NMS Book 2 Cover.

qxd 28/06/2006 1:12 PM Page 1 CUT

Based on world’s best practice! This series provides the core knowledge and understanding of the
“big ideas” or concepts students require to become confident and enthusiastic maths users. This
book is organised into twelve units of work based on the current research into the developmental
sequence in which students generally acquire those concepts. Each unit is divided into five sections:
Mental routines – 10-minute lesson starters with suggested closed and open
questions designed to engage students and arouse their enthusiasm
Problematised situations – challenges that encourage students to work
mathematically with open-ended “real-life” situations and construct their own ideas.
These lessons include a reflection session where mathematical language is used to
describe successful strategies and more formal methods are introduced and
demonstrated.
Games – fun activities designed to reinforce the strategies developed in each unit.
Investigations – open-ended investigations to encourage students to test and extend
their skills.
Assessment activities – consolidation activities that students should readily
accomplish at the end of each unit.
The series encourages the use of readily available concrete materials and is supported by over
50 photocopiable activity sheets and task cards. The CD-ROM included with this book is designed
to help teachers to plan and personalise their maths program and to record individual student’s
progress.
The Natural Maths Strategies series is a complete school program, which also encourages the use
of supplemental resources to ensure a variety of maths teaching and learning experiences.
NMS Book 2 Cover.qxd 28/06/2006 1:14 PM Page 2 CUT

Ann and Johnny Baker are partners in Natural Maths, an educational

publishing and consultancy business. The aim of Natural Maths is to bridge
the gap between educational research and classroom practice in maths
education. Their focus is on the effective implementation of mental strategies
with real-life connections in the classroom. They have written more than
40 books together as well as many articles. They also present at Gifted and
Talented days of excellence and maths camps, and are currently working
together to create exciting learning and teaching environments involving
interactive whiteboards.

Ann is passionate about maths and pedagogy. Her mission is to engage

students in worthwhile and realistic mathematics as well as to raise the
intellectual quality of maths lessons. She believes it is vital that students have
strategies for mental computation and develop the disposition to work through
problem solving situations and investigations. Her frequent work in
classrooms ensures that all of the strategies and activities she presents are
tried and tested.

Johnny was a founding member of the Centre for Mathematics Education at

the Open University. He has lectured in universities and taught in schools. His
current focus is on the role of technology in maths teaching. He also runs
accelerated learning programs for gifted students that uses technology for
maths in exciting ways. He is coeditor of the spreadsheet journal
Spreadsheets in Education and runs an on-line maths competition for talented
maths students.

To install this program on your computer, simply drag the folder on the CD-ROM to your computer.
Ann and Johnny live in the Gold Coast Hinterland with their two sons and a
Open the copied folder and double-click on START. small menagerie of pets and delight in the local flora and fauna that share their
Windows
home and garden.
Win98, Pentium II, 64MB
Win2K, Pentium III, 128MB
WinXP, Pentium III, 128MB
Macintosh Classic
Power Macintosh G3, OS 9.2
64 MB RAM
Macintosh OS X
Power Macintosh G3 running OS 10.1.5, 10.2.6, 10.3, 10.4
128 MB RAM
7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page ii

Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

Written by Ann Baker BPhil, DipRdg and Johnny Baker BScHons, PhD

Copyright © 2006 Ann & Johnny Baker and Blake Education

First published 2006

Blake Education Pty Ltd

ABN 50 074 266 023
108 Main Rd
Clayton South VIC 3168
Ph: (03) 9558 4433
Fax: (03) 9558 5433
www.blake.com.au

Publisher: Lynn Dickinson

Series editor: Sante D’Ettorre
Designer: Domani Design
Illustrations: Shiloh Gordon and Oscar Brown
Cover design: Domani Design
Typesetter: Post Pre-press Group
Printed by Thumbprints Utd, Malaysia

This publication is © copyrighted. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means
without written permission from the publisher.

COPYING OF THIS BOOK BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

A purchasing educational institution may only photocopy pages within this book in accordance
with The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) and provided the educational institution (or
body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited
(CAL) under the Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions, contact:
Copyright Agency Limited
Level 19, 157 Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW. 2000

COPYING BY INDIVIDUALS OR NON-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Except as permitted under the Act (for example for fair dealing for the purposes of study,
research, criticism or review) no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form by any means, without the prior written approval of the
publisher. All enquiries should be made to the publisher.

National Library of Australia

ISBN: 1 921143 39 8
ISBN: 978 1 921143 39 7

1. Mathematics – Study and teaching (Primary). I. Title

372.7
7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page iii

Contents and Natural Maths Planner

CONTENTS
Introduction vi
Unit 1: Number Sense 2
Unit 2: Number and Measurement 14
Unit 3: Number Strategies 26
Unit 4: Patterns and Change 38
Unit 5: Chance and Data 50
Unit 6: Working with Large Numbers 62
Unit 7: Shape 74
Unit 8: Position in Space and Time 86
Unit 9: Number Situations 98
Unit 10: Measurement and Construction 110
Unit 11: Chance and Data 122
Unit 12: Putting it all Together 134
Activity Sheets 147
Task Cards 196
C
o
n
Maths Planner t
The Book 2 Maths Planner is the software package provided at the front of this book which
supports the maintenance of planned units of work to cover the syllabus. The Maths Planner
has facilities for: e
✒ incorporating the activities from this book and other schemes into a complete
mathematics progression
n
✒ maintaining assessment records in conjunction with annotated work samples
✒ summarising class and individual progress.
t
Each unit contains two examples of the type of assessment activity that will allow students to
show their understanding of a particular topic. Examples of student responses to these and to
s
the problematised situations are given in the associated publications Natural Maths Strategies
Assessment Guide for Book 2 with work samples. This book shows how work samples can be
annotated to create a portfolio of the student’s achievement. The book also gives a summary
of key vocabulary, strategies, representations and understandings that students at this level
might be expected to demonstrate.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 iii

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page iv

Big Ideas in Maths

Big Ideas in Maths

The mathematical content of this series is organised around 12 big ideas that are relevant to
teaching maths at this level. The chart gives an overview of the big ideas and their links to the 12
units of work.

