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Classroom Resources

Monthly Themes

Math Education Month

Writing Prompt

Persuasive Essay:

What if your school decided not to teach math anymore? Have students write essays explaining why it is important to learn math. Tell them to include examples from their daily lives.

Activities

Grades K–2: Mathematics
Sorting Fun

Learning the basics of sorting is essential to your students' math success. Have students create sorting challenges for one another by putting objects in groups in which one object does not belong.

Grades K–2: Mathematics/Art
Best Bugs

Have a small group of students ask their classmates the names of their favorite creepy-crawly creatures. Then have another small group make a bar graph of the responses on poster board. Other students may want to decorate the graph with drawings.

Grades K–5: Mathematics/Art
The Art of Math

Students will have fun creating patterns as they color triangles and hexagons. You might have students cut the shapes and use them to create new patterns.

Grades K–6: Mathematics
Name That Term!

Do your students know their math terms? Challenge them with this fun game.

Grades 1–2: Mathematics
Sharing Treats

Turn snack time into math time. Have students add, subtract, multiply, and divide as they make sure that everyone gets an equal share.

  • Math Snack
  • http://www.eduplace.com/activity/1_10_act2.html
Grades 1–2: Mathematics
Math Detective

Have students practice looking for patterns in an interactive format.

Grades 1–6: Mathematics
Test-taking Tips and Strategies

Have your students explore animated illustrations of test-taking strategies.

Grades 1–6: Mathematics
Computational Game

Can your students string together a series of computations to reach a given result? See if they can get the frog safely across the pond.

Grades 1–6: Mathematics
Geometry Game

Your students can give their spatial skills a workout with this fun game.

Grades 1–6: Mathematics
Sequencing Challenge

See if your students can put together their sequencing, computational, and strategizing skills to achieve success.

Grades 2–3: Mathematics/Social Studies/Art
Color Map

Coloring maps is easy, right? Challenge your students to color maps and explore the complex math involved in the process.

Grades 2–3: Mathematics
Strategy Game

In math, there's usually more than one way to solve a problem. Have students play a fun game, applying basic problem-solving strategies.

Grades 2–4: Mathematics
Pattern Building

Tessellation Town is a place where the main occupation is making mosaics. Have students build their own personal Tessellation Town.

Grades 2–4: Mathematics
Puzzling Pieces

Piecing puzzles together helps to keep the brain nimble and promotes spatial reasoning, an important math skill. Have students beat the clock to put an image of Sacagawea back together.

Grades 2–5: Mathematics/Social Studies
Sets of Social Groups

Integrate social studies into your math class by having students use math sets to compare social groups.

Grades 2–8: Language Arts
Word Finds

Have students find math words hidden in a puzzle.

  • Math (grades 2–4) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_easy_wf.pdf
  • Math Answer Key (grades 2–4) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_easy_wf_key.pdf
  • Math (grades 5–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_hard_wf.pdf
  • Math Answer Key (grades 5–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_hard_wf_key.pdf
Grades 3–5: Science/Math
Dino Math

Introduce students to Sue the Dinosaur, and have them learn from math problems based on her statistics.

Grades 3–5: Math
Pie Slicing Challenge

Have students try their hand at slicing an apple pie (figuratively speaking) while applying mathematical logic.

  • Easy As Pie
  • http://www.eduplace.com/activity/easyaspie.html
Grades 3–5: Language Arts/Mathematics
Poems About Shapes

Have your students explore the world of geometric shapes through writing poetry.

Grades 3–5: Mathematics/Science
How It Adds Up...

Have your students use basic mathematical operations to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of overfishing on a threatened species, the Patagonian toothfish (also known as the Chilean sea bass).

Grades 3–8: Mathematics
Challenging Word Problems

Challenge your students' problem-solving skills with Brain Teasers. Each week a new Brain Teaser is posted for each of three grade ranges: 3–4, 5–6, and 7–8. Hints are provided, and answers are given the following week. Problems are archived for three weeks.

Grades 3–8: Mathematics
Math Answers 24/7

When your students have a math question, they can check Dr. Math's amazing archives. If they don't find the question in the archives or in the frequently asked questions section, they can e-mail the question to Dr. Math.

Grades 4–8: Mathematics/Social Studies
Express Mail

The men and women who rode for the Pony Express covered hundreds of miles on horseback through all sorts of terrain and danger. Have students plot the route of the Pony Express, discover the kinds of terrain it crossed, and calculate the number of shifts needed to cover the distance of its total route.

Grades 4–8: Mathematics/Science/Social Studies
Open for Business!

Turn your students into neighborhood entrepreneurs. Have them open up a lemonade stand and do the math that will bring them success.

Grades 5–8: Mathematics/Language Arts
Pig Math

So, your students think they know the whole story of the Three Little Pigs. Have your students solve several word problems based on the classic tale.

Grades 6–8: Science/Math
The Math of Global Warming

Have students develop a better understanding of global warming through math problems.

Grades 6–8: Mathematics/Social Studies
Real-Life Math

One way to show students the value of math is to take a close look at how people in their community use math every day. Have students conduct an interview with a family member or a family friend to find out how they use math at work or at play. Then have students chart their findings. Finally, hold a class discussion on the results.

Grades 6–8: Mathematics
Shifting the Tower

This puzzle, which is based on an ancient legend, will bring out your students' problem-solving skills.

  • Tower of Hanoi
  • http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/Java/Tower/towerhistory.html
Grades 7–8: Mathematics/Language Arts
Crossword Puzzle

Challenge students to identify the polygons.

  • Polygons (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_xword.pdf
  • Polygons Answer Key (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/april/pdf/math_xword_key.pdf
Grade 8: Mathematics
Ratio Race

Have students practice computing ratios in a timed, interactive format.

  • Ratios
  • http://www.aaamath.com/B/g81_rax1.htm
Houghton Mifflin