Make the most of your Bee-Bots at school and extend the activities beyond grade 4 by challenging the grade 5 or 6 pupils to design a choreography. This requires programming, communication, collaboration and quite a few other skills, such as spatial insight and the ability to mirror paths.
Here grade 6 pupils are working on their design and testing it out.
The Edutopia.org website offers great examples on pedagogy and didactics that build on concepts like growth mindset, ownership, effective learning, social and emotional learning, collaboration.
One topic is on Strategies for Effective Talk in the Classroom. This is not about the teacher talking, but about pupils/students talking and communicating. The approach supports learning in all subjects. It shows clearly how important it is that all pupils learn to communicate and express themselves clearly in different settings. The guidelines provided can be applied by any teacher.
Gears is an applet that offers short tasks based on gears. The game applies knowledge, skills and concpets from both maths and engineering/mechanics.
The applet Gears can be found at two different locations in the Primas project and on the RekenWeb. The applet can be used in grade 4-8. We used the applet as preparation for more complex tasks using GearSketch.
| Purchase | Free |
| Hardware | PC |
| Requirements | browser, Java |
In the Davinci project we used GearSketch to experiment with how gears and chains transmit motion. GearSketch is one of the many resources and programs/simulations available from GoLabz.
It’s always a challenge to come up with interesting tasks that require inquiry and reasoning. Below two tasks where students have to explore both the program as well as features of and patterns within the use of gears.
Task 1: Clockworks
Task 2a: Bicycle
Task 2b Bicycle with gears
On a modern bicycle you will often find 6–8 gears on the rear wheel and maybe 2-3 gears on sprocket where the pedals are.
GoLabz and GearSketch
| Purchase | Free |
| Hardware | PC , iPad, tablet |
| Requirements | browser |
Transformation from 3D to 2D and vice versa is an important mathematical skill. Pupils require enough opportunities to explore, use and apply the different forms and shapes. We introduce the cube, and netts that can be folded into a cube. In this activity we offer Polydron (or Jovo) bricks to build a cube and take it apart into a 2D piece (the nett). Thereafter we ask the pupils to draw the different netts they can find.
Before the pupils will be able to master the 3D <-> 2D conversion visually and later mentally, they need many situations and opportunities in which they can practice this over time. They can for example be asked to make a dice from heavy paper/cardboard. They will have to find out where to draw which number of dots. Thereafter they have to find out where to add the edges used for gluing the sides of the nett into a cube. Other tasks involve the design and construction of packaging.
It is quite challenging to create your own animation from skratch, using your own sketches. Yet, this process is much more creative, rewarding and instructive than when you use ready made pictures.
There are many different programs you can use. Below you just find a suggestion of resources in order to create you own animation.
Richard Williams shows how simple and how complex it is to animate the movements of an animal or a person. This requires close observation and analysis of what the animal looks like and how the different body parts move. After this research you start with the actual drawing and the sequencing of the pictures. Test and make the animation with an animation program. The process of fine tuning will make the difference in the end result.
If you wish to publish the animations, use a website, the school’s learning environment, or a blog.
| Purchase | Free (all three resources mentioned) |
| Hardware | PC* |
| Requirements | Browser for videos |
* You can certainly create animations on a tablet. You only need a different drawing program.
MyScript Calculator is one in a series of Apps: MyScript Smart Note for taking notes and MyScript MathPad for writing complex mathematical expressions and equations.
MyScript Calculator turns handwriting into mathematical operations. That means it captures your handwriting and performs the operation. The program works well, however it does not always react the way you expect. It can be very challenging to let your students find out what the rules behind the program are.
For teachers it can be useful to use MyScript MathPad to write expressions and export them to LaTex or MathML and then copy them into for example MS-Word documents.
MyScript Calculator can be used as soon as students master a few mathematical operations. I would suggest from grade 4 onwards. It is a big advantage that one can use handwriting instead of a keyboard. The program gives immediate feedback on your handwriting and reacts very fast. The program should of course not replace the math exercise book, but can be used every now and then. If learning occurs depends, as usual, on the teacher and on the type of questions, tasks and guidance he/she provides.
Remarks from teachers:
The program works well and consistent, but does not always react the way one would expect. Hoever, it can be challenging to let the students find out what the rules are behind the program. For example:
The possibilities are endless for those who are creative.
Watch MyScript Calculator’s Tutorial or some video’s on YouTube.
| Purchase | Free |
| Hardware | iPad, iPhone, Ipod touch, Android tablet and Smartphone |
| Requirements | IOS 7.0 and higher |
Examples of series of expressions created by swiping and writing:
DiScoro 