The Abacus: Resources for Teachers

The Abacus in the Classroom

Consider having the students build their own abacus as a class project.

Do-It-Yourself

Instead of purchasing abaci for use in class, consider having the students build their own abacus as a class project by bringing various items from home, or purchased in a craft store, by the school; e.g:

popsicle-sticks to build the frame (an Origami box makes a neat frame, too);
drinking straws or pipe-cleaners for the rods;
for the beads use, metal machine-nuts or washers, Cheerios™ (preserved with some thinned; glue and poster paint), or macaroni or plastic decorative beads.

However, if you are insistent on purchasing abaci for your classroom, please refer to the FAQ for some suggestions.

Popsicle-stick Abacus

Edward Barnique, a 5^th grade teacher, built an abacus with popsicle-sticks (local copy of the page).

LEGO Abacus

LEGO maniacs can either use my plans to build a LEGO abacus or design one of their own, like Eric Harshbarger built.

Abacus Lesson Plan

Leah Tait suggested this classroom lesson plan about the abacus, with instructions for building an inexpensive abacus.

Mathematics & Science Links

Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles: A feast for the eyes; a banquet for the mind! You will leave hungry for more!
POP Mathematics Archive: Did you ever wonder what makes math teachers get so excited about some topic in Mathematics? The POP Math Archive collects items about mathematics which may explain this wierd behavior.
Math Forum: A center for teachers, students, researchers, parents, educators and citizens who have an interest in mathematics education.
Mathematics Gems: Frank Potter's Science Gems.
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science: ENC provides K-12 teachers with a central source of information on mathematics and science curriculum materials.
PBS TeacherSource: Recommended educational resources on the web maintained by PBS.
Byrne's edition of Euclid: In 1847, a mathematician named Oliver Byrne published a book covering the first 6 books of Euclid's Elements of Geometry, which deal with elementary plane geometry and the theory of proportions. It presents Euclid's proofs in terms of pictures (in color), with as little text as possible.