Archive for the 'math' Category

First Grade Computation: Whole Number Addition and Subtraction

Published by Kelly on July 15, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

Addition and subtraction are two of many essential building blocks needed for long term mathematical success.  This blog concentrates on effective instructional teaching resources of addition and subtraction for teachers and their first grade students, focusing on recalling basic addition facts with sums up to 18 and their corresponding subtraction facts, as well as helping students create and solve basic picture and world addition and subtraction problems.

Here are some of my personal favorite books dealing with addition and subtraction.  These books serve as great anticipatory sets prior to presenting the lesson.

Text Annotations - Books on Adding and Subtracting

Cover Image

Oliver’s Party: Learning Addition and Subtraction with Oliver and His Friends

Written By: Jenny Fry

Illustrated By: Angelina Jolliffe

Summary: Friends join Oliver for his birthday party, and when the party is over, the boys and girls leave one by one, learning to subtract one number at a time. This addition and subtraction book deals with number from 1 - 10, adding from 1 - 10 and then working back from 10 - 1 through subtraction.  The illustrations are vivid and bright, helping to capture the attention of students and teachers alike, and numbers are spelled and written on each page.

Book Cover

Mission: Addition

Written and Illustrated By: Loreen Leedy

Summary: This humor-based book is based on a teacher, Miss Prime, and her students learning the basics of addition.  This interactive book encourages student involvement, by taking surveys and investigating mysterious scenarios.  Addition problems are comprised of word problems, adding numbers up to 60, and how to check work.  The illustrations are will capture and keep students interest, and can be used in sections, from learning to add numbers up to 18 to 60.  Above all, this book helps students see the relevance of math and just how much fun math can be.

Candy Counting: Delicious Ways to Add and Subtract

Written By: Lisa McCourt

Illustrated By: Brad Tuckman

Summary: This book takes the cake on snagging student’s attention; no pun intended.  Nothing can hook a child’s interest quite like candy; this book focuses on the use of classic candies in order to show addition and subtraction principles.  Students learn basic addition and subtraction skills through candy visuals, along with word story problems.  Not only are the illustrations bright and life size, this is a great book to use as an introduction prior to an activity working with candy manipulatives.

Domino Addition

Written and Illustrated By: Dr. Lynette Long

Summary: This books utilizes dominos as a way to help students begin to understand addition properties.  Dominos work great for students who are learning how to add, as they are large, visual, and may have been seen within ‘real world’ situations, like at home.  This book works with adding numbers from 1 - 12, and helps reluctatant students see that math can be learned and used like a game.  Simple, chic illlustrations that provide a perfect balance of visual stimulation without feeling overwhelmed.

Ten Little Ladybugs

Written By: Melanie Gerth

Illustrated By: Laura Huliska-Beith

Summary: Because subtraction can prove to be more difficult than addition for some students, it is important to find books that solely focus on subtraction methods.  This book tells a story about ladybugs disappearing one by one, counting down from 10.  Children will visually be able to see how subtraction works through hands on interaction and rhyming text.

Below are some great websites for kids to help build their addition and subtraction knowledge, as well as associate math with being fun!

Web Annotations - Sites for Kids to Practice Addition and Subtraction

Student Activities and Games: Parents Can Play, Too!

Summary: This website not only allows students to select which operation they want to work on, addition or subtraction, but also allows students to opt for games or hands on activities.  This is a great website that students and parents can utilize together at home and enhance addition and subtraction knowledge and skills.  The website is user friendly and well organized, allowing students to solely focus on what they want to do: have fun with math!

Adding Bricks

Summary: This is a very basic, beginning game for students who are just beginning to learn about addition.  This site contains many games, such as “Adding Bricks,” that give them both a visual number of objects, plus its written numeral, helping to show students connections between the number of objects and adding objects together.  Students and parents can return to the homepage of this site and continue to play a variety of addition and subtraction games of all levels.

Subtraction Fishing

Summary: This interactive game helps students with subtraction knowledge and understanding.  The website as a whole can be used to find a variety of addition and subtraction games, but I opted to link to the site directly to this game to avoid students and parents having to navigate to the addition and subtraction games.  This particular subtraction game is excellent because it tests for both accuracy and time efficiency.

Math Mayhem

Summary: Math Mayhem is an easy to use resource filld with a variety of activities and games for students to utilize while building addition and subtraction knowledge.  The website is extremely user friendly; all students have to do is click on the “+” or “-” to begin a series of games focused on that particular operation.

Digital Flashcards

Summary: This website is a great resource for students who possess conceptual knowledge of addition and subtraction and simply need repetitive activities to ensure understanding, accuracy of sums and differences, and time efficiency.

Check out these additional resources for teachers, parents, and students.  They are filled with creative lesson plans, games, activities, and other addition and subtraction essentials!:

Additional Resources

Cool Math 4 Kids

Summary: This website is completely dedicated to fun for both students and teachers alike throughout grades and mathematical content areas.  Students can access an array of games and  puzzles by clicking on any of the options on the homepage, while teachers can find lesson plans and assessment resources on several grades and areas of math; there’s even a place just for parents!

Resources for Teachers

Summary: This website is designed for teachers to incorporate the most effective ways to teach both addition and subtraction to their students.  Teachers will be able to access lesson plans, activities, tips, resources, content areas, and even online activities to share with their students.

Student Practice,Teacher Resource

Summary: This website is designed for both students and teachers, includuing comprehensive addition and subtraction lessons and games, providing immediate feedback to the students.  The site allows for students to work at their current levels of addition and subtraction in the privacy of their own home, and can help build mathematical confidence.  Also, there are some great addition and subtraction tables teachers can manipulate to visually help students learn these tables.

