Trinomial ~ Visual Sense

Material

One red cube and six red and black matching prisms, one blue cube and six blue and black matching prisms, one yellow cube and six yellow and black matching prisms, and six black prisms – all the pieces once assembled form the trinomial cube (a+b+c)3

A trinomial square in matching colours is painted on the lid of the box.

Direct Aim:

Building the cube.

Further refinement of visual discrimination.

Indirect Aim:

Preparation for Algebraic Mathematics. (a+b+c)3 rule for the formula

Presentation:

1. Lay out the table mat.

2. Invite the child to take off the lid of the trinomial cube and open the box.

3. Remove the cubes and prisms. They can be placed at random or set out by colour depending on the child.

4. Build the trinomial cube in a similar way as the binomial cube.

5. Invite the child to do the activity on his own.

Exercises:

Exercise 1 – Child’s own activity as shown in the presentation.

Exercise 2 – Splitting the cube

1. Invite the child to build the cube outside the box.

2. Split the cube vertically in three.

3. Invite the child to examine the sides. Make the cube whole again.

4. Split it again from the other angle.

5. Invite the child to examine these sides.

6. Invite the child to do the activity on his own.

Exercise 3 – Building layers

1. Mix up all the cubes.

2. Build three layers horizontally.

3. The aerial view should look the same.

Control of Error:

The pattern on the lid and the box are helpful and act as a guide but are not in control of error.

Age:

After the child has had a lot of experience with the binomial cube.

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