What About...Whole Brain Teaching Gestures for Math??!!!!!!

These are not mine. A nice guy from Whole Brain's Website gathered these from the forum posts. Way to go JasonS.

1 less than rule

 Wave 1 finger and then point down

1 more than rule

Wave 1 finger and then point up

1s place

Hold up four fingers on one hand. With the other hand, grab the first finger on the right and wiggle it.

10 less than rule

Wave 10 fingers and then point down

10 more than rule

Wave 10 fingers and then point up

10s place

Hold up four fingers on one hand. With the other hand, grab the second finger from the right and wiggle it.

100s place

Hold up four fingers on one hand. With the other hand, grab the third finger from the right and wiggle it.

1000s place

Hold up four fingers on one hand. With the other hand, grab the fourth finger from the right and wiggle it.

10,000s place

Hold up five fingers on one hand. With the other hand, grab the fifth finger from the right and wiggle it.

Absolute Value:
"Absolute value (hold hand vertically and parallel to each other) is the distance (spread your arms far apart) from a number (on one hand hold up all 5 fingers and start moving that hand towards the other) to zero (use the other hand to make zero)"

Addition

Start with your hands wide apart. Then, hold up two fingers on one hand and three fingers on the other hand. Finally, bring your two hands together so that you are showing your students a group of five fingers

Addition checking rule

Make a gesture in the air like you’re grabbing an answer and inserting it in a problem. Then hold your forearm parallel to the ground making the minus gesture.

Addition sign

Cross your forearms in a plus sign

Bar graph

Put your two forearms straight up, one higher than the other, as if they were unequal bars on a bar graph

Big slice rule

Pretend like you are eating one huge slice of pizza ... wipe your chin when you are done because you made a mess

Center

Point both fingers forward together in the center of the circle you just drew.

Centimeter

Hold your fingers close together, indicating the small size of a centimeter

Circle

Using the thumb and forefinger of two hands, make a circle.

Cone

Put an imaginary party hat (a cone) on your head and smile.

Counting by 2s

Hold up two fingers over and over as you say, “2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and so on.

Counting by 5s

Hold up five fingers over and over as you say, “5, 10, 15, 20.”

Counting by 10s

Hold up 10 fingers over and over as you say, “10, 20, 30, 40.”

Counting by 100s

Hold up 1 finger, then 2 fingers, then 3 fingers, then 4 fingers as you say “100, 200, 300, 400.”

Counting by 1,000s

Hold up one finger, then two fingers, then three fingers, then four fingers as you say “1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000” until you reach 10,000

Cube

With two hands, shape a cube in the air, as if you are holding top and bottom, side and side, front and back

Cylinder

Use the thumb and forefinger on each hand, make circles. Then hold these circles in the air to show both ends of a cylinder

Denominator

Hold one fist above the other, symbolizing the numerator above the denominator in a fraction. Then shake the bottom fist, symbolizing the denominator.

Question: What is a decimal point?

Make a zero with your hands (the beginning of the whole numbers gesture) and then put one fist above the other (the fractions gesture).

Diameter

From the "center" gesture, move both fingers out to the edge.

Dividing by 1 rule

Make a 1 with your fingers, then slash your arm through the air making the division gesture. Finally, nod your head. (These three gestures symbolize that dividing by 1 results in the number you started with ... nodding your head.)

Dividing by zero rule

Make a zero with your fingers, then slash your arm through the air making the division gesture. Finally, shrug your shoulders. (These gestures symbolize that dividing by 0 is impossible.)

Division

Make a slashing gesture in the air, like the slash mark in a division problem, for example 12/4.

Division of decimals

To divide (using a downward slashing motion with my hand like cutting) a decimal (make a pointing motion in the air and a popping sound with my mouth) by a decimal (repeat) you swing the decimal in the divisor (with my left hand I point and loop my finger left to right) and then the decimal in the dividend (repeat using my right hand)

Division checking rule

Make a gesture in the air like you’re grabbing an answer and inserting it in a problem. Then make an X with your forearms making the multiplication gesture

Dollar sign

Draw an imaginary “S” in the air and then make a slash through it.

Equals sign

Make an equals sign by holding your forearms parallel to the ground in front of your body.

Equilateral triangle

Draw an imaginary equilateral triangle in the air. Then hold up three fingers on one hand and three fingers on the other hand (symbolizing three equal sides and three equal angles).

