The commutative property is easy for some kiddos, but tricky for others. This year I saw a way too much TRICKY brewing in the noggins of our babes. After “chewing on” on this unfortunate situation for a bit, I came up with a silly little Halloween themed game to help us see “flip flop facts” in action.
In this activity, kids manipulate a series of dominos on a game mat. As they “drive and flip” each domino, students are presented with a powerful visual of the commutative property.
I tried this game out this week and the kids loved every minute of it (the mummy characters made one little darlin’ giggle until she turned red in the face). We aim to please in good ol’ Room 13 😉
Wait . . . let me back up a second. I introduced the concept of “add in any order” by using human subjects. I clustered one small group of students on the right side of the classroom carpet area. I clustered a second small group of darlings on the left side of the classroom carpet area. We counted the kids, wrote the corresponding equation, and solved the problem. Then, I asked the groups to switch places. We repeated the steps with the kiddos on different sides . . . and low and behold . . . the sums were the same! #mathismagic
After the whole class demonstration, our kids were put into partners. They were given a small pile of dominos and I showed them how to “drive” their domino on their game mat. They were all about it and most of the babes picked up the concept immediately. It was a grand lesson for sure 🙂
Want to try this with your crew? It’s a freebie in my TPT Shop . . . just in time for the SPOOKY SEASON 🙂 If you like what you see, be sure to check out my entire math station collection HERE.
Alright, I am off to catch some shut eye and get off this electronic box. The doctor told me that I have to stay away from the screen for a bit. Why you ask?? Well, I ended up with a concussion on Saturday . . . the husband was driving crazy in a golf cart during a tournament and I ended up flying out and slamming my head on the 17th fairway. (He felt horrible even though I would have tried to do the same crazy driving if I had been behind the wheel — that’s just how we roll). I somehow finished out the round, but I don’t remember much else from that afternoon. Needless to say, it has been a slow and hazy start to my week, but I am feeling a bit better now. Rest was the prescription. Sigh. Not my area of expertise. And, I know what a few of my friends must be thinking after reading this post . . . just what Dolling needs . . . something that makes here even more looney 😉
Thanks so much for visiting me. I’ll catch you again soon!!!
Love this! New dominoes are being shipped to me any day now, and this is just what I was needing! Wow! Thank you so much! Kathy