One of the first books I looked through was Planting the Seed of Algebra, by Monica Neagoy. Glancing through the book, I like it for several reasons. First, it’s about developing algebraic thinking in Pre K-2. That’s huge in my book. Second, the book looks and feels readable. Does that make sense? It’s laid out well with lots of color pictures, graphics, and pop-out boxes. Finally, Chapter 1 hooked me!
The first chapter brings us into a Kindergarten classroom where the author, a self-proclaimed mathemagician, is performing a MathMagic show for the kiddos. First, since she will be using dice, she has a discussion about the dice themselves. She brings lots of great geometry into the discussion (cube, faces, etc.). As a side note, she includes some fabulously interesting historical information about how geometric figures were named. Did you know that hedron means an amphitheater seat in Greek? Back to the trick. She rolls the dice and tells students that she can magically look through the dice and see the number on the bottom of the dice. For example, in the picture shown there is a 6 on the bottom of the 1 and a 4 on the bottom of the 3. Can you figure out the trick yet?
Opposite faces on a die equal 7, so her lesson ended up being about combinations for making 7. What a engaging way to start the lesson! The rest of her lesson included charting the different combinations, representing them in part-part-whole tables, and writing equations for each of the combinations. In the next chapter, Chapter 2, she describes the algebra connections to the lesson, and I can’t wait to read it! It’s a rainy Saturday, so I might get the chance.
Finally, I want to leave you with a quote I love from this chapter that ties directly to the title of the book:
When teaching a lesson, much is exposure, stimulation, and thought provocation. I had no illusion that all students would remember everything. Far from it. But if I plant thinking seeds, students will go back and reflect. They’ll remember that a cube has six faces/seats (geometry), that a die has six numbers on it (number), and that there are six different ways to add top and bottom numbers on a die when it’s rolled (arithmetic/algebra). One day, these ideas will all converge and …”Eureka!”
So interesting!!!! Love this!
Amy Burton
Trying to stay afloat with ALL of the new stuff we are doing this year…I miss my blog time!!!!! Hoping things settle down soon!!!!
Amy
SO nice to “see” you too!!!!!!
Amy
Where have you been, girl?! It’s really cool, isn’t it?
I totally understand! Nice to “see” you again. 🙂
I will be thinking about dice differently next time we use them. Putting book on my wish list.
I know, right?! Even when I was looking for a picture of dice to use, I was practicing my combinations for 7. Too funny!
Thanks! Love the Magic Dice! I have some Kindergarteners who will love this. I am crazy about math. I see some budding magicians ready to try it on their parents.
Have a great weekend.
Sara
Love that enthusiasm! 🙂
That is great! I can’t wait to introduce this to help learn the different ways to make 7! Kindergarteners already think I am magic so this will just be a little more confirmation for them. I did however have to search the house for some dice to see if all dice have opposite sides that equal 7…I never knew that!
So, I’m actually kind of glad that I’m not the only one who didn’t know! I had this nightmarish image that everyone would comment, “Oh, I already knew that!” Ha ha.
I have started to request my Public library to buy the books you recommend.
I also take it up a step with students a little older by rolling 3 dice and then quickly stacking them. I tell them I can tell them what all of the “hidden” numbers are on the horizontal faces. They are amazed!
Do you have a 5 and below near you? they have the HUGE foam dice in all sorts of colors- super fun to use in the classroom with all these ideas!
Yes, I do, but I’ve actually never been in there. I’ll have to check it out, Allie!
I just ordered this book. Can’t wait to read it and learn LOTS!!! Thank you for sharing!
It’s a great resource, Diane!
I love your blog and follow you on social media. That said, I w ovule use this with my firsties but please adding combinations of 7 with Prek and K?
Kindergartners are expected to know combinations for all numbers through 10 and have fluency with combinations through 5, so this fits right in with the Kindergarten standards!
Love it! I am so math ignorant. I spent most of my time scared to death of math, but I love to solve problems in real life– it is actually one of my favorite thing to do! When I started thinking about math as simply problems to solve I started feeling so much better– some math anxiety was chipped off and I started to be able to breathe when math was presented!