Ebinehita Elimian EED 784.04 Dr. Halycon Foster February 07, 2012 SCAVENGER HUNT 1.

Search online to find what each of the following is. Write a detailed description, or cut and paste one from an online catalog. Include pictures and links to where you can purchase them/. If you are currently teaching or student teaching, locate as many of them as you can, and place a star next to the ones that you found. a) unifix cubes, or snap cubes

Unifix cubes are colorful, interlocking cubes that help children ages four and up learn number and math concepts (and now reading too!). Unifix cubes represent 'units' and link in one direction. Unifix cubes are used for: patterning, grouping, sorting, counting, numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and measurement. http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/Sort/Item/Order/Asc/StartRow/1/ShowAll/No/ItemN o/2-25.cfm b) pattern blocks

Pattern blocks allow children to see how shapes can be decomposed into other shapes and introduces them to tiling. The standard pattern blocks are divided into two different sets. In the first set, the shapes can all be built out of the green equilateral triangle. This set contains: Equilateral triangle (Green), Regular rhombus (Blue), Trapezoid (Red), Hexagon (Yellow). The second set contains shapes (Square Orange; Small rhombus Beige) that can't be built of the green triangle, but can still be used in tiling patterns. http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/ItemNo/2-412.cfm c) cuisenaire rods

Seventy-five years ago, Belgian teacher Georges Cuisenaire invented a unique system for helping students grasp abstract math concepts using colored cardboard strips of varying length. This predecessor to the classic product known worldwide as Cuisenaire Rods changed mathematics education forever. http://www.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=4212A

d) base-ten blocks

Base Ten Blocks are a great way to learn place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Base Ten Blocks consist of cubes (one's place), rods (ten's place), flats (hundred's place) and blocks (thousand's place). http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/ItemNo/8-2002.cfm e) color tiles

Color Tiles are useful for developing early math concepts, creating patterns and geometric shapes and using as markers with the Hundred Board. They are also used for counting, patterning, design and problem solving. http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/ItemNo/2-416.cfm f) tangrams

Tangrams consist of 7 pieces, called tans, which fit together to form a shape of some sort. The objective is to form a specific shape with seven pieces. The shape has to contain all the pieces, which may not overlap. http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/ItemNo/2-482.cfm g) fraction pieces (based on circles or rectangles)

A fraction is a way of expressing a number of equal parts. A fraction consists of two numbers, a numerator which gives the number of equal parts and a denominator which gives the number of those parts that make up a whole. For example, the fraction 3/4 could be used to represent three equal parts of a cake, where the whole cake is divided into four equal parts. Fraction pieces visually explain what parts of a whole look like, from 1/16th to one whole. http://www.didax.com/shop/productdetails.cfm/ItemNo/2-496.cfm

