I found a scientific notation square puzzle activity (also known as a tarsia puzzle) online. I printed these out on different colors of paper and laminated them. The different colors of paper strategy is a trick I learned this summer at the OCTM conference. One of the speakers said that she prints activities …
Middle School Math
Looking for a fun and free scientific notation activity for your middle school classroom? These activities will provide your 7th and 8th grade students with plenty of engaging scientific notation practice.
Today, I want to share a set of scientific notation ordering cards I created to use as a sort of formative assessment to see what previous knowledge my students had about scientific notation and how they were progressing as we moved through our different notes and activities. I did not come up with the numbers …
To practice our scientific notation skills, we completed this scientific notation ranking task in our interactive notebooks. This problem is from the MARS Size It Up lesson. (I didn’t use the lesson – just the chart from page 13). Free Download
I created this scientific notation foldable for my physical science students to glue in their interactive notebooks. The focus of this foldable is on converting to and from scientific notation. Here’s what the inside looks like: Ignore the shiny tape. I got a bit excited and accidentally ripped my foldable! I really tried to set …
I created this scientific notation graphic organizer for my physical science students to glue in their interactive notebooks. I wanted to start class with a discussion of why scientific notation is useful and what it looks like. Free Download of Scientific Notation Graphic Organizer
One of the final tasks my physical science students did over scientific notation was this Giantburgers task from MARS. My physical science students found this task to be tricky because they really struggled to wrap their mind around what percent means. I guess it’s a good thing their teacher has a math degree! Free Download …
I want to share a free download of a set of place value posters I created for my math classroom. They were inspired by this place value pin that was uploaded by a pinterest user. I decided it needed to be recreated ASAP to go up in my classroom for the upcoming school year. …
Download a free printable order of operations poster set for your math classroom. Each section of the poster easily prints on colorful letter-sized paper to create an eye-catching display. One of the first decorations that I hung up in my high school math classroom after waiting an agonizing 10 days for the new wax to …
I created these parts of the coordinate plane magnets for my classroom, and I want to share the files with you so you can create your own set as well. I wanted to create a reminder for my students of the names of each axis of the coordinate plane as well as how the quadrants …
Grouping symbols are a difficult concept for math students to understand, so I created a free printable grouping symbols reference chart and poster for students to reference while in my algebra classroom. What are grouping symbols? Before students enter my math class, their familiarity with grouping symbols often only extends to parentheses. Elementary teachers often …
The most challenging/frustrating/satisfying part of my master’s program in curriculum and instruction was my action research project. We were asked to consider an issue we saw in our school and design a research project to investigate it. I chose to focus my research on the remediation of integer operations since it is an area where …
I teach three periods of Algebra 1, and these classes have really been struggling. So, I’ve been trying something new. I’m trying to spend one period per concept on notes and practice problems. I want to give my students exposure to different ways questions can be posed and show them how to correctly set up …
Want to know something exciting? I taught ratios and proportions in Algebra 1 without once mentioning cross multiplying. Two kids brought it up as an option, but I quickly told them that there was a way to do these problems without cross multiplication. Now, I learned to cross multiply in middle school and did just …
I created this graphing ordered pairs graphic organizer to review the coordinate plane with my algebra students. I actually ended up using it with both my Algebra 1 and my Algebra 2 students. In the future, I would like to make this into a booklet foldable and put practice problems inside. I would ask students …
My Algebra 2 classes were participants in my action research project over remediating integer operations. Based on what group students were randomly assigned to, they received a certain set of notes. Group 1: Group 2: This second group of students used a number line and bingo chip to work out the questions. Then, we took …
I used this kangaroo coordinate picture activity from Worksheet Works with my students for some much needed practice of graphing ordered pairs. Sadly, it appears that this worksheet is now behind a paywall. I ended up using this kangaroo coordinate picture with both my Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 students. I printed the worksheet two …
I created this fraction review foldable to review adding/subtracting fractions, multiplying fractions, and dividing fractions with my Algebra 2 students. After my recent post on practicing fraction operations with a question stack, several commenters asked how exactly I reviewed fractions with my students. I have done it several ways in the past. I used to …
Some times lessons go really well. Sometimes they totally flop. Today, I had both of those happen in Algebra 2. Now, they did happen in different class periods. Yesterday, we did a fast and furious review of fraction operations. I usually do this write before we jump into rational functions, but I’m including a review …
Guess what I’m posting today. Yup. Another poster. 😀 I won’t be allowed to start decorating my classroom until late next week, so I’ve been compensating by making new stuff to decorate it with. Back in January, Elissa posted her Dividing by Zero? posters that were inspired by this pin. I decided these had to …
I created this set of printable integer operations flash cards using a nifty flashcard making website I discovered last year. The site itself is sort of plain looking, but it makes great looking flash cards. Start by typing in your questions and answers. You can also import them, but I’ve never tried this. Once you’ve …
Today I’m sharing a free prime numbers poster to download. I have so many ideas of how I would teach things/do things if life was ideal. And, by ideal, I mean I could pause time occasionally and get 100% caught up with my to do list. I’m pretty sure I have no idea what …
Remember my giant shower curtain coordinate plane? I am just so ridiculously proud of this thing. I love it. I’ll be honest. Not all of my kids thought it was as cool as I did. A bunch of them had a “Ms. Hagan, really?” expression on their faces when I introduced it to the class. …
I want to share with you directions for creating my new favorite teaching tool – a shower curtain coordinate plane. Over Thanksgiving Break, I pulled out my copy of Teach Like A Pirate to help me infuse some creative ideas into this unit on relations and functions in Algebra 1. One of the questions you should …
I created this fly activity to introduce my students to the history of the coordinate plane and give them much-needed practice graphing ordered pairs. In college, I was always taught to begin my lesson plans with an anticipatory set. I always struggled with these. I couldn’t quite remember my teachers ever using them when I …