Spring Math Activities
March means Pi Day, St. Patrick’s Day, the beginning of spring, basketball, and so much more! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite math activities, games, and lessons for middle and high school students for spring. These are sure to keep students engaged and challenge them to think mathematically!
Math Activities for Thanksgiving
Be ready for the days before Thanksgiving break and keep students engaged with these fun math activities and ideas! These are best suited for middle school math classes.
Should we teach students math shortcuts and tricks?
Shortcuts are a necessary part of math. If you are an efficient problem solver, you are likely using shortcuts that you have learned. The approach to shortcuts is what we must examine.
Are we showing students all the shortcuts without allowing time for them to understand why they work?
If we are showing students shortcuts, students are likely memorizing them in order to get an answer that day or pass a quiz that week. Memorization without understanding causes problems later. Without the conceptual understanding of what is happening, students forget. They apply the shortcuts at the wrong time, and they cannot extend them to other concepts. And it sends the message that math makes no sense, which may be the most worrisome outcome of all.
Read on for commonly misused shortcuts and what to do instead.
Adding Rigor in Math Class by Getting Students to Think Backward
Rigorous math lessons are important for pushing student thinking and understanding. Today I’m going to share one change that can make a problem more rigorous. This technique can be use to create a problem solving task that really makes your middle school or high school math students think!
When students can solve a problem and then think about how to work backward, we are preparing them for success in algebra. It’s also a great practice for adding rigor to a lesson.
I decided to brainstorm some ways to put this idea into practice in different grade levels. Read on for inspiration.
6th Grade Math Classroom Decorations and Back to School Ideas
Here are some of my favorite resources for the 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.
5th Grade Math Classroom Decorations and Back to School Ideas
The beginning of the year is the time to get to know students and let them know what they can expect for the year. Engaging students and learning about their interests the first day can get the year off to a great start.
I’ve gathered some of my favorite resources for back to school. Included are ideas to set up your fifth grade math classroom to be an inspiring setting for learning, activities for the first day, and routines we can establish from day 1.
End of Year Activities and After State Testing Ideas
The big end of year tests are finished, but we still have several days or weeks of school left. The struggle to keep students engaged is getting tougher. Planning time is lacking.
I’ve gathered some of my favorite end of year activities. These require little or no prep. They are interesting and fun for students. Most can be used for any subject area as well as elementary, middle, or high school students.
Spring Bulletin Board Ideas
Spring is a great time to give those bulletin boards and classroom decorations a fresh look. Maybe you are looking for a motivational quote to inspire students or a growth mindset theme. Or maybe you just want something that is bright and colorful. Whatever you are looking for, I’ve gathered some of my favorite bulletin board kits to save you time. Most of these are not subject-specific and could work for elementary, middle, or high school. I’ll share a few math related ones at the end!