Higher level math centers will really get your students thinking and writing about math. Read about my top six favorite higher level math centers.
Visual notetaking is just one way to make integers fun. Who says that teaching integers has to be well let's say, dull? The next time you teach students how to add, subtract, multiply, or divide integers, try these ideas. Enliven the topic with negative and positive integers with these fun tips. Add Some Artwork Colored pencils and crayons hold power. As students take notes, ask them to draw and color examples of integers in real life. This helps them organize their ideas and apply information. Use Less Common Examples No one walks around and discusses integers in daily conversation. Still, the topic of integers affects our daily lives. I was recently on an elevator in Europe. I was surprised to see that negative numbers were used to describe floors that were below ground level. Going to the basement level of a building or suddenly discovering that it in below zero outside are everyday instances when we all think about negative and positive numbers. Do you have more examples of integers in our daily lives? Share your ideas in the comment section.
Like fractions, introducing decimals is something that should be taught for students to be successful in high level math classes.
A detailed list of math projects, for all grade levels, to use in your class or tailor to fit your grade level.
Differentiating instruction is essential for all students. Check out these three easy differentiated examples that you can use in your own classroom!
Higher level math centers will really get your students thinking and writing about math. Read about my top six favorite higher level math centers.
Get hands-on math ideas and try these 30+ ways to teach math without a textbook, with interactive ideas from kindergarten to high school.
Parentheses, Brackets and Braces in Math Expressions – Hard Version Evaluate Expressions with Parentheses, Brackets & Braces – Free printable expression worksheets. Evaluate Expressions with Parentheses, Brackets & Braces Answers – Just to save you time! (CCSS.Math.Content.5.OA.A.1 – Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.) This worksheet will…
Showing students that math is a flexible subject can be powerful. So many kids (and adults) believe that math is all about getting right answers. But it's not! When we can show students that there
Discover 3 effective number sense routines that you can use instantly in your classroom. These fun math games and activities are ideal for your math block.
The Unfair Game is a totally unfair twist on Jeopardy that your students will LOVE to hate! Learn how to play and find sample game boards in this post.
This project has been a year in the making! I am super excited to finally announce the completion of the higher level math task boxes. This download includes 16 math task boxes (approximately 2nd grade skill level). Each activity has 3 levels of differentiation. Please download the preview to see the included activities. . Concepts include: 2 & 3 digit addition (with and without regrouping) 2 & 3 digit subtraction (with and without regrouping) Number Sense 10 More, 10 Less Fractions Skip Counting by 5 Place Value (up to thousands) Geometry Bar Graphs Multiplication Comparing Numbers Rounding Word Problems Telling Time Elapsed Time Division ____________________________ More from Especially Education: Facebook Pinterest Newsletter Email Made For Me Literacy © Michaela Lawrence
Rock Around the Clock is an excellent probability lesson for middle school students. Great to incorporate into your probability unit.
Teaching geometry proofs to high school students can be tough! These activities help my students with their learning and are more fun than worksheets!
Teaching decimals can be tricky. Even if students have a good grasp of our place value system, it takes time and exposure to get them comfortable with the shift from whole numbers. If they're shaky on how place value works, it's an even tougher task - like building a house with a weak foundation. Since our kids are exposed to decimal understanding, comparing decimals to one another and understanding their connection to fractions, laying a good foundation and being consistent are key. Here are some tips to get students comfortable with the "wild" side of the decimal point: Tip #1: Connect fractions to decimals using models Decimals are a fairly abstract concept, so making them more concrete and hooking them up to something they're already familiar with (fractions) is a no-brainer. Put yourself in their shoes- they recently started understanding that fractions can represent numbers less than one, but now they're learning there's another way to represent those same values and it looks very different. Yikes! Clear the confusion and illustrate the fraction-decimal connection by representing a decimal number with a piece of graph paper or grid with 100 squares. Have students count all of the squares in the entire square. Then find a set of ten squares to cut and note what fraction is represented by that part (in relation to the whole square). They'll see that it's 10/100. Then have them cut out ten more parts or 10/100. Continue to cut out tenths until there are no more tenths available. Next, students can flip over each part they cut out and label it 1/10 or 0.1. Explain to your students that 0.1 is a decimal number and is read "one tenth." Each cut out portion represents one tenth or ten hundredths of the initial whole square. Finally, discuss that ten tenths is equal to one whole (students should easily see this with the cut out grid). Use a similar process by changing up the model (ie. circles or number lines). As they continue to count and relate what they're seeing with decimals, they'll begin to feel