Table of Contents
Teacher Tools and Videos
Introduction, background, and activities to try to familiarize yourself with cuisenaire rods.
Simon Gregg: How I Teach Using Cuisenaire Rods (3-5)
How to use:
- Learn more about the power of Cuisenaire Rods: Video Book Simon Gregg Buy Rods
- Watch and ask: What do you notice? What do you wonder?
- Eventually, students will notice that the color of the rod represents a quantity. They will notice that the orange rod represents 10, and we can see the groups of ten in each number. They will see the pattern of the ones repeating over and over and the groups of ten increasing. That will lead to the idea that the written digits represent place value: orange for the tens place, and the other colors for the ones place.
Introduction To Cuisenaire Rods
What do you notice(K-5)
Use with sticky notes or fill in the spots below. You can recreate this document on an anchor chart as well.
Copy the picture above for the staircases that you can copy for students
Cuisenaire Environment/Picture Virtual Manipulative. Students can add the values, make equations, make fractions, etc. The page gives suggestions. (K-5)
IHaveWhoHasCuisenaireRods(K-5)
I have Who Has cuisenaire directions
Free Play Grab Bag(K-5) Lesson 1 out of 3 for an introduction
Counting the staircase, making yellows(K-5)
Making Colored Rods-Recording Sheet for the above lesson; Lesson 2 out of 3 for an introduction
Cuisenaire Rod Fill-ins Lesson 3 out of 3 for an introduction
Use this to notice patterns when adding and subtracting or even and odd.
Reaching for Rods (K-5)
cuisenaire-rod-blog-pp(K-5) This gives an introduction to Cuisenaire Rods and mentions several activities and literature connections.
Math and Literature June 17 2014 (K-2) A resource that gives lists of several math books and activities you can do with them using any kind of manipulative, including Cuisenaire Rods.
Addition and Subtraction
Cuisenaire Cards Card games (K-2) Print out 4 of these pages to make a deck of cards. If you plan on having more people involved in games, you can increase that number.
Snakey Rods(K-2) Game
Chutes and Ladders(K-2) Game
Little Pig Centers(K-2) Help Little Pig Build a House
Cuisenaire Counting (k-1) Composing and decomposing numbers; fact families; related facts; three addends
PDL-Number-Building-Playmats-for-Cuisenaire-Rods(K-1) Composing and decomposing numbers. The second page gives great suggestions for ways to extend the activity.
Train for Two (1-3) Addition and subtraction
Counting the staircase, making yellows(K-5)
Making Colored Rods-Recording Sheet for the above lesson
Using the picture book, “Grapes of Math” by Greg Tang
Click the picture above for the lesson “What’s the Difference” (1-3)
Subtraction strategies
Which Line is Longer Comparing; repeated addition; subtraction. Can be whole group and then in a center.
Challenge Match Challenge Match Task Card (K-2) Composing and decomposing numbers to 10; unknown addends; addition and subtraction
cuisenaire capers (1-5) Adding up to 100; properties of operations; place value; writing expressions; multiplication; distributive property
Triangle Magic (1-5) Three addends that equal ten. The logic and reasoning needed makes is suitable for intermediate grades.
color match doubles addition(1-5) Adding doubles. The logic and reasoning needed makes is suitable for intermediate grades.
sums to ten (K-2) Sums to 10.
Number of the Day Cuisenaire Rods(K-2) Even/Odd, adding/subtracting, greater than/less than
odds and evens(1-2) Addition
Shorter or Longer cuisenaire spinner(K-2) Measurement, comparing problems (addition/subtraction), greater than, less than
Same Difference(K-2) Noticing patterns with differences and addition and subtraction strategies.
One more, one less, two more, two less (K-Beginning 2)
Multiplication and Division
multiplication task card(3-5) Prime/composite or multiplication/division
Same Length Trains (k-3) Virtual
same length trains(2-3) Can use repeated addition or multiplication
Cuisenaire Squared Three Act Task (3-5)
Cuisenaire Squared Three Act Task Cuisenaire Squared Three Act Task
Using the picture book, “Grapes of Math” by Greg Tang
Cuisenaire Rod Squares (3-5) Students will notice patterns with square numbers.
Squares and Rectangles (3-5) Patterns with area and perimeter.
Which Line is Longer(2-3) Commutative property, symmetry, patterns, multiplication, repeated addition
Cuisenaire Rod Equations(3-5) Order of Operations, solving equations with unknowns
cuisenaire capers(1-5) Adding up to 100; properties of operations; place value; writing expressions; multiplication; distributive property
Gridlock Recording Sheet Gridlock Game (3-5) Multiplication and area
Cuisenaire Rod Equations(3-5) Order of operations, solving equations with unknowns
Fractions
Click on the picture above for the online activity (3-5)
Show connection between fractions and multiplication
Click picture above to go to website and learn more about the lesson(3-5).
More less equal to a whole (3-5)
CPALMS Fraction Measuring (3rd) Fractions, Equivalent Fractions, Measuring with CM
CuisenaireRodsNumberLines (3-5)
Riddles
Naming rods (4-5)
Measurement
Estimation Station(K-5) Measurement and Estimation. Older grades can convert using the metric system.
CPALMS Fraction Measuring (3rd) Fractions, Equivalent Fractions, Measuring with cm
COLOR An Amusing Adventure Game Board An amusing adventure An Amusing Adventure Game Board(2-5) Measurement, with estimating first. There are a lot of suggestions on how to extend this activity on page 7 of the last PDF.
Estimate and Measure (K-5) Estimate how many centimeters the line is and then measuring with Cuisenaire Rods.
Shorter or Longer kindergarten ShorterorLongerMathStationFREEBIE cuisenaire spinner (K-2) Measurement, comparing problems (addition/subtraction), greater than, less than
Squares and Rectangles(3-5) Patterns with area and perimeter.
Race to Get to 50 or 100(2-5) Skills: Addition, Subtraction, Skip Counting, Decimals, Metric System, Measurement.
Multiple Concepts
Cuisenaire Cards(K-5) Print out 4 of these pages to make a deck of cards. Versions of War, Go Fish, Memory, etc.
Cuisenaire Art(K-5) There are several extensions/variations that make this activity great for multiple skills and multiple grade levels. (Add, subtract, multiply, divide, properties of operations, order of operations, place value, line them up next to a meter stick to find value). Use this to notice patterns when adding and subtracting or even and odd.
Number Patterns Using Cuisenaire Rods (K-5)
Number Patterns with Cuisenaire Rods (K-5)
Race to Get to 50 or 100(2-5) Skills: Addition, Subtraction, Skip Counting, Decimals, Metric System, Measurement.
Tricky Path (1-5) Skills: One more, one less, number sequences, or number patterns. You can challenge your students by asking them to make it with the greatest or least amount of rods possible. Extend: Students can count the value of the rods and make equations.
Triangle Magic (1-5) How can you place the rods so that each side of the triangle adds up to an orange rod?
color match doubles addition(1-5)
Squeeze Play(K-5) Logic and reasoning game
Odd One Out examples (1-5) Examples–addition/subtraction, multiplication/division
Equations with cuisenaire rods(3-5) Order of Operations, solving equations with unknowns
Shorter or Longer cuisenaire spinner(K-2) Measurement, comparing problems (addition/subtraction), greater than, less than
Cuisenaire Rod Equations(3-5) Order of operations, solving equations with unknowns