In this unit students use the traditional tale of the gingerbread man as a context for ordering and comparing lengths. A “sessions” approach is used, with five related but not sequential activities.
Early length experiences must develop an awareness of what length is, and a vocabulary that can be used to discuss length. Young students usually begin by describing the size of objects as big and small. They gradually learn to discriminate in what way an object is big or small and use more specific terms. The use of words such as long, short, wide, close, near, far, deep, shallow, high, low and close, focus attention on the attribute of length.
This unit focuses on students comparing lengths. Although comparing is at the early stages of the measurement learning framework adults will often measure things without using measurement units.
In mathematics, it is often useful to have an estimate of the size of an answer to ensure the accuracy of calculations that have been used. The comparisons of lengths in this unit lay the foundation for estimates in area and volume, and for estimates generally.
In comparing three lengths, students develop implicit knowledge of the transitive nature of length. Hence if gingerbread man A is taller than gingerbread man B and gingerbread man B is taller than gingerbread man C, then gingerbread man A is automatically taller than gingerbread man C. There is no need to check the heights of A and C. The difference in height follows from the first two comparisons. This ordering ability is a valuable property of numbers and has many uses throughout mathematics. When it is not present, it causes some difficulties.
The learning opportunities in this unit can be differentiated by providing or removing support to students and by varying the task requirements. Ways to support students include:
While this unit is firmly focused on the story of the gingerbread man and a river crossing, it should be adapted to include other fictional characters that your students are familiar with, or are interested in. Māori myths and legends (pūrākau), Pasifika myths and legends, or those that reflect the cultural make-up of your students could offer a culturally relevant context for this learning. Students could also compare the heights of cut-outs of animals or native birds. The gingerbread cut-outs could also be adapted to reflect students’ whānau. This could be followed with discussions around who is the tallest and shortest in their whānau. Within this, you would have to be sensitive to the family/community relationships experienced by your students.
Te reo Māori vocabulary terms such as tāroaroa (tall - person), poto (short), tāroaroa (height of a person), teitei (height, tall), roa (long,length) could be introduced in this unit and used throughout other mathematical learning. Numbers in te reo Māori can be used alongside English throughout the unit.
Begin this series of lessons by reading or recounting the story of the gingerbread man. It is a well known story which students enjoy. Continue to retell the story, or parts of the story, throughout the week to help maintain the focus for the activity sessions. Consider using different stories, that may better reflect the cultural diversity of your class (e.g. The legend of Matariki and the six sisters, the story of the stone that blocked the road round the Cape at Matauea, Safotu). The gingerbread templates could be adapted to reflect any characters.
As students work promote the use of language that makes comparisons between lengths, for example the same length, shorter than, longer than. Emphasise the importance of making sure both objects are lined up at one end when comparisons are being made. Model this by showing the difference in measurements when items are, and are not, lined up correctly.
In this Session students order a family of gingerbread men from shortest to tallest, using a variety of measuring words.
Provide each student with a copy of the gingerbread family sheet (Copymaster 1).
In this Session students find classroom objects that are taller than a gingerbread man, shorter than a gingerbread man or the same size as a gingerbread man. Items from nature, or from other contexts for learning could also be used here (e.g. branches, trees, rulers, kete).
In this Session students build a model bridge to go over a local river drawn on a large sheet of paper.
In this Session students make and decorate chains of gingerbread men (or other chosen characters, e.g. Matariki) then compare the lengths of their chains. This could be related to how many people in each student's whānau.
In this Session students cut out clothes to fit a template of a gingerbread man.
Dear family and whānau,
At school this week we are looking at the story of the gingerbread man and using this story to compare heights. Ask your child to make comparisons with their toys. For example: can they line up all their soft toys from shortest to tallest? Or sort dinosaurs or plastic animals into short ones and tall ones? They can find items from nature such as leaves and twigs to sort, or line family members up in height order. If you speak a language other than English at home, then you might talk about the words you use to say “tallest”, “shortest”, “taller”, and “shorter”. Record these with your child, and we will share this knowledge with the class. They can draw pictures of their tallest and smallest toys to bring to class.
Printed from https://meaningfulmaths.nt.edu.au/mmws/nz/resource/gingerbread-man at 8:44pm on the 26th February 2024