Happy Monday! Today is the last Monday of the semester, so that makes it an especially happy Monday! Today I find myself giving and grading semester tests, doing notebook checks, and looking forward to spending the evening with my husband at an OKC Thunder Game tonight. As a perk for being a finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year earlier in the year, I have been named the “Teacher of the Game” for the game tonight. We get to watch the game from courtside seats with free food plus I get some prizes and a $75 gift card to take home for classroom supplies.
My husband and I have never been to a professional basketball game before, so this will be a new experience for both of us. I can’t exactly share my Thunder experience with you, but I can share this week’s “Must Reads.” (Almost) Every Monday, I share the links that caught my eye the previous week on my blog.
Illustrating Systems with Monopoly Money
Tallin Lamonaca shares a great visual for solving systems by substitution using monopoly money and monopoly game pieces.
Christmas Tree of Learning
Looking for a great Christmas review idea? McLaren History shares an idea that produces a cute room decoration. Have students answer questions on green paper and use the answers to build a tree. I love that this task can be used for ANY subject!
Cops and Robbers Recall Strategy
Mrs PB offers up an idea to encourage students to practice recall. Students are given a paper with two columns, cops and robbers. In the cops column, students write down everything they remember about the topic. After students share the facts they remember, students write down the things they didn’t recall but other students shared in the robbers column. This would make a great review at the end of a unit.
Statistical Research Posters
I love how Hannah Oldham has her students do not only statistical research but share their findings in a visual manner.
Christmas Ornament Project
Need more proof that Hannah Oldham‘s twitter account is a must-follow? Check out this project where students predicted the spread of a virus and created an ornament to represent how many days they each survived.
Rubik’s Set Cube
I learned to love the Game of Set at a local math teachers’ circle event. So, I was super excited to see that Ed Southall attempt to build a Rubik’s Set Cube. How cool is this?!?
Christmas Number Picking Puzzle
Chris Smith‘s maths newsletter is a must-read. If you haven’t subscribed yet, what are you waiting for? (Subscribe for free by emailing aap03102@gmail.com!) You are missing interesting puzzles each week like this week’s Christmas-themed puzzle.
Copper Plated Ornaments
Liz Gosky makes me wish that I taught chemistry in a proper lab setting. These copper plated ornaments are gorgeous!
A Million Dollar Task
Sue Choi poses an interesting task: can a million dollars fit in a copy box?
Algebra Geniuses
Lori Doering shares a photo of the way the teachers in her building are working on students’ mindset. I wish all of my students saw themselves as “Algebra Geniuses.”
Converse of Pythagorean Theorem Maze
Jae Ess created a wonderful maze to give students practice with the converse of the pythagorean theorem. I love the method of having students show their work, as well!
Calculus Ornament Project
Kim Spek is getting her calculus students in the Christmas spirit with a volume of revolution ornament creation activity.
Turkeys in the Field Latin Square Puzzle
I know that Thanksgiving is 11+ months away now, but I can’t help but share Ms. Rawding‘s Turkeys in the Field activity that involves having students create a latin square puzzle.
Correlation Clothesline Activity
Daniel Kaufmann combines clothesline math with statistics. I’m looking forward to using these correlation cards later in the year!
Christmas Fraction Puzzle
DCDSB Math‘s Twitter account is a must-see if you are looking for Christmas related math tasks for your classroom! Check out a few of my favorites:
Santa Outfit Problem
Christmas Ornament Systems of Equations Puzzle
Candy Cane Math Problem
Christmas Tree Fraction Puzzle
Christmas Tree Triangles Puzzle
Here’s the same photo but with a different question:
Christmas Word Puzzle
Connecting Christmas Pictures Puzzle
Red Bull Volume Task
Isobel Mort shares a great real-life application task involving geometry and Red Bull. I think it would be interesting to give students a selection of cans and have them order them based on perceived wastage. Then, they could calculate the wasted package for each and compare to their predictions.
Jingle Bell Rock Data Collection Contest
Mr. Bayle shares a fun, festive activity. Can you count how many times the words Jingle, Bell, and Rock show up in the song Jingle Bell Rock?
Folding Paper to Reach the Moon
When I used to teach Algebra 2, I would engage my students in the question of how many times would you have to fold a piece of paper to reach the moon. Alex Overwijk takes this idea a step further by actually illustrating the process.
Geometric Shape Posters and Printables
TheChalkface shares some amazing posters/printables for summaries of six different geometric shapes. You can download them for free here.
Write Your Own Math Date
I have always written the date on the dry erase board as a math problem. But, Lauren Wexler takes this idea even further by having each student write their own math date!
Polygon Pile Up
Jon Orr shares a great polygon pile up task. If I ever teach geometry, I will definitely be using this idea. You can get more details here.
Until next week, keep sharing!