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6

Working with
Number Number and Number Patterns and Chance and
Large
Sense Measurement Stategies Change Data
Numbers
B Number
N2.1
i sense

g N2.2
Addition &
subtraction

Multiplication
N2.3
& division
i
d N2.4 Money

e M2.1 Measurement

a M2.2 Time

s
S2.1 Shape

i S2.2
Position in
space

n CD2.1 Chance

M CD2.2 Data

a PA2.1 Pattern

t
PA2.2 Equivalence
h
s

iv © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page v

Contents and Natural Maths Planner

Big Ideas in Maths

Unit 7 Unit 8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 Unit 12

Position in Measurement
Number Chance and Putting it all
Shape Space and and
Situations Data Together
Time Construction
Representing, comparing B
and ordering numbers to
999 using effective counting
strategies. i
Extending mental strategies
and developing recall of
number facts for addition
and subtraction problems.
g
Extending informal strate-
gies and representations to
multiplication and division
problems.
i
Applying the equivalence
of coins to transactions.
d
Estimating, measuring and
comparing the size of objects
using a range of standard
e
and non-standard units.
Sequencing events on a
calendar and estimating
a
time in hours, minutes and
seconds.

Classifying and describing

s
2-D and 3-D shapes from
different viewpoints.

Using maps and grids to

follow/give directions and
locate objects in space.
i
Using the language of
chance to predict and check
n
the likelihood of events.

Collecting and representing

data to make comparisons
and reason critically. M
Identifying and describing
number patterns in terms of
a
rules.

Equating arithmetical
t
expressions that involve
addition and subtraction.
h
s

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 v

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page vi

Introduction

Introduction
The activities in this book provide starting points for three-part lessons that focus on the big
ideas for teaching maths 7 to 9-year-olds. It is intended that the activities also be used in con-
junction with the Book 2 Maths Planner CD-ROM, which enables the teacher to maintain
complete class records of progress. Accordingly, the book is organised into 12 units, with each
unit containing mental routines, problematised situations, an investigation, games and assess-
ment activities to match the big ideas in mathematics. The units are intended as starting points
for teachers to build on to suit the range of learners that they are working with.
New maths curricula are divided into five strands:
✒ Number (including Money)
✒ Space
✒ Measurement
✒ Chance and Data
✒ Patterns and Algebra
i Within each of the strands there are a number of big ideas, or concepts, which focus on the
syllabus. The book is organised into units of work based on the current research into the devel-
n opmental sequence in which students generally acquire those concepts. Guiding the choice of
activities has been the research that suggests “children are capable of grasping key mathemat-
t ical concepts at an earlier age than previously thought”. Researchers also “urge teachers to
help students think mathematically rather than merely memorise algorithms and hone their

r computational skills” (see Checkley, K. 1999).

o Three-part lessons
d Both the Maths Planner and this book are much more than a facility to help teachers meet their
syllabus requirements. The activities provide the type of resource needed to implement a
u three-part lesson process. In outline, a three-part lesson includes:
✒ a mental routine to develop the students’ self-confidence and repertoire in
c mathematical thinking
✒ a problematised situation where students apply their own thinking to a situation
t that they can engage with
✒ a time for reflection in which strategies and solutions are shared, compared and
i formalised, through which:
1. we begin from where the students are
o 2. we build on their understanding through the sharing of ideas

n 3. formal mathematical methods are subordinate to methods that the students invent and
which work effectively for them
4. students learn to value each other’s ideas, working as a community of learners rather than
as individuals.
This approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics has its roots in research findings,
and brings these findings to life through activities that have been found to fully engage stu-
dents in mathematical discovery, discussion and understanding.

vi © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page vii

Introduction

Part 1: Part 2:
Part 3:
Mental Problematised
Routines Reflection
Situations
i
n
Number sense, fluency with mathematical and strategic thinking and estimation skills are the
foundational building blocks of all later mathematics. Worksheets and mental arithmetic tests
t
are anathema to risk-taking, reflective thinking and seeking out efficient strategies that will
develop automaticity in number facts based on deep understanding.
r
Three years ago we began to question the relevance of paper and pencil, worksheets and “drill
and kill” methods in the development of foundational basic number facts and understandings.
o
We began by testing a few mental activities that involved the whole class simultaneously in fun
and relevant activities. As we did so, we observed that when the students are engaged in men-
d
tal activities, certain conditions need to be present for them to obtain maximum benefits.
These are: u
✒ Concrete materials need to be provided for students to use as tools.
✒ Feedback is immediate, and involves sharing and discussing strategies as well as
c
showing equal respect for the all students.
✒ Errors are seen as learning opportunities for all.
t
✒ Questions provide success for all as well as challenges for some.
✒ All students need to be engaged at their own level during the process.
i
✒ Students see themselves as a community of learners where everyone has a role to
play in the development of thinking and learning.
o
It was with these criteria in mind that we began to explore the potential of “mental routines”
as we have chosen to call them.
n
The purpose of mental routines is to develop useful strategies that will lead to mastery and a
solid foundation in basic maths concepts. Mental strategies as far as possible should relate to
the methods that students develop intuitively and within their own culture. They should also
relate as far as possible to the ways in which those strategies are applied in the real world.
P
This means that mathematics instruction must use contexts and pedagogies that allow stu- a
dents to use their own cultural, ethnic, and gender preferences and approaches.
Ladson-Billings, 1994 r
When we refer to the conditions that need to be present for the effective development of men-
tal strategies, we see that this view is clearly reflected.
t
The mental routines make an excellent lesson starter as they arouse enthusiasm and encour-
age the students to feel part of a learning community. They need last no more than 10 minutes,
1
but in that time every student has been engaged and challenged to take risks with their cur-
rent understanding.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 vii

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page viii

Introduction

Classroom management
For each mental routine, provide a laminated mini-whiteboard of the task resource card for each
student and suitable writing materials. We call these “mini-whiteboards”, as highlighter felt pens
can be used to ring or mark ideas on the laminated cards.
The teacher begins by posing simple, closed questions that enable everyone to be successful.
Soon the questions change to a more open type, where more than one answer can be found. This

i enables students to begin to work at their own level. Finally, the process is flipped, and the stu-
dents ask the questions, trying to determine a solution to the problem that the teacher has posed.

n UNIT 1 Number Sense

t NUMBER CARDS
Card masters are
provided for the

r Target strategies
give a focus to the
mini-whiteboards.

