Sunday 5 April 2015

Introducing the Secondary Mathletes!

Ever notice that the internet is flooded with elementary math ideas, but that finding quality secondary materials is virtually impossible.... LOOK NO FURTHER! I'd love to introduce you to the

Secondary Mathletes! mathlete image 9

livelovemath

Live.Love.Math - Danielle Krantz
Grades 5 - 9
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

lindsay perro
Lindsay Perro
Grades 6 - 9
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

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MissMathDork - Jamie Riggs
Grades 4 - Algebra I
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

Nautical Blog Button
Lessons With Coffee - Jameson Ivey
Grades 5 - 8
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

4mulaFun_Logo
4mulaFun - Jennifer Smith-Sloane
Grades 4 - 9
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

gina
All Things Algebra - Gina Wilson
Grades 6 - 11
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

secondary math workshop
Secondary Math Shop
Grades 8 - 12
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

to the square inch
To the Square Inch - Kate Bing Coners
Grades 4 - 9
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook
 
hart
Teaching Math By Hart
Grades 5 - 8
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

teaching high school math
Teaching High School Math - Jennifer Lamb
Grades 6 - 12
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook  

hodges  
Hodges Herald - Elizabeth Hodges
Grades 5 - 8
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

21st century
21st Century Math Projects - Clint Clark
Grades 6 - 12
TpT Store
Blog

scaffolded science and math
Scaffolded Math and Science - Shana Donohue
Grades 8 - 11
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

for the love of teaching math
For the Love of Teaching Math - Andrea Kerr
Grades 6 - 12
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

rundes room
Runde's Room - Jennifer Runde
TpT Store
Blog
Facebook

math station central
Math Stations Central - Adrienne Meldrum
TpT Store  

While you are out looking at some new Mathletes in your grade level (and hopefully adding some great things to your wishlist), what are you looking for in resources? How can we help your further your teaching at the secondary level? We'd love to here from you HERE!

Thursday 2 April 2015

Bionic Teacher

What happens when hundreds of wonderful TpT sellers decide that a fellow teacher is in need?

A MASSIVE fundraiser happens! That's what!

We call it Teachers Helping Teachers, and it came about after TpT teacher-authors heard the story of Diana Salmon, a New York teacher who lost a leg in a tragic hit and run accident.

Diana is an inspiration to all who know her, sending a message of strength and resilience by returning to the classroom just months after the accident.

Unfortunately, the extensive injuries Diana sustained require an expensive bionic knee for her to be at her dynamic best. This is where Teachers Helping Teachers comes in.

Diana's fundraising store, Bionic Teacher, is now the home of TEN limited edition resource bundles promising HUGE savings to all who purchase one. There is a bundle for everyone, and they all contain the most amazing products from top sellers! Best yet, 100% of the profits go to Diana's fund!

Visit Bionic Teacher, download the freebie for Diana's Story, and take a look at the bundles. You will be happy you did!


I have included my Number Puzzles in the Grade 6-9 Math bundle!

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Reading in Math - Book 3

Here is another book I love to read to my students in math class.

* Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links*




 “One Grain of Rice” by Demi.

The theme of this particular book is best used when teaching about doubling (lower grades) or exponents (higher grades).

Quick Summary – Rani convinces the king to give her 1 grain of rice, and double it every day for 30 days.

            Before reading the story, I pose the following question to the students, “Would you rather receive $1 000 000 today, or receive one penny today and double it every day for 30 days?” I tell the students they only have 10 seconds to decide, and they need to write down their answer and explain why. I usually ask for a show of hands, to see who chose what amount.
           
         As I begin reading the story, the students don’t make a connection between the question and the story until Rani is presented with a single grain of rice. This is where I stop reading. I then ask them to make some predictions; how many grains of rice do they think Rani will receive on the 30th day and how many grains of rice will Rani have received altogether over the whole 30 days? Again, don’t give them too much time, because I guarantee you some students are going to try and do the math in their heads to figure it out! I ask a few students for their predictions, and they usually vary by quite a lot.
            Before I continue reading, I get my students to draw a 5 x 6 chart and label each box Day 1 – Day 30. I tell them to fill in the chart as I read. Not all the days are mentioned in the story, so I tell them not to worry and we will go back and fill them all in later. Some students will insist on filling it in on their own, but it doesn't take long for them to notice that the numbers get quite big, really fast!



            Once the story is finished there is a chart in the back to help you fill in the missing days. Students are always amazed with how big the number is on the 30th day, but I remind them that we still need to figure out how many grains of rice Rani received in total, over the whole month.
I have them record, under their predictions, the actual amounts. Then ask them if they would change their initial choice of taking the $1 000 000, or the penny doubled, every day for 30 days. Obviously, they will take the penny doubled every day for 30 days, as it is equivalent to $10 737 418.23! The students who chose the penny would get over 10 million, that’s over 10 times more money!
I then tell them to go home and see if they can convince their parents to pay them their allowance that way!

            Interested in incorporating more reading in your math class?  Check out my “Math Stories” Collection.