Jumping into Math! Year 2

Maths is fun!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn” – Benjamin Franklin

With that in mind, the Year 2 classes tackled this week’s Math concept of measuring from a totally different perspective.

The students were divided into three different groups, each group attempting a measurement task using different apparatus.

• One group had to estimate how many cubes would fill different size containers and then check their answer by actually counting the cubes.
• A second group had to measure and design a cardboard house for a soft toy they had brought to school.
• The third group worked on the mat, using their white boards to build a ramp for a toy car. They then used a measuring tape to measure the distance their cars traveled.

There was much excitement (and quite a bit of noise), as the groups worked in the passage to measure how far they could jump. My class agreed that this was the most “fun” two days of Math “ever”. They were so involved in the activities, that they completely forgot that they were actually learning about centimeters and millimeters. It was wonderful to see how they adapted the instructions given to think up new ideas to test their cars, make their houses and hopping instead of jumping.

So the objective of the lessons was achieved, by using a different approach, which kept the students engaged, and asking and answering questions. This approach has proven to be a successful way to improve lateral and analytical thinking and, despite the organised chaos, will definitely be repeated.

Mrs Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher