CanDo21 Mats - 3x3

The CanDo21 Mats are a series of educational resources designed to help students deepen their understanding of various mathematical concepts through engaging activities. One such activity focuses on the concept of place value, both with whole numbers and decimals. The mats present a variety of tasks that encourage students to explore place value in different contexts, such as identifying the value of digits in a number and understanding how the position of a digit affects its value. Additionally, the mats include exercises on 'Neighbours', where students must determine the numbers that come before and after a given number or decimal.

Another key aspect of the CanDo21 Mats is the exploration of multiplication and its relationship to square numbers. For example, the statement "Now I see why it's called a square number!" is linked to the realization that multiplying a number by itself, such as 3 x 3, results in a square number, in this case, 9. The mats prompt students to engage with this concept through questions like "If I know 3 x 3 = 9, what else can I derive from this information?" They also challenge students with problems that involve finding missing factors in multiplication equations, scaling numbers, and applying their knowledge to real-world scenarios, such as calculating the area of a square or determining the number of cars needed for a group journey. The mats incorporate visual aids like arrays and number lines, and they encourage students to think critically and discuss their reasoning, as seen in the "Do you agree?" sections.