- Definition
When your child "models" something in math, they're using numbers, shapes, or graphs to show how a real-life problem or situation works.
Building a simple volcano out of clay and baking soda to show how a real one erupts is making a model.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A model is like a toy car that shows you what a real car looks like, but in a simpler, smaller way.
Ask your child: How could we use playdough to show the parts of a flower?
Common mix-up: Kids might think a model has to look exactly like the real thing. A model is a simpler version that helps us understand something.
Examples
- A globe is a model of the Earth.
- Using your hands to show how a bird's wings flap.
- Drawing a simple map of the path from your desk to the classroom door.
model is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
- Grade 6 The Arts
- Grade 7 The Arts
- Kindergarten Kindergarten
- Grade 7 Language Arts
- Grade 8 Language Arts
- Grade 4 Mathematics
- Grade 5 Mathematics
+25 more mentions across the curriculum
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