Kindergarten Number Sense

Published by Sarah Ann on July 15, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

Without a solid understanding of number sense, children will struggle with math throughout their entire academic career.   As educators, we have the opportunity to provide students with a great start by ensuring they begin their school lives’ with a strong foundation in number sense.  For Kindergartners, number sense entails recognizing numerals and learning to write them; learning to skip counting by twos, fives, and tens; recognizing more and less when comparing two sets of objects; and recognizing ordinal numbers.  The following resources are designed to help you, the teacher, develop these skills in your Kindergarten students.

My picks for the five BEST Number Sense books for your Kindergarten classroom, in no particular order:

  1. One Child, One Seed by Kathryn Cave, photographs by Gisele Wulfsohn - This great counting book serves to help children develop number sense as they see the word, numeral, and pictorial representation of each number from one to ten.  The book is set in South Africa, so children get to see a little about life in another culture.  It is a great book for cross-curricular learning.
  2. Anno’s Counting Book written and illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno - This book has no text: each two-page spread shows the numeral, a Unifix Cube representation, and a beautiful illustration that becomes more and more complex as the book progresses.  Children will delight in counting all of the different items that add up to the number on the page.  Introduces the numbers zero through twelve.
  3. 10 Little Rubber Ducks written and illustrated by Eric Carle - Based on a true story, this counting book follows 10 rubber ducks as they float in the ocean and drift off one by one.  It is an exciting adventure that helps children practice counting and introduces ordinal numbers.  From the author/illustrator of the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the artwork is gorgeous. It is also available in Spanish.
  4. Turtle Splash!  written and illustrated by Cathryn Falwell - This rhyming book introduces the concept of counting backwards from ten. The rhyming verse is a great way to make cross-curricular connections between math and language arts.  The illustrations and concepts presented make it a wonderful addition to any Kindergarten classroom.
  5. The Cheerios Counting Book written and illustrated by Will and Barbara McGrath - A great book for sparking interactive, hands on counting exploration!  Each number one through ten has it’s own page with numeral and pictorial number representations.  The numbers eleven through twenty are all represented on one page.  Children also get experience with counting by tens to 100.

My picks for the five BEST Number Sense website games for kids, in no particular order:

  1. Give the Dog a Bone - This game has children locate numbers between one and one hundred on a blank Hundreds Board.  A timer set for sixty seconds, and there are ten “hidden” bones on the board.  Children can increase their familiarity and level of comfort with the Hundreds Board as they rely on their knowledge of the board and it’s patterns to find the number quickly.  This game is great reinforcement for students who already have a strong number sense.  There are sound effects, but they are not critical to the game, so you can choose to either mute or provide earphones for your students
  2. How Many Ants Do You See? - A great game for beginners!  Children are given a set of numbers one through ten.  A certain number of ants march across the screen, and the student has to choose the correct number.  As the mouse scrolls over each number, the computer says the number out loud, so students struggling with recognizing numerals can get more practice.  The sound effects are needed, so provide students with earphones.
  3. Hang Them Out to Dry - This is a great game that has children hang shirts out on the wash line in the proper number order.  You can direct students to choose from the following game levels: “Numbers 1-5”, “Even numbers to 10”, “Odd numbers to 10”, and “Selection to 20”.  No sound effects on this one, so no need to mute or put on headphones.
  4. Big Bird’s Numbers - Incorporating the well-known Sesame Street Character, this game helps build students’ number sense and keyboard skills at the same time!  Big Bird walks children through the numbers one through nine, giving the numeral and visual representations.  Each time a child types a new number using the keyboard, Big Bird counts from one to that number.  Great for beginners, but you must provide headphones as the audio is essential!
  5. Which Number Is…? - This basic skill game asks student to identify which of the three numerals on the screen match the number said aloud and written in word form.  The numerals are not in any particular order, which provides an additional challenge for students.  Students will need to have headphones to play the game.  There is a small banner ad across the top, but it is text only and children/school related. 

Take a look at the following FREE resources for lesson ideas, worksheets, and more!

  1. Free Kindergarten Worksheets - This site has great number sense reproducible worksheets for practicing writing numerals, count, and more!  Includes ocean and spring theme worksheets.  Good resource when worksheets are needed in a hurry
  2. Math Worksheet Wizard - This worksheet generator creates custom math games at the touch of a button.  Includes BINGO, number spinners, count and write, number lines, and trace the numbers.
  3. Counting and Number Lesson Plans - Lots of lesson plans to introduce number skills concepts to Kindergartners.  Lessons include objectives, materials needed, and an outline of the lesson.  Many of the lessons include manipulatives, books, and games.
  4. Number Sense Everyday - General information about what number sense is and suggestions on how to best develop it in your students.  

Sixth Grade Fraction Resources

Published by Lee on July 13, 2009 in math, teaching and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I am doing my resource set for the fractions section of 6th grade mathematics.  I taught this area this past year but just by starting this assignment, I have more tools to work with then I did previously.  This is a difficult topic for students.  I hope to be able to get each student to a level of understanding with these resources, that I may not have been able to before.

Text Annotations

1.  The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book, by Jerry Pollatta, illustrated by Robert C. Bolster

This book is a great tool to get kids to recall information about fractions and works easily with an interactive lesson involving Hershey bars.

2. Funny and Fabulous Fraction Stories, by Dan Greenburg and Jared Lee

This book starts out around a third grade level but is a great review.  It is appropriate for struggling sixth graders and uses humor and fun to teach.  Readers work throughout the book and solve the problems while laughing.

