Instructions on Using Integer Bars

 

The integer bars are used to learn basic mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and more. This lesson will help you learn to do all these things by yourself.

Let's start by getting familiar with the integer bars (also called Cuisenaire Bars) by doing some exercises. The first thing is to get familiar with the different sizes shown in the table below.

Integer Bars	Size or Value	Color
	1	White
	2	Red
	3	Light Green
	4	Purple
	5	Yellow
	6	Dark Green
	7	Black
	8	Brown
	9	Blue
	10	Orange

As you can see, the size of each bar, or its value, increases by one as you go from white, red, light green, etc. until you get to orange with a value of 10. If you want to print this table to use it at home and memorize them, just click here and print it out. For you to get familiar with the bars and their colors you are going to do a few designs. But first, here's a description on how the program works.

	On the left of the integer bars program you will see this image. By clicking the cursor on any of the colored squares you will get the corresponding integer bar which you can drag and move anywhere within the workspace.
	If you click on this image inside the program and then click on any bar, it will rotate the bar to make it vertical. You can rotate it as many times as you want.
	To return to normal mode, click on the straight arrow image, then you will be able to move the bars around.
	To get rid of any of the bars in the workspace, you can drag them and drop them in the recycling bin.
	To get rid of all of the bars in the workspace (clear the entire workspace), you just click on the broom.

If this is the first time that you are using this tool you can go to the next page to do exercises to familiarize yourself with the program and the bars, or you can continue reading on this page to learn about the other things you can do with this program.

	Clicking on this image will put the program in a mode where you can click on the other images to get descriptions of them.
	You can use this lasso to lasso any number of bars together. Once you've done that you can move them all together or exchange them as described in the next paragraph.
	This button allows you to exchange a group of bars in the workspace with new bars that represent the same total size. The following steps explain how to exchange the bars: 1) First use the lasso to select a group of bars that you want to replace. 2) Next click the exchange button. 3) Then drag new bars (of the same total size as the bars that you lassoed) into the workspace. 4) Then click the exchange button again. If the total size of both groups are the same, then the old bars will be replaced with the new bars. If they are not the same the new bars will disappear.
	Clicking on the Setup button will bring up a list of options that you can change. • Bars' sizes - The standard Cuisenaire Rods range in size from 1 to 10 but this program lets you add more sizes. The options are all the way to 16 or 20. • Color Bars - This gives you the option to get rid of the colors so that the bars are all white. • Show Numbers - This is a very nice feature which lets you see a number which tells you the size of the bar.

 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Get Familiar with Integer Bars

 

Last Updated: Sunday, 16-Feb-2003 05:45:15 GMT

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