more confident. Tip #2: Help students correctly read and write decimals Working with students daily as they begin to read and write decimals is crucial, but you can sabotage some of that progress by using the wrong vocabulary. Time for a little self-training! While adults commonly read this number - 3.25 - as three-point-two-five, children starting out with decimals need to solidify the decimal connection to the place value system. That means incorporating place value when reading decimals, so the number should be read: three-and-twenty-five hundredths. Just like students used place-value charts to understand whole numbers, the same tool is critical to understanding and exploring decimals. For example, students can record 3.25 inside of a place-value chart by extending it to the right to show decimal places. They can easily see the connection between the digits in 3.25 and the value that each digit holds. As a piece of advice do regular warms that include a few sets of decimal numbers. Practice with your students as they read the decimals and write them down. Tip #3: Practice makes perfect..... Like any other concept, decimals aren't just a new piece of information for kids to memorize and move on from. I'm sure the struggle is real when it comes to fraction mastery.... and decimals are no different. They're a big part of our number system and the gateway to more complex arithmetic. You've probably heard that people need to do something for 30 days to make it a habit. The same holds true for kids, too. To help your students master decimals, I've created a 30 day decimal warm - up routine. This routine engages your class in meaningful math discussions and builds decimal understanding within 1.00 (by the hundredths). Each day, project one math talk lesson onto your interactive whiteboard. Students will complete a daily decimal count using a visual decimal chart plus answer 4 questions. Don't worry because the answers are included! With 3 levels and 10 math talk activities included in each level, you'll have access to 30 days of decimal learning. Level A: Beginner Includes 10 math talk activities 4 questions in each math talk focusing on a decimal between 0.01 and 0.30 Level B: Intermediate Includes 10 math talk activities 4 questions in each math talk with increasing difficulty Focus on decimals within 0.65 Level C: Advanced Includes 10 math talk activities 4 challenging questions in each math talk Focus on decimals within 1.00 Take your student understanding to the next level by using this routine with your class. Click on the image below to purchase. Let's face it - decimals aren't a walk in the park. If you go out to dinner with your friends and have to split a bill with decimal numbers, you'll probably get some panicked looks (from grown adults) before the phone calculator comes out. But with the right tools, you and your students can rise to the decimal challenge. I hope the tips I've shared will be a helpful addition to your math toolkit. P.S. Want to discover more math goodness? Head on over to Mr Elementary Math blog to learn more.
Like fractions, introducing decimals is something that should be taught for students to be successful in high level math classes.
I love incorporating games into math as much as possible. Who doesn't love playing games, right?! But the problem with games is that they often require quite a bit of prep work for us teachers. I've been trying to come up with some that require little to no preparation to use. I'm so excited to
I love teaching all algebra topics with tons of interactive and collaborative activities that get students thinking independently and working together. This way everyone gets the practice they need to feel confident in algebra. Here are a bunch of slope activities that you can assign to students working in group or even digitally. I have updated many of the activities to now include links to interactive digital slope activities in Google Slides and Google Forms for blended learning.
Ah! Does anyone else get excited when the ALA announces the Newberry and Caldecott winners each year? I do! I've never participated in a Mock Caldecott or anything mainly because I'd just rather read the winner or winners--depending on how busy my book situation is ha! You can get a copy here! Here's the rundown on this years book: Jordan, a smart kid with crazy artistic talent, his going to be the new kid at a fancy private school. Yikes! It's always hard being the new kid. He is paired up with a friend to show him around and during his first day finds himself with Andy, not the nicest kid in school. Because he is quick on his feet, Jordan finds a nice friend group. Now while this is a surface skim summary, Jordan and his friend ___ struggle with the fact that teachers can never remember their names and assume their athletic abilities based on their skin color. There are in's and out's and up's and down's but the book portrays what it's like to be a regular African American kid in a rich white school. This year's Newberry Award Winner is New Kid by Jerry Craft and every page of this book eye catching and awesome! It is definitely worth reading. I am so glad that they chose this graphic novel (!!! what! what!) and I love the story. The main things that I love about this book is that they are 1. SO FUNNY--so of course you are going to keep reading 2. Relatable--Jordan (the main character goes through so many 3. SO much DISCUSSION--this book is jam packed with things that need to be discussed in today's classrooms. I also spotted this at the book fair--so keep your eye out for New Kid--it's completely worth it and your students will love reading this Newberry book!
If you are looking for math project ideas for 6th grade, you are in the right place! This list contains fifteen of my favorite 6th grade math project ideas.
