A Friendly Spider’s Web Weaves Times Tables Fun (#161)

A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 161

For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.” And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times.

Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful. Today’s post will take a bit of a fun break. The very first thing in the Math By Hand Grade 2 year is creating a very large wall chart/poster with all of the times tables. Ideally, the tables should be known well by mid or end of Grade 3.

Folding the chart is a lesson in itself, since it’s folded several times to create 144 boxes. Then the idea is to fill in as many of the known tables as possible. By the end of Grade 1, the 2, 5, and 10 tables are known. So those are filled in both ways, the 1′s of course, and the 11′s are just double numbers! So you see, a good portion of the chart is filled in, and this is very empowering, an excellent start! This chart is posted in a prominent place so the tables are partially learned by immersion, and then it serves as a prompt for as long as its needed.

Toward the end of Grade 2 another, more whimsical chart could be made. Here’s how to make the times tables spider web pictured below. All you need is a large piece of poster paper, colored pencils, and a #2 pencil. (You can get free “end rolls” from your local newspaper, 12″ to 36″ wide and many feet long.)

1) draw a large cross with yellow pencil, centered on the paper

2) add two x’s with yellow pencil, one wide and one narrow, evenly spaced.

3) draw 12 circles touching each other, along each line from the center

4) using a times tables chart for reference, use a #2 pencil to fill in all the tables, starting with the 1′s

5) choose a different color to connect each times table’s numbers with cross lines

6) draw the spider in the corner!

Knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow to continue with the Common Core ELA standards and their ambient counterparts.

The post A Friendly Spider’s Web Weaves Times Tables Fun (#161) appeared first on Math By Hand.