Thinking of the geometry part, I have the idea of creating a “lollipop bouquet”. For example, in a lollipop bouquet, you must center with one flavour and use a different flavour to cover it (fill the outer part). We can give students a ratio (for example, if the center is “n” lollipops, the outer must have “2n +1”, etc.). Then the student can receive a random package of lollipops with multiple flavours and decide how many bouquets they make in this task.
Another idea I have is calculate the lollipops’ melting rate in water. We can let students measure the diameter (radius) of the lollipop to calculate the volume. Then we put a lollipop in a cup of water, measure the time, and the diameter (radius) afterwards to determine the rate.
What difference (if any) did it make to actually experiment hands-on with
mathematical activities that you watched on the videos? What difference might it make to kids to learn from real 3D living things and/or objects with shape, texture, smell, taste, etc., as opposed to 2D printed images?
By doing hands-on activities, math is no longer an abstract subject but something concrete that students can touch and feel. I think all hands-on activities come from real life so that students can see the use of math and the purpose of learning. From my teaching experiences, many students have a hard time understanding word problems. I believe one of the reasons is that they have never seen or tried the scenario from the problem in their everyday life. Engaging the use of senses can make math tangible and reinforce students’ memories.
What difference do you think it might make for students with sensory impairment (low vision, auditory impairment, etc.)?
From Stylianidou, A., & Nardi, E. (2019)’s paper, we learned that universal design is significant for teaching and for including everyone in the classroom. To engage different uses of senses in math teaching, students with sensory impairment will no longer feel isolated in the classroom, and other students can have a better understanding of their peers.
Sunny,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the range of mathematical ideas you outlined using the lollipops. Concepts such as calculating surface area, radius, melting rate, and even bouquet arrangements feel authentic and adaptable across different grade levels. Inspired by the Vi Hart video, I can also imagine extending these ideas by arranging the lollipops into different visual patterns or turning them into stick puzzle challenges, which could invite further exploration and play.
I especially agree with your point that “by doing hands-on activities, math is no longer an abstract subject but something concrete that students can touch and feel.” When students are able to physically interact with mathematical ideas, they are more likely to see how mathematics connects to everyday life. Experiences like these can help shift the perception that math exists only on paper, and instead position it as something meaningful and useful in the world around them.