Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Let's Make A Deal: This is a strategy games where you pick one of three doors. Upon picking a door one of the other two doors are opened (a loser). You must then decide if you would prefer to stick to your original decision or change to the other door. I played 20 games where I changed my initial decisions and the results were that I won 13 games or 65% and lost 7 games 35% and then I played another 20 games where I stuck with my initial choice. The results from this strategy were I won 5 games 25% and lost 15 games 75%. This was another great game that would keep my students interest and provide a lesson on probabilities.

Lesson Plan for Cuisennaire Rods

The lesson I chose for this week is called Sculptures Big and Small. It is listed for grades 5-6. It was found on the manipulative CD. Students are to costruct and find the volume and surface area of different sculptures made from cuisennaire rods. The students then explore the volume of an orange rod to the equal amount of white rods. 1 orange rod is equal to 10 white rods. The Volume of the organde rod would be 10 cubic centimeters. They then move on to surface area and how the organge rod has six surfaces and they must figure out the survace area.

Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Factor Trees: The factor trees I found in Algebra grades 6-8. This allowed students to take a given number and find its factors. It began with one number but allowed for the user to find the factor of two numbers. After finding the factors it provided a Venn diagram to compare factors and find common factors. It also allowed for the user to make their own problems.

Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Coin Problem: This manipulative consisted of finding the counterfeit coin. You are provided with 8 coins and must determine which coin is the counterfeit. In the first two challenges when you are provided with 8 and 9 coins it informs you if the counterfeit coin is lighter or heavier than the others. When you move on to the 12 coin challenge you must find out if the counterfeit coin is lighter or heavier and then identify the counterfeit coin. The 12 coin challenge requires more strategy in order to solve the puzzle. This was a great manipulative.

Geoboards

Lesson: Peg Capture

This is a game that requires students to turn their geoboard into a coordinate grid. They use the coordinated in an attempt to get four markers lined up horizontally, vertically and diagonally. This is a strategic thinking based game.

Geoboards

Lesson: Line Segments

In this lesson students will try to make all of the different line segments they can find on their geoboards. Tis allows the students to identify line segments, compare lengths, ad oder line segments form larger to smaller. This lesson was taken from our CD.

Geoboards and Tessallations

Lesson Plan: Tessellating the Geoboard
In this lesson student will practice finding shapes that will tessallate their geoboards. This will allow students to identify tessallations, identify shapes that will be tessallations and how some shapes will tessallate their geoboard in more than one way.