Binomial ~ Visual Sense
Material
One red cube and three red and black matching prisms, one blue cube and three blue and black matching prisms – all the pieces once assembled form the binomial cube (a+b)3
A binomial square in matching colours is painted on the lid of the box.
Direct Aim:
To build the cube.
Refinement of visual discrimination.
Indirect Aim:
Preparation for mathematics. (a+b)3 rule for the formula.
Presentation:
Lay out the table mat.
Take off the lid and open the box. Close it and invite the child to open it again.
Remove the cubes and prisms and place them at random on the mat.
Begin by placing the red cube in the inside corner of the box and build the binomial cube.
Place all the red and black prisms surrounding the cube on the top and two sides.
Place the blue and black prisms after, and lastly place the blue cube.
Invite the child to do the activity on his own.
Exercises:
Exercise 1 – Child’s own activity as shown in the presentation.
Exercise 2 - build the cube outside the box
Exercise 2 – Splitting the cube
Invite the child to build the cube outside the box.
Split the cube vertically.
Invite the child to examine the sides. Make the cube whole again.
Split it again from the other angle.
Invite the child to examine these sides.
Invite the child to do the activity on his own.
Exercise 3 – Building layers
Mix up all the cubes.
Build two layers horizontally.
From an aerial view, the layers look the same.
Control of Error:
The pattern on the lid and the box are helpful and act as a guide but is not a control of error.
Age:
4+ years. After the child has had a lot of experience with the other dimensional material, such as colour tablets, geometric shapes, and solids.