3. Painless Fractions, by Alyece Cummings

A very simple and concisely written book for those struggling with fractions.  It goes step by step to try and conquer this topic that  many find painful.

4. Fabulous Fractions, by Lynette Long

This book gives some great fractions lessons either in fun stories or great interactive activities.  This would be a fantastic resource for teachers, not something to be read or done cover to cover with the students.  It covers pretty much every SOL dealing with fractions through middle school.

You can check out a chunk of it right now at Google Books.

5.  Piece = Part = Portion, by Scott Gifford, photography by Shmuel Thaler

This is a great book to entertain and pull the related concepts of fractions, decimals, and percents together.  This is a fairly simple idea but somewhat abstract and this helps students make the connections.  The easy to understand text and terrific picture examples from everyday life really bridge these ideas.

Web Annotations

1.  Tony Fraction’s Pizza Shop- This site is a game where kids make pizzas according to the order.  They have to fill the pizza with the correct portion of ingredients.  Often the fraction is out of the whole pizza but sometimes it is simplified and they have to figure out how many pieces they need to make it equivalent.


2.  Fresh baked fractions- This link takes you through finding different equivalent fractions.  You get four fractions and choose the one that is not equivalent.  You earn pieces of pie for each correct answer.  This is not timed but as kids get better at seeing/computing equivalent fractions you could add that as a component if there are multiple computers.

3.  Soccer Shoutout- This is a very simple game that focuses on multiplication of fractions.  It goes a little beyond the basic multiplication of fractions because the player has to reduce the answer to simplest form in order to score.  This is for those that understand basic multiplication, but need more practice with multiplying fractions and simplifying the answer.

4.  Who wants pizza?-  This site may seem simple but it is a great one for 6th graders.  It has 6 different sections that go from reviewing what fractions are to multiplying fractions.  The first four parts should be review for 6th graders but most likely a much needed review.  Then parts 5 and 6 take you through the new material they need to be learning.  This would be something that you could work through over a couple of days or even leave for a substitute since it really works through the topic and then gives practice problems.

5. Multiplying Fractions- This link is just one page and it is more of a drill/practice than a game.  You can modify the instructions by seeing how many they can get correct in a certain amount of time or see how many they can get correct before they miss one.  This is the multiplying fractions drill page

Additional Resources

1.  Another site you might want to use before they start this one is

http://www.kidsolr.com/math/fractions.html

This site helps to review fractions and multiplying fractions and could be used for remediation if a student is not ready for the drill page.

2.  This site has a couple of fraction card games that would be great for an independent center.  The rules/instructions could be printed and laminated for use anytime to practice adding fractions.

http://www.learn-with-math-games.com/adding-fraction-games.html

3.  This game is very similar to “war” with a standard deck of cards.  It has printable fraction cards that can be laminated and used with the instructions at a game center without a teacher.  This competitive game really works with comparing fractions and understanding what the fractions represent.

http://www.learn-with-math-games.com/support-files/fraction-feud.pdf

4.  Candy Fractions- This page gives you a real attention getter.  Almost all kids like chocolate and when you pull out a Hershey bar they really want to know why.  This activity would be a great pre-lesson to the m&m statistics activity.

http://www.learn-with-math-games.com/fraction-paper-games.html

5. Tutorials- go to the Virginia department of education link below, under the computation and estimation section,click on the two sections you see below, the links send you to the page and you have to scroll down to the section and click on these topics, on the VDOE page to get the videos

Fraction Concepts (Grades 6 & 7)

Dr. Ena Gross, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) professor of mathematics education, on the prerequisites students need for fraction computation.

Fraction Computation (Grade 6)

Dr. Ena Gross on one method sixth graders can use to approach multiple-choice fraction computation problems.

4th Grade Fractions

Published by Katie on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

 applefractions.jpg

Included below are many fun ways to interact and learn fractions with students.

4.2 The student will;
a.)compare and order fractions and mixed numbers,
b.)represent equivalent fractions

Books

  1.  Fraction Fun - written by David Adler and illustrated by Nancy Tobin this book is a great way to get kids interested in learning fractions.  It is simply put for students to easy understand the basic fraction concepts.  Pizza pie is used in the book to demonstrate fractions and that is easy for students to relate to.  Also found in this book are ways use coins to help with fractions.
  2. Apple Fractions - written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster this book works with apples in a variety of ways to help students with learning of fractions.  Students are shown by elves how to divide the different apples into halves, thirds, and so forth. Readers are also able to learn about different apples as well.
  3. Working Fractions - written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Edward Miller - This book uses clear language that is familiar to children about to explain different concepts related to fractions.  It touches on why 1/12th is bigger than 1/15th, which can be difficult for students to grasp.
  4. Full House -  written by Dayle Ann Dodds and illustrated by Abby Carter - This is a narrative of Miss Strawberry’s Inn and how she has different guest come and in serving them she is using fractions to do so.
  5. Hershey’s - written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster - The Hershey’s book is a great way to go over fractions with students.  Being that Hershey bars are made up of 12 small rectangles it is easy to divide many different ways.  Demonstrating with a Hershey bar would be even better because the children would love to have samples of their fractions later!

Websites

  1.  Equivalent Fraction Finder is a very helpful site for helping students learn which fractions are equivalent.   A score is kept of how many equivalent fractions the students are able to find correct or incorrectly.  It has simple explanations of how to complete it and students should find it very helpful.
  2. Fraction Tutorial is a great site that answers questions students may have about what fractions are.  On here they have examples of reducing fractions, comparing fractions, and many more concepts dealing with fractions.
  3. The game Who Wants Pizza is a great tool for students to make fractions. They are given rectangles and told to make different fractions into each one.
  4. Comparing Fractions is a site that helps students learn which students are equivalent and ones that are not.  Boxes are given with fractions below and the students are able to type in their answers and check their work.
  5. Fraction to Number Line is a great site for students to use when conquering fractions.  Here they click on a number line to match different fractions.  The site is very helpful at being sort of hands on.  Even though it is an online activity the students are able to really see fractions at work.

