edxeducation 12710 Math Cubes User Guide
- June 15, 2024
- edxeducation
Table of Contents
12710
Activity Guide
Math Cubes
Description
Math Cubes are soft plastic 2cm cubes that can be joined together. The side faces feature different shapes inset. Math Cubes can be used to teach a number of concepts:
Number
Addition – joining two sticks of cubes in different colors students can make
sticks of 5 eg 5 of one color, then 4 and 1. 3 and 2 and so on to learn facts
to five. This may be repeated for other facts
Doubling – building a tower of cubes five high in one color and another tower
five high in a different color to teach that double five (2 x 5) is ten
Subtraction – breaking a stick of cubes
More/less – students may build taller and shorter towers students can
determine the difference
Multiplication – placing four sticks of 5 cubes to show 4 x 5 = 20
Division – breaking a stick of 15 cubes into smaller sticks of three to show
how many threes in 15
Algebra
Patterning
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The cubes come in ten different colors (white. orange, blue, yellow, pink, brown, red. purple, green and black). so they may be joined in various color patterns, such as red. green, red. green.
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Patterns may be made more sophisticated.
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The cubes are hollow, which allows them to be threaded onto a lace.
Geometry
Shapes (2D)
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Four of the faces show different shapes:
– triangle
– square
– pentagon and
– hexagon -
Students may be asked to join a red cube to the face showing the triangle on the yellow cube.
Creating 3D models
- The cubes join using a circular joiner that allows the cube to swivel. The Math Cubes join on five of the six faces and do not join bottom to bottom. Consider some models that may be made from four cubes:
- Students may explore reffections, rotations and symmetry in three dimensions.
Drawing 3D models
- Students may draw their models. They can use isometric dot paper or other methods to draw their models.
Measurement
Length
- Students may build two sticks of different lengths, using different colors and compare the lengths. One stick will be shorter and the other longer. Later more sticks of different lengths may be added and the students order them from shortest to longest.
Volume and capacity
- Students may determine how many cubes fit inside a container, or how many cubes they can hold in their hand. The number of cubes that may be held by different class members could be graphed (Statistics).
Probability
- Cubes of different colors could be placed inside an opaque bag and drawn out randomly. Over a large number of trails students could try to determine the proportion of each color cube in the bag.
Problem Solving and Reasoning
The colors allow students to explore problems like:
- How many ways can three different colors be joined where colors are not repeated.
- For example using red, yellow and green cubes, a student might make six different models: ryg, rgy, yrg, ygr, gyr and gry.
- The complexity of the problem may be increased by changing the problem to using four colors and four cubes (no colors repeated). Consider what happens if colors may be repeated.
- The original problem using three cubes may be made more complex by allowing the students to choose from five colors when creating three cube towers (no repeated colors).
ASTM
Meets CPSC Safety Requirement
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References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>