How does Birch play math?

 Just as we said yesterday, play is the highest form of research. How can we play while we learn about numbers, patterns, size, time, and counting?

Watch us!

Today, Ms. Riley asked the question, "how many friends?" Students worked to find numbers, count to that numbers, and match how many by finding animals. 

LZ worked to line up all the animals that live in the woods. 

How many animals did she find?

There were not quite enough animals for GC. I watched as she used strong, kind words to ask her friends to share their animals and then they all worked hard to build the animals a home. 

How many pieces did they need to fit all the animals?

SS used his strong math brain. It was a lot of hard work. He counted by ones and by twos, estimated how many and counted to check his work, AND he was able to match numbers to their animal groups. 

JI you used your math brain to create geometric shapes!  You found a hexagon and then tried all the ways you could discover to create more.  You found four different ways to make the same shape!  Your math brain is strong!

We began experimenting with combining shapes and creating pictures! Our pictures grew and grew and became something beautiful to look at.  HW, your work inspired your friends to create pictures of their own.

"I made a crab and added a little fish!" JI

"I made YOU Ms Lisa!" PS

You started with a hexagon head, added triangle eyes, then a trapezoid mouth.  You rotated that trapezoid and turned it into my body.  Arms and legs were diamonds!  Your math brain is strong!

SZ and EZ you were showing us what you know about numbers through playdough.  

I heard "more"

"not enough"

"bigger"

and 

"same"

Your math vocabulary is growing strong!

Math..it's all around us!