This document provides instructions for several math activities involving classification, sorting, counting, and place value: 1) Classification activities involve sorting objects like buttons and pom poms into categories. Smarties can be sorted by color and results recorded in graphs. 2) Math bingo uses student-made boards with numbers 0-20 and calls out addition problems to match numbers. 3) Other games like fishing and picket fences match numbers to groups of objects. 4) Incidental activities like lining up use ordinal numbers like first and third. Place value concepts are reinforced through games like place value snakes.

1. Classification Activities<br />Bitsa Box<br />Have a few boxes with lots of different articles in them such as buttons, pipe cleaners, poms poms, paddlepop sticks etc. These will come in handy for a range of activities. <br />For classification let the children sort them into categories. Let them make their own choices to see what they know. Remember to ask them questions such how are you sorting them? Why did you choose this way? <br />You can also direct the sorting to check for the understanding of specific characteristics. <br />Smarties <br />This activity can be adapted to suit multiple year levels. Check scope and sequence. <br />Estimating, sorting/classifying and graphing<br />Work either as individuals, pairs or small groups <br />Children to;<br />estimate the number of each colour of smarties in a box. <br />sort the Smarties into groups according to colour. <br />record the results using graphs appropriate for year/ability level<br />discuss their estimation and compare with their results and those of others<br /> make a generalisation<br />eat Smarties<br />Venn Diagram<br />Use a Venn Diagram to help children to identify what characteristics things share and what they characteristics they don’t. <br />Once again this can be used across all the strands, for a variety of concepts and across ELs.<br />Conservation/ One-to-one correspondence<br />Math Bingo Game<br />by Donna (Brisbane)<br />You can set up a math bingo game at any time without any pre made materials. Just ask your children to fold a piece of A4 blank paper in half three times. This makes 8 sections when the paper is unfolded. (Just fold more times for more sections if you prefer particularly for older children.) Choose the answers you want for your math bingo game. Let's use the example of focusing on addition sums up to 20. Ask the children to write any 8 numbers in their sections between 0-20 without doubling up on their numbers. OK, now each child should have a unique math bingo game board with 8 different numbers between 0-20. Call out, write on the board, or use addition flashcards to ask the maths questions. As a general rule, you will need 2 x questions to the amount of answer sections on the bingo boards, so in this case I need to have at least 16 questions ready. Children put a cross on their math bingo game boards if the answer to the math question matches a number on their board. First child to have all crosses wins. Using this bingo board template, you can actually play all sorts of maths and reading games - just change the answers and questions format to suit the learning focus. Children love making up their own boards and it ideal for group work also. <br />http://www.k-3teacherresources.com/math-bingo-game.html<br /> <br />The Fishing Game – To prepare the game, draw and cut out a number of fish. On each fish write a number between 1 and 10 or draw a number of dots. Place a paperclip over the mouth of each fish and tie a magnet to a piece of string. Children take turns rolling a ten-sided die or pulling a number from a bag and then fishing for a fish that matches that number.<br />The Picket Fence – Trace around Paddle Pop sticks to create a picket fence. On the palings of the fence write the numbers you are teaching e.g. 1-10 or 10-20. Write a corresponding number onto each Paddle Pop stick. Have the children place the Paddle Pop sticks onto the corresponding fence palings to build their fence. When the children become more confident, draw a fence that is not numbered and have the children place the Paddle Pop sticks onto the fence in the correct order.<br />The Mystery Box – In a shoebox, place a set of cards numbered 1-10. For each card place a matching number of objects e.g. 1 feather, 2 pencils, 3 bottle tops etc. The children group the matching objects together and then label the groups with the numbered cards. Change the objects regularly to keep children motivated.<br />Counting<br />Peg Number Line <br />This activity can also be used for understanding of place value as well as fractions <br />Materials:<br />•string or thin rope<br />•pegs<br />•Numbers – whole numbers or parts of a whole number<br />Children are given numbers either randomly or selected to suit child’s level of understanding. <br />The children have to work together to place them in the correct order on the line. <br />This can be done on a empty number line – small or large as a whole class, small group or individual. <br />Buzz or variations of. <br />The children stand in a circle and choose 3 magic numbers e.g. 5 10 15. the kids count on around the circle if they say a magic number they Say “BUZZ” or go and wash their hands for lunch or bob down. You keep going around and the circle gets smaller until you have a final winner. Make a fuss of them for their great counting. The kids love it and ask to play everyday. <br />You can also add an elimination element by having any child who says “Buzz” or doesn’t say “Buzz” when they should have sit down. <br />You can use this to reinforce counting in 2s, 3s, 4s etc. The children pick up