Abacus challenge (Go Wild for Maths!)
Hi greenthumbs. It’s dirtgirl here!
It’s Go Wild for Maths challenge time!
I challenge you to make a nature abacus with Costa the garden gnome.
watch the abacus episode
Watch the ‘abacus’ episode on ABC iview to see how to make an abacus.
what you need to gather
Before you start, you will need to gather the following things:
50 beads with holes in them (you might like to have 5 different types of beads so there are 10 of each, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t)
Twine
Scissors
A camera
A basket or fabric bag to collect your sticks
what to collect outside
Four strong sticks
how to make your abacus
There’s no one way to do this challenge, but here are some ideas to get you started.
Choose a comfortable spot to sit on the ground. Create a frame for your abacus using the four sticks and twine. Make sure each corner is tied nice and tight!
Cut your twine to make 5 ‘bars’ or rows for the abacus. You might need to hold the twine against the frame to work out what length you’ll need. It’s a good idea to leave some extra length so there is plenty of room to tie the ends to the frame.
If you have different types of beads, sort them into their groups. Make 5 rows for your abacus by threading 10 beads onto each piece of twine. Then tie the ends of the twine onto the frame. Or you could try tying one end of the twine onto the frame before you start threading.
Push all your beads to the left-hand side. Now it’s time to count! Count your beads in groups of 5 until you get to 50. Push them to the right-hand side as you count them.
Don’t forget to snap a photo of your nature abacus!
When you’ve finished, pack up the scissors, left-over twine and any other things you used to make your abacus.
fun fact
The abacus is an ancient type of calculator, but it doesn’t need a battery!
say hello!
We love it when you share your adventures with us. Post any of your videos, photos or drawings to social media and tag them #dirtgirlworld #gowildformaths. Send me a letter to dirtgirl@dirtgirlworld.com (under 3MB, our mailbox is tiny!). Or snail mail me at dirtgirl at dirtgirlworld C/O Whiporie PO, NSW AUSTRALIA 2469. Let me know if you are happy for me to share them online or if they are for my eyes only. I understand if you have family privacy rules and we always respect that!
