Middle going places activities
The purpose of this resource is to provide suggestions to whānau about how they can facilitate maths conversations while out and about.
About this resource
This section provides some ideas for how you can raise awareness and share mathematics using everyday experiences and resources found around your home. It includes ideas for supporting your children’s learning in all areas of mathematics: geometry, measurement, statistics, algebra, and numbers.
This resource offers some suggestions on how to facilitate mathematics conversations at home and when out and about.
Middle going places activities
Numbers
Spot a number and use it as a “launchpad” for naming things that make it, for example, “There’s a 12 on a letterbox; that's 3x4, 2x6, 10+2, 100-88, half of 24, etc."
Patterns
Look at how fences are put together. How many palings for each post? How many short ones are there compared to how many long ones? Have people planted flowers or trees in patterns by colour, height, or number? In tall buildings, how are the windows arranged? Is there a pattern?
Time
Look for clocks and schedules. Ask children to read the time; if it’s a digital clock, ask what it would look like on a traditional clock; where would the hands be to make that time? If waiting for a bus, ask children to read the schedule and tell you what time the next bus comes, what time the last one comes, and if there is a pattern for the bus times.
Money
If prices are advertised in shop windows or on signs, play a game that helps with the two and ten times tables. Ask the children to double a price (2x) or 10x a price.
Shapes
Children at this age can be asked to try and spot hexagons, different kinds of triangles, right angles, or parallel lines in buildings as they pass by.
Statistics
Notice the activities of people on the train or bus: how many are using mobile phones, reading, using computers, or just sitting? Notice who is on the bus or train: how many children, teenagers, elderly, and others? Why are there more people of certain ages at certain times of day?
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