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Re: 5th Grade Activity
Posted:
Apr 17, 1995 2:01 PM
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On Mon, 17 Apr 1995, Jill A. Dumesnil wrote:
> I'm an Assistant Professor of Mathematics who has been asked to
> prepare 45 minutes to an hour of "meaningful enrichment activity" for
> gifted and talent fifth graders for this friday.
>
> I'm thinking of doing something basic on the concept of infinity and
> the different "sizes" of infinity.
Hi Jill,
You could probably have a lot of fun with Zeno's paradoxes with this
age group. Create a line of kids as if you were going to have a race
across the room. Tell the kids they will never be able to finish the
race because of "infinity." Have some other kids measure the distance
between the starting point and the finish line. Tell the kids that
when they start they can only travel half the distance to the finish
line and then the other kids have to measure again. Repeat the process
until they get close to the finish line but never cross it because they
can only travel half the distance till infinity.
What's important with this age group is that you give them something
"to do" with the mathematical concept (act it out, measure, race, etc).
With this idea the physical activity will keep them engaged, their
bodies become the "manipulatives," and obeying the rule of half will
give them understandable structure. I hope you have fun with them--
5th grade is a magical time!
Ken Blystone, Educational Technologist
Ysleta Independent School District
9600 Sims
El Paso, Texas 79925
Voice: 915-595-5676
Fax: 915-595-5930
Data1: 915-590-5476 (The CyberSchool System)
Data2: 915-598-1987 (The K12 Network/Internet Link 1:381/64)
Data3: 915-595-6806 (Ysleta Educational Telecommunications)
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