Estimate

Scratch your head as if you are thinking and say, “hmmmm.”

Expanded form

Hold up two fingers on one hand. With the other hand wiggle the first finger to the right as you say “1s”, then the next finger as you say “10s.”

Fraction

Hold one fist above the other, symbolizing a fraction with the numerator above the denominator

Fractions/Adding

Make a plus with your arms the bottom stays the same:  arms by side, perfectly still and the top is where the action happens:  hands on shoulders and wiggle your top

Fractions/Subtracting

Make a minus with your arm the bottom stays the same:  arms by side, perfectly still and the top is where the action happens:  hands on shoulders and wiggle your top

Geometry / Point

Place a single fist on your chest.

Geometry/Line

Put your arms straight out hands open to represent the arrows.

Geometry/Line

Segment Put your arms straight out with your hands closed to represents points.

Geometry/Ray

Put one arm straight out with a open hand and one hand closed on your chest.

Geometry/Vertical parallel lines

Place your arms in front of your chest with your elbows bent at 90 degrees with your palms open and facing each other. Think of it as if you were pulling a football into your chest with your hands on each end.

Geometry/ Horizontal parallel lines

Place your right arm parallel to floor bent at the elbow with your palm to floor. Then place your left arm under the right arm bent at elbow with about 10 centimeters in-between.

Geometry/Oblique or diagonal lines

Move vertical lines from the elbow like a windshield washer.

Geometry/Intersecting lines

Form an x with both arms palms open.

Geometry/Perpendicular lines

Place your left arm parallel to the floor palm down. Place your right elbow on top of left hand at 90 degrees.

Geometry/Acute angle

From perpendicular lines reduce angle less than 90 degrees

Geometry/Obtuse angle

From perpendicular lines open angle greater than 90 degrees

Geometry; Straight angle see line

Hexagon

Draw a hexagon in the air and then hold up six fingers

Hour  (Question: What is an hour?)

Hold up 10 fingers six times, count aloud, “10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 minutes is an hour

Hour/ Half

Hold up 10 fingers three times, count aloud, “10, 20, 30 minutes is half an hour!”

Hour /quarter

Hold up 5 fingers three times, count aloud, “5, 10, 15 minutes is a quarter of an hour

Isosceles triangle

Draw an imaginary isosceles triangle in the air. Then hold up two fingers on one hand and two fingers on the other hand (symbolizing two equal sides and two equal angles).

Less than/more than rule

Make a V with two fingers on one hand, like the less than/more than symbol. With one finger on the other hand, indicate the point of the V and say “less than.” Then indicate the opening of the V and say “more than.” For additional clarity, make the same symbol with the other hand, so that the V points the opposite direction. Again, indicate the point of the V and say “less than” and the opening of the V and say “more than.” Students will understand the V can point to the left or the right.

Little slices rule

Pretend like you’re eating several little slices of a pizza

Ordered pairs

"Ordered pairs is like learning to run" (run in place) "before you can fly ( flap your arms like wings) Because you have to do x( cross your arms in the shape of an x) before you do Y ( make a Y as if you were doing the YMCA dance)Meter

Hold your hands about a meter apart

Minute

Hold up 10 fingers six times, count aloud, “10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 seconds is a minute

Months

As you say each month, hold up a finger until you are holding up 12 fingers

Multiplication

Cross your forearms in an X

Multiplication checking rule

Make a gesture in the air like you’re grabbing an answer and inserting it in a problem. Then slash your arm through the air making the division gesture

Multiplying by zero rule

Make a zero with your fingers, then cross your forearms in the multiplication gesture. Finally make another zero with your fingers.

Multiplying by 1 rule

Make a 1 with your fingers, then cross your forearms in the multiplication gesture. Finally, nod your head. (These three gestures symbolize that multiplying by 1 results in the number you started with ... nodding your head.)

Nonstandard unit rule

Pinch your fingers together to make a very small unit and then pretend like you are measuring your other arm with this unit. Next, use your palm, making a larger unit, and measure the same arm.

Numerator

Hold one fist above the other, symbolizing the numerator above the denominator in a fraction. Then shake the top fist, symbolizing the numerator

Numerator equals denominator rule

Hold one fist above the other, symbolizing the numerator above the denominator in a fraction. Put both your forearms one above the other parallel to the ground (symbolizing the equals sign).

