2012-13 Educational Grant Application
Deadline: Wednesday, March 7, 2012, by 4pm
Name of Grant: Hands On Math
Name of person(s) submitted by: Connie Oberle, Sue Fucilla, Rob Brown and Sandra Holt
Campus/Department: Mary
Evans Elementary
Total Dollar Amount Requested:
Grade Level(s): 6th
Grade
$746.90
Number of students who would be involved/impacted by grant: 140
Name of principal or immediate supervisor who will approve submission: Pam
Hale
Project Summary/Purpose: Be specific. What is the student need which the project will address? The purpose
should describe what students will know and be able to do as a result of this project. Please explain how a
problem will be addressed or a situation improved because of the grant.
The purpose of the project is to involve students in really doing mathematics using math
manipulatives. According the NCTM (1989): Students who are actively engaged in
meaningful, hands-on, minds on learning experiences learn to:

value mathematics

are confident in their ability to solve problems

learn to communicate mathematically

learn to reason mathematically
Therefore the purpose of this grant is to have math manipulative resources for all students in a
math classroom. As Papert (1980) stated “manipulatives are objects to think with” and can
positively affect learning. Students learn more if they are given their own set of manipulatives
to explore mathematical concepts instead of sharing within a group. Group collaboration,
student-teacher interactions and individually recorded information to problem situations are
other key components whenever manipulatives are used within the classroom.
Sixth grade is a “transitional” year because many of the mathematical concepts being
taught require a transition from concrete to abstract thinking during a lesson. More than
seventy percent of the new material presented in sixth grade is tested on the STAAR test.
Decimals, fractions, percents, and the introduction to algebraic equations are the focus of sixth
grade math.
Students need to experiment first hand with physical objects and have concrete
experiences before learning abstract mathematical concepts. Allen’s math department is
encouraging this concept because they have provided a copy and done an online book study
called Hands-On Standards: The First Source for Introducing Math Manipulatives. The book
addresses the need for manipulatives to be used in the sixth grade classroom.
Using manipulatives in the classroom is multi-sensory. It allows you to teach diverse
learners. According to Stein and Bovalino (2001), “Manipulatives can be an important tool in
helping students to think and reason in more meaningful ways. By giving students concrete
ways to compare and operate on quantities, such manipulatives as pattern blocks, tiles, and
cubes can contribute to the development of well-grounded, interconnected understandings of
mathematical ideas.”
Research has shown that the long term use of manipulatives in a classroom have
benefited students in thinking divergently to find a variety of ways to solve a problem, express
problems and solutions using a variety of mathematical symbols, and develop spatial memory.
Manipulatives also encourage students to work collaboratively, relate math to real- world
situations, and gain confidence in their ability to solve problems.
Project Description: How will the project or program be implemented? Describe activities and tasks.
Who is the target population and in what ways will they benefit?
Decimals, fractions, percents, and the introduction to algebraic equations are the focus
of sixth grade math. Various math manipulatives can be used by students to explore these
math concepts. For example, lesson 9 in the Hands-On Standards: The First Source for
Introducing Math Manipulatives book, uses colored tiles to determine if a number is prime or
composite. As the lesson continues, the student uses the manipulatives to build various arrays
and soon discovers the difference between a prime and composite number. The lesson
concludes with the student demonstrating prime factorization using the colored tiles and
records the factor tree on a piece of paper. Prime factorization, a difficult concept, is now
“visible” to the student because of the student’s opportunity to explore with manipulatives.
Once a student understands prime factorization the student will be able to write a
number in exponential form fulfilling the requirement of TEK 6.1D: The student is expected to
write prime factorizations using exponents.
There are over eighty math manipulative lessons that can be found in the Hands On
Standards book. ETA/Cuisenaire the editor of the book has correlated the TEKS to every
lesson.
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2012-13 Educational Grant Application
Which Allen ISD goals/TEKS does this project support? Limit to top two or three examples.
Allen ISD Math Department is always encouraging teachers to incorporate hands on
activities in their lessons. As mentioned before the Hands On Standards book has been part
of an on-line course that was offered by the math department in the recent past. All class
rooms have been provided with a copy of the book. The math department is also anticipating
the new state’s alignment of the TEKS.
Important TEKS addressed by this project are:
TEK: 6.3B: The student is expected to represent ratios and percents with concrete
models, fractions, and decimals.
Lesson 7: Percents, Fractions and Decimals
This lesson uses faction circles and fraction circle rings to find
equivalency between decimals, percents and fractions.
TEK: 6.3A: The student is expected to use ratios to describe proportional situations.
TEK:6.3C: The student is expected to use ratios to make predictions in proportional
situations.
Lesson 19: Proportions
This lesson uses Cuisenaire rods to compare ratios.
What specific measurements will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the project?
Unit tests would be a direct measurement of the effectiveness of the project as the
students mastered the various math objectives.
Improvement on district Benchmark Test and STAARTest would be a direct indicator of
the success of manipulatives in the classroom.
Student written responses will also be used for measuring effectiveness. Once again
research indicates that using manipulatives in the classroom improves the overall learning
environment. “When students work with manipulatives and are then given a chance to reflect
on their experiences, mathematical learning is enhanced and math anxiety is greatly reduced.
(Cain-Cason 1996; Heuser 2000). Growth can be measured from the students written
responses. Students who understand concepts are able to explain what they have learned in
writing.
What teaching methods will be used to implement this project?
Lessons may be introduced in the following ways:
o Model an activity for the students
o Warm ups where trial and error will be used by the students to try various
problem solving methods
o Discovery learning labs
o Cooperative learning groups
Timeline for project (Funds will be available after September 1, 2012):
August 2012 to June 2013
Lessons may begin as soon as products are available in the class room. The manipulatives
are durable and will last a long time in the classroom.
Explain how this idea or project enhances/supports Allen ISD curriculum or existing systems:
Using math manipulatives in the classroom with sixth graders is always encouraged by
the Allen math department. Math staff developments throughout the year always encourage
teachers to share ideas about lessons we have tried in the classroom. The lessons developed
using the “Hands On” math concepts would certainly be worth sharing with the teaching staff.
Include any additional comments or information (attach additional pages if necessary):
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2012-13 Educational Grant Application
Grant Budget : specific product numbers, vendor addresses, etc are not required on this budget
page. The name of the product or the type of training or estimated cost of transportation is sufficient.
*Please round numbers to the nearest dollar amount.
Instructional Supplies
Vendor / Supplier
Cost per Item
Total
Deluxe Fraction
Circles Kit
Fraction Circle Rings
Fraction Tower
Equivalent Kit
ETA/Cuisenaire
7.95
238.50
ETA/Cuisenaire
ETA/Cuisenaire
5.95
164.95
178.50
329.90
Technology
Vendor / Supplier
Cost per Item
Total
Staff Dev / Training
Vendor / Supplier
Cost per Item
Total
Transportation
Vendor / Supplier
Cost per Item
Total
Other Expenses
Vendor / Supplier
Cost per Item
Total
TOTAL AMOUNT
REQUESTED
$746.90
Are there any additional funds available for this grant? Campus or district funds? PTA funds? If you have or will
be seeking funds from any other sources to help with this project, please explain.