MathStuff

 Hi All, This is a super simple, but very revealing activity and so works as a good assessment. Fantastic for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. Try it out and see what you learn about your students. Display a small number of objects in your open hands. Here we have 4 kumquats. (Because I have a kumquat tree in my yard. Any small manipulative will do.) Put your hands behind your back. Close one hand and bring both hands back out in front of you to display 2 kumquats visible in one hand and a closed hand with the rest of them. Remind students that you started with 4 and there are still 4 all together. Ask students, what is in the closed hand. Ask how they know this. Then reveal and discuss. Try another one. Show the 4 objects again, 2 in each hand. Put your hands behind your back and redistribute with 1 object in one hand and 3 objects in the other. Bring your hands to the front and ask how many are in your closed hand. Ask how they know this.  Then reveal and discuss.   You might even r

 Hi All, What is this?  As a kid I always loved Mad Libs. That was back in the sixties. They are still around today amusing a new generation of kids who like to fill in the blanks with words like "fart" and "butt." What could be more fun!? Being a big Mad Libs fan and kind of a math guy, a few years back I started writing what I called "Math Libs." Same premise, "Give me a noun. Give me an adjective," but now I would include, "Give me a 3-digit number. Give me an odd number," and the end result was a wacky math word problem. For example, here's a simple one to try out. Chief Super Spy_____ (NAME OF GIRL )_____ had _____( TWO-DIGIT EVEN NUMBER)____ __(ADJECTIVE)____   _____(PLURAL NOUN )______. She gave ____(ONE DIGIT-NUMBER EXCEPT FOR 0 OR 1)____ to her fellow _____(ADJECTIVE)______spies. How many does she have left? My agent at the time advised me, "Yeah, nice idea, but you can't call it Math Libs. Mad Libs will sue you.