Are you looking for fun, hands-on activities to teach factoring quadratics or the quadratic formula? In this post are lots of ideas and free resources for helping students when teaching lessons on quadratics.
Discover how math project ideas that you can use throughout the school year to practice a variety of upper grade math skills.
These FREE domino addition printables are a great Kindergarten or 1st grade math center for practicing beginning addition skills!
Just click on each image to get to the blog post and download your free printables! Kindergarten Math Activities 1st Grade Math Activities 2nd Grade Math Activities
5 Activities to Teach Angles
8 ideas to keep students engaged and having fun with a simple worksheet
It can be a great deal of fun to explore the human body systems, and this craftivity helps take your instruction to the next level! Your students will craft an "iPad" with "apps" that explore all of the systems and their functions related to this topic. Plus, you have choices for differentiation and extension! File Type PDF (Acrobat) Document File Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing.
Differentiating instruction is essential for all students. Check out these three easy differentiated examples that you can use in your own classroom!
Surface area can be challenging for middle school math students, so it's a great idea to spend some time exploring surface area.
I am always on the lookout for some new first-week activities to do with my 6th grade math students. In addition to "get to know you" activities, I like to find projects that are fun, math-related, and motivating for students during those first few weeks. One of these projects that I have always done during the first week of school (but you could really do any time of the year) is my Math is Everywhere tile activity. Before the year starts, I buy some white card stock (or white-ish...this year I got some silver/metallic card stock). I then cut them into square tiles. This year I cut them into tiles with 5 inch sides, but I think I have done 6x6 in past years. Whatever works for you! I use a corner rounder from Target to round of the corners of the tiles. Here are the tiles and the start of my example tile that I created to show my students. For the project, students must think of a place that they see or use math in the real world. I usually brainstorm a list as a class, and then students can either use one from the list or think of their own topic! Once they choose a topic, they use a tile, pencil, ruler, and colored pencils to show how they see math in their topic. Being the baseball fan that I am, I chose to make my Math is Everywhere tile about how we see and use math in baseball. Below is my finished example tile! *Tip: Many of my students who choose a sport want to know the dimensions of the court, field, etc. Last year, I printed out sheets that had the dimensions to save the time and hassle of students looking them up! Once the students are finished creating their tile, there is one more step. On the back of the tile, they must write at least three sentences describing what they chose and how math is seen in their topic. Here is the example that I wrote for baseball. Finally, once all of the tiles are finished and turned in (don't forget names!), I put them all up on my bulletin board. I cut out the words "Math is Everywhere" and staple them in the middle of the board, surrounding it with all of the finished tiles! Here is a shot of this year's tiles! I have a few more still to add, but it's already starting to come together! Update: I posted the "Math is Everywhere" bulletin board letters for free in my TpT store. Be sure to grab them at the following link! Also included in the resource are letters that say "Welcome to 6th Grade" that I use for my hallway bulletin board. Link to Bulletin Board Letters For more ideas about setting up the middle school math classroom, be sure to check out my post titled 6 Ideas for Setting Up the Middle School Math Classroom. I am excited to link up this post with Miss Math Dork's awesome monthly Math IS Real Life link up! Click the link or picture to see some other great ways we see math in the real world!
find a math fact fluency program that is a perfect fit for varying levels of students. From kindergarten to fourth grade, you'll find fact mastery!
Try out this unique freebie from my store. It contains leveled main idea task cards. The guided reading level and lexile levels are written on these cards. I created this series to make it easier
I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.
This exciting equivalent fractions game is a twist on the classic "Spoons" game. Learn how to play and get your FREE equivalent fractions cards to use in your classroom!
5th Grade Math Reference Sheet! *Aligned to 5th Grade TEKS! THIS INCLUDES: -Multiplication table (products 1-12) -Keywords -Quadrilaterals with pictures (TEKS Aligned 5.5A) -Coordinate Plane (blank- quadrant one) -Order of Operations reference -Place value chart (hundred million down to the thousandths) POSSIBLE USES: -Student reference sheet -Classroom poster -Interactive notebooks LOOKING FOR OTHER GRADE LEVELS? Click here for the 3rd Grade Math Reference Sheet! Click here for the 4th Grade Math Reference Sheet! Click here for the 6th Grade Math Reference Sheet! Click here for the 7th Grade Math Reference Sheet! Click here for the 8th Grade Math Reference Sheet! © 2018 Kraus Math LLC. All rights reserved.
