Iowa Public Television

In this hands-on (mouths-on) ICN session, presenters lead students in a variety of edible math activities. First, students create a bar graph to represent each site's vote for our favorite cereal brand. Next, they build a cereal abacus, and use it to create their own math equations. Then, students construct patterns using the cereal pieces. Finally, they integrate language arts and math for some fun story problem solving.

The many shapes, textures, colors and sizes of cereal provide excellent opportunities for estimating, sorting, comparing, patterning, adding and subtracting! Since cereal is a part of most of our students' daily routines, they will enjoy putting this munchable math manipulative to use during the ICN session!

Following the ICN session, registrants receive the complimentary book Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday or alternate title by mail.

REGISTERING ADULTS AGREE TO PROVIDE EACH STUDENT WITH THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS:

1. 1 pencil
2. scratch paper
3. 1 pipe cleaner (used to construct abacus)
4. 1 small paper cup (at least 9 ounce size-used to construct abacus)
5. Approximately 20 pieces of round-shaped cereal such as Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops or the generic equivalent (*used to construct abacus, so Cheerios may be too small)
6. 1 Cereal Graph worksheet
7. 1 Cereal Mystery Chart worksheet
8. 1 sandwich baggie filled with a handful of multi-colored, multi-shaped cereal, such as Trix (used for patterning activity)

REGISTRANTS: Also, preview the directions for the abacus students create during the ICN session here.

NOTE: DUE TO THE HANDS-ON NATURE OF THE ACTIVITES, WE SUGGEST INVITING HELPERS TO THE ICN SESSION (PARENTS OR PEER HELPERS) TO ASSIST THE STUDENTS WITH THE ACTIVITIES.

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Applicable standards from MCREL:

Math Standards:

Standard 1: Uses a variety of strategies in the problem-solving process

Level I [Grades K-2]

1. Draws pictures to represent problems
2. Uses discussions with teachers and other students to understand problems
3. Explains to others how she or he went about solving a numerical problem
4. Makes organized lists or tables of information necessary for solving a problem
5. Uses whole number models (e.g., pattern blocks, tiles, or other manipulative materials) to represent problems

Level II [Grade : 3-5]

1. Uses a variety of strategies to understand problem situations (e.g., discussing with peers, stating problems in own words, modeling problem with diagrams or physical objects, identifying a pattern)
2. Represents problems situations in a variety of forms (e.g., translates from a diagram to a number or symbolic expression)
3. Understands that some ways of representing a problem are more helpful than others
4. Uses trial and error and the process of elimination to solve problems

Classroom Resources:

The following related programs are available on IPTV's broadcast or from the AEAs: (Check the K-12 Classroom Television (www.iptv.org/k12catalog) Web site for broadcast dates and times.)

• SID THE SCIENCE KID (Grade Level: PreK-2)
• MATH MONSTERS (Grade Level: K-2)
• CYBERCHASE (Grade Level:2-6)
• LEARNING MATH: PATTERNS, FUNCTIONS AND ALGEBRA (Grade Level: Elem./Middle School Teachers)
• MARTHA SPEAKS (Grade Level: PreK-2)

Check out additional "Classroom Resources" prepared and compiled by IPTV K-12 Connections staff.

Only twelve 'interactive' sites are scheduled for each session. Videotaping is NOT available.

Sessions are provided at no cost by Iowa Public Television in collaboration with the Iowa Communications Network to PK-12 students and the adults working with or on behalf of PK-12 students in Iowa.