Passage from One Square to a Succeeding Square

Age
6-9.

Materials

 * Box of colored bead bars 1-1
 * One each of the squares of 1-10
 * Rubber bands

Presentation

 * 1) The directress chooses a square.
 * 2) The child identifies the square chosen by the directress, i.e. the square of 4.
 * 3) Let's use this square to build a square of 5.
 * 4) Allow the child to suggest and discover ways of doing this.
 * 5) Guide the work, giving guidelines such as: 'The sides must be built upon.'
 * 6) Four bars are placed to the right and the bottom of the square.
 * 7) A one-bead fills in the hole left in the lower right hand corner.
 * 8) Superimpose the square of five to verify successful completion.
 * 9) Directress asks the child; "What was added to the square of 4 to make the square of 5? two bars of 4 and one unit".
 * 10) Square of 4 + what was added = square of 5 4 x 4 = 16 4 + 4 + 1 = 9 5 x 5 = 25

Purpose

 * Iindirect preparation for the square of a binomial.