Math Delights

Materials: Pencil, ruler, crayons, colored pencils or markers, embroidery thread, and felt

What designs can you make from circles with 10 numbers (0-9) and lines between the numbers?

On circles with the numbers 0 through 9, start with 0, draw a straight line connecting the first point with the next multiple:

1. For the first circle, start with 0, and skip count to 1 and then connect 0 to 1, then skip count from 1 to 2, then skip count 1 from 2 to 3 ....
2. On the next circle skip count 2, i.e., connect 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 6, 6 to 8, 8 to 0,
3. On the circle for 3, connect 0 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9, 9 to 2, ....
4. Continue this process until you have plotted and connected lines for 9 circles.
5. On the 9th circle, you will contact the 0 dot with the 9 dot (since you count over 9 places), and the 9 dot with the 8 dot (since you count over 9 places) ...

Color the designs.
Then use embroidery thread to embroider some of the circles that you drew.
Which of the circular patterns are the same? Why?

For more advanced students, use circles with numbers 0 through 11 or let the child decide how many numbers to use around the circle.

Handouts

There are wonderful handouts for this activity online at www2.edc.org/makingmath/mathsettings/connect/Connect.asp:

• 2 - 16 Dot Circles (PDF format)
• Sixteen Dot Circles (HTML format)