IDEA #2 (for everyone!)
TWOsDay-INSPIRED WARDROBE: Encourage your students to dress up in "2-themed" outfits: Tutus (get it?), wear 2 bows, dress like a twin with a classmate. I plan to wear my new TWOsday inspired t-shirt. If you want your own TWOsday tee, you can find dozens of super cute designs with simple Google search. My fact-based brain couldn't resist buying a design that offered a list of additional number facts about this day and year - found this one on RedBubble.
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| Got my long sleeve TWOSDAY tee today! |
IDEA #3 (for grade K-2)
HUNDREDS CHART HUNT for 2s – Give each of your students a hundreds chart (or 120s chart). Challenge students to find and color in all of the numbers that have the number 2 as a digit. THEN discuss any patterns that they notice [the second column is colored in because there is a 2 in the ones place for all of them, 20 and 120 are both highlighted, the 20's row is highlighted except for the last number 30]. Be sure to discuss why these patterns occur as it relates to place value. Then ask them, "If this chart went on, what would be the next number that we would color in?"
IDEA #4 (this one is likely best to use with upper grades)
Same 120 chart as shown above, but for this one, challenge students to use the digits of each number to find a value equal to 2. Here are a COUPLE of examples (yep, I'm going to squeeze every "two"-related reference I can think of into this post!):
- 13 - using the digits of 13, we can subtract the digits 3 – 1 = 2
- 97 - using the digits of 97, we can multiply 9 x 7 = 63 and then use those digits 6 ÷ 3 = 2
I wonder how many of the numbers could be eliminated in this challenge?? Could we figure out a way to eliminate ALL of them? Or perhaps the challenge is to find a "2" calculation with 22 of them - ahhh, that we could probably do with just a bit of collective effort!
IDEA #5 (can be adapted for any grade)
MEASUREMENT ACTIVITY: Ask students to find items that are exactly 2 units long. The units could be inches, feet, paperclips, shoes, ... be creative! Keep a record of your items. Compare measurements with other students. Allow time for students to discuss their observations.
ASK: How can all of these things have a measurement of 2 units if they are different sizes? This is a great activity to explore how the size of the unit impacts the relative length.
Could we create a new unit of measure where 2 of the larger unit equals 22 of the smaller unit? What would that look like? [Did you just think about how each unit would be partitioned into elevenths -- see how a simple, purposeful question can generate so much mathematical reasoning and discussion?!!]
IDEA #6 (pick and choose the questions that will challenge your students appropriately)
QUICK IDEAS: 22 quick cross-curricular ideas to do in the moment (click HERE for a printable version of these 22 quick tasks)
IDEA #7
(grade 3)
IDEA #8 (for everyone!)
BREAK TIME: Take several brain breaks that also DOUBLE as exercise breaks. With each break, try to do 22 of the named exercise. Need a few ideas? Try these:
- arm circles (22 forward circles / 22 backward circles)
- hop on one foot (22 hops on each foot)
- jumping jacks
- toe touches
- high knee marching
- run in place for 22 seconds
IDEA #9 (for grades 3+)
A 2-INSPIRED MATH GAME – This game builds number sense: Roll two dice to get the digits for your starting number (for example a 4 and 5 would be 45 or 54). Students write the number and then DECIDE if they should ADD 22 or MULTIPLY by 2 to get the greater value. Keep a chart of the trials. Roll/record/calculate/repeat for at least ten numbers. Challenge your students to discover if there is a pattern of which operation is better to yield the greater value [SPOILER ALERT: If the number is less than 22, it is better to +22. If the number is greater than 22, it is better to x2. If the number is exactly 22, the result is the same with either operation. Once students discover the pattern, be sure to discuss WHY it's true - the reflection discussion is where the power of just about any activity is found!].
IDEA #10 (for grades PK-2)
READ ALOUDS: Why not have a TWOsDay Read Aloud event? There are a lot of books that fit the TWOsDay theme – check your library or click on one of the links below for a video real aloud:
- Just Right for Two by Tracey Corderoy and Rosalind Beardshaw – a story about needing friends – click the title for a video reading of this book
- A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton – a fun book about two perspectives
- Double the Ducks (PK-K) by Stuart J. Murphy – a story for PreK and Kindergarten students about the important math skill of doubling
- Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong - A Chinese folk tale that also teaches a lesson about multiplying by 2s
IDEA #11 (for everyone!)
TWOsDay GIFT: Give each of your students a #2 pencil as a Super TWOsDay gift - look for brands that have the "2" clearly visible but don't waste your money on those horrible pencils that have terrible graphite inside - Ticonderoga pencils really do rule! and I hear the Amazon Basics are pretty good, too.
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| Image Source: https://lifehacker.com |
IDEA #12 (best for grade 5 - you'll likely have to stretch their knowledge base by explaining squares and roots)
IDEA #13 (can be adapted for most grades)
WRITING IDEA: Just for fun, I'll throw in 2 ideas that are not math-related but still make great TWOsDay activities for your class. Perhaps a WRITING idea for this special TWOsDay:
- Write about TWO people who have had a positive influence in your life
- Complete a pictorial graphic for the theme "When I'm 22". Where will you live? What is your job? What do you like to do?
- If I had $22 to buy someone a gift, I'd....
