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Greater Gator: DIY

February 16, 2016 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 2 Comments

Greater Gator DIY: Math Manipulatives

“Greater Gator” is an easy to create math manipulative. Math manipulatives are wonderful for providing kids with concrete opportunities to interact with mathematical concepts. Greater Gator is an adorable character that will help your kids really understand and interact with the concept of greater than and less than. Make Greater Gator with supplies found at the Dollar Store. Follow the easy DIY directions for a cheap and easy way to bring the concept of greater than and less than to life!

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Materials Needed:

  • – 2 cloth dusters (I found mine at my local dollar store)
  • 2 safety pins
  • – 2 large wiggly eyes
  • – 2 glass rocks (from dollar store)
  • – white foam for teeth
  •  hot glue

DIY: Greater Gator

  1. Remove one of the cloth dusters off of the plastic handle.

       2. Slip the elastic from the second duster over top of the “head” of the alligator.

Greater Gator DIY
         3.  Put a safety pin through each side of the alligator’s “mouth”.  You can hide the safety pins in all of the green fringe.  The safety pins will keep the alligator together, despite some rough handling.
greater than less than math manipulative
         4.  Hot glue the wiggly eyes to the glass rocks.
greater than less than math manipulative
          5. Hot glue the eyes to the back of the alligator.
greater than less than math manipulative
           6. Hot glue the foam teeth to the top edge of the alligator’s mouth.  Measure the length of the alligator’s mouth before you cut out the alligator’s teeth.
greater than less than math manipulative
         7. Hot glue the teeth right up against the edge of the alligator’s mouth.  This will help the teeth stand out.
greater than less than math manipulative
You’ve created Greater Gator! A perfect puppet & math manipulative to explore the concept of greater and less than.

Free Songs and Chants for Greater Gator

There are so many ways to use “Greater Gator”!  I collaborated with Jenn Drake to create some songs and chants for “Greater Gator”.  Pick up your FREE copy of the chants and songs here.
Greater Gator DIYmath manipulatives greater less thanmath manipulatives greater less than

Using Greater Gator To Explore Greater & Less Than

Use “Greater Gator” with finger puppets. Two students can put different amounts of finger puppets  on one hand, while a third will use “Greater Gator” to chomp the biggest number.

Greater Gator DIY

This will help students begin to get comfortable with the signs for greater than and less than.

Greater Gator DIY
Use Pringles can manipulatives to help identify the larger numbers.  Students will be able to physically move the animals, while counting.  Thus, allowing students to practice one-to-one correspondence.  See a DIY for Pringles cans manipulatives here.
Use a “Greater Gator” hat (from the dollar store) and gloves with Velcro to demonstrate greater than and less than- gator style!
Greater Gator DIY
 Use blue plates for “ponds” and have your gator chow down on some gold fish!
Greater Gator math manipulative
Thanks for checking out “Greater Gator” with me.  I hope you found some fun ideas for your kids!
Laura from Differentiation Station Creations

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Filed Under: DIY, free, freebies, hands-on learning, hands-on math, Learning Ideas, math, Uncategorized Tagged With: DIY, free, greater/ less than, math manipulatives

Comments

  1. Samantha says

    February 19, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    This idea of creating a “greater gator” to help teach kids about the value of numbers is a great idea! Not only does it help children remember what way the ‘greater than’ or ‘less than’ symbol is supposed to face but it also has a song that goes along with it. Pictures and songs can help assist kids in learning by making it easier for them to remember. This is a great lesson for children in first grade.

    Reply
    • lauraschachter@gmail.com says

      April 27, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      Thanks so much!
      Laura

      Reply

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