Binomial Cube (presentation one)

What is the Binomial Cube?

The Binomial Cube falls under the Algebra section of the Sensorial area in a Montessori classroom. The Binomial Cube is a box with a detachable lid and a hinged side. There are eight assorted cubes and rectangular prisms in blue, red, and black colour.

The aim of this activity is for children to build the Binomial Cube onto the lid and then back again into the box.

How is the Binomial Cube built?

The directress introduces the Binomial Cube to the child and shows him how to carry it carefully with two hands to the table. She shows the child that the box has two layers, hence the word Binomial.

The directress removes the lid from the box and places it to the right of the box in the space provided. She makes sure that the biggest layer of cubes are at the bottom and the smaller layer of cubes are at the top. She starts with the blue cube, by placing it on the respective matching colour on the lid. She continues in the same manner by replacing the cubes onto the lid.

Once the first layer has been built onto the lid, the directress moves onto the second layer, by again starting with the blue cube, and placing it onto the respective section on top of the first layer. She continues in the same manner with the remaining cubes. The directress places a firm hand over each layer making sure they are all the same height. Once she has completed building the cubes onto the lid, she builds it back into the box by replacing the red cube in the corner, and the rest of the cubes around it, doing the same for the second layer.

What the child learns by building the Binomial Cube

This teaches the child discrimination of colour, it helps his memory, promotes concentration, judgment, and requires the child to be very patient.

Looking for more Montessori activities?

Here is the full list of the Montessori tasks, including Visual and Muscle Discrimination Sense activities, Tactile Sense activities, Chromatic Sense activities, Auditory Sense activities, Thermic Sense activities, Gustatory Sense activities, Baric Sense activities, Olfactory Sense activities, Stereognostic Sense activities, Geometry activities, and Algebra activities. Just click on the activity you want to learn about to go there.