Using Hands On Activities in Class
This past week we went over the Grade 11 Math college level course. What I found very helpful in the class was seeing some great hands on activities that would be great to do in the classroom to get the class engaged, and also applying their learning.
The first was in the topic of mean, median and mode. The activity we had was playing a game based around a deck of cards. We randomly got dealt 7 cards (anywhere from Ace to 10) and out of these cards we had to determine the mean, median or mode, depending on which game we were playing. It was fun to turn it into a game since it will ensure that students are actually doing the calculations as opposed to just assuming they know what to do. Also, with the use of cards it is easier to visualize and sort the cards for determining something like the median. Overall, I think the activity is a good one to use for the class in order to reinforce what these important measures are.
The next activity which is pictured above was investigating 3D shapes. We were asked to design a container to hold 3 chocolate balls (the white styrofoam balls above). What I particularly liked about the activity is that we were given some supplies to build with but then we were given the freedom to do whatever design we wanted. The only constraint was that we wanted to fit the spheres inside and for them to be fairly snug inside. This freedom made the task enjoyable and engaging as we got to see our own designs come to life, rather then just copying the teachers expectations. While this is all happening the students are getting better acquainted with 3D shapes and the interactions between them.
The first was in the topic of mean, median and mode. The activity we had was playing a game based around a deck of cards. We randomly got dealt 7 cards (anywhere from Ace to 10) and out of these cards we had to determine the mean, median or mode, depending on which game we were playing. It was fun to turn it into a game since it will ensure that students are actually doing the calculations as opposed to just assuming they know what to do. Also, with the use of cards it is easier to visualize and sort the cards for determining something like the median. Overall, I think the activity is a good one to use for the class in order to reinforce what these important measures are.
The next activity which is pictured above was investigating 3D shapes. We were asked to design a container to hold 3 chocolate balls (the white styrofoam balls above). What I particularly liked about the activity is that we were given some supplies to build with but then we were given the freedom to do whatever design we wanted. The only constraint was that we wanted to fit the spheres inside and for them to be fairly snug inside. This freedom made the task enjoyable and engaging as we got to see our own designs come to life, rather then just copying the teachers expectations. While this is all happening the students are getting better acquainted with 3D shapes and the interactions between them.
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