Array City: Ideas to Integrate the Curriculum

This week I introduced arrays and repeated addition to my second graders. I explained rows and columns and how arrays help us to count things faster. The first day, I gave them stickers and they created their own arrays on index cards. Today we built a city! Read on to find out how...

I originally saw this idea on Pinterest and followed the link to Resources From the Hart. I just knew I had to adapt the lesson for my second graders. If there is a way to connect math to art, writing, and more, I am all for it!

Each student started with the following items: one sheet of black paper per student, colored construction paper, glue sticks, scissors, black felt tip marker, and a white crayon or colored pencil.

I modeled a sample array city for them. I showed them how to cut different size buildings. I explained that every window does not need to be the same size. I stressed the importance of lining the windows up into rows and columns to clearly model their understanding of what an array should look like. I also told them they could not repeat the same array. Each building needed to be different.

Students worked at their table with their partners. They needed to check each other's work, before any windows could be glued down.

After the windows were glued, they needed to write how many rows of windows there were on each building and how many window were in each row. This showed their understanding of rows and columns. Then, they needed to write a repeated addition sentences to connect their understanding to arrays.

When they were finished, their partner checked their writing and made corrections where needed. Then, each student traced over their writing with a black marker to "seal the deal." Finally, they used their white crayon to add a night sky to their city. Below is the finished product!
I extended this even further and had each student write a word problem to go along with their Array City. Tomorrow, during math, we will pass out the word problems to different students and have them solve them and share their answers with the class.

I hope you can get some inspiration from this project and adapt it for your students too. Enjoy!