Browsed by
Category: Problem-Solving

Name Patterns: A Fun First Week of School Activity

Name Patterns: A Fun First Week of School Activity

Comments 0 Comment

Patterns. It was always a theme throughout the school year in my mathematics classes. So to kick-off patterns, during the first week of school, the students create a color pattern using their name. Then, we discuss the patterns made by names of different lengths. It may seem like a simple activity, but some great conversations can be generated when students focus on the reasons why certain patterns appear. For example, in the photo above, there are 15 squares in each…

Read More Read More

Hunting for Buried Treasure: Angles and Angle Measurement

Hunting for Buried Treasure: Angles and Angle Measurement

Comments 0 Comment

Aye, matey, it’s time to hunt for buried treasure. In this fun and creative activity, students will be designing their very own treasure map. As they design their map and hide their treasure, students will get plenty of practice using a protractor while reinforcing mathematical vocabulary such as acute, obtuse, and right angles, parallel and perpendicular lines. Tying in social studies and writing skills, students will be using a compass rose to write directions in order for their classmates to…

Read More Read More

Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively

Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively

Comments 0 Comment

Estimates help us predict the reasonableness of an answer. Having students make an estimate before they perform the calculation, and even writing the estimate next to the problem, can help them to focus on making the numbers (and the problem) make sense. Example: 3.2 x 9.8 = Students use benchmarks to determine that 3.2 is close to 3 and 9.8 is close to 10, therefore, a reasonable estimate would be 3 x 10 = 30. If students perform the actual…

Read More Read More

Beginning Fraction Work

Beginning Fraction Work

Comments 0 Comment

I’ve said it before, but it’s important to say it again…understanding fractions begins with understanding the whole and the pieces that make it up.  The question below is a good way to get students to reflect on the idea that, with fractions, each piece names one equal part.  The CCSSM identifies each part as a ‘unit fraction’. Posing this question is a great opportunity to focus on the CCSSM Standards for Mathematical Practice, Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning…

Read More Read More

Cookie Fun Way to Teach Money, Arithmetic, and Geometry

Cookie Fun Way to Teach Money, Arithmetic, and Geometry

Comments 0 Comment

Cookies in math class? Absolutely! This fun and engaging hands-on activity will get your students excited about doing math. Students will be designing their perfect cookie within the limits of a budget. They will be filling out order forms for cookies, candy and frosting then designing and drawing their final product. This fun activity seamlessly ties in important concepts in math, specifically, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with money, and attributes of geometric shapes. This lesson is divided into grades…

Read More Read More