Summer SAVY 2017, Session 6/Day 1- Secrets of the Moli Stone (Rising 2nd/3rd)

Posted by morganr1 on Monday, July 24, 2017 in SAVY.

Today we embarked on our adventure to discover the mystery of the Moli Stone! Students came eager to find out what the Moli Stone was, and today we got to make some initial observation and predictions about what the markings on the Moli Stone might be. We learned that the Moli stone was discovered in China, and that it was used to communicate the value of different goods traded between communities with different number systems. Currently, we are wondering whether the symbols used in each number system correspond directly to one another, why some symbols repeat themselves, and what the relation between the goods depicted on the stone one the different numerical values. Students recorded their initial observations and wondering in a personal journal that they will be using throughout the week to keep track of how their thinking changes across the course of the week. You might ask about what your child journaled about today! J

We also began reading about the history of counting and numbers, which we will continue revisiting throughout the week. We learned that number systems are relatively new inventions, and before abstract number systems were invent in the 1800s, different communities utilized different tools to keep track of how many, including their bodies. Over the next few days we will be exploring different number systems to help us gain skills, ask new questions, and develop new observations about the Moli Stone, so that by the end of the week, its’ secret can be solved.

Our first investigation was with our own number system. We related base 10 concepts to different combinations of dimes and pennies. Before moving on to our next investigation tomorrow, we’ll work together to think about if there is a general rule for how many combinations of dimes and pennies exist for any amount of money, and what this how to do with the way our own number system works. A big focus of our mathematical work this week will be trying to generate patterns and generalizations about number systems to help deepen our understanding of their different structures and affordances.

-Ms. Megan