After months of work with Cuisenaire rods and base ten blocks, we decided to compare the two activities. Through playing and building the children started to make big connections.
Some were equal in length.
"These fit on top of this one." HC
Equal sets made squares.
"Two red rods are the same as these four cubes." CB
These materials are used both for fun and help to make mathematical connections through exploration. We introduce vocabulary for discussion and explore equivalents, fractions, differences, sums, and a great deal more than what meets the eyes and hands.
Together they can build "a racetrack!" JM
The children noticed that the cubes had equal sides.
We also used the cubes to make sets of 5.
"It takes 17 sets of 5 to make 85" using the units. ES
"These are the same." CB
"I made 10." HM
"They make squares." CB
The children took turns presenting to their peers what they created. There sure are a lot of different perspectives!
