Using Rods

Table 1

Free play

Why do we use concrete materials?Its strengths are:• Learning from action• Learning from seeing• Building a sense of pattern

• Pupils can manipulate, observe, notice and explore.

• Pupils make connection between numbers through • connections with images.

FREE PLAY

Play- “…one starts gleaning facts. This is done by trial and error, the results being accepted or rejected according to the criterion imposed on oneself. These facts are gathered at random, everybody gleaning what he can… Goutard, 'Mathematics and Children' pg.6.

Play with the rods. What do you notice about the rods?What could you teach using rods?

Table 2 – KS1

‘Fitting in and recognising fractions’

CAKES

This is a pink cake. Each layer on top of the pink bottom layer must be made with the same colour.

Make cakes using different colour bottom layers.

What is the same about the cakes? What is different?

White ‘fits in’ to red two times

What colours ‘fits in’ pink?

What colours ‘fits in’ dark green?

What colours ‘fits in’ tan?

How many fit in?

How can we use these activities to help pupils recognise fractions?

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/29409

If that is…..then this would be…

Put the rods in the order shown on a wipe board. If red is 1 what would you name the other rods? Write this underneath each rod.

Table 3 – KS2

‘equivalent fractions’‘addition and subtraction of fractions’

And also, it must be called…..because ….

Put the rods in the order shown on a wipe board. If dark green is 1 what would you name the other rods? Write this underneath each rod. How many different names can you give each rod?

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/29411

If dark green is 1 what is pink + white? How many ways can you write this sum using fractions? What is pink – white?

Create as many addition and subtraction problems as you can witha) Two rodsb) More than two rods

What was the easiest addition/subtraction problem?What was the hardest addition/subtraction problem?

Table 4 – KS3

‘dividing by a fractions’‘multiplying by a fraction’

Division

How many in ?Create your own division problems using dark green is 1.

Multiplication

Challenge?

We would like your ideas of how you can use rods to teach multiplication of fraction?

Multiplication

• Paper folding

Table 4

‘equivalent expressions’‘using brackets’

How old am I?

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/29331

How does part a help pupils learn about equivalent expressions?How does part b help pupils learn to use brackets?

Make the length above in as many

different ways as you can

a) Using any of these four colours

b) Using just two colours of these four colours?

How many ways can you represent

this using words or letters?

How can we represent y - g ?

What could 3(y – g) look like?

Create your own expression using rods. It must have at least one bracket in it.

Make y x yWhat does it make?

Does this happen for all rods?

Which is 5y?

Make y x g

Make g x y

What do you notice? Does this work for all the rods?

What do I represent?

• Using rods show why • (b+r)(b+r) does not equal b2 + r2

• (b+r)(b-r) does equal b2 - r2

Systemise

Master

Play