In a similar activity, we showed the children two identical balls of playdough that the students agreed contained the same amount of clay. With the group watching, various children took turns squeezing the clumps or rolling them into snakes. Comparing the two modified clumps we asked, “Does each piece still have the same amount of playdough, or does one piece have more?” The children realized that although they had changed the shapes of the mounds of clay, we hadn’t added or discarded any. There must still be the same amount of dough!
In addition to conservation of number, our students are also acquiring insight into conservation of length and mass. We used two rulers to demonstrate conservation of length. “Is each ruler just as long as the other?” Left to explore, the children laid the rulers side by side so that the ends of each ruler were even. They also rested them on top of each other, examined the measurement marks, and counted to thirty in French on each ruler. The children quickly agreed that the rulers were of equal length. We then moved one ruler forward so that it stuck out past the other ruler. “Now are the two rulers the same length, or is one ruler longer than the other?” The length of the rulers stayed the same even when we slid one past the other and changed their appearances!
In a similar activity, we showed the children two identical balls of playdough that the students agreed contained the same amount of clay. With the group watching, various children took turns squeezing the clumps or rolling them into snakes. Comparing the two modified clumps we asked, “Does each piece still have the same amount of playdough, or does one piece have more?” The children realized that although they had changed the shapes of the mounds of clay, we hadn’t added or discarded any. There must still be the same amount of dough!
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