o lesson. Target strategies

2 Counting on to/back from 10
Task Card 1

task card 1

d 2 Using 10 as a landmark or friendly number

8 6 4 2 0

9 7 5 3 1
2 Bridging the 10 when adding or subtracting

u
2 Using a make-to-10 strategy for addition

Closed questionsM
2 Familiarity with teen numbers

enable the teachere

c to see who has Closed questions
“got it” and whichn
t
What number is 3 more than 9?
strategies are
being used.
t What number is 10 more than 6?
What number is 4 less than 12?
i a
© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 197

How do you show the number 17?

l
o Open questions
Open questions
show the students
n r
that there is often
more than one
My number is greater than 8 but less than 12. What might it be?
I doubled a single-digit number and the answer is a 2-digit number. What might my 2-digit
number be?
method and more o I used a make-to-10 strategy for this addition. What two numbers might I have been adding?
than one right
u The 2-digit number I am thinking of is an odd number less than 20. What could it be?

P answer to a
question. t
Flip questions
a i I am thinking of a number between 1 and 19. You can ask me questions to find out what my

n number is. You may need to model questions such as:

r Flip questions
“Is the number you are thinking of the answer to a doubles fact?”

give the studentse

“Is the number you are thinking of a teen number?”

t s
the opportunity to “Is the number you are thinking of made by adding two numbers that are both less than 6?”

practise the
1 language of maths.

Note: Each laminated mini-whiteboard can be reused for up to two weeks by changing the level
of the question content as the students’ vocabulary, skills and strategies improve.
.

4 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

viii © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page ix

Introduction

Part 1: Part 2:
Part 3:
Mental Problematised
Routines Reflection
Situations
i
n
We use the term problematised situation to describe the type of activities that will allow stu-
dents to engage with realistic (to them) situations as described in the research from the
t
Freudenthal Institute. The situations provide the kinds of challenges that encourage students
to construct their own ideas, strategies and mathematical understandings as they grapple with r
them. The students, as described earlier, are developing their own mathematical tools, which
can be formalised by the teachers when appropriate. o
The problematised situations provided have multiple entry points and many methods of solu-
tion. If the numbers are too hard, they can be reduced; if they are too easy, they can be d
increased. Some students will draw pictures or act out the solution with objects, whereas others
may use a more symbolic approach using numbers or tallies. Some will present solutions in an u
organised fashion, whereas others will be more muddled. It is the sharing and reflecting on the
range of strategies that will broaden the possibilities for the students and allow them to enter
into mathematical thinking from their very own experiences. The focus in the primary class-
c
room is shifting towards an emphasis on mathematical reasoning and problem solving in a true
sense. This new focus helps students learn to describe, compare and discuss their multiple
t
approaches to solving real problems. In the classrooms where we have been working, we have
noted that all the students engage well with the problems and show increased interest in i
maths along with a really firm conceptual understanding. It is not difficult to teach the students
algorithms and procedures when they are ready for them and have firm foundations in place. o
The reflection, as described below and included in each of the presented problematised situ-
ations, is central to this approach. Part of the preparation for the reflection is the process of n
observing the strategies that the students use and listening to their explanations. From the
information gathered, it is possible to extend, consolidate and formalise learning during the
reflection process. When the students are working, it is possible to gather information about
what they do know and what they can do. For instance when a student is touch counting all
the things drawn or set out, a simple question such as “Do you have to count them all or is
P
there something else you can do?” may act as a prompt from which the students can demon-
strate that they can count by 2s, 5s or 10s. Annotating the work samples makes it possible to
a
record this information so that decisions about future planning can be made. A range of work
samples will eventually give a clear picture of a student’s progress towards understanding the
r
big ideas (see the Assessment Guide for Book 2).
t
2

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 ix

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page x

Introduction

Classroom management
The body of a three-part lesson is often taken up with a problematised situation in which the
activity is introduced with as little scaffolding as possible. The activity can be structured to
enable the students to work independently, in small groups or collaboratively in larger groups,
as they wish or to suit the teacher’s assessment purposes.
The problematised situations require the students to work mathematically, to draw on their
own experiences and often to invent their own methods of recording and finding a solution.
i UNIT 1 Number Sense

n We give a
THE TUCKSHOP PROBLEM
specification of theP
t problem that can R
s into 16 slices.
r be photocopied
and displayed for O
The tuckshop cuts its cake
meeting tomorrow.
all to refer to. B They need 64 slices for a
o L How many cakes should th
ey bake?
d The resources
E 16 16 16 16
M
u list is a suggestion
only – it needs to A
Resources
Unifix cubes, drinking straws and rubber bands, or other mate- 20 12 20 12

c
rials that can be bundled or grouped easily.
be tailored to your
class’s needs.
T
I The activity
t
40 24

S Explain to the students that the tuckshop lady asked you this
question and that you said your clever class would work it out A link to the most
i The activity guide
E for her. Tell the students that they can use the hands-on mate-
rials if they want to, or they can draw or use symbols as they
wish. Explain that their task is to record their thinking and meth-
64
relevant big idea
helps to provide
makes suggestionsD
o for running the
ods of working it out, so that they can present it to the class and ultimately for you to inform
the tuckshop. As the students work, you will note that some draw the slices and use a count-
all strategy possibly supported by written numbers, whereas others use a tally or unitisation
a focus for
observation of the
activity. (grouping in 5s or 10s) strategy that allows for skip-counting. Some students will use a doubles

n S strategy and others a chunking strategy like the one shown above. Select from the range so
that all strategies can be presented and equally valued.
activity.

I
T Reflection al strategies
After the N2.3 Extending inform
P investigation, each U
After the students have presented their
methods and solutions, ask:
“Why are there different methods but
and repres
and divisio
ent
n
atio
pro
ns
ble
to
ms .
multiplication

situation leads on A
a to the final part of
the lesson – the T
they all get the same answer?”
“How are some of these methods similar
even though they look different?”

r reflection stage. I “Which strategy did you think was the fastest?”
“Which strategy would you use nex time?”
O
t N
Use this opportunity to formalise and consolidate some of the methods. For instance if uniti-
sation was used, ask the students to think about what other units would have worked, for
example breaking the 16 into 10 and 6, or 5 and 5 and 5 and 1, or into 2s for easy counting.