Octagon

Draw an octagon in the air and then hold up eight fingers

0ne fourth

Hold up 4 fingers (symbolizing a whole); then grab one of the fingers on one hand (symbolizing 1 fourth of the whole

One half

Hold up 4 fingers (symbolizing a whole); then grab two of the fingers (symbolizing one half of the whole).

One third

Hold up three fingers (symbolizing a whole); then grab one of the fingers on one hand (symbolizing one third of the whole)

Pi (3.14)

Bring an imaginary piece of pie to my mouth and then hold up 3 fingers, 1 finger and 4 fingers ... and as I did this I would say, "Pi is 3 point 1 4)

Parallel lines

Draw two parallel lines in the air and then make the equals gesture (two forearms in the air parallel to each other)

Pentagon

Draw a pentagon in the air and then hold up five fingers

Perimeter

Draw a square and a triangle in the air (symbolizing shapes that have perimeters.)

Point 1

Make a dot in the air (for the decimal point); hold up 1 finger and then 10 fingers

Point 5

Make a dot in the air (for the decimal point); hold up five fingers and then 10 fingers

Point 75

Make a dot in the air (for the decimal point); hold up 3 fingers over 4 fingers

Pounds and ounces

Put one hand on top of the other at belt level and slightly bounce your hands up and down as if carrying something.

Pyramid

Make several connected triangles in the air with your fingers. (This will be clearer to students after you show them that a pyramid is made from connected triangles.)

Radius

From the "center" gesture, move one finger from the center to the edge of the circle (the other stays put).

Rectangle

With one finger, draw an imaginary rectangle in the air. (Make the top and bottom lines very long and the end lines very short, to distinguish rectangles from squares.)

Right angle

Draw an imaginary circle in the air. Then draw a right angle inside the circle

Right triangle

Draw an imaginary right triangle in the air (like the one in the picture).

Rounding off rule

When you say, “4 or lower,” hold up four fingers and then, point your thumb down. When you say “5 or higher,” hold up five fingers and point your thumb up

Sphere

With one hand, pretend as if you are bouncing a ball on the floor.

Square

With one finger, draw an imaginary square in the air.

Square root

Close four fingers around two fingers and then pull the two fingers out ... thus showing that for square root we find the smaller number (2) inside the larger number (4) ...

Statistics/ Mean

Make a "mean" face and put right and left hands next to your face in the shape of claws. The mean is "mean" because we have to do two operations to calculate. Review definition with gestures two fingers for two operations, crossed arms or fingers for addition; chopping motions for division.

Statistics/Median

Spread right and left arms perpendicular to the floor and bring hands to the middle underneath the chin (as if in prayer or meditation). I use a monotone voice to define - median means middle; put the data in order from least to greatest and find the middle.

Statistics/ Mode

Use right or left hand to motion as if scooping ice cream. Mode means the most, so you need at least two scoops.

Statistics/Range

Arms out to the side as in median. Use a slashing motion for subtraction.

Statistics/Outlier

Arms out to the side using a pushing motion to explain that outliers are far from the rest of the data and can be greater than or less than.

Subtraction

Hold up two fingers on one hand next to three fingers on the other hand. Then move the hand with three fingers away, symbolizing “taking away.”

Subtraction sign

Hold up one forearm and make a minus sign.

Subtraction checking rule

Make a gesture in the air like you’re grabbing an answer and inserting it in a problem. Then cross your forearms making the plus gesture

Tally marks

Hold up four fingers on one hand and then cross them with one finger from the other hand, symbolizing four tally marks crossed by a fifth mark.

Total cost

Pretend as if you are taking coins out of your hand and giving them to someone

Triangle

Bringing together the thumb and forefinger of both hands, make one triangle.

Unit cost

Hold an imaginary apple in your hand. (This symbolizes one unit.)

Unit cost rule

Use four gestures as follows (this reads more complicated than it is in actual performance):

1. Hold an imaginary apple in your hand as you say “The unit cost rule is:”

2. Make the slashing in the air division gesture as you say “the total cost divided by the number of units”

3. Make the equals sign, one forearm above the other, parallel to the ground “equals”

4. Hold the imaginary apple again, “the unit cost.”

Week

Hold up seven fingers

Whole numbers

Make a zero with your fingers and then point at each finger on one hand as you count them with the other