low-cost teaching aids this slide show of examples is intended to inspire and stimulate ideas for...
TRANSCRIPT
LOW-COST TEACHING AIDSThis Slide Show of examples is intended to inspire
and stimulate ideas for the local production of low-cost teaching aids.
If you have ideas and examples that you would like to add, please write to David Smawfield:
Examples of “home made” Primary mathematics teaching aids
A 1-meter circumference wheel for measuring distances, marked at
10-cm intervals(home-made version)
A clinometer, for measuring the height of buildings, trees, etc
(A 45 degree clinometer is a simpler version)
Number
and Letter
Fans
For example, if a fan has nine blades, and each blade has one of the following letters: s, t, e, a, i, m, p, r, c Here are twenty spellings that could be tested: cat mat pat rattear meat cast seatsteam peas pair pearpraise price tease mist
“Signal Response” cards: mathematics
Examples of the technique being
used in classrooms
Example “Literacy Dominoes”
(incomplete set)
The “secret” of designing successful dominoes sets is to ensure that the right-
hand side of the last domino matches the left-
hand side of the first domino!
What ideas could these inspire?
Maths Dominoes!
This example, available for purchase, is from:
www.taskmasteronline.co.uk
It shows “Addition Dominoes”
However, dominoes can be designed for almost any level of mathematics and for
almost any type of mathematical operation.
This example should NOT be copied, for copyright reasons, but it may inspire
creative ideas!
What ideas do you have!?
Place value game!
This example, available for purchase, is from:
http://netstore.teaching.com.au/
This example should NOT be copied, for copyright reasons, but it
may inspire creative ideas!
What ideas do you have!?
Compound Word Dominoes!
This example, available for purchase, is from
www.taskmasteronline.co.uk
I
Could you design a set of compound word dominoes!?
What is the key educational principle these dominoes build upon?
Maths Dice!
These examples are from
www.taskmasteronline.co.uk
For further ideas on “Educational Games” using Maths Dice. See:
www.davidsmawfield.com/resources-practitioners
What ideas do you have!?
An example of a
maths dice game
Roll three dice. Arrange to choose a score.
Play, say, five rounds. Add scores.
Highest total score could be the winner
Variation: lowest total score could be the winner, etc.
What ideas do you have!?
For more ideas, see:
www.davidsmawfield.com/resources-practitioners/
A word-making game
This example, available for purchase, is from:
www.taskmasteronline.co.uk
The idea is to make three-letter words. Incomplete words on the base board comprise two blanks and a vowel. The game cards are
consonants.
This example should not be copied, for copyright reasons.
However, what game and game rules could you devise based on these materials?
What other ideas could this game inspire?
Word Game
The “Board” is made up of different nouns
The playing cards are made up of different adjectives
The idea is to match appropriate adjectives to different nouns
What might be the rules for this game, and how could it be played?
(For example, it could involve “Connect 4”: There might be two sets of cards in different colours, for each player.)
What other variations can you think of?
Educational “Snakes and Ladders”
This can be used for any subject, at any level.
Make an appropriate pack of question cards.
Question cards are placed in a pile face down. Move by throwing a dice.
Land on a snake: Answer a question. Wrong answer = slide down the snake.
Correct answer = stay put!
Land on a ladder : Answer a question. Wrong answer = stay put! Correct
answer = climb the ladder!
Home-made wooden toys for creative play
Musical Instrument Making
Full instructions for making chime bars can be found at: www.davidsmawfield.com/resources-practitioners/
Plastic BottlePan-Pipes
Pizza BoxStory Board
Flannelboard
Arguably one of the best teachings aids ever – but one that largely seems forgotten about! This is all the more unfortunate as images from magazines
and the Internet are more available than ever!
Flannelboard
A small square of course glass-paper or “Velcro” (the spikey side) is glued on the back of images to create the “magnetic” effect.
Use a background cloth with a strong, dark, colour. The cloth should have a woolly texture to help the images to stick.
Pop-up Picture Books
An excellent resource book, illustrating different techniques, and with teaching ideas, can be downloaded for free at:
www.primarydandt.org/data//files/story_col-1833.pdf
Puppets
An excellent resource book, illustrating different techniques, and with teaching ideas, can be downloaded for free at:
www.primarydandt.org/data//files/puppet_col-1846.pdf
Mathematical and other models with Pipe cleaners and straws
Whole School Grounds
The above illustrations are taken from WERNER, David (1996 edition) Disabled Village Children: a guide for community health workers,
rehabilitation workers, and families (Palo Alto, Hesperian Foundation)
What ideas can they inspire?
Skipping Ropes: often popular with girls!
Low-cost “ping pong” table
(Examples from China: “The Gansu Basic Education Project”)
Playground Markings
Playground Markings
Low-Cost Weather Station
A “Noise Meter”For managing noise levels in the classroom and for
promoting effective group and pair work
For further information:
http://www.davidsmawfield.com/resources-practitioners/