Relational Rods+ by mathies vs Geoboard, by MLC

Represent, compare, order, and operate on whole numbers, fractions or decimals by dragging rods from the tower into the workspace and manipulating them. Relational Rods are rectangles of various lengths where each rod can be evenly subdivided by the smallest square rod. Whole Number Rods are rectangles of lengths 1 to 10 with numeric labels and dashed divisions on each rod. Decimal Rods are rectangles of lengths 0.1 to 1.0 with numeric labels and dashed divisions on each rod. Mathematical Concepts: Create visual representations that help explore mathematical thinking related to: • Exploring number patterns and concepts • Representing, comparing and ordering whole numbers, fractions or decimals • Composing and decomposing numbers • Skip counting forwards and backwards • Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing • Proportional reasoning • Exploring rectangular areas Features: • Show or hide the numerical labels on the rods. • Show or hide the dashed separations on the rods. • Set the colour of individual rods or the colour scheme for the entire set of rods. The “traditional” palette allows the digital tool to more closely match the colours of the concrete manipulatives used in classrooms. • Hide some of the rods in order to work with a restricted set. • Select a rod or set of rods by drawing a marquee around them. Click on a rod to add or remove it from the selection. • Copy selected rods. • Rotate selected rods. • Show or hide the background grid. • Activate or deactivate Snap to Grid mode. When active, rods snap to discrete positions making it easier to align them. Deactivation allows the free placement of rods. • Hide/show the ruler at the bottom of the work space. • Step through a history of your work with the undo/redo buttons. • Communicate your thinking or highlight various features of your representation using the built-in annotation tool.

Geoboard is a tool for exploring a variety of mathematical topics introduced in the elementary and middle grades. Learners stretch bands around the pegs to form line segments and polygons and make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, congruence, fractions, and more. This virtual version of the manipulative is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments. FEATURES • Create line segments and polygons by stretching bands around the Geoboard’s pegs. • Choose from 8 different band colors. • Fill individual shapes with a transparent color, or use the Fill All button to toggle all the bands between filled and unfilled. • Switch between the standard 25-peg square board, a rectangular board with 150 pegs, or a circular board with 13 pegs. The circular board enables explorations with angles, fractions, and time measurement. • Duplicate shapes then move, rotate, or flip them to explore symmetry and congruency. • Change the color of selected bands. • Display grid lines with or without numbering to more easily calculate area and identify shape locations. •Hide and reveal work with resizable covers to create your own problems and model strategies. • Use the drawing tools to annotate work and show understanding. • Add equations, expressions, and descriptions with the math text and writing tools. • Share your work by saving an image or providing a share code to others. MORE APPS For more Geoboard resources and other apps, visit:www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps LEARN MORE To learn about Bridges in Mathematics, an elementary curriculum that employs visual models such as the geoboard, please visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges/overview ABOUT US This app is brought to you by The Math Learning Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 math education since 1976. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Geoboard app was made possible by a generous donation from Dr. David Moursund. This app was crafted by Clarity Innovations. We help improve teaching and learning by creating solutions that match promising technologies with the needs of education.  Visit us at: www.clarity-innovations.com