of the task sheet with the overlays cut out and placed on the spinners. A large sheet of paper and crayons or pencils. Word cards for %u2018add%u2019, %u2018and%u2019, %u2018plus%u2019, %u2018makes%u2019 and %u2018equals%u2019.Procedure1. Working in pairs, children spin each spinner in turn2. They set out the brick quantity and write down the number of bricks showing on the first e.g. 4, and add a %u2018+%u2019 sign3. They set out and write down the number of bricks on the second spinner e.g. 5, after the %u2018+%u2019 sign and add an %u2018=%u2019 sign and a box4. First, they get the number of bricks from the first spinner and click them together to form a stack of 45. Next, they get the number of bricks from the second spinner and click them together to form a stack of 56. Finally, they take the stack of 4 and add on the stack of 5, and recount to discover/confirm that 4+5 makes 9 altogether7. It is important that when the children are setting out the sets of bricks, they move and combine them to show the total8. They record by writing the total of 9 in the box9. Encourage children to say the adding sentence e.g. %u201cfour add five makes (equals) nine altogether%u201d10. They can tell the brick story. %u201cOn the first spin we got 4 bricks. On the second spin we got 5 bricks. When we added the 4 bricks and the 5 bricks together, we got a total of 9 altogether.%u201d11. They repeat this process 6 times, generating and recording 6 different equations/number stories12. As an extension activity, you can overlay the spinners with different templates and spin sets of bricks, numbers or a combination of both. You can set the number ceiling on the bricks according to the experience of the children.8