Paint and Double

Mathematical Foundations

Key Skills and Concepts (extension)
 

Topics Covered:
Doubling
Counting
Symmetry

Painting

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Equipment needed:
Paper – the bigger the better

Paint and brushes

 

Overview:
I had a request to come up with some ways to explore doubling for younger pupils and thought of this practical activity. It involves painting dots on paper and folding it to produce a copy (like those butterfly pictures you used to do). This will of course double the dots and show the child exactly what doubling is all about.

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Instructions:
Fold a piece of paper in half and unfold it so the child can see where the fold line is. You could draw this in to show the line of symmetry. Paint 1 dot on one side and then fold the paper to make a print and unfold it. Count the 2 dots. Explain that double 1 is 2. This should show your child exactly what doubling is. Experiment with different dots making sure your child does all the counting. Try and get them to predict how many dots there will be before actually making the fold.

Key Questions/Prompts:
Can you paint 3 dots?
How many dots are there now?
How many dots do you think there will be when we fold it?
Look at the line in the middle. This is a line of symmetry?
How many dots will there be if we fold it again (downwards)

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Extension:
You can easily extend the challenge by using higher numbers of dots or even more so by folding the paper in quarters to start with. Paint some dots and first fold it across to double it. Then fold it down to double it again and count the dots. The idea is that the child realises that when you double it and double it again you end up with 4 times the number you started with.
 

#activityoftheweek
#mathsfoundations
#keyskills

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