IN THE CLASSROOM: AT CHOCOLATE-SQUARE ONE
By Michael J. Arvizu

Glendale News Press
09/10/05/education/gnp-classroom100609.txt
Monday, October 5, 2009 7:21 PM PDT

Brittany Markarian, 11, and Alexa Arejian, 11, uses a chocolate bar
to learn about fractions at Chamliam Armenian School on Monday. (Roger
Wilson/News-Press)

Sixth-grade math teacher at Chamlian Armenian School uses Hershey’s
bars as a visual aid.

Unwrapping a Hershey’s bar, the first thing students noticed was that
the bar is divided into 12 squares — four squares in three rows.

Their first task of the assignment was to figure out how much candy
was in one-third of a bar.

Students in Tsolaire Aghamanoukian’s sixth-grade math class Monday
morning at Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale worked in teams to
isolate the correct portion of candy on their desks and write out
the answer on their miniature white boards.

Aghamanoukian said she uses objects such as the candy bars and white
boards with her students because she believes it helps them learn by
visualizing the problem they are working on.

"I tell them, give me the answer for that," Aghamanoukian said. "They
will write it on the board, and they will show it."

For student Sevag Keosseian, 11, solving math problems using a
Hershey’s bar made it easier to recall information while taking a test.

"You learn it, and it gets stuck in your brain," Sevag said. "It’s
hard in the beginning, but once you learn it, it’s very easy."

The entire class is involved in the problem-solving process, said
Aghamanoukian, who first applied her teaching formula to her two
grade-school-aged children when they were struggling with fractions.

Some students, before coming to class, see mathematics only as numbers
on paper and not as something that can be applied in real life,
she said.

"This, I already know on paper," said Lori Berberian, 11. "But it’s
nice to also see it visually."

And what kid doesn’t like Aghamanoukian asked with a laugh. The bars
not only offer a real-life lesson in mathematics, but also offer a
tasty snack at the end.

"When they do [use the bars], I think they will get it better,"
Aghamanoukian said. "And the kids like it."

For Monday’s lesson, Aghamanoukian used text from "The Hershey’s
Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book," published by Cartwheel Books. The
book contains exercises such as dividing the bars into thirds, halves
and fourths.

"I’m going to say, ‘What’s one-third of this bar?’" Aghamanoukian
said. "And they’re going to say, ‘Uh-oh, one-third of what?’ And then
they are going to think of the 12 blocks of Hershey’s, and then it’s
going to make more sense to them."

Examples like those found in the book can be applied to other grades
as well, even as high as grade 12, she told her class.

"When you’re doing the basic operations, you’re doing it yourself;
you’re changing the numbers," said Lara Rostomian, 11.

KIDS TALK BACK

The Glendale News-Press visited the sixth-grade math class of Tsolaire
Aghamanoukian at Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale, where students
were taking part in a hands-on math lesson. We asked: "Does solving
math problems using Hershey’s bars help you understand math better?"

"I can see better, and it’s easier. Math may be hard for a lot of
kids. That’s why I think a lot of teachers should have their students
engage in the way we did the Hershey’s bars. Kids should be engaged
in the learning process."

LORI BERBERIAN, 11

"It helps me understand math better, because by visualizing it in
front of me, it helps me grasp and understand it better."

LARA ROSTOMIAN, 11

"It helps me visualize all the fractions we are learning in class."

ALLEN SOTIRI, 11

"With the Hershey’s bar, you can actually see what you’re doing,
instead of just thinking it in your head."

SEVAG KEOSSEIAN, 11