Additional Resources

  1.  Balloon Pop Fractions is a fun site for kids to learn which fractions are greater and which is the lesser.  Here they click on the balloons in order from least to greatest to make it pop.  Students are able to have fun and learn fractions at the same time.
  2. Matching Fractions is a great game where students are being timed to match the different fractions with their equivalent counterparts.  It is not only a great teaching tool for fractions, but it is also at helping students with making the most out of a little bit of time.
  3. The Apple has many different things for teachers and students to use with fractions.  A few of the things you can find here are articles, lesson plans, and quizzes.  It covers a range of topics and has a clear understanding of everything you may need to know about fractions and much more!

Cha-Ching, Third Grade Money

Published by heather on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 1 Comment

Introduction

Money Rhymes

Twenty five cents,
Money that rhymes,
Take one nickel
Add two dimes.

Three fat nickels,
One thin dime.
Makes twenty-five cents
Every time.

Five fat nickels,
No thin dimes.
Makes twenty-five cents
Any time.

In 3rd grade, a part of measurement involves money concepts. Students are expected to build off their prior money knowledge and continue expanding their skills by counting, identifying coins, adding/subtracting, and comparing values.

Books

51fzxgpdq7l.jpgAlexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz - This is a story about a naive young boy who discovers the true value of a dollar. The book begins with Alexander receiving money from his Grandmother Betty and Grandfather Louie. He promises to save the money until he realizes all the exciting things he can purchase with a dollar. The book teaches coin values and subtraction.

hw7.gifHow the Second Grade Got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty, written by Nathan Zimelman and illustrated by Bill Slavin. This is a whimsical tale of a second grade classroom struggling to raise money for a class field trip to the statue of liberty. The students attempt multiple fund-raising adventures in order to earn money for their trip. The book takes the reader through all the triumphs and setbacks that the students experience. The main focus of the book is savings and the value of money.

614neqbvwel_bo2204203200_pisitb-sticker-arrow-clicktopright35-76_aa240_sh20_ou01_.jpgThe Case of the Shrunken Allowance, written by Joanne Rocklin and illustrated by Cornelius Wright. The story is a humorous tale about Mike and his friends. Mike discovers that the money in his money jar is shrinking and he uses clues, like the different sizes of the money remaining in the jar, to determine how much money is missing. The reader helps solves the mystery behind the disappearance of Mike’s allowance. The book revolves around adding, subtracting, and coin identification.

Careless at the Carnival, written by Dave Ramsey and illustrated by Marshall Ramsey. Is a story about a young boy named Junior  who decides to go to a local carnival with a bunch of his friends. Junior’s mom tells him not to spend all his money. Instead of listening to his mother, Junior ends up being careless at the carnival and loosing all his money. The book focuses on subtracting and the importance of saving money.

imagedb.jpgSluggers’ Car Wash, written by Stuart Murphy and illustrated by Barney Saltzberg. Is a story about a baseball team who wants to invest in new uniforms for their playoff game. The only way they can purchase the uniforms is to have a fundraiser. The team decides a car wash is the best way to raise the money. The team learns to keep track of their dollars and cents and practices giving back change. The reader learns the concept of saving, adding money, and equivalency.

Kid Friendly Websites 

* Cash Out The site begins by giving the choice of easy, medium, or hard depending on the child’s ability. You can also select to use the help tab during the game. The help tab provides the child with the correct change amount and the child will only need to determine which coins are needed to met the correct change. During the game the child is given an item, like a carrot, and a price of .76 cents. Then the child is given an amount of money for the item, like a 1.00. It is the child’s job to figure out the change for the item by clicking on the coins by the cash register. If the child answers incorrectly, the game will inform him/her how much more money is needed to meet the ideal goal amount.

* Money Flashcards This site focuses on the combination of coins and dollars. Kids are given different flashcards with dollar and coin. Kids must count the amounts shown and type in the correct answer. Although, this site does not give the child a second chance to correct his/her wrong answers, it does provide the child with number sentences with the correct answers.

* Counting Money Game This game focuses on coin amounts. Kids must count the different coins and then type in the correct amount. If they type in the correct amount the game will say “correct” and move onto the next question. If the child answers incorrectly the game will tell the child first if the answer is greater than or less than the amount they guessed. The child is given another chance to answer the question, if he/she gets it wrong again, the game then gives the child some additional assistance with counting the money.

* Dollar Dive The goal of the game is to get the required amount of coins so you can buy sails for your boat. The mission is to escape the sea monster and get home as fast as possible. Kids practice counting and identifying coins. There are three levels to the game and each level is designed to challenges the child.

* Piggy Bank Game This game gives kids the opportunity to find the correct change needed for the piggy bank. Each game begins with an amount for the piggy bank and kids needs to select the coins that will equal that amount. Every time the child gets the right answer, a part of the piggy banks becomes highlighted. The child wins once the whole pig becomes highlighted in a green color.

Additional Teacher Resources

* Additional Book Resources This is a thesis paper by Davina Hunt, a student from Virginia Tech. Her thesis paper connects kids with books based on money. The paper is filled with more than fifty-five kid friendly books on money concepts. She gives a synopsis on each book, which provides a good reference for additional classroom resources. At the end of the thesis, she also has lesson plans for Alexander who use to be Rich Last Sunday and Berenstain Bears Trouble with Money.

