Maths by Month – March (updated 2020)

Welcome to the March installment in this series of posts designed to explore the Operation Maths topics on a month-by-month basis, giving teachers greater insights into the concepts at hand, when they are most relevant.

While each monthly overview will specifically zone in on the Operation Maths topics for that particular month, the information and suggestions will be relevant to ALL primary teachers, whether they are Operation Maths users or not.

Pssst! The Edco Primary Publications launches for 2020 will be taking place around the country during March and April. As well as launching their new programmes, Litriú an Lae and My Learner ID, they will also be showcasing Explore with Me, Let’s Talk Literacy, Bua na Cainte, Operation Maths, Number Facts and other Edco publications. Click on the link above for more information and to register.

Operation Maths for Junior Infants to Sixth Class:

• Junior Infants: Representing and Interpreting Data (week 1), exploring aspects of Shape and Space via 2D shapes, 3D objects and spatial awareness (week 2), and developing an understanding of the concept of Time via sequencing of familiar daily events and the days of the week (week 3).
• Senior Infants: Length, Analysis of Number (Numeration) looking at the number ten; Comparing and Ordering and Combining and Partitioning amounts to up to ten. They will also further consolidate their understanding of Pattern (Algebra) and graphs (Representing and Interpreting Data) via linked activities.
• First Class: Length, Operations (addition and subtraction without renaming) and Fractions.
• Second Class: Operations (addition, without and with renaming, and subtraction without and with renaming, the latter of which is new content while the other material will be revision of first class work); Length (including the formal introduction of the centimeter as a standard unit of measure). 

• Third class: Area, Multiplication & Division and Symmetry
• Fourth class: Money, Area and Symmetry
• Fifth class: Area, Addition & Subtraction and Directed Numbers
• Sixth class: Money, Directed Numbers and Area

Operation Maths users can also access a class specific, month-by-month list of relevant links and online resources via the Weblinks document, accessible on www.edcolearning.ie. 

1. Log into your edcolearning account
2. Click on the At School Book/Pupil’s Book for your class level.
3. Click on the Edco Resources icon (on book cover image on left-hand side)
4. Select Weblinks from list of categories and then click to download the document.

• Also accessible on  www.edcolearning.ie.  are the custom-made digital resources to support these topics. These will all be viewable when you click on the Edco Resources icon as directed above.

Other suggestions for March:

• Engineer’s Week runs from 29th Feb to 6th March. There are obvious connections between Maths and Engineering, a fact which is being celebrated by the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) movement globally. Click on the link above to access lots of ideas to help you organise fun challenges that create a positive awareness and spark enthusiasm about the engineering profession in young people.
  • Of the STEM areas, coding is one of the most exciting, not least of all to kids! And Operation Maths is the only Irish maths programme that has integrated coding activities via the Scratch Lessons for Operation Maths 3-6. Check out the scratch lessons that are included in the Operation Maths digital resources via your TRB or edcolearning.ie
  • For infants, the Aistear Themes are an ideal way to explore STEM using a thematic focus; consult the Junior and Senior Infants TRB for the monthly Aistear suggestions.
  • For some more primary-focused STEM activities, check out the links below:
    • https://thestemlaboratory.com/kindergarten-stem-activities/
    • https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/stem-activities-for-kids/
    • https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/31235/primary-school-activity-booklet
    • https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/free-stem-activities-for-the-classroom/
    • https://www.yearofengineering.gov.uk/school
• World Book Day is on the first Thursday of March, and while the primary resources accessible on the site are mainly literacy linked, there are numeracy ideas also, including “Not Another Maths Book” activity sheet. Other numeracy and literacy linked suggestions for this global celebration include:
  • Carry out a survey to find out the favourite books / authors of the children in your class. Or choose a page from a book. Work out the average number of words per sentence. Both of these are included among many other suggestions from Teaching Ideas for World Book Day.

Maths by Month – February (updated 2020)

Welcome to the February installment in this series of posts designed to explore the Operation Maths topics on a month-by-month basis, giving teachers greater insights into the concepts at hand, when they are most relevant.

While each monthly overview will specifically zone in on the Operation Maths topics for that particular month, the information and suggestions will be relevant to ALL primary teachers, whether they are Operation Maths users or not.

Operation Maths for Junior Infants to Sixth Class:

• Junior Infants: Analysis of Number Comparing and Ordering and Combining and Partitioning amounts up to five.
• Senior Infants: Analysis of Number (Numeration) looking at the number nine; Comparing and Ordering and Combining and Partitioning amounts to up to nine.
• First Class: Representing and Interpreting Data, Place Value within 99, Counting and Numeration to 100 and exploring Pattern in repeated addition, and addition facts on the 100 square. The Operation Maths 100 square eManipulative will be invaluable for these latter activities.
• Second Class: Weight, Time (to quarter hours on an analogue clock and to half hours on a digital clock) and Estimation (how to estimate to total of addition calculations within 99). The development of keen estimation skills is very important throughout Operation Maths and work here will lay future foundations.

• Third class: Decimals, 3D Objects and Addition & Subtraction
• Fourth class: Length and Addition & Subtraction
• Fifth class: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages and Length
• Sixth class: Data and Length

Operation Maths users can also access a class specific, month-by-month list of relevant links and online resources via the Weblinks document, accessible on www.edcolearning.ie. 

1. Log into your edcolearning account
2. Click on the At School Book/Pupil’s Book for your class level.
3. Click on the Edco Resources icon (on book cover image on left-hand side)
4. Select Weblinks from list of categories and then click to download the document.

• Also accessible on  www.edcolearning.ie.  are the custom-made digital resources to support these topics. These will all be viewable when you click on the Edco Resources icon as directed above.

Other suggestions for February:

• Lá ‘Le Bríde, is Saturday February 1st. The story of St. Bridgid’s Cloak could be used as springboard into a pattern activity, or a discussion on exponential growth with older students.
• Ireland’s first game in the 2020 Six Nations (against Scotland in the Aviva Stadium) is on Saturday 1st February. Some mathematical possibilities:
  • With older children, use the opportunity to explore the rugby union scoring system, and to identify what scores (up to 30, for example) are possible (how?) or impossible.
  • Calculate the number of games to be played; what if the competition had less or more teams, how many games would need to be played then?
  • Use the language of chance to discuss the possible outcomes for each nation in the competition and recognise that while it is impossible to predict the actual outcomes, we can use of knowledge of the teams performances to make informed predictions.
  • Calculate the dimensions of the pitch
  • Run a Fantasy Rugby League in your class
  • Make score predictions for each match and plot how these scores would be recorded on the Six Nations Table
• Storytelling Week runs from 1-8 February. While this is primarily a UK based event, it does serve as a timely reminder of the rich role that mathematical stories can play in the early years.  For teachers of infants to second class, be sure to check out the Literacy suggestions within the Integration section of each short term plan in the TRB.
• Valentine’s Day is Friday 14th February. Try out these themed problems  and challenges (suitable from first class up) from Mashup Math and, from the Routty Math Teacher, this selection of five Valentine’s Day-inspired starters, that are sure to engage your students and get them thinking critically about maths.
• Pancake (Shrove) Tuesday is Tuesday 25th February. Recipes naturally provide great opportunities for real world maths, for example identifying the measures and amounts required, adding the correct measures to the mix, adapting the recipes to suit more or less people, etc. For more maths-related activities check out these pancake problems.