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Category: Geometry

Fractions: Understanding the Whole

Fractions: Understanding the Whole

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…

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Project-based Learning: Soda Can Redesign, a Lesson on Volume

Project-based Learning: Soda Can Redesign, a Lesson on Volume

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…

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Project-Based Learning: Surface Area and Volume Formulas for Rectangular Prisms

Project-Based Learning: Surface Area and Volume Formulas for Rectangular Prisms

This is a fun project I do with fifth graders where students take on the role of Senior Designer at Packagings R Us. They will need to design the perfect box (rectangular prism) for an item that they will be bringing in. Their box will be “shipped” to Australia so they will need to consider the fragility of their item when designing the box and determine appropriate packing material. An extension is to have students do a cost analysis for…

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Jeopardy in the Elementary Math Classroom

Jeopardy in the Elementary Math Classroom

Just finished a unit and want your students to review what they learned? Getting ready for the chapter test? Just want to have fun? Jeopardy is a great way to review and reinforce what students have been learning. This photo shows some of the categories I use in the primary grades. The ones at the bottom show additional categories. Pretty much anything you’ve been learning can work. The students in my classroom are already set up in groups of 4-5….

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