Maths Investigation 1st November

 Children’s Teeth – session 1 

We have just started a new maths investigation. In Prep, especially in the second half of the year, lots of children get wobbly teeth and gaps in their mouths where teeth used to be. So we thought it would be very relevant and exciting to explore the question:

How many teeth do children have?

What are your estimations?

- 20 (three children)

- 27

- 19

- 26

- 43

Children were then sent off to draw maps of their teeth. They could use cameras, mirrors, partners… anything they thought would be helpful.

What strategies did you use?

– I did a diagram with numbers inside –which one you find first and which one you find last. I used a mirror and I drawed it in here, but there’s some gaps. ‘Cause there’s gaps, I didn’t do the mouth very well.

– I counted my teeth with my finger.

– My strategy was (using) a mirror.

What did you find?

– I found out that a couple of babies have six teeth. I was trying to use a memory back to when I was a baby and how many teeth I had. (Do you think your memory was accurate?) Not much.

– That I’ve got 18 teeth - it doesn’t count these two. Not counting gaps.

 – That means it is 20.

- I think all children have 20 teeth.

 – No, I’ve got 9 plus 9.

 – I have 33 teeth. I was counting gaps.

 – I have 20 teeth.

– I have 21 teeth but I lost two but they’re growing really fast.

 – 15

What should we do next time?

– Make sure it’s accurate. Well, some people might have gaps ‘cause they might have lost some.