Beaded bracelet multiplication

Students complete a variety of estimation and multiplication activities to plan, create, and write directions for creating beaded bracelets.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Visual Arts Education and Mathematics

By Dayle Payne

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• plan patterned beaded bracelets, estimating the number of beads which will be needed.
• assemble beaded bracelets.
• write directions for making their bracelets, including the exact number of beads needed.
• solve multiplication word problems involving beaded bracelets.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 hours

Materials/resources

• Seed beads in a variety of colors
• Tigertail (approximately 8 inches per student)
• Bead plan worksheet — one for each student. Also available in RTF format.
• “Jessie’s Jazzy Bracelet” instructions
• Two crimp beads per student.
• One bracelet clasp set per student.
• Pliers
• Wire cutters
• Super glue
• Small styrofoam or plastic plates with a slightly curved lip for each students’ work area.

Technology resources

• Word processing software for students’ use in writing directions, if you plan to make a class book of bracelet patterns.
• Calculators (optional).

Pre-activities

Students need to be able to measure in centimeters and millimeters to complete this project.

Students need to be able to multiply two- or three- digit numbers by one-digit numbers or need to understand how to use a calculator to solve multiplication problems. (Some of the real-life problems encountered in creating the bracelets will involve decimals, and students may need to use calculators to solve these problems. The teacher created assessment questions should only involve whole numbers.)

Activities

1. Measuring Wrists
• Working with a partner, each student needs to measure his/her wrist in centimeters. This is easily accomplished by wrapping a piece of string around the wrist, cutting the string, then measuring it with a ruler. Remind students that the string should be wrapped as tight or loosely as they want their bracelet to be… it should not be cutting off their circulation.
• Have them record this information on their bead plan worksheets. This would be a good time to explain that the measurement they just recorded is the circumference of their wrists.
2. Planning the Pattern:

Give each student tigertail and a plate. Display the bead color choices. Allow students to plan their patterns and to test patterns they like by putting one repetition onto the tigertail. (Don’t worry about the clasp yet… let them experiment with colors and patterns first.) When the students have chosen the pattern they wish to work with, have them measure one repetition of the pattern in centimeters.

3. Estimation:

Have the students estimate how many repetitions long their bracelets will need to be to fit their wrists. (Ex:If the pattern is 1.2 cm long, and Sue’s wrist is 18 cm in diameter, then the pattern would repeat 15 times.) Then, have them estimate the number of beads of each color which they will need to create their bracelets. (If Sue’s pattern consists of 2 blue beads, 3 pink beads, and 1 green bead, she’d need 30 blues, 45 pinks and 15 greens.) Have each student record this information on his/her plan sheet.

4. Assembling the Bracelets:

This is best done in small groups, if at all possible. Six children is about the maximum I would recommend working with at a time. Use the “Jessie’s Jazzy Bracelet” instructions to assemble the bracelets.

5. Checking Estimates:

After the bracelets are completed, refer once again to the plan sheet to record the actual number of beads needed.

6. Writing Directions:

Have each student write step-by-step instructions explaining how to make his/her bracelet. If you wish, compile the students’ directions into a book. (Ours is often checked out of the class library by students wishing to duplicate each others work.)

Assessment

From bracelet patterns created in our class, I wrote a problem solving test for my students with problems such as these:

• “This is Mary’s pattern. G G G B B P P. Her pattern is repeated 17 times in her bracelet. How many green (G) beads did she use?”
• “Sarah wants to make Tim’s bracelet. His pattern, B B B W O W was repeated 11 times. Sarah has 19 white (W) beads. Can she make Tim’s bracelet?”
• “Anna’s mother loved Anna’s bracelet so much that she wanted a similar one. Anna’s mother’s wrist is twice as big as Anna’s wrist. If Anna used 77 green beads and 44 red beads, how many beads would she need to make her mom a bracelet?”

I used this test as an assessment tool. (The students really enjoyed “starring” in the test, and it was easier for them to connect the abstract math concepts involved to our class experiences.)

Supplemental information

There are many good craft stores which carry all the supplies needed for this project. However, if you live somewhere fairly remote, you can still get the materials you need over the Web.

If you are going to be helping kids make a number of bracelets, for your own sanity, you will want to get crimping pliers. These can be purchased in bead shops or on the Web as well.

Comments

This looks like a lengthy supply list, but all materials needed for a class of 25 can be purchased for about $15.00, with the exception of the crimping pliers. Seed beads can be purchased in small tubes and bags for 1 or 2 dollars, and you can limit the color choices to save money. Irregular seed beads can often be purchased at big discount craft stores in large mixed bags for about $3.00. Two of these bags would easily supply a class. You could also request “crafty parents” to donate any seed beads they have left over from projects they’ve completed, which would give your students a wide variety of choices!

This lesson works particularly well for students who are “math shy,” as it explores many mathematical concepts but is also an art project. I have found that boys and girls have enjoyed this project equally, with many of the boys creating “team color” bracelets. This is a messy and chaotic project, but it allows real life application of estimation, patterning and multiplication skills.