Cuisenaire Rods
Web Link: Cuisenaire Rods
Flexibility: This canvas begins initially set up to work with 1 to 10 Cuisenaire rods. However, it has a number of added features:
There is an ability to "tidy" the board. That is to empty it.
A background grid may be added.
Numbers or letters may be added to the Cuisenaire rods.
Long rod lengths may be used or set up to work in bases other than 10.
Textbox can be set up at the top to leave a question on the canvas.
User Interfaces: Mouse and touchpad friendly. Touchifriendly.
Browsers: Works will all major browsers
Web Link: Polypad – Virtual Manipulatives – Mathigon
Flexibility: Polypad has the ability to use "number bars" instead of Cuisenaire rods with their own unique colours. However, clicking on settings and "alternate colours" will set them to be the same colour as Cuisenaire rods. These can be combined with a small grid background to allow the bars to snap into place. Activities can be created and shared with students later. Images of the canvas can also be saved for later use. There is a pen for drawing on the canvas as well as a way to add text to it. There is an easy way to rotate the rods which is touch-friendly.
User Interfaces: Mouse and touchpad friendly. Touch-friendly.
Browsers: Works will all major browsers
Web Link: Horizontal Cuisenaire Rods Virtual Manipulative
Vertical Cuisenaire Rods Virtual Manipulative
Flexibility: There are two versions of this virtual manipulative, one is vertical and one is horizontal rods. There is no functional difference between them. They have a grid background to which the rods snap to. Can bring in multiple of the same rod and there is an option to add transparent pieces, although it does not work too well. There is a video walkthrough here.
User Interfaces: Mouse and touchpad friendly. Touch-friendly, but does not resize for small screens.
Browsers: Works will all major browsers
Original Creators: Horizontal Cuisenaire Rods Manipulative – Mathematics Blog
Web Link: Modeling Fractions with Cuisenaire® Rods
Flexibility: This virtual manipulative gives a blank canvas for working with Cuisenaire rods. It has a grid background that the rods snap to. There are rods representing 1 to 10. There are also 8 questions that will walk students through using Cuisenaire rods representing fractions. Dropping rods on top of one another makes one of the rods disappear.
User Interfaces: Mouse and touchpad friendly. Does not work well with touch.
Browsers: Works will all major browsers
Original Creator: Modeling Fractions with Cuisenaire Rods | PBS LearningMedia
Web Link: Cuisenaire Rods | Math Playground
Flexibility: This virtual manipulative gives a blank canvas for working with Cuisenaire rods. It has a grid background and the ability to place 1 to 10 rods. However, the student has to select which rod to use by using a slider to select the number.
User Interfaces: Mouse and touchpad friendly. Touch-friendly, but requires slower and purposeful gestures.
Browsers: Works will all major browsers