* Literature Guides This sites provides a lesson plan for Alexander who use to be Rich Last Sunday. The website is full of activities to do before, during, and after reading the book with your students. An example of an activity that appears of the site is: to read the parts of the story where Alexander spends (or loses) money and make a list where the money went. Use fake money to count out his losses from one dollar to nothing.

* Playing with Coins This site is by Geddes and it provides free lesson plans for money. The lesson plans can be used with the book The Shrunken Allowance and it incorporates fun activities students can try while reading the book. The activities are excellent for individual assignments or group projects.

* Keeping Track of our Money This is an excellent resource for large group activities. This site is ideal to use with the book How the Second Grade got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of liberty. The site provides worksheets for students in managing money and tools for recording money. It helps students organize money into columns and it teaches them about saving.


4th Grade Measurement

Published by Allison on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 2 Comments

Introduction:

We know that measurement is a fundamental mathematical component.  As a teacher, it is our job to teach it well.  Below you will find a selection of books that are necessary for children to develop a clear understanding
of measurement. You will also find a selection of websites and resources useful for developing proficiency with basic measurement facts and concepts.  These materials provided are anticipated for fourth graders; however they can be modified for different grade levels if necessary.

Recommended Books:

book cover of How Tall, How Short, How Far Away? by David A AdlerHow Tall, How Short, How FarAway? by David A. Adler and illustrated by Nancy Tobin is a book that introduces several measuring systems such as the Egyptian system, the customary (inch-pound system), and the metric system.  The book has some questions asking what units would you use to measure an object such as the length of a celery stick and other questions ask you to find the measurement such as the length of your block.

31pi13siy2l_sl500_aa180_.jpgHow Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How Tall is 1000?  by Helen Nolan and illustrated by Tracy Walker is a book finding different ways to measure 1000.  How tall would a pile of 1000 acorns be? And if those acorns grew into 1,000 oak trees, how big would that forest be? As children learn about large numbers, counting becomes less practical and understanding these numbers becomes more and more important. In this playful and mathematically sound book, children will develop an understanding of how big, how small, how long and how tall 1,000 really is!

9780060848064.jpgMillions to Measure by David M. Schwartz and illustrated by Steven Kellogg is a book exploring the invention of length, weight, and volume measurements.   How tall is Moonbeam, the unicorn?  How long are the whiskers of Jello, the cat?  And just how heavy is that darling hog?  Tons and teaspoons and ounces and feet and yards and miles … what a headache!  With millions of things to measure, wouldn’t one standard system be simpler?  With another wave of the wand, Marvelosissimo, the Magician,  explains to you to the development of standard units of measure, and shows the simplicity of calculating length, height, weight, and volume using the metric system and introduces the world of metrics and makes it easy to understand the basic pattern of meters, liters, and grams.  And with Steven Kellogg’s playful and delightfully detailed illustrations, measuring has never been such a blast!

0805065725_large.jpgMeasuring Penny written and illustrated by Loreen Leedy is a book about a girl named Lisa who has an important homework assignment–to measure something in several different ways. She has to use standard units like inches and nonstandard units like paper clips to find out height, width, length, weight, volume, temperature, and time. Lisa decides to measure her dog, Penny, and finds out … Penny’s nose = 1 inch long, Penny’s tail = 1 dog biscuit long, Penny’s paw print = 3 centimeters wide … and that’s only the beginning! Lisa learns a lot about her dog and about measuring, and even has fun doing it.This clear and engaging concept book, delivered with a sense of humor, is certain to win over the most reluctant mathematician.

9780064467247.jpgRoom for Ripley by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrated by Sylvie Wickstrom is a book introduce various units of liquid measure.  A boy named Carlos is getting a fish bowl ready for his new pet.  Carlos pours cups, pints and quarts of water into his fish bowl, getting ready for his new puppy, Ripley.  Readers can learn about capacity as they see just how much water it takes to make room for Ripley!

Recommended Websites:

Math Matching  - This is an activity of matching equivalent customary measures.  For example, 16 ounces is equivalent to 1 pound.  The matches will make a picture.

Can You Fill It - This is an activity involving filling up containers using three different sized pots.  The goal is to use to pick a combination of pots that fill the container with the fewest amount of pours without going over.

Harbour Measurements - This is an activity where you will need to help Molly load up the boat by choosing the correct parcel I ask for.  This is testing  estimating metric measures.

Bitesize Maths:Practice Postage Measurements - This is an activity where you have to find the length and weight of a parcel and then figure out from those measurements how much a postage stamp will cost using the chart.

Measuring Wangdoodles - This is an activity where you are to find the weight of each Wangdoodle using the information provided by the scales.  To be successful, you will have to make sure that the weight you assign to each Wangdoodle works on each scale.   This also introduces algebraic equations.

Additional Resources:

Cooking Measurement Equivalents

This side provides measuring equivalents for teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, fluid ounces, and more. This page also includes the conversions for metric and U.S. systems of measurement.

A Maths Dictionary for Kids

This site provides a dictionary will all mathematical definitions and an example.  You just have to click on the letter that the work starts with and then click on he word.  For example for the word volume, you would click on the letter v and then click on the word volume.  You will then see the definition and an example.

Tree Measurement

This site is used to help understand vertical and horizontal measurement of large objects.

Grade 4 Multiplication Resources

Published by Kim on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

 math_symbols1.gif

Here are some resources if you want to teach 4th grade about multiplication.

