Mathematical Emphasis
Investigation 1—Sorting People
- Examining carefully the differences and similarities in a group of related objects or related data
- Using negative information to clarify the definition of a category
- Sorting and classifying information
- Collecting, recording, and representing data
Investigation 2—Collections: What Goes Together?
- Thinking flexibly about the characteristics of data
- Articulating logical reasoning
- Constructing categories with clear definitions for describing categorical data
- Inventing representations of data
- Using more than one representation to view data
- Building theories about the data
Investigation 3—Animals in the Neighborhood
- Constructing categories to describe data
- Articulating clear definitions of categories
- Organizing categorical data
Tips For Helping At Home
Questions To Ask:
- What is the problem about? Tell me in your own words.
- What did you do in class to get started?
- Can you make a drawing (model) to help you figure out the problem?
- What have you already tried? What steps did you take?
- What do you need to do next?
- Can you show it in a different way?
- How did you get your answer?
Activities At Home
- Play the games sent home during the unit including: Guess My Rule.
- Continue the sink and float activities started in class. Work with your child to find and classify objects at home that sink and float.
- Your child will be collecting information about neighborhood animals. You might need to help your child with this information.
- As you read the newspaper or magazines, point out graphs and charts to your child.
Vocabulary Terms
- Attribute
- A characteristic, like color or size
- Category
- A group of objects or people with common characteristic(s)
- Data
- A collection of information
- Representation
- A graph, picture or chart showing the data that was collected
Mathematics Vocabulary Web site
Mathematics Strategy—Preparing a Thing Collection
Collections of common objects give children a chance to explore similarities and differences in shape, color, texture, material, function, and a variety of other properties. Below are a couple suggestions and a possible list of items for a home “Thing Collection.”
- As you choose objects, look for a few clear properties that are shared by four to eight objects. For example, you might want seven round things, four red things, six metal things, and five plastic things.
- Try to avoid too much variety in color so children will focus on other properties.
- Possible Objects:
- Index card
- Pipe cleaner
- Button
- Small and large paper clips
- Red and black checkers
- Birthday candle
- Sponge
- Round, plastic lid
- Drinking straw
- Rubber band
- Piece of string
- Sugar cube
- Peanut in shell
- Piece of dry pasta
- Jack
- Key
- Screw
- Craft stick
- Aluminum foil
- Paper cup
- Wooden bead
- Paint brush
- Penny
- Tile
- Marker top
- Pencil
- Toothpick
Source: Investigations in Number, Data, and Space: Coins, Coupons, and Combinations. Dale Seymour, 1998. (Page 43)
Mathematics Game—Guess My Rule
Materials
A “Things Collection” made of 15-20 small objects that are all different
Playing the Game
The object of the game is to figure out the Mystery Rule by trying to place objects from the Thing Collection into one of two categories.
- The rule maker decides on a Mystery Rule for sorting the Thing Collection into two groups: one group fits the rule and the other group doesn’t fit the rule (for example: “is red”).
- The rule maker starts the game by showing three objects that fit the rule and two objects that do not fit the rule.
- The guessers try to find other objects that fit the rule.
- With each guess, the object is placed in one of the two piles (fits rule or doesn’t fit rule). Both piles should be clearly visible. The rule maker says if the placement is correct. If it is not, the object is placed in the correct group.
- Guessers continue to place objects in the two piles. Once all the objects have been correctly sorted, the guessers guess the rule.