This is my teacherspayteachers.com first FREEBIE! I chose this particular activity to make as my freebie because the video version has gotten over 4,000 views on YouTube! I figure that means teachers are looking for creative ways to teach multiplication and number theory (properties of number). To get the 5-page pdf, click here. Here’s the video version: .
Getting students to understand fractions begins with an understanding of the ‘whole’. Take a look at the three designs in the photo. Begin with the question, “What do you notice?” Students will say obvious things like, “There is one hexagon and two trapezoids in the first design”, or “The center design is the largest.” Accept and encourage all these responses as they will help students build confidence. If no-one offers the idea that each design is half red, prompt them…
Following recipes is a great way to sneak in some important work in fractions. Doubling or cutting in half a recipe gives kids an opportunity to understand fractions in the context of a real-world problem. The photo above shows a way to get kids to think about larger fractions/numbers being made up of unit fractions. You could also segue into a discussion on equivalent fractions and the multiplication of fractions. For example, 1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2 and 3 x…
This book is TOO FUN! The illustrations alone are priceless. It’s a Halloween twist on the traditional The 12 Days of Christmas song. I always like to read the story first without too many interruptions. Although, be sure to have the students see if they can find the dog on each of the pages! They love that. Then we get into the math. With my younger students, we use Unifix cubes to determine the total number of gifts on day…
This is a fun lesson I do with sixth graders where students redesign the soda can. After reviewing volume of rectangular prisms, students determine the volume of a can of soda in cubic inches. They use this volume to re-design the soda can so that their can has the same volume. Students will need to use the area of polygons such as rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids in the design of their new can. They begin by creating a net…