Text Annotations

9987.jpgAmazing Pop-Up Multiplication Book written by Kate Perry and illustrated by Jennie Maizels– This detailed illustrated pop-up book gives students practice on different parts of the multiplication table through different events.

043921044501_scmzzzzzzz_.jpgThe Best of Times: Math Strategies that Multiply written by Greg Tang and illustrated by Harry Briggs - This approach teaches students that memorization is not the only way to prevail in multiplication. It gives students different strategies for the multiplication problems they don’t know.

51wjb2gkfml_sl500_aa240_.jpgHershy’s Milk Chocolate Multiplication written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster - This is a great introduction to simple multiplication problems. It shows the concept of rows, columns, and how the answer is derived.

fc076145070x.JPGTen Times Better written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by Leonard Baskin - This rhyming book is a great way of illustrating the concept of multiplying by ten.

now-for-my-next-number-cover.jpgNow for My Next Number written by Margaret Park and illustrated by Sophia Esterman – This book of easy to learn and easy to sing songs will help children to practice and learn multiplication. The pictures in the book will help give students a visual of how the product is achieved.

Web Annotations

At Multiplication.com there are a ton of kid friendly games for students to play. My favorite has to be Fleebur & Spinky. Students are trying to put together a robot dog for an alien. Students have to go to 5 different shopping centers and solve different problems to get the different parts for the robot dog.

The Number Monster for Times Tables at CoolMath4Kids students will click on the different times tables facts to practice. Problems go up to the times tables for 12.

At Gamequarium students can play Multiplication Millionaire. This site really works on multiplying 2-3 digit numbers with one or two zeros on the ends.

Students will be able to find multiplication drills at MrNussbaum.com. This has multiplication facts from 1-12. Students can work on them as a timed test, dragging and dropping the answer, worksheets, or even digital flash cards.

At OnlineMathLearning.com Students can practice multiplication facts at Bee Smart Timetable. There is a multiplication fact at the bottom on two flowers and 3 bees with numbers on pots overhead. You have to click on the bee with the correct answer. It gives students 2 minutes to answer the problems.

Additional Resources
A printable version of base ten blocks are available in case you need them. They are essential to teaching multiplication.

Students can also visualize multiplication by setting up the multiplication problem and watching it form a rectangle by incorporating the multiplication table.
Base ten paper is always helpful for students so they will be able to use to work out their multiplication problems.

Another helpful resource and a different way to help students with multiplication is using Napier’s Bones and using the lattice method.

First Grade Shapes

Published by Jen on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

shapeman.jpg

According to the revised Virginia Standards of Learning for 2009, students in Grade One will explore basic geometry in the form of shapes. They will focus on identifying and tracing, describing, and sorting plane geometric figures (triangle, square, rectangle, and circle) according the number of sides, vertices, and right angles; and will also construct, model, and describe objects in the environment as geometric shapes.

Below is a list of five exceptional books to read with students while studying this topic.

  1. Emberley, E. (1961). The Wing on a Flea. Canada: Little, Brown & Co. In poetic form Ed Emberley writes about triangles, rectangles, and circles in a descriptive way that helps children think about shapes in the environment. Teachers can utilize this book to provoke children to describe shapes in their own words, create shapes poems, and identity shapes around the school and classroom.
  2. Grover, M. (1996). Circles and Squares Everywhere! Singapore:  Harcourt Brace & Co. This book is a good resource to use when students are first beginning to compare and describe different shapes. Teachers can explain that a circle is different from a square in that a square has sides and is a polygon, while a circle has no sides and is a plane geometric shape.
  3. Hoban, T. (1974). Circles, Triangle and Squares. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., inc. This black and white photography book is filled with shapes that students have to search for. Since this is a picture book, the teacher may use it to ask questions about different shapes, have students identify shapes using vocabulary, and describe objects in the environment as geometric shapes.

  4.  Murphy, S. J. (1998) Circus Shapes. Illus. Edward Miller. USA: Harper Collins Publishers. This book is an excellent resource to have children examine, identify, and describe plan geometric figures. Four shapes are featured in the circus-circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares- and all are described according to their attributes.

  5. Thong, R. (2000) Round is a Mooncake. Illus. Grace Lin. San Fransisco: Chronicle Books. This book asks children thoughtful questions at the end of each description of a shape, and promotes cultural awareness as it highlights Chinese culture.

Below is a list of helpful web sites for kids to explore while learning this topic.

  1. From the web site Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, created by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, students can use an interactive geoboard to create rectangles, squares, and triangles. They can compose shapes in different sizes and positions to see that while the new shape may look different, it remains the same shape.
  2. This interactive web site from Primary Resources introduces children to different characteristics of each shape and asks them to identify a shape’s sides, angles, and vertices. Since this site is from the U.K., it is a good idea to explain to children that in the U.K. they call a rectangle an oblong.
  3. This simple shape sorter from Primary Resources asks children to classify shapes into different groups: right angles or no right angles, four sides or more or less than four sides, and quadrilateral or triangles.
  4. The web site Illuminations allows children to explore numerous shapes, form patterns and objects with different shapes, and cut a shape into several different shapes.
  5. This site from Primary Games is a simple memory game that asks children to match different shapes. It is a basic tool that will help children identify shapes and explain attributes of different shapes.

Below is a list of helpful additional resources to support instruction for this topic.

