6th Grade Math Classroom Decorations and Back to School Ideas
Starting the year off on the right track is so important for middle schoolers. The beginning of the year is the time to show students what your class is all about, to get them excited, and to give them a glimpse of all they’ll learn.
I’ve gathered some of my favorite resources for the first day and beginning of the year for sixth grade math. Included are ideas for classroom decorations, activities for the first day, and routines we can establish from the start.
I hope you find some inspiration and ideas to have a great start to the school year.
6th Grade Math Classroom Setup & Decor
Vertical Number Line
Negative numbers are a new concept for many 6th graders. A vertical number line helps students visualize and think about the relationship between positives and negatives. It’s a great tool for talking about absolute value, comparing numbers, and rounding.
Grade Level Signs
These math signs feature topics from each grade level. The 6th grade sign will give students a glimpse of all the topics they will learn this year!
Math is Sweet Bulletin Board
This fun bulletin board has sweet treats made of math! It features a chocolate calculator, protractor ice cream cone, popsicle with a ruler for a stick, and a donut with math sprinkle!
Bulletin Board Letters
Grab this full set of bulletin board letters to spell anything you want in your classroom. These are perfect for bulletin boards or a motivation quote on the wall.
Door Decoration
Welcome students to math class with a door decoration! This one encourages a growth mindset by showing famous failures that turned into bright ideas! All the pieces are ready to print, cut, and attach to a door or bulletin board.
Math Calendar
A math calendar is a great way to incorporate math into classroom decor. With this one, each day of the month gives a GCF or LCM problem. Solving reveals the date!
First Day Activities
Hands-On Activity
Get to know students while doing some hands-on math! In this activity, students graph points to create the net of a cube while answer questions about themselves. They cut it out and fold it to create a 3D figure all about themselves.
Teambuilding Cup Stacking Challenge
This cup-stacking activity will get students working together and thinking mathematically. It’s a fun start to the school year.
Collaborative Group Work
Get students working collaboratively with a group coloring challenge! In this one, each student solves division problems on their own paper. Once 4 group members put their pages together, the image of a unicorn is revealed.
Icebreaker Questions
These icebreaker question cards can help you and your students get to know each other. Ideas for games are included.
Welcome to Math Booklet
Grab these get-to-know-you booklets to help you learn about your students the first day. They can color and fill in the pages with information about themselves.
Resources for the Year
Number Talks Daily Lessons
Begin the year with a routine that will build students’ fluency! With these PowerPoint and Google Slides lessons, students are introduced to a new mental math strategy each week. Visuals show why it works. Just a few minutes each day can help students learn new strategies and become efficient thinkers!
Math Games with Dice
These 15 dice games help 6th graders practice math skills in a fun way throughout the year. These are perfect to have on hand for early finishers and math centers.
I hope your year gets off to a great start teaching 6th grade math, and I hope you find these ideas useful!
Be sure to download my free guide to 6th grade math resources to help you plan your units throughout the year.
Need ideas for planning your units and lessons? Find links to all my 6th grade resources here.
Have a great school year!
-Rachael
