CANDY CORN or CORNY DUCKS~HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE

Whether you teach in a public school, a private school, or homeschool, one of the challenges you face is finding the right balance to your educational endeavors. If you drill, drill, and drill some more, your children may tune out and are less likely to retain the valuable information and skills that you address. However, if the day is filled with nothing but fun and games, your children may miss out on practicing skills and internalizing much-needed information. How, then, do you strike that perfect balance?

One way is to involve your students as much as possible in the learning process. As you teach, keep communication lines open. Ask questions and answer their questions. Discuss how the skills they are practicing and the knowledge they are acquiring will transfer to other areas.

If we as educators begin this technique with children at a young age and provide meaningful lessons and activities, then our efforts will help raise children that are thinkers, doers, and problem solvers.

In an effort to help find balance, today’s activity will encourage your children to learn concepts and transfer those concepts to real-life situations. In a nutshell (or cornhusk), the activity will encourage your children to think, solve problems, and have fun while doing it.

CANDY CORN OR CORNY DUCKS—HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE

This activity consists of 2 components—creating a balance from household items and using that balance to teach and practice the concept of more and less as well as making predictions.

Grade Range: K – 2

Time to complete: 30-45 minutes

VA STANDARDS of LEARNING: Math K.2; K.8; 1.9
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS: CCSS.Math.K.CC.B.5; CCSS.Math.K.CC.A.3; CCSS.Math.2.OA.C.4

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Students will place objects on a balance in order to compare the mass of those objects. They will count the pieces needed to move the balance pivot point to the middle. They will then make predictions on doubling or tripling those items and use the objects to determine if their predictions were correct. Students will then create number sentences to represent their findings.

PLEASE NOTE: The balance created and the balance purchased from an internet source are not devices that present truly accurate readings. They are suitable for demonstrating the concept of more, less, or the same.

MATERIALS:

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CREATE HANGER BALANCE:

Plastic hanger with hook loops

2 clear plastic containers or cups

2 paper clips

Ribbon

Hole puncher

Scissors

Ruler

Fiber board base: 2 x 2 piece of wood, hat hanger dowel, nails (OR hang the balance on a

doorknob)*

MATERIALS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:

Set of October-themed objects (rubber ducks used for demonstration)

Candy corn and pumpkins

Small can of corn Pencil

Worksheets (provided)

Balance: Either hanger balance or balance from a retail source

INSTRUCTIONS:

Hint: The creation of the hanger balance can either be conducted as a class project or prior to completing the counting and balancing activity. Due to the small parts of the balance, it is recommended to create the balance prior to the activity for children under the age of 6.

MAKING THE HANGER BALANCE:

For best results, this balance can be used to compare objects that are less than 1 lb. in weight.

1. Using the hole punch, make 3 holes near the top of each plastic container, placing the holes equal distances apart, as shown.

2. Cut 6 lengths of ribbon that are 15 inches long, as shown.

 3. Thread the ribbon through the holes in one of the containers, as shown.

4. Align all 6 ends of the ribbon and tie them into a single knot. This knot will be used to hang the container on the paper clips at each end of the balance.

5. Repeat for the second container.

6. Open both paper clips so that one end is still bent. Bend the straight end over each end of the hanger. 

 *7 Door Knob Pivot Point: If you use a doorknob as the pivot point, your balance is finished. When in use, place the knots of the ribbons onto the paper clips AFTER adding the items to be balanced.

*7. Base Pivot Point:
A. To create the base nail or screw the 12” by 12” fiber board to the end of the 2’ x 2”.
B. Screw the hat hook onto the top of the 2 x 2” leaving approximately 1” as a buffer.

 

HOW MUCH CANDY CORN DOES IS THE SAME AS REAL CORN?

This activity is contains suggested uses for the classroom balance. Modify the instructions to meet the needs of your children.
 

1. Prior to conducting the activity, demonstrate what a balance does and how it works. As this activity involves using candy corn, one suggestion is to divide the class into 2 groups and assign a side of the balance to each group. Then pour a small bag of candy corn into the balance reservoir.

Ask: Do you think this is a fair way to divide the candy corn? How could we do this better without actually counting out ALL of the candy corn?
Then move some of the candy corn into the empty reservoir until the balance pivot point is in the middle.
2. Tell the students that they will use candy corn as a unit of measure to discover how many pieces of candy corn have the same mass (stuff)* as those objects.
A. Place a small can of corn into the balance reservoir.

B. Have the students predict how much candy corn it would take to equal the same mass (stuff) as the can of corn. Count the pieces and place them in front of the balance. Record their prediction.

C. Slowly add the candy corn to the empty reservoir.

D. If their prediction was too low, add more candy corn one-at-a-time until the reservoirs are the same level. If their prediction was too high, remove the candy corn one-at-a-time until the reservoirs are balanced. Record the final count.

3. Repeat the process using candy pumpkins and candy corn, rubber ducks and candy corn, etc.

 4. Extend the learning: This activity is great for addressing multiplication, counting on, ratios, etc.

TRANSFER THOSE SKILLS WITH BALANCE ON THE PLAYGROUND: If you are lucky enough to have access to a see saw, then apply the skills approached in the activity to balancing students. This is a great opportunity to springboard into a discussion of simple machines.

Interested in adding this balance to your classroom materials? Register here to win.*

OR...

POST A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG**

*This giveaway will include the balance shown above for parents and teachers of children over the age of 4. The registration will last from the posting of this blog post until midnight, October 20, 2013. One winner will be randomly selected from the entries. The balance will be shipped from Amazon within approximately 2 weeks following the close of the giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the United States with a United State’s mailing address. The winner’s name will be posted on the blog, unless the winner chooses not to have his/her name posted.

**To be considered for entry into this giveaway, the entrant’s email address must be submitted to the blog administrator.

THIS POST HAS BEEN SHARED ON THE FOLLOWING BLOGS. PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT:

Kids Activities Blog dot Com

The Mom Maven dot Com

The HomeSchool Village dot Com

No Time for Flash Cards dot Com

 

BALANCE GIVEAWAY UPDATE, OCT. 21, 2013:

Congratulations to Berdine from FL, the winner of the balance and educational treat. I hope your little ones have fun with them.

Thank you to all that entered this giveaway. Please check back in early November for a very special giveaway.