  1. Beacon Learning Center offers an insightful student web lesson for teachers to do with their students. This story about Mr. Mumble, an eager little mouse, explains to children the angles, sides, surfaces, and vertices of two-dimensional polygons and asks them to describe these shapes in their own words.
  2.  This is a PDF printable worksheet from About.com: Math that describes different shapes.  Students have to answer questions based on their understanding of attributes of shapes.
  3. This is a resource for parents from the Elementary Mathematics Office, Howard County Public School System (2008,2009). It lists objectives, vocabulary, and activities for parents to do with their First Grade students during geometry lessons.
  4. Geometry Ideas by elementary school teacher, Linda Longpre, gives teachers numerous ideas for student activities for Grade One geometry. She gives whole class, partner and individual hands-on activities and also lists several books for this topic.

5th Graders and Cash

Published by David L on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

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To most fifth graders the concept of money involves mommy and daddy’s pockets. This blog will introduce the reader to incorporating consumer math to fifth graders.

Books:

1. A Kid’s Guide to Earning Money. Written by Tamra Orr. This book is intended to teach students the value of earning money. It does not tell the student what job they should get, instead it guides them on how to go about earning money.
Find this book

2. The Everything Kids’ Money Book. Written by Diane Mayr. A book that not only teaches kids about money it also teaches kids where money came from.
Find this book

3. Money Sense for Kids. Written by Hollis Page Harman. This book informs students on how money travels from the mint to their pockets. Also, very informative on how to save their allowances.
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4. The Kids’ Allowance Book. Written by Amy Nathan, with help from Debbie Palen. A comprehensive book containing over a 150 responses from actual kids on the pros and cons of allowances.
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5. The New Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids, Revised and Updated Edition. Written by Author Bochner and his kid sister, Rose Bochner. Author teams up with his kid sister to give a child’s perspective of everything from saving to credit cards.
Find this book

Websites:

  1. Count Coins
    This website starts by giving the student the chance to pick their own difficulty level and character to play with. After that, they are asked to find a certain amount of change and can drag and drop them onto the table to see if they chose the correct amount. Good introduction to the lesson.
  2. Lemonade Stand
    An interactive game that allows the student to pick and choose how much money should be spent on things such as advertising and lemons.
  3. Counting money
    Same idea as the first website listed here, but the amounts of money are quite a bit larger. Gives students opportunity to play with larger bills such as 20’s, 50’s and 100’s.
  4. Making Change
    This website allows the student to choose between currencies. The student can choose from US money to Mexican money to Australian money. Once type of currency is chosen, student must make change using that particular countries currency.
  5. Add it up
    The student must count the money shown and correctly type that amount in the box provided. Students can check their work.

Additional resources:

  1. Board Games
    This is an excellent website to purchase board games involving play money. The board games are at a discounted price and their are plenty to choose from.
  2. Money Worksheets
    This free website allows the teacher to pick and choose what the worksheet should contain. Student count each side of coins up and compare on which one has more. Very user-friendly.
  3. Online Money Activities
    If computers are easily accessible than this is a great website. Offers a few different lessons that kids can learn sitting at the computer.

2nd Grade Measurement - Weight, Volume, and Temperature

Published by Katie on July 13, 2009 in summermath, math and teaching. 0 Comments

Introduction: I chose resources for linear measurement, weight, volume, and temperature. The materials are geared towards 2nd grade and I have focused on VA SOLs 2.11 and 2.14.

Text Annotations:

Inch By Inch Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

Inch by Inch, written and illustrated by Leo Lionni, tells the story of an inchworm who measures the physical characteristics of different types of birds. Although no numbers are used in the text, Inch by Inch introduces measurement by inches. Furthermore, the book helps students understand that concrete objects can be measured. The book closes when the inchworm is asked to measure the size of the nightingale’s song. Knowing that a song cannot be measured and knowing that he could become the nightingale’s next meal, the inchworm cleverly devices a plan tricking the nightingale. While the nightingale thinks its’ song is being measured, the inchworm “inched out of sight.”
Inchworm and HalfInchworm and a Half by Elinor J. Pinczes

Written by Elinor J. Pinczes and illustrated by Randall Enos, Inchworm and a Half can be used in measurement lessons for younger elementary students. The plot of the book is very similar to the plot of Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni. The inchworm in Pinczes’ book measures objects in a garden by looping its body and each loop equals one inch. However, the premise of Pinczes’ book differs from Lionni’s because fractions are introduced as well. When the inchworm in Pinczes’ book measures a bean using the looping method and comes up short, a worm half the inchworm’s size measures the remainder of the bean. The following objects get smaller and as a result, smaller worms are used to measure the difference.

actual-size-steve-jenkins-hardcover-cover-art.jpg Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

Actual Size, written by Steve Jenkins, presents measurement in a fun way. Readers are presented with a variety of animals and insects or a specific part of an animal’s or insect’s body to scale. For example, readers can compare the size of their hand to a gorilla’s hand. Jenkins further emphasizes the largeness of the gorilla’s hand by depicting the smallness of a pygmy lemur’s palm. All illustrations in Actual Size were completed in torn paper collages and could be used to enhance an art lesson. Furthermore, Jenkins presents some physical characteristics of some of the animals in his book, and Actual Size could be used in science lessons.

006623784x.gif Millions to Measure by David M. Swartz

Millions to Measure, written by David M. Swartz and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, is the story of a wizard named Marvelosissimo. Marvelosissimo measures and calculates the length, mass, and volume of various objects. However, the wizard finds that the English Standard of measurement is complicated, and he develops a new system of measurement, the metric system. Readers are introduced to grams, liters, and meters and are given the opportunity to compare the two systems of measurement.

the_snowy_day.jpg The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

I could not find a book other than elementary science textbooks that measured and explored temperature in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. However, I think The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, would be a good introduction to the topic. The main character of the book wakes up to snow and Keats writes about the boy’s adventures during the day. The plot consists of the child making snow angels, knocking snow off of a tree, examining his footprints in the snow, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. The Snowy Day could be used to introduce a lesson on weather patterns or the unique illustrations could enhance an art lesson on collages or watercolors.