on the patterns found in the numbers as well. <br /> <br />Board and Card Games<br />Think of the games you played as a child<br />Snakes and Ladders<br />Cards<br />Sorry<br />Types of Numbers<br />Cardinal, Ordinal and Nominal Scavenger Hunt or Maths Walk<br /> Plan a scavenger hunt for children who need to know cardinal, ordinal and nominal numbers? Try working with a small group in order to engage young learners in conversation over the numbers. For the scavenger hunt you can give clues. For example your first clue is: find the sports day ribbon on the pin board. What number is it? . On the pin board have a second clue. <br />You can make the clues relevant to the year level of the children. They could be recording the numbers in a table (classification). What a wonderful and exciting way to engage the children in fun using cardinal, ordinal and nominal numbers/language. <br />The children have to create a maths walk around the classroom or school. Walk around and find examples of these number types. The children have to write directions or draw a map so other children can find these numbers too. It can be expanded to include clues as in the scavenger hunt <br /> Note the directional words as well. <br />Celebrity Heads<br />This game can be played across the mathematical strands for a variety of concepts. (Also across ELs)<br />Three + students each wear a headband with a number on it. They do not get to see what the number is. <br />They then ask the rest of the class/group questions about ‘their number’ and are given ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Until they deduce the answer. <br />You could also play this with the terms associated with place value. <br /> <br />Incidental Classroom Activities<br />When students are participating in classroom activities such as lining up at the door or going to their tables, teachers can emphasise the ordinal language. For example: “The students in Blue Group can go to their table first”, “John can line up at the door first and Mary can be second”, “The children in Red group were first to be ready for lunch.”<br />Do not confine instructions to ‘first’, but include lots of other ordinals. Teachers can list groups in order of completing tasks. For example, “Blue group finished first, Red group were second, Yellow group were third, and Orange group were fourth.” Teachers should look for such opportunities to use ordinal numbers beyond the well-known first, second and third.<br />In teaching this vocabulary, teachers should also note that most of the ordinal number names have a strong relationship to their cardinal number counterparts (e.g. sixth and six) and should give extra emphasis to the ‘-th’ sound that distinguishes most ordinal numbers. There are, however, some irregular names, which include the three commonly used ones: first (one), second (two), and third (three), with fifth (five) being another mismatch. Teachers will need to make the connection between these pairs of words and highlight the regular names in the rest of the collection.<br />The final ‘-th’ sound is common in English, but not common in many other languages. Consequently, children from some language backgrounds will find this ‘-th’ sound especially hard to hear.<br />Place Value <br />Place Value Snake<br />See document of this name in the Resource folder. <br />I am the Greatest<br />An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan<br />Author: Katherine Beal; Kit Carson SGC, Las Vegas, NV<br />Date: 1994<br />Grade Level(s): 2, 3, 4, 5, 6<br />OVERVIEW:<br />This activity's blend of skill and chance becomes a highly motivating vehicle to enhance students' understanding of the concept of place value. Time required can be as little as five minutes thereby providing instruction during those lost minutes throughout the day.<br />PURPOSE:<br />To provide students highly motivating drill and practice with place value via application.<br />OBJECTIVE(s):<br />Students will be able to explain that the value of a number increases when digits farthest to the left have greatest value.<br />RESOURCES/MATERIALS:<br />1.Teacher made number cards, one for each digit, 0 - 9.<br />2.Scratch paper and crayons for each student. (If you use pencil, some students may not be able to resist the urge to change number positions during the game.)<br />3. Reward for winners. When I played this game with my students the fun of the activity was reward enough. <br />ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:<br />1.Predetermine the number of digits in the mystery number. Begin with three digit numbers and increase number of digits as student skill increases.<br />2.On scratch paper, have students draw lines so that there are the same number of lines as digits: _______ _______ _______ <br />3.Shuffle \"
deck\"
of number cards. I put the numbers in a box and drew them out of that. <br />4.Select first card, students must write this digit on any one of the lines.<br />5.Continue this process until all lines have been filled in.<br />6.Select a student to arrange all the selected number cards from greatest to least.<br />7.All students having this number declare, I AM THE GREATEST\"
<br />8.Award all the GREATEST students with reward.<br />9.Reshuffle the number cards and repeat the game. <br />TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:<br />As students become more proficient add digits to the mystery number. Eventually older students could use a double deck of number cards. Because of the element of chance, even your lower math students will sometimes have the opportunity to declare, \"
I AM THE GREATEST!\"
<br />May 1994<br />These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.<br />