The Disappearing Train

Expectations:

D1.3 display sets of data, using one-to-one correspondence, in concrete graphs and pictographs with proper sources, titles, and labels

D1.4 order categories of data from greatest to least frequency for various data sets displayed in tally tables, concrete graphs, and pictographs

Key Concepts

• Addition and Subtraction

• Making Predictions

• Collecting and Organizing Data

Build and display a Snap Cube train with ten cubes. (Distance Learning Teachers can use the Mathies colour tile app to create a train of 20 tiles and a virtual die- you will need to change to a regular dice by clicking on the image of the 4 sided die. It will then provide a drop down menu for you to select a standard die.)

Call on a volunteer to take turns with you at rolling a die. After each roll, remove that number of Snap Cubes from the train. If the number rolled is greater than the number of Snap Cubes left, then roll again.

Continue until all Snap Cubes have been removed and the train has disappeared.

Record each roll on a chart that looks something like this: (distance learning teachers can use whiteboard app to display data OR chart paper)

How many rolls of the die does it take to make a Snap Cube train disappear?

• With a partner, build a Snap Cube train that is 20 cubes long.

• One partner keeps rolling the die and removing exactly that number of cubes from the train until there are no cubes left.

• The other partner keeps a record of how many rolls of the die it takes to make the train disappear. He or she writes a number sentence to show what happens after each roll. If the number rolled is greater than the number of cubes left in the train, count that roll even though you can’t remove any cubes.

• Switch roles and repeat the activity several times.

• Compare your recordings. Try to predict how many rolls you would need to make your train disappear if you did the activity again.

***Distance learning students will use the Mathies colour tile app to build a 20 tile train. They will independently roll the virtual die and record their findings on paper or virtual whiteboard.

Ask children to imagine that one pair started the activity by first rolling a 4 and then a 3. Have them draw a picture of what that pair’s train looked like then.

Tell children that it took one pair six rolls to make its train disappear. Then ask children to write a number sentence that this pair might write to show how its train disappeared.

Extension Activities:

• Have children repeat the activity starting with a train built with more than 20 snap cubes.

• Have children repeat the activity, this time using a pair of dice. For each roll, they should find the sum of the numbers rolled and subtract that number of Snap Cubes from the train.

Primary SEL Self Assessment (English) Primary SEL Self Assessment (French)

SEL Teacher Rubric