Materials
magazines and catalogs with a variety of pictures (people doing jobs, various
objects, different animals, and so on)
scissors
4" x 7" unlined tagboard index cards
laminator or clear adhesive paper
Instructions
Math skills and science skills are interrelated. Developing math skills means more
than number sense and counting. Children must be able to discern things that go
together in order to develop higher level math skills.
* Prepare the activity:
1. Find and cut out pictures of people doing their jobs and the things they use
in those jobs. Older children can help with this task. Some sample workers
and their tools are:
* Mail carrier: letters, mailbox, stamps, hat, mailbag, mail truck
* Airplane pilot: airplane, uniform, hat, wings
* Doctor: stethoscope, thermometer, bandages
* Grocer: variety of foods, bags, shopping cart
2. Find pictures of things that go together by use, for example:
* Glass tumbler: carton of milk, pitcher of juice, can of soda
* Cup and saucer: coffee pot, teabag, spoon
* Paper: pencil, crayon, pen
3. Find and cut out pictures of other things that are related, such as animals and
their babies.
4. Attach the pictures to different colors of index cards (the workers and their
tools on one color, things that go together by use on another, and animals and
animal babies on a third color). This helps keep the sets separated.
5. Laminate everything or cover with clear adhesive paper for durability.
* Do the activity:
(Start with three sets and add more as the children's skills increase.)
1. Show a small group of children the clue pictures, such as a mail carrier, one at
a time, and ask, "Who is this?"
