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Meet the Abacus
Lesson 1 of 20
Zero
All beads away from the beam — the abacus shows 0
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The soroban is a Japanese abacus used for super-fast calculations! It has a wooden frame with rods. Each rod has beads separated by a beam. The beads below the beam are called earth beads (each worth 1). The single bead above the beam is the heaven bead (worth 5). Let's explore!
Try the Abacus! 🧮
0
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Set the Number! 🎯
Set this number on the abacus:
0
0
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Did You Know?
The soroban has been used in Japan for over 400 years! Skilled abacus users can calculate faster than a calculator. In Japan, children learn the soroban in school and compete in national competitions.
Quiz Time! 📝
How many earth beads are on each rod of a soroban?
🎯 Learning Objectives
- ✓Name the parts of a soroban abacus
- ✓Understand what each bead represents
- ✓Know the difference between earth beads and the heaven bead