IDEA #14
READING IDEA: Here is the SECOND not-so-mathy idea: Challenge your students to read TWO books in the TWO weeks prior to 2/22/22. When Super TWOsDay arrives, invite your students to bring their books for a partner book talk (that's TWO people). Ask each of your students to tell their partner what their book was about, what was their favorite part of the story, etc.
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IDEA #15 (for everyone!)
I SPY 2: Why not play "I Spy" while walking through the halls to lunch, recess, PE, etc. As students walk through the halls, ask them to look for the number 2. When they see one, they should raise their hand holding up 2 fingers, of course! Pause to notice all the 2s around your building. Be sure to include conversations about how that two is being used and talk about the place value of each 2 you find - after all, the 2 that you may find on room 211 is very different than the 2 you'll find on room 112 or on a clock or in a phone number....
IDEA #16 (geometry for all!)
2-D DESIGN: Design a picture using 2D shapes: circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, trapezoids.
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| Idea Source: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/50959/art-math-inspired-klee/ |
IDEA #17 (grade 5 standard 5.OA.B.3)
Ask students to (1) generate a pattern that is related to the number two, (2) create ordered pairs using their "2-rule", and then (3) graph the pattern. Post all of the graphed patterns and discuss how using each 2-rule impacted the graphed lines. Students might, for example, DOUBLE the x-value to get the y-value. Or perhaps the y-value is equal to x + 2. Encourage students to be creative with their 2-rule. The power of this activity will be in comparing the graphs to see how the various 2-rules impacted the graphs.
IDEA #18 (grade 5 standard 5.MD.A.1)
In grade 5, students are asked to convert units of measure, such as yards to feet and centimeters to meters to centimeters. On this very special TWOsDay, present students with various measurements that are "2-something" (i.e. 2 feet, 2 pounds, 2 miles) and ask students to convert the measurements into equivalent values. Don't think worksheet, think engagement.... Perhaps begin by creating a student-generated list like the one below:
- My house is 2 MILES away from the school
- My cell phone is about 2 INCHES wide
- My guinea pig weighs about 2 POUNDS
- My house is 10,560 feet away from school because 1 mile is 5,280 feet so 2 x 5,280
- My cell phone is about 0.16 feet wide because 1 foot is 12 inches so 2 ÷ 12 (if you're wondering, yes, absolutely permit calculator use – we are digging deeper into unit conversions, not assessing their ability to divide fractional values)
- My guinea pigs weighs about 32 ounces because 1 pound is 16 ounces so 2 x 16
IDEA #19 (grade 4 standard 4.NF.A.2)
Ask students to generate 2 different fractions that each contain the number 2 [i.e. 1/2 and 2/3]. Then ask students to create models of these two fractions [definitely plan to use hands-on fraction models or try out these virtual fraction tools – I love the ones found on Toy Theater and Math Learning Center]. Encourage students to discuss the comparisons.
IDEA #20 (grade 4 standard 4.NBT.B.6)
When students can write their own word problems, this demonstrates a higher level of understanding and thinking. Challenge students to write multiplication/division word problems with one of the values in the problem being 22, 222, or 2222. Ask them to draw a model of their problem to solve it. Display all of the amazing word problems that students created.
Here's how one 4th grader approached this task:
IDEA #21 (grade 3 standard 3.MD.C area and perimeter)
Give students 22 one-inch tile blocks. Guide them through this area/perimeter activity through questioning and discussion:
- Can you arrange these blocks so they make a rectangle? (give plenty of time to explore - students may likely attempt arrays that are more square-like and discover that they cannot use all, so will need time to discover and rethink their ideas - try not to rush this important part of the learning)
NOTE: Students will be able to make an 11 by 2 or a 22 by 1 rectangle.
- Discuss the various configurations that students created.
- Chart the various models as you discuss them.
- Ask, "What is the area of the rectangle?" (add the information to the chart)
- Ask, "What is the perimeter of your rectangle?" (add to the chart)
- Challenge students to make composite figures using the 22 unit squares.
- Sketch and chart the information.
- Ask what generalizations can be made about the area and perimeter relationship? Below are some sample ideas that your students may name:
- The area is always 22 not matter how the units are configured
- The more the shape looks like a square, the smaller the perimeter
- The area is measured in "square units"
- The perimeter is measured in "units" (not squared since we are measuring the one dimension of length)
...and finally...
IDEA #22 is, of course, targeted to 2nd GRADE content (grade 2 standard 2.NBT.A.4)
Students in second grade and beyond are expected to be able to compare any 3-digit number based on place value. Show students the comparison statement 11=11 (eleven equals eleven). Tell them that since today is a very special TWOsDay, you have two 2s that you are going to squeeze in as digits with each of the numbers shown. Challenge them to not only tell which number is now greater, but to explain how the location of the 2 impacted each number.
11 = 11 after inserting a 2 digit into each number, show students 211 ? 121. Notice that both 3-digit numbers have two ones and one two. But which one has the greater value? Give your students time to discuss their ideas with a partner then select and discuss some of their ideas with the whole class. Use inequality symbols to show the correct number sentence
211 > 121
Now move the 2s to different locations (112 ? 211). Discuss the new inequality. Perhaps change the 1s to 9s and repeat the process.
