Math Specialist Rachel Arbesfeld and Art Teachers Andrea Nelson and Sophia Saad created a multisensory project to bring math concepts to life. Red Cluster students used abstract art to illustrate the decomposition of two-digit numbers. In math groups, each student created number bonds showing two different ways to break apart their number into tens and ones. In art class, students used materials to creatively represent these number bonds.
Here are two examples:
This student decomposed the number 62 into 60+2 and also into 40+22. The left side represents 6 tens (made of blue popsicle sticks) and 2 ones (made of blue wooden chips) and the right side represents 4 tens (made of 4 popsicle sticks) and 22 ones (made of 22 pom poms).
This student decomposed the number 35 into 30+5 and also into 20+15. The left side represents 3 tens (made of jeweled popsicle sticks) and 5 ones (made of gem designs) and the right side represents 2 tens (made of large flowers) and 15 ones (made of gems).
The use of both visual and tactile pathways enhances and deepens learning of complex concepts.