Tag: negative numbers

Super Math World

Kelly Tenkely2 Comments on Super Math World2682 views

What it is: Super Math World is a site that has been around a LONG time… I mean, it is on my tenkely.org site for crying out loud! I made that site a good 8 years ago.  I took a look at it again today and am very impressed with the updates and changes that have been made.  Super Math World isn’t a totally free site but it does have a LOT of free content that kids can access.  To utilize the free portions of Super Math World, login as a guest by clicking the “Guest” button.  There are math games that teach and reinforce concepts for kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Free topics include: adding, measures, number patterns, percentages, place value, area, estimating, fractions, negative numbers, set theory, venn diagrams, and series.  The kids will enjoy the arcade-like practice area.


How to integrate Super Math World into the classroom:  Super Math World makes a great computer center activity during math.  The games are quick-enough that students can filter through classroom computers for their turn over a few periods.  The games would also make fun whole-class interactive whiteboard games.  These are intended to be one player, so you can split your students into teams and have them take turns at the board.  Keep a tally of the correct responses to find out which team is the “winner”.  My students always really enjoyed this type of friendly competition.
Of course, the site also makes a great practice area for kids in a computer lab setting.  Some of the games are multi-player so kids can team up on computers to play.
If you want a look at how I rotated students through centers on classroom computers, this post explains it.
Tips:  The paid subscription brings you LOTS more games (and concepts).  If your students enjoy the site, it may be worth getting the subscription.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Super Math World in  your classroom!

Living Math Book List: Fiction for (almost) every math concept

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Living Math Book List: Fiction for (almost) every math concept4633 views

Happy New Year!!  You may have noticed…I took a tech break for the holidays!  There may not have been an abundance of posts and sharing happening, but I was still collecting away and have more resources than ever to share in 2012.  Thank you all for making my 2011 such a wonderful year to be a part of!

What it is:  You know what I love?  Reading and books. Particularly fiction.  Living Math Book List is a fantastic site that introduces books (mostly fiction) for every math concept (okay, almost every math concept!).  The site is SO easy to use, just click on the “Search categories” tab and choose the math topic your students are working on.  A list of books with links to Amazon is at the ready.  The site is being updated regularly so new books pop into the different categories on occasion.  Isn’t it great to stumble on a new jem-of-a-book that you can use in your classroom? I love teaching through story, and Living Math Book List makes it easy to bring stories into your math class.  Including books in math gives students who struggle with math concepts a new vantage point and understanding.  It makes math meaningful by showing students why they learn the math concepts they do and how math really is all around us.  You have to love that!  Topics include: addition, angles, area, calendars, capacity, combinations, comparisons, counting, skip counting, data collection, division, doubling numbers, equal sets, equations, estimation, even/odd, fractions, graphing, making predictions, matching, measurement, metrics, money, multiplication, negative numbers, opposites, ordinal numbers, patterns, percentages, perimeter, place value, positional words, probability, problem solving, proportions, ratio, reading a schedule, regrouping, rounding, sequences, shapes, sizes, sorting, subtraction, symmetry, time, and weight.  So yeah, something for everyone!
How to integrate Living Math Book List into the classroom:  As I said, I am a big fan of reading and books.  Any time you can tie learning back to story is a win in my book.  Use the books you find on Living Math Book List to introduce new concepts, to enrich students interaction with a concept, as a launching point for writing their own math-related fiction, or just to expose students to a new way of thinking about the math they are learning.  The books make a great classroom read-aloud or can be used as a math center during a unit.
At Anastasis Academy, we made sure to have plenty of these types of math books available to students during silent reading.  They really enjoy reading them with a partner and pointing out the math concepts they recognize along the way.

Tips: Embed the link to Living Math Book List on your class website or blog, this will make it easy for you, and your students, to find math-related books any time.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Living Book List in  your classroom!

Cyberchase

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Cyberchase2686 views

What it is: Cyberchase is a website aimed at teaching kids that math is everywhere, that everyone can be good at it, and that math can be fun. The Cyberchase website is based on the PBS TV show, teachers can view episode guides, video clips, and character descriptions. The website has two main sections for math enhancement, games and quests. Games include interactive math games and puzzles. Quests are interactive games that allow students to create their own cyber characters and go on cyber quests. Math topics include measurement, patterns, deductive reasoning, saving, spending, budgeting, making hard problems easier, growth by doubling, inverse operations, decimals, negative numbers, combinations, place value, elapsed time, angle measurement, linear measurement, timekeeping, area, volume, bar graphs, equivalent fractions, fractions, data clusters, probability, algebraic thinking, perimeter/area relationship, patterns in music, scale and size, patterns, codes, functions, estimation, counter examples, logic, point of view, using models, 2d and 3d geometry, navigation, symmetry, navigation, proportional thinking, circles, and percents.

How to integrate Cyberchase into the classroom: Cyberchase is an incredible website! With the number of math topics, there is a game to fit every curriculum. The games are fun, interactive and teach critical thinking skills. Students experience math when they use the games and quests. This site really makes math come alive! Use this site to introduce new math concepts (students probably won’t realize that they have learned a new math concept until you dissect it for them afterwards!) The site would also be great to reinforce math concepts that have already be learned. The games and quests make an excellent practice field. Games could be used with the whole class and a projector cart (be ready for a lot of volunteers on this one!) Or individually as a math center or all at once in the computer lab setting.

Tips: Visit the Cyberchase teachers page for lesson plans using the Cyberchase games. This is an outstanding math resource! Even your most resistant math students will love this site!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Cyberchase in your
classroom.