Time to Play [learn]!

Me again!

After previously teaching grade one in my last practicum block, it made me wish that I could just stay six years old forever. All of the work my students were exposed to was fun, interactive, and engaging. Too bad I can't say the same for my four year honours undergraduate program. Where is there a rule that says learning must become boring as you mature? Who was it said that we are all kids at heart? I certainly am.

A resource that I frequently used in my block was Math Playground because it gives you countless games, activities and interactive learning options that covers all the primary/junior grades. Even better? Math Playground offers activities for all five of the mathematic strands (Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra and Data Management and Probability).

A personal teaching favourite concept of mine is graphs, which fall under the Data Management and Probability strand of the Ontario curriculum. Grade ones are learning math using "non-standard units of measure", meaning basically that they use physical exemplars as benchmarks, rather than numerals and equations. An example of this in measurement would be "it takes three chalk brush lengths to measure my arm" or "the tissue box is heavier than a piece of chart paper even though the chart paper is larger". With this in mind, students represent their data collection skills in pictographs, where data is represented by pictures rather than numerals.

As promised, there is really great activity on Math Playground that deals specifically with recording data with tally charts and picture graphs. Here, students are shown either various pictures or a word problems and are asked to organize their pictures and choose the appropriate graphic representation.

The data management and probability expectations this activity covers are:

Overall
1. Collect and organize categorical primary dad and display the data using concrete graphic pictographs, without regard to the order of labels on the horizontal axis
2. Read and describe primary data presented in concerts graphs and pictographs

Specific
1.1 Demonstrate an ability to organize objects into categories by sorting and classifying objects using one attribute (e.g. colour, size) and by describing informal sorting experiences (e.g. helping to put away groceries)
1.2 Collect and organize primary data (e.g. data collected by the class) that is categorical (i.e. that can be organized into categories based on qualities such as colour or hobby), and display the data using one-to-one correspondence, prepared templates of concrete graphs and pictographs (with titles and labels), and a variety of recording methods (e.g. arranging objects, placing stickers, making tally marks)
2.1 Read primary data presented in concrete graphs and pictographs, and describe the data using comparative language (e.g. more students chose the summer than winder as their single favourite season)
2.2. Pose and answer questions about collected data

Moral of this story: it's time to make learning fun again, for all ages, the way it was supposed to be!

A