Often, the time for review for district or state tests rolls around at the same time of year that you’re ready to stop introducing new topics. It feels like you’ve taught so much and you’re not sure if the students remember everything. At this point in the year I just want an activity that we can do everyday that I know will review concepts for students.
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Preparing for Pi Day
Pi Day is pretty much the perfect day for celebration- especially if you’re lucky enough to teach math. Think about it- it’s this wonderful combination of mathematics, food, and word play! There’s something for everyone. [Read more…] about Preparing for Pi Day
21 Ways to Differentiate in the Secondary Math Classroom
In our schools we have a range of students. Some of them come with IEPs or 504 plans. Then, there are students who don’t have individual plans and aren’t in any special programs, but we know that they have a similar need for additional support. At the same time, there are the students who don’t really struggle or need a lot of extra support. When there’s such a wide range of student abilities entering our math classrooms, what can we do in our 50-65 minutes together that meets the needs of all students? How do we differentiate our math instruction to give all students a path to success in our classroom?
[Read more…] about 21 Ways to Differentiate in the Secondary Math Classroom10 Ratios and Unit Rate Activities
Have you ever heard a student saying, “When will we ever use this math in real life?” Well, we use unit rate all the time and most kids don’t even realize it (yet!) As annoying as that question can be, I secretly hope one of my students will say that when I introduce unit rate. I can easily show them where it shows up in real life, and I love to blow their minds!
[Read more…] about 10 Ratios and Unit Rate ActivitiesA Valentine’s Math Game for Middle School
Are you looking for a fun game that helps student feel the math love this time of year? Do you want a whole class activity that will feel like a reward for students? Are you interested in maybe taking some of the middle school drama out of Valentine’s Day? (ha! That last one’s impossible. Have you ever had dance duty at the junior high Valentine’s Day dance?)
Playing Valentine’s Guesses and Wagers is a great way to get math students thinking about numbers, evaluating reasonableness of answers, and have some fun at the same time.
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