2
Model a simple chunking strategy as shown above.
S
As the students are working on the challenge, the teacher has opportunities to observe meth-
ods of recording, strategies, problems encountered and fix-up strategies used. This is
8
important preparation © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2
for the final reflection stage.

x © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xi

Introduction

Part 1: Part 2:
Part 3:
Mental Problematised
Routines Reflection
Situations
i
n
In the busy classroom the end of the lesson approaches all too quickly and as a result the
reflection is often neglected. Yet the reflection is the most important part of the lesson. It is
t
the time when the students use mathematical language to explain what they have done. It is
also the time when students see that there are many strategies for solving problems and that r
some are more effective than others. The teacher can use the reflection time to formalise a par-
ticular idea, concept or process, and scaffold the students to the next level. Indeed there are o
some who go so far as to say that if you didn’t do a reflection, the students will probably retain
nothing. The development of a community of learners who share, listen and learn from each
other is at the heart of this approach to mathematics. The reflection time sets up the mathe-
d
matical culture of the classroom with its tight-knit community of learners. It allows for
mathematical mind journeys and adds to the excitement of learning mathematics.
u
The principles of rigorous reflection are: c
✒ the identification of a range of strategies to share and discuss
✒ the use of one or more errors to show the value of checking results and of developing t
a fix-up strategy
✒ celebrating risk-taking, inventiveness, mathematical reasoning and learning from i
mistakes
✒ building on, extending and presenting more formal methods of recording as students o
demonstrate readiness for them
✒ positive, constructive feedback with a focus on feed forward – what you will do next n
time.
Through the dialogues and participation of all students in the class, the reflection stage
becomes crucial to the development of a community of learners, through which active involve-
ment in learning mathematics is successfully fostered. P
a
r
t
3

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 xi

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xii

Introduction

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Concrete materials
It may seem like a contradiction to say that hands-on materials could be used as part of men-
tal routines but let’s explore this idea a little further. It is our belief that mental maths can
involve the use of concrete materials and does not have to be totally abstract. For instance
when students are first becoming familiar with doubles and near doubles (doubles plus or
minus 1), the use of materials such as Unifix cubes can become a mental routine. The students
can be asked closed questions such as “Show me a near double that makes seven.” The stu-
dents may hold up a stack of 3 and a stack of 4 to show double 3 plus 1 or they may hold up
two stacks of 4 and then snap off 1 Unifix cube to show double 4 take 1. The beauty of this is
that the students can actually see the blocks and show how they match the strategies. This
means that language and visual imagery are combined to chunk the information into a mean-
ingful whole.
So there are two points to keep in mind as we discuss the uses of tools: First, meaning is
i not inherent in the tool; students construct meaning for it. Second, meaning developed for
tools and meaning developed with tools both result from actively using tools. Teachers

n don’t need to provide long demonstrations before allowing students to use tools; teachers
just need to be aware that when students are using tools, they are working on two fronts
simultaneously – what the tool means and how it can be used effectively to understand
t something else.

r Heibert, J. et al. 1997

This use of invented tools is equally important when the students are working on the problema-
o tised situations suggested in the units. You will notice that we have provided hands-on
resources for each mental routine. These can be photo-enlarged, reduced or copied as appro-

d priate. We laminate ours because we know that they will be used time and time again and we
want students to interact with them.

u They are used repeatedly and have uses outside those initially presented. The students enjoy
using water-soluble highlighter pens and a tissue to clean them. The use of darker coloured

c pens means that we can see what the students record and also watch their thinking as they find
their answers. The students can hold their cards up for everyone to see and this means that
they see a broad range of possible answers during the open questions. The resources are also
t used to develop adaptive reasoning during the flip questioning.

i
o Feedback
Feedback should be immediate and useful, and should create a win–win situation for all rather
n than the competitive win–lose situation that so many students are familiar with. By this we
mean that there is no place for the over-learning of number facts or for the stressful learning
and testing practices that often typify mental arithmetic.
The intention is to replace this with a situation where students share their solutions and strate-
gies, where they consider the benefits of different approaches to something as simple as 4 plus
7 and, in so doing, receive valuable feedback after comments such as the following:
“I did my rainbow fact to 10 and then added 1 on.”
“I took 1 from the 7 and put it with the 4 and knew I had to double 5 plus 1 before I added
0.”
“I did a turnaround and counted on from 7 until I got to 11.”
“I just knew that fact.”
“I thought it was 10 because I took 1 from 7 and gave it to the 4, but then I forgot the extra
1 that was left over.”

xii © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xiii

Introduction

Teacher feedback is barely necessary, is it? The last example shows that the student, while
listening to the others, realised that an error had been made and wondered how and where.
There was no embarrassment about the error, just a willingness to share with others a common
error in such methods. The final questions from the teacher enhance this feedback by requir-
ing the students to reflect on what was said as they answer questions such as:
“Which strategy did you think worked best in this example and why?”
“Which strategy would you like to explore a little further?”
“When we do another one, will you stick with the strategy you just used or try a different
one?”
Through this proceedure, the students have been engaged in the feedback process and have
been asked to self-reflect and use that reflection as a planning tool ready for next time.

Methods for recording i

Throughout the units there is an emphasis on the students inventing their own ways of record-
ing their methods of solving the problems presented. In the past an early emphasis on
n
algorithms has often led to students:
✒ seeing the pencil and paper algorithm as the only way of working on operations
t
✒ using pencil and paper to compute additions as simple as 3 + 4 = ? that really do
not need to be written algorithmically
r
✒ transferring hands-on activities with manipulables, particularly place value materials,
to situations where the materials sometimes take over from the question asked as
o
the students run through thoughtless routines. A typical example occurred when
students were working out how many ducks and cows the farmer was taking to
d
market if there were 24 legs altogether. A student found one solution but then
reverted to making groupings for 24 while ignoring the fact that only combinations
u
of 4 and 2 needed to be considered. Students who used an invented pictorial or
skip-counting method did not make this mistake. c
✒ making silly errors with place value especially where zeros are concerned
✒ really not developing number sense and an understanding of place value.
t
While we are not advocating that students do not use an algorithm, we are advocating that the
students know that other and often more efficient methods exist, ones that make number
i
sense and place value visible. By formalising the students’ methods onto open number lines,
chunking and zigzag methods, we are giving them tools to select from and build on rather than o
procedures to be applied. When the students are confidently using these methods, it is not
difficult for them to understand algorithms with or without regrouping and to fully understand n
the principles of base 10 that underpin them. Examples of the open number line, chunking and
zigzag methods are included in the units but here we present two ways of doing the same
2-digit addition using each of the methods.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 xiii

