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.
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:
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.
