I Have...Who Has?

I Have - Who Has?
This week in math class we got to play a fun game called "I have...Who Has?", which can be adapted to virtually any unit of math. As this weeks lesson focused on measurement, the game related to the various terms that are associated with measurements. This game requires a prior knowledge in which students draw upon to answer questions. This game would be most effective at the beginning or end of a lesson. The game start off with a "I have statement" followed by a "Who has" question. Each person is given a card that has an answer and a question. When you hear a question asked that you have the answer to, you stand up and say "I have" and give your answer. You then say "Who has" and pose another question so the game continues. One of my favourite parts about this game is that there is no race to answer quickly. Everyone talks to one another to see what they have as answers and help one another answer the questions. This isn't the first time we have seen this activity being used in our math class and I plan on taking this activity with me wherever I teach as I feel this game can be adapted to all age groups and learning levels.

Measuring Length
While measuring length may seem easy to most adults, it is a concept that young students may struggle with learning. While it is easy for someone to say that a table is 60 centimetres long, the idea of centimetres may not be a familiar one with young students. This weeks math class taught me that measuring length can be broken down. Using nonstandard units as a form of measurement is a great way to introduce the unit to new learners. The picture to the right shows the measurement of a table. If someone told me that the table was 60 centimetres long, I would know what that means. A young student who is just learning how to measure length, however, may have a better understanding of the length if it was described in pencils as opposed to centimetres. Being able to visualize length using everyday items not only helps kinesthetic learners, it helps introduce a foreign concept.

Teaching the Area of a Circle 

This week in math class I had the opportunity to teach my classmates a lesson and receive constructive feedback. The focus of my lesson was the area of a circle, which is a concept that I struggled with in elementary school. The problem was that I was taught to use a specific formula, you know the one, but I wasn't taught what the formula meant. I was familiar with the radius, diameter, and circumference of a circle, but I was told to plug in numbers to the formula in order to generate an answer. The focus of my lesson would be to avoid giving a formula and instead give students an understanding of how a circle could be thought of as a rectangle, as shown in the picture to the right. The use of manipulatives was central to my lesson as I am continuing to understand how important they are for student learning.