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xiv

Introduction

Examples of recording methods for the addition 36 + 47 are given here:

+ 40 + 13

30 70 83

+6 +1 + 40

Open Number Line

36 42 43 83
i
n
t
r 36 47 36 47

o
d 70 13 76
u
c 83 Chunking
t 83

i
o 36
+4
47
+ 30
n
40 77

Zigzag
+ 40 +3
80 80

+3 +3
83 83

xiv © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xv

Introduction

Engagement
The ten or so minutes set aside for mental routines are fast and pacey. They may involve con-
crete materials, number cards, 100 squares, dice, bottle tops, . . . The students engage with
the activities because they are different to the rest of the lesson. When we first began explor-
ing the mental activities that we suggest here, we had no idea how much fun and of course
how much learning would flow from them. We soon realised that we didn’t need to make up
a new mental activity every day because the nature of the tasks and the students’ interest in
them meant that they could be easily used and changed over several days, hence the term
“mental routines”. We now use the routines for several consecutive days, all the time watching
to see the level of engagement and, of course, we switch to a new routine if we think the inter-
est is dwindling.
As we introduce each routine, we use the meta-language of the strategies or processes that
go with it. At first it was our intention to simply immerse the students in the meta-language but
they were so captivated by words, such as, “chunking”, “zigzag”, “subitise” and “unitise”, that
they soon wanted to use them too.
i
Watching the students engage with the activities has been rewarding for us and for them too.
When the students are having fun and are engaged, they seem to be hungry for more. We
n
have seen even the switched-off learners re-engage through the mental routines.
t
r
Learning opportunities
It appears that there is little value in participating in mental activities which are too easy or o
which are already well-developed. Activities, then, need to be just on the edge of the students’
comfort zones, scaffolding them to the next level. If this is the case then obviously errors in d
computation are going to occur from time to time. We found at first when we worked in this
way, students would be derisive and snicker at errors. We also found that some students would
not have a go for fear of failure. It was interesting however to see how quickly this mindset
u
turned around. The students seemed to embrace the idea of using errors as learning opportu-
nities and were often heard saying, “Oh good, a learning opportunity.” Very often as a student
c
is explaining their strategy, they notice their own errors and are keen to fix them up on the
spot. Other times, though, the error is not noticed. For instance, recently a 6-year-old girl who
t
was responding to a reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar showed how she had drawn two
rows of foods that the caterpillar had eaten during the week. She counted in 2s but only i
touched one thing at a time. She was unperturbed by her error; she had counted by 1s earlier
and written the number 26 on her paper. One of the other students was very impressed by her o
ability to count so fast and so far by 2s, but another asked her why she only touched one thing
at a time. She stood perplexed looking at her page and asked the other student to come up
and show what she meant. She laughed out loud when she saw what she should have done
n
and proceeded to repeat her counting correctly this time.
We recall when students have wanted to share mistakes; after presenting their solutions,
they explain their errors. The students also become very supportive of one another and
understand that errors are a natural part of doing mathematics. Errors often can lead to new
understandings about the concept.
Trafton, P. & Thiessen, D. 1999

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 xv

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page xvi

Introduction

Community of learners
To gain the most from these activities, the students need to become a community of learners.
They need to really listen to the ideas of others, to give positive feedback, ask questions, make
suggestions and comparisons, and finally to evaluate the strategies presented by others. They
need to feel safe to take a risk, present their ideas and comment on the ideas of others. They
need to learn to justify their viewpoints and stick with them. For instance, if after hearing how
near doubles can be used for an addition a student still prefers a count-on strategy then they
should be able to explain why they prefer it. And at the end of the day if the response is,
“Because I know it always gives me a correct answer” then that justification has to be seen by
all as valid for that student at that time, and as such should be respected.
Learning to be a member of a mathematical community means taking ownership of the
goals and accepting the norms of social interaction. Why is it important that classrooms
become mathematical communities and that all students participate? Because such com-
i munities provide rich environments for developing deep understandings of mathematics.

n Heibert, J. et al. 1997

t
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

xvi © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Prelims.qxp 30/5/06 3:04 PM Page 1

Introduction

REFERENCES
The references given below are the key sources for our explanation of the developmental
sequence associated with topics at this level.
1. Checkley, K. (1999) Math in the early grades: Laying a foundation for later learning.
Curriculum Magazine.
2. Copley, J.V. (2000) The Young Child and Mathematics. National Association for the
Education of Young Children, Washington DC.
3. Cobb, P. & Grayson, W. (1998) “Children’s Initial Understandings of Ten”, Focus on
Learning Problems in Mathematics. (Summer 1988): 1–28.
4. Heibert, J. et al. (1997) Making Sense: Teaching and Learning Mathematics with
Understanding. Heinemann, NH.
5.
6.
Kamii, C. (1993) Young Children Invent Arithmetic. Teachers College Press, NY.
Kamii, C. (1994) Young Children Continue to Invent Arithmetic. Teachers College
i
Press, NY.
n
7. Ladson-Billings, G. (1994) The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African
American Children. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. t
8. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1941) The child’s construction of quantities: Conservation
and atomism. A.J. Pomerans (trans.), London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. r
9. Russell, S.J. (2001) “Changing the Elementary Mathematics Curriculum: Obstacles
and Challenges”, in D. Zhang, T. Sawanda & J.P. Becker (eds) Proceedings of the o
China–Japan–U.S. Seminar on Mathematics Education.
10. Sharon R. Ross (2002) “Place Value: Problem Solving and Written Assessment”,
d
11.
Teaching Children Mathematics. 14 March, pp. 419–423.
Trafton, P.R. & Thiessen, D. (1999) Learning Through Problems: Number Sense and
u
Computational Strategies. Heinemann, NH.
c
t
i
o
n

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 86

Unit 8
Position in Space and Time
Focus
Experiences with the language of position and
movement and with simple maps and arrays have laid
the foundation for applying maths further. Students will be
ready to find points on a map or coordinate grid by following the
rows and columns to their juncture points. The natural next step is to use
letters and numbers to mark coordinates. Then introducing north, south, east
and west into the positional vocabulary opens up new ways of describing routes
and locations.
One of the most difficult concepts for students to grasp is that of time, as this includes
ideas about the duration of events, the passage of time and telling the time. Most students
are familiar with digital time although they may not have mastered 24-hour time nor be able
to tell the time on an analog clock. While time is one of those topics that should be and often
is integrated during the regular school day, it is often not utilised in the most appropriate ways.
For instance, we frequently use time words inappropriately by saying “in a minute” and then
allowing the minute to stretch to 10 or more minutes.

