Splat! - 4GT

Grade 4GT Mathematics Routine

Splat!

Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP): #1, #2, #3, #6, #,7 #8

Splat! (created by Steve Wyborney) is an interactive number sense strategy that can be used at any grade level. Students are shown representations of numbers. With a splat, part of the representation is hidden and students are asked how many are still shown and asked to reason through how many are hidden. In addition, multiple splats may be shown. In this case, same color splats would mean the same amount is covered by each splat.  Different color splats would represent different values. 

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Students should come to the front of the classroom. They will need no supplies for this routine.

2  Present the first slide (no numbers should be covered yet).  Ask students to determine the value/amount on the slide.  

3.  Solicit responses from the group.  Ask how they found the total.  Reason about the answers and make sure the students know the correct value/amount before moving to the next slide (this will cover a portion of the value/number)  .

4.  Have the student on the count of three say "Splat!".  Now a portion of the value is covered.  The student will determine how much is covered and share their strategy. 

5.  Consider the following questions during the Splat! routine.

• • • How many shapes/ values were covered?
    • How many shapes/values are under the Splat? How do you know?
    • What can we learn from this picture?
    • What do we know about Splats that are the same color? different color?
    • What could the total be? What are some possibilities? What is NOT possible?
    • What equation could we write to represent the picture? Can it be written another way?

VIDEO:  WHOLE NUMBER SPLAT

Notice that the teacher gives time in the beginning to first figure out the total value on the slide. She then has multiple students explain how they figured out the total value seen. When the splat is dropped, the teacher gives ample time for the students to reason independently what the value hidden is. She asks the students to signal with a thumbs up when they have an amount and then has them turn and talk to a partner about their answer and reasoning. During the partner talk time, the teacher is circulating and asking the students to explain their reasoning for their values given. When they come together as a class they reason through the amount under the splat. The teacher facilitates a discussion about how many groups of ten and the value of the groups that are hidden. The students share out multiple strategies for figuring out the amount hidden under the splat. During the second slide, the teacher asks the students to discuss an equation that could represent the picture during their partner talk. When they come together as a class, the teacher highlights a student who made connections to making 10 facts as well as a pair of students who explained how they used the number line to help them figure out the amount hidden.

VIDEO:  FRACTION SPLAT

Notice that the teacher first asks the students to think about the similarities and differences to whole number splat. After the students share out what they notice, she gives the students lots of think time to figure out the total shown on the slide. Once many students have signaled they are ready, the teacher has the students turn and talk about how to figure out the total. She counts back from 5 to give the students time to wrap up their conversations and has students first share out the total they think is shown. Then she calls on students to explain how their reasoning. The student first shares that they counted the wholes first and the teacher connects using the number line to help count all of the dots. As a student shares that fractions together make another whole, another student adds that they can keep using the number line to help. The teacher connects to the correct vocabulary. After the Splat! countdown, the teacher reminds the students to keep their thumbs close to them so they give the others in the class time to think. After the students have a chance to turn and talk, the students explain how to first use what they can see outside the splat to help them. The teacher facilitates a discussion on equivalency to a whole as the students defend their reasoning. Then students share how you can use the amount outside the splat to first count back on the number line and then to count up on the number line. The teacher has the students connect both representations to equations.

GOOGLE SLIDES: Splat! Links to an external site.

These slides include directions with sample questions to ask to elicit student thinking. Included in this deck are 8 slides adding tenths and hundredths with sums to 10, 5 slides on dividing decimals by whole numbers, 5 slides with adding fractions with like denominators, and 5 slides on adding fractions with unlike denominators.