Web Annotations:

1.) Math Cats Convert Numbers- this site provides students and teachers with a good resource for measurement conversion. Viewers are instructed to enter any number in the box and the website will convert the number to various measurements, in U.S. Customary and Metric formats. The site allows viewers calculate length, mass/weight, and liquid volume. For example, users can determine how many ounces are in a pound and how many quarts are in a gallon. The viewer decides what numbers to enter for conversion and this feature promotes a thorough exploration of measurement. Furthermore, the site is easy to use and the focus of the page is directed towards the activity and not towards advertisements.

2.) Temperature Game- this game, provided by NASA’s website, helps students learn temperature in degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. The object of the activity is to determine the correct temperature of various objects. Users place the objects’ icons next to the thermometer that is labeled with several different temperatures. For example, students must place an icon of a pot of boiling water next to the correct temperature on the thermometer. They have to determine the boiling point of water. Students have the opportunity to compare answers in degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. Additionally, older students can play the game finding the temperature of the objects in degrees Kelvin. Although the game does not provide answers, users are given immediate feedback based on responses and have the opportunity to correct mistakes. Lastly, the site provides an link that defines terms related to temperature and gives a brief historical lesson on the development of measuring temperature.

3.) Sleuths on the Loose-found on the PBS Kids website, Sleuths on the Loose is an activity that develops linear measurement skills. Students are directed to calculate the height (in inches) of several baby monsters and the monsters’ mothers. The site provides the length of the baby monsters’ foot and tells viewers how many of the monsters’ feet equal its height. Students have an opportunity to develop multiplication skills because they have to find the correct answer by multiplying the length of the foot by the number of feet that equal the monster’s height. The same process is used to determine the height of the mama monsters.

4.) Learning Math- this website has ten sessions that allow students to explore measurement in depth. Although advanced mathematical topics such as circumference and trigonometry are covered, topics are available for elementary students. Session Three explains the metric system in two parts. Learning objectives are stated for each topic, and each session has an option for students to go back and review prior learning. Numerous videos discussing measurement, area, and volume are available for purchase as well.

5.) Animal Weigh In- this activity has students challenge their knowledge with the Metric System. Because the game is found on the BBC Education website, students may not be familiar with stones as a unit of measurement. However, students are tested on grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds. For example, viewers place ounce weights on a scale. The ounces must equal the weight of another object located on the left side of the scale. However, the object’s weight is labeled in pounds, so students must determine correct conversions and equivalents. Students have the opportunity to correct their answers or move on to another measurement activity. Animal Weigh In has three levels that challenge younger and older students. Lastly, the game is animated and has sound which appeals to students.

Additional Resources:

1.) All Aboard the Campaign Trail- All Aboard the Campaign Trail is a cross-curricular activity that combines math, social studies, and civics into a week-long lesson. The lesson plan, found at the PBS Kids website, is comprehensive and states learning objectives, materials, the learning sequence, possible assessments, and extensions. The activity is used in conjunction with another lesson plan published by PBS Kids known as Donkeys and Elephants and Voters, Oh My! The class is arranged into two parties and students are asked to raise support for their political party in the anticipatory set of All Aboard the Campaign Trail. After familiarizing students with the campaign train, the groups plan a campaign trail using atlases and online maps as references. The students must determine the length of their campaign trail using map keys and scales. Using MapQuest as a reference, the students are asked to use the calculated mileage of their trails to determine the arrival time of their “trains.” Additionally, the groups can use the World Time Server website to see if their trail crosses time zones. Students are asked to strategically develop campaign trails using electors in the Electoral College to their party’s advantage.

2.) Curious George How Tall? I liked this online game provided by the PBS Kids website because it is a good resource to use with very young students. How Tall introduces young children to measurement by having them compare two objects of varying sizes. Viewers are asked to measure a larger object with smaller objects. For example, students are asked how many tennis balls, if stacked up in a vertical row, would equal the height of a tennis racket. No numbers are used in the activity, but How Tall helps students compare two objects and estimate the height of one of the objects. The game is interactive and The Man in the Yellow Hat prompts students throughout the game. The answer, correct or incorrect, is always verified by using the smaller object to measure the larger object, so students physically see the measurement. Students are shown why their answer is correct or incorrect and they have the opportunity to learn from errors. The game would be appealing to students because most children are familiar with Curious George and many teachers read Margret and Hans Augusto Reys’ books in the classroom. The game is free and can be used without creating an account with the website. Lastly, the PBS Kids website offers many other online games in various subjects and topics.

3.) Planet Mass Comparison-through NASA’s website students are able to compare the mass of the planets. Students determine what two planets they want to weigh, and the website places the planets on a scale. The website lists the mass of each planet in kilograms, so students can make numerical comparisons. The planets are shown in varying sizes depending upon their actual size. Viewers can add multiple planets to one side of the scale to see how many planets equal another planet. For example, students can see that the mass of approximately seven Mars roughly equals the mass of one Venus. No sound, but the activity is animated. This website would be good for a lesson on the Metric System and mass/weight. The game could also be used in a science lesson about the Solar System.

4.) Planet Size Comparison- another activity offered through NASA. This online activity is very similar to the Planet Mass Comparison. Students can compare the sizes of the planets and view the disparity in sizes. The website provides viewers with the diameters in kilometers of each planet and the size ratio between two planets. This activity does not have audio but is animated. This is another good activity for measuring size and lessons on the Solar System. Planet Size Comparisons could also be used in geometry lessons on circumference and diameters for older students.