Context
The context for this unit is Creating a position expo where another class (or other audience)
is invited to participate in a range of spatial and positional activities, games and challenges
planned and presented by the students. As well as the experiences gained from working
with, designing and inventing learning centres, games and challenges, the students will
plan and organise the timing of the event. This will involve them in timing the activ-
ities and sequencing them so that people won’t have to wait long between
activities. From this they will be able to work out how long the whole event
should take. The students will also investigate how best to set up the
room to accommodate the visitors and the activities. The students
could provide a plan or map of the area for participants to
help them find their way around.

86 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 87

Developmental sequence
Students at this stage in their development are:
1. developing ideas of their position in space (in relation to objects
and also in relation to the broader environment)
2. extending their vocabulary of location and movement terms (left, right,
around, beside, north, south, east, west) and may also be applying meas-
urement terms inaccurately or accurately to describe movement or location
3. developing ideas about how things look from different perspectives, in particu-
lar, from a bird’s-eye view
4. beginning to include some ideas of scale and position when they draw simple
plans and maps.
In terms of time concepts the students are:
5. still grappling with accurate use of some terms (yesterday, today, tomorrow, last
week, next week)
6. developing ideas about passage of time including the idea that time can seem
to pass slowly or quickly depending on the activity or their physical state at
the time
7. able to read digital times and relate them to certain times of the day
8. beginning to tell the time to the hour and half hour and some
beyond on analog clocks although they may not be relating
those times to the times displayed on digital clocks
9. able to sequence key events by time of day and by
times shown on digital clocks.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 87

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 88

UNIT 8 Position in Space and Time

6 X 6 GRID

Target strategies Task Card 12

task card 12
✒ Using coordinates for location and movement
F

✒ Using vocabulary of movement (left, right, ahead, back, E

north, south, east and west) D

✒ Using turns as part of instructions, including quarter C

M turns, half turns

B

1 2 3 4 5 6

e Closed questions
F

n
D

Where is A5? C

If I start on B3 and move up three spaces, then left two

t
A

spaces, which coordinate will I be on? 1 2 3 4 5 6

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 207

a I started on C3 and moved east 2 spaces, then north 2

spaces, then west 2 spaces, then south 2 spaces. Where am

l I now?

Open questions
r I moved 5 spaces altogether. If I started on C3, where could I be now?
I made a long route from A1 to B2 without crossing a path or repeating a coordinate. What
o might my route have been?

u How could I get from A1 to F6 in six moves? It doesn’t matter how many squares on the grid
I pass through to get there. Which route could I take?

t
i Flip questions
I have travelled from F3 to A5. You can ask me questions to find out how I got there. Questions
n could include:
“How many squares did you pass through?”
e “Did you travel only east and west?”

s “Did you travel north and south?”

“Did you pass through any spaces in column E?”
Encourage the students to develop a system for crossing off the eliminated squares on the grid
and for identifying the ones passed through. Challenge the students to use strategies and to
reduce the number of questions needed.

88 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 89

Position in Space and Time 8 UNIT

CALENDAR CAPERS

Target strategies Task Card 13 (2 cards)

✒ Abbreviations for days task card 13

✒ Working out dates and events on a calendar Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

✒ Using terms and concepts of time (yesterday, the day

1 2 3 4 5

before yesterday, tomorrow, fortnight)

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
M
Closed questions
27 28 29 30 31

What date is the first Wednesday of the month?

Mon Tue Wed

1
Thu

2
Fri

3
Sat

4
Sun

5
e
n
6 7 8 9 10 11 12

What day does the 15th fall on? 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

The market is on the second Sunday of the month. What

date will that be? 208
27 28 29 30 31

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

t
What day of the week is the day after the 16th?
a
If today is the 5th of the month, what date will it be a fort-
night from today? l
Open questions
I am thinking of a date in the third week of the month. What date could it be?
r
If today is a Wednesday and if I went to the dentist yesterday, what might the date have been? o
There is a plant that is called “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” because on the first day it has
purple flowers, which turn blue on the second day and then white on the third day. Use your u
calendar to show what this means.
I am planning a shopping trip in the third week of this month, and on the day after the shop- t
ping trip I will cook a really nice meal. On which days and dates might I be doing these things?
i
Flip questions n
Guess the Date is a game where you ask me questions to find out which day and date on the
calendar I am thinking of. You can ask me questions about which week the day is in but after
e
that the only questions I will answer are those that begin like this:
s
“Is the day you are thinking of the day after/before (any day)?”
“If yesterday was (any day), would that tell me the day you are thinking of?”
“If tomorrow was (any day), would that tell me the day you are thinking of?”
Encourage the students to eliminate days as they go along. You may need to help them with
the yesterday and tomorrow questions and answers initially.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 89

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 90

UNIT 8 Position in Space and Time

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

P
R “Bac k to Back”?
es it take to pla y
O How long do o that you can
ork ing it out s
B Find a method of w to others.
L present your method
E
M Resources
A One or more clocks/watches so that all the students can see one, clock stamps (if available),
copies of the grid used for Back to Back (the next game in this unit).

T
I The activity
When the students are familiar with Back to Back or another game, you can introduce this activ-
S ity. It is anticipated that the students will do this activity before you have formally introduced
a method of working out how much time has elapsed. Tell the students that they need to find
E out how long each activity in their expo will take and that this is a practice run for them to try
out methods for working with time.
D Ensure that some students are working with digital and some with analog clocks. Remind the
students that their task is to work out how much time passes as they play and to clearly record
their method for working it out. As the students work, select some examples that show a range
of strategies as well as a mix of the two types of time. Also look for an example that has an
S error, particularly if it is one where a student has counted in one hundred seconds instead of
sixty seconds.