2. Order catalogues from the Nasco company, by going to www.enasco.com. And from the ETA
Cuisenaire company at www.etacuisenaire.com. While on these sites, browse a bit in to find 3 mathematics manipulatives (other than the ones listed above) that you think might be useful in your desired teaching position. Give a brief description of each and state what they are useful for. a. Figuro Triangle Fact Cards (Addition/Subtraction, Multiplication/Division): These selfchecking double-sided cards come in a pack of 46, representing two fact families and eight number sentences. All cards have numbers at each triangular corner, with the corresponding operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in between. They are a useful tool for students to review and master fact families the relationship between addition/subtraction and multiplication/division facts. b. 11 x 11 Pin Geoboard Classroom Basics Kit: This kit comes with rubber bands and 30 pin geoboards. These sturdy plastic boards feature an upright square lattice of 11 nails, around which the rubber bands are placed, that students can utilize to explore geometry (area, perimeter, plane angles) and other various math concepts. c. Two-Color Counters Classroom Basics Kit: Includes 1,000 two-color (red/yellow) ManipuLite Counters (1 diameter). These manipulatives are useful to provide a visual demonstration of math problems involving counting and sorting. 3. On either of the websites listed above, find two examples of children's literature that relates to geometry, measurement, fractions, or other mathematics topics. Give a brief description of the plot and what mathematical connections the book makes. (example: this book is about a little girl who likes to count. It makes connections to basic arithmetic and counting by ones, twos and fives.) a. Spaghetti & Meatballs For All - A Mathematical Story (Marilyn Burns): A couple's dinner party for 32 guests grows chaotic as guests repeatedly rearrange seating arrangements around the 8 available square tables, requiring new layout configurations. The book's connection to mathematics is established through considerations of area and perimeter. b. The Greedy Triangle (Marilyn Burns): In a bid to reinvent itself, a triangle enlists the aid of a shapeshifter to assume new identities by adding angles/sides to itself. The story's mathematical connection happens as an introduction to basic polygons. 4. On either of the websites listed above, or at another website that you find on your own, find 3 software programs, appropriate got k-8 mathematics that would help facilitate student learning in either geometry, graphing and data analysis, or fractions. Write a brief synopsis of what the program does. a) The Geometer's Sketchpad (Key Curriculum Press): This educational tool provides students the opportunity to experience geometry visually, and expand their use of vocabulary such as side, angle and length. The software comes with activities designed to fit gradeappropriate curriculum, which allows students to visualize and explore mathematical relationships. Elementary and Middle school students manipulate constructed shapes, tables, graphs to develop their understanding of area and perimeter formulas. By building and investigating their own constructions and models, Sketchpad users acquire the tools to fully explore and understand geometric concepts.

b) TinkerPlots Dynamic Data Exploration (Key Curriculum Press): Designed to develop students' understanding of data, numbers and graphs through colorful visual representations. The program provides real-world contexts that enable students to make sense of real data and learn to recognize patterns as they unfold. Students work with dot plots, pie charts, map graphs, histograms, scatter plots, and their own original graphs by ordering, stacking and separating data icons. c) Fraction Nation (Scholastic): This program offers individualized support for students to learn fractions. Designed for use 15 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week, students receive targeted instruction to help build and achieve fraction fluency. A placement assessment is administered at the outset to prescribe an instructional sequence, followed by parsed and explicit instruction on key concepts and skills. The program provides guided practice through feedback and progressively builds understanding through extensive practice, as well as ongoing performance-based assessments.

5. Go to the National Council of Teacher of Mathematics website (www.nctm.org).

a) Find where and when the national conference is in 2012. Philadelphia, PA April 25 28, 2012 b) What is the name of the NCTM Journal for K-5 teachers? Teaching Children Mathematics

6. Go to http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html. Play with the various virtual manipulatives and

games on this site. Name and briefly describe 3 that you found helpful, one for k-e, one for 3-5, and one for 6-8. Then, list a fourth one that you found challenging for you. a) Fractions Naming (K-2): Prompts the user to input the fraction that corresponds to the highlighted portion of the displayed shape. To do so, the user has to count how many parts of the whole unit are colored and enter that number into the top box (numerator) and how many parts make up the whole unit. Features a Check button to compare answers, and a New Fraction button to continue with the game. b) Base Blocks (3-5): By clicking on the blue icons representing block pieces, arranged at the top of individual columns, the user is required to enter units, longs, flats or blocks corresponds to the displayed number. Arrows in the bottom right-hand corner permits the user to change the default settings for Decimals, Base, and Columns. Clicking the Show Problem button generates an exercise within the specified parameters. c) Factor Tree (6-8): With this manipulative, the user is able to construct factor trees for two numbers (one yellow, the other blue), down to the prime factors. Press ENTER on the keyboard after typing in a factor to display the corresponding divisor of the number chosen, and to move between divisor boxes (note: nothing happens if a divisor is improperly identified). Tests the ability to properly identify the Greatest Common Factor and the Least Common Multiple of the given numbers, before checking results. Includes the option to work with one factor tree or display user-generated starting numbers. d) Note: None of the virtual manipulatives or games were particularly challenging.

7. Go to the website for the California Mathematics Council at www.cmc-math.org. Each year, they
sponsor an annual mathematics conference for teachers in northern California at Asilomar in Monterey. Find the dates of the next CMC-North Asilomar conference. (Hint: It is in the FALL). November 30 December 02, 2012