LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

North Carolina numerals

Students will design their own numeric system using North Carolina state symbols.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Mathematics and Social Studies

By Wendy White

Learn more

Related pages

  • Good medicine: Students will examine changes in technology, medicine, and health that took place in North Carolina between 1870 and 1930 and construct products and ideas which demonstrate understanding of how these changes impacted people living in North Carolina at that time. To achieve these goals, students will employ the eight intelligences of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory.
  • Using percent of change to measure NC growth: Students will work in small groups to use the internet to gather data on the population growth for each of the 100 counties in NC from 1992 to 1995. From this data students will find the percent of increase/decrease for the counties they have been assigned. As a follow-up, the students will enter their data into a computer spreadsheet and from that spreadsheet, produce graphs of the information.
  • Zoo integrated unit: The unit uses the North Carolina Zoological Park as a teaching tool rather than as a nice place to visit. It can be used by a single teacher or multiple teachers of different subjects, and it is aimed at 7th and 8th graders.

Related topics

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

The text of this page is copyright ©2008. See terms of use. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • learn how to use non-numeric symbols to represent numbers.
  • use non-numeric symbols to make number sentences.
  • identify North Carolina state symbols.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

40 Minutes

Materials/resources

  • Pencil
  • Notebook Paper
  • White construction paper
  • Colored pencils/Crayons
  • Chart of NC state symbols (optional)

Pre-activities

Students will need to study Roman and/or Egyptian numerals and how ancient cultures used non-numeric symbols to represent numbers.

Activities

  1. Review number systems such as Roman numerals with students. Discuss how people long ago used non-numeric symbols to represent numbers. Review the state symbols with students. Explain to students that they will develop their own number system using any of the North Carolina symbols that they choose.
  2. Students will decide what they want each symbol to represent. (ex. cardinal=10) Have students practice on notebook paper first. After students have their symbols and what they represent, they will need a sheet of white construction paper to make a key. The key will be a rectangular box at the top of their page with their drawings and numbers.
  3. Below their key, students will give examples of numerals and what they represent. (two cardinals=20) They also may make number sentences with their symbols. (cardinal+cardinal+cardinal=30) After students have designed several examples, they will make up problems for their classmates to solve.
  4. (Optional) Finished products may be laminated so students can use water-based markers to solve problems. This allows students to make a game-like board that can be exchanged with other classmates--see attachments.

Assessment

The students’ numeric systems will be evaluated with regards to two main criteria. First, each student will have made a system using a state symbol with a numeric representation (i.e. pine tree=1). Second, this non-numeric representation will be correctly used to make numerals or number sentences. The assessment of the goals taught will be based upon the students’ numerals or number sentences correctly corresponding to the symbols they designed. An additional informal evaluation will come as students exchange and solve each other’s problems.

Supplemental information

Example of final product:
North Carolina numerals: jpg | gif

Related websites

Comments

This lesson just came to me one day as we were studying Roman and Egyptian numerals. I thought this lesson would be a great way to integrate math and social studies. My students really enjoyed using the state symbols to make their numerals and at the same time reinforced their knowledge of our state symbols.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for rational numbers 0.01 through 99,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (hundredths through ten thousands).
      • Compare and order rational numbers.
      • Make estimates of rational numbers in appropriate situations.
    • Objective 1.05: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 4

  • Goal 3: The learner will trace the history of colonization in North Carolina and evaluate its significance for diverse people's ideas.
    • Objective 3.02: Identify people, symbols, events, and documents associated with North Carolina's history.