I
T Reflection ts on a
As the students present their methods for M2.2 Sequencing even
U exploring the amount of time elapsed, ask calendar and estimating
time in
conds.
questions such as the following: hours, minutes and se
A “How does this method show the start
time?”
T “How does this one record the time passing?”

I “How did this group work out how much time passed?”
“Something went wrong with this one. Can you see what happened?”
O Formalise some of the strategies, including an open number line, which is a visual way of keep-

N ing track of time.

“When we begin to time our activities for the expo, which strategy will you use?”
S

90 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 91

Position in Space and Time 8 UNIT

BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
P
n on things in this R
o king dow
If you were a bird lo ld they look like? O
classroom, what wou B
L
Resources E
Bird’s-eye view picture puzzles like the ones shown below.
M
A
T
I
Mexican riding a bicycle Cup and saucer
S
E
The activity
Show the students the picture puzzle and help them to see that it represents a Mexican on a D
bicycle drawn from a bird’s-eye point of view (try the cup and saucer as well for a contrast). Ask
the students to find things around the room that they would like to draw from a bird’s-eye point
of view. They can stack one or two things if they like. Demonstrate how to look straight down
on an object and draw it from that position. S
The students should try to find something that would create a good puzzle for others to use at
the expo. Select some examples that are easy to identify as well as some that are more chal- I
lenging.
T
Reflection U
grids to
S2.2 Using maps and
Allow time for the students to work out
what the bird’s-eye point of view pictures follow/give directions
and locate A
objects in space.
are showing and then ask:
“What do you look for in a picture when
T
you are trying to work out what the
object actually is?”
I
“What makes some of them easier to identify than others?” O
“What makes some of them harder to identify than others?”
“What difficulties did you have drawing things?”
N
“Is it easier to draw an object from a bird’s-eye point of view or from a normal point of
view?”
S

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 91

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 92

UNIT 8 Position in Space and Time

TREASURE ISLAND
P
R s o m e interesting
lan d. M a r k
O Make a map of an is
B places on the map. nt to bury your
sp ot w h e re yo u w a
L Mark a secret
treasure. r e.
E s for fin ding th e tr e as u
Write clue
M
A
T Resources
Large sheet of chart paper marked with a grid and coordinates, highlighter pen, ruler.
I
S The activity
E Tell the students that at the expo, they will present some buried treasure games. This activity
is to help them learn how to create maps and clues for their games. Involve the students in
D helping you to design an island showing compass points for orientation and pictures of places
on the island (rivers, tracks, mountains, swamps, skeletons . . .). Write clues based on direction
and coordinates, and then guide the students on a journey in search of the buried treasure.
Explain to the students that their task is to create a map, find a secret spot for the treasure and
S write clues to help people find the treasure. When the students have created their own maps,
select a variety for the reflection.

I
T Reflection grids to
Allow time for the students to follow the S2.2 Using maps and
and locate
U clues given for some of the maps and then follow/give directions
ask: objects in space.
A “What kind of clues worked best?”

T “How do the coordinates help?”

“How does having the compass points on a map help?”
I “When you prepare your buried treasure map for the expo, what will you improve on?”

O
N
S

92 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 93

Position in Space and Time 8 UNIT

OUR EXPO PLAN

P
v ie w of our R
ma ke a b ird ’s-e ye
We need to ca n p lan w here to O
classro om s o th at we
iting thin g s for o u r e xpo. B
put all the exc
L
E
M
Resources A
Ruler.

T
The activity I
Remind the students of the earlier bird’s-eye view activity. Explain that they are going to cre-
ate a plan of the classroom and everything in it so that they can make proposals of how to S
rearrange things for the expo. There will be great variety in the nature of the plans. Some will
include every detail and be labelled, some will give ideas of scale and position, while others
will be quite sketchy or even artistic. Select a range of examples for the reflection.
E
D
Reflection grids to
S2.2 Using maps and
As the students present their plans of the
classroom, draw their attention to the fea- follow/give directions
and locate S
objects in space.
tures and strengths of each one by asking
questions such as: I
“This plan has all the windows and doors
marked. How does that help us know where things are in the room?”
T
“How do the labels on this plan help us?” U
“This plan makes our classroom look like a rectangle with a corner cut off for the stock cup-
board. Is that how it really looks?” A
“Is anything missed out on the plans?”
“Which features on these plans would you include in yours next time?”
T
I
O
N
S

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 93

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 94

UNIT 8 Position in Space and Time

FENCE THEM IN

Resources Activity Sheet 31

Activity Sheet 31 Name

13 popsticks for each student, scissors. Fence them in

The investigation
I To solve this problem, the students can use popsticks and
the cut-out animals to make models of the possible arrange-
The farmer has 3 cows and a horse.

ments and to find the one that keeps the cows separate
n from each other. Encourage the students to draw a picture
of each arrangement of fences they find. You may need to
v model a simple method of drawing the fences.
As the students work, make sure that they are not counting
How can the farmer make 4 fields with 13 fence rails?

e
Be careful! You can’t put a cow into a field next to another

the same rail twice. Some students will assume that because 178 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

there are 4 sides on a square, there are 8 sides on 2 squares.

s In this case since 2 of the squares share a side, there will be
only 7 rails. You may need to point out and actually count the
t rails before some students accept this.
To ensure that the students don’t lose track of the arrangements that they have tried, encour-
i age them to work systematically by only changing part of an arrangement each time and by
not totally destroying the last arrangement. In this way they will not need to start from scratch
g each time.

a
Reflection
t During the reflection, discuss the appropriateness of this approach with the students, encour-

i aging them to describe how they managed to work systematically and how it helped.

o
n

94 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 95

Position in Space and Time 8 UNIT

BACK TO BACK
A game for 2 players

Task Card 12
Resources task card 12

A grid for each player.

