Third Graders Go Bowling in Math

As a way to engage their whole bodies, students in third grade bowled their way to solving math problems. The current math unit is focused on rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000, since, says teacher Lori Galante, “Rounding is a way to teach students how to estimate, finding numbers that are friendly numbers that they can use for mental math.”

 

The bowling lesson actually began with a train track. Teachers demonstrated for students the idea of a train going up and over a hill: if the train only goes partway to the midline it will roll backwards, and if the train goes partway over the midline, it will roll forwards. Then it was time for table group to join together to pick the correct rounding number (for example, the teacher called out “18,” and students worked together to pick 10 or 20 as the rounding number). Once all of the groups guessed their answer, students took turns bowling a ball at one of two blocks: one labeled ‘10’ and the other labeled ‘20.’

 

Adds Ms. Galante, “We find that when our students get up and move, they engage in a different way than when solving problems on paper.” 

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