F

How to play C

The two players sit back to back and one player secretly draws 1 2 3 4 5 6

a picture or map on the grid in such a way that the features on F

it can be described by the coordinates, for example: E

“I have drawn a mountain in C4. A river flows from that

D

mountain down through C4 into B3 . . . ” B

The listening player tries to draw what is being described. At

A

1 2 3 4 5 6

the end of the round the players compare the pictures to see © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 207

how the listening player went and then swap roles.

g
a
m
e

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 95

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 96

UNIT 8 Position in Space and Time

HIDDEN SHAPES

A Prior experiences Activity Sheet 32

S The students will be ready for this activity if they have had
experiences with:
Name

Hidden shapes
8
Activity Sheet 32

S ✒ using alphanumeric coordinates

✒ following instructions to locate an object on a grid
7

E
4

✒ creating instructions for locating hidden shapes on a 3

grid
2

S
1
A B C D E F G H

Start with a cross at A3.

Draw a cross at C1 and join it to A3.
Draw a cross at F4 and join it to C1.

S Observer’s guide
Draw a cross at D6 and join it to F4.
Join D6 to A3.

What shape have you made?

M The students can follow the instructions given, finding the Draw your own shape on the grid and list the coordinates of
its corners.

coordinates and marking each with a cross before joining

them to find the hidden shape. Some students will know
E
© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 179

what the shape is going to be before they complete the

instructions, while others will need to join all the points first.
N As you observe the students, you will be able to note how easily they follow first the letter
coordinate and then the number coordinate.
T The students can then make their own set of clues, which requires them working backwards
from the crosses to the labelling. Again watch the strategies used. If necessary, ask questions
such as:
“What is the alphabetic label for this coordinate?”
A “How could you find the number for this coordinate?”

C “Which do we write first in coordinates, the letter or the number?”

T
I S2.2 Using maps and
grids to
and locate
follow/give directions
V objects in space.

I
T
I
E
S

96 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

7466_ Natural Maths Unit8.qxp 30/5/06 2:41 PM Page 97

Position in Space and Time 8 UNIT

WHO SLEEPS WHEN?

Resources Activity Sheet 33

A
S
Activity Sheet 33
Scissors, glue. Name

Match the children to the

Who sleeps when?
clocks to find out who goes to
sleep when.

I go to sleep
after 6 but S
Prior experiences before 7.
I go to sleep
on a half
hour.

The students will be ready for this activity if they have had
I go to sleep
after 7 but
before 8.
I am second
last to go to
E
experiences with: sleep.

✒ reading and recording time on analog and digital clocks

I’m the
earliest to go
to sleep.
What time
do I go to
S
sleep?
✒ writing time in hours and minutes
✒ ordering events by time
S
6:30 7:20 8:00
M
Observer’s guide
© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 181

E
Introduce this problem to the students by reading the first
paragraph with them, and then check that they can read the remaining clues without your assis-
tance. This is important, as they will need to refer back to the clues a number of times before
N
they can successfully complete the problem. T
Ask the students what they will need to do to find out who goes to sleep last. If you think it
necessary, work through one of the clues with the students, modelling your process of elimi-
nation by thinking out loud, for example:
“I need to find the earliest time, so it won’t be this one (8:00). I think I need to find one that is A
earlier than 7 o’clock.
The students can then match the other children with times. As they work on the problem, you C
may find that they:
✒ draw matching lines to link a child with a time
T
✒ cut out the clues and clocks and move them around to match a child with a time
✒ write a list of the times and label the children, and then write a label next to the
I
matching time.
V
M2.2 Sequencing even
ts on a I
time in
calendar and estimating
hours, minutes and se
conds. T
I
E
S

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 97

43398_0606R0_BLM.qxd 18/7/06 3:58 PM Page 179

Name Activity Sheet 31

Fence them in

The farmer has 3 cows and a horse.

How can the farmer make 4 pens with 13 fence rails?

Be careful! You can’t put a cow into a pen next to another
cow in case they quarrel.

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 179

43398_0606R0_BLM.qxd 18/7/06 3:58 PM Page 180

Activity Sheet 32 Name

Hidden shapes
8

1
A B C D E F G H

Start with a cross at A3.

Draw a cross at C1 and join it to A3.
Draw a cross at F4 and join it to C1.
Draw a cross at D6 and join it to F4.
Join D6 to A3.

What shape have you made?

Draw your own shape on the grid and list the coordinates of its
corners.

180 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

43398_0606R0_BLM.qxd 18/7/06 3:58 PM Page 181

Name Activity Sheet 33

Match the children to the

Who sleeps when?
clocks to find out who goes to
sleep when.

I go to sleep
after 6 but
I go to sleep
before 7.
on a half
hour.

I go to sleep
after 7 but
I am second
before 8.
last to go to
sleep.

I’m the
earliest to go What time
to sleep. do I go to
sleep?

6:30 7:20 8:00

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 181

43398_0606R0_BLM.qxd 18/7/06 3:58 PM Page 208

task card 12 task card 12 ta

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6

208 © 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2

 43398_0606R0_BLM.qxd 18/7/06 3:58 PM Page 209

2 task card 13 task card 13

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

© 2006 Blake Education – Natural Maths Strategies – Book 2 209

NMS Book 2 Cover.qxd 28/06/2006 1:12 PM Page 1 CUT

Based on world’s best practice! This series provides the core knowledge and understanding of the
“big ideas” or concepts students require to become confident and enthusiastic maths users. This
book is organised into twelve units of work based on the current research into the developmental
sequence in which students generally acquire those concepts. Each unit is divided into five sections:
Mental routines – 10-minute lesson starters with suggested closed and open
questions designed to engage students and arouse their enthusiasm
Problematised situations – challenges that encourage students to work
mathematically with open-ended “real-life” situations and construct their own ideas.
These lessons include a reflection session where mathematical language is used to
describe successful strategies and more formal methods are introduced and
demonstrated.
Games – fun activities designed to reinforce the strategies developed in each unit.
Investigations – open-ended investigations to encourage students to test and extend
their skills.
Assessment activities – consolidation activities that students should readily
accomplish at the end of each unit.
The series encourages the use of readily available concrete materials and is supported by over
50 photocopiable activity sheets and task cards. The CD-ROM included with this book is designed
to help teachers to plan and personalise their maths program and to record individual student’s
progress.
The Natural Maths Strategies series is a complete school program, which also encourages the use
of supplemental resources to ensure a variety of maths teaching and learning experiences.