After spending 8 years in the classroom teaching Middle School & High School Math, I am currently working from home designing resources for teachers. I love creating fun, interactive learning materials that promote understanding and engagement!
After spending 8 years in the classroom teaching Middle School & High School Math, I am currently working from home designing resources for teachers. I love creating fun, interactive learning materials that promote understanding and engagement!
Easy to use combine like terms graphic organizer for notes on vocabulary and guided practice. Teaches students how to identify and color code terms. Great to use with colored pencils, markers or highlighters!
Includes a Combine Like Terms with Distributive Property option!
Easy to use, VISUAL graphic organizer for notes on number line integer addition and subtraction. A great way to introduce integer addition and subtraction!
Perfect for folding and gluing into students’ interactive notebooks. Great to use with colored pencils, markers or highlighters!
Write equations in Point Slope Form with this fun color-by-code activity. Students complete each problem, choose the solution and use the color listed to fill in squares on the grid to reveal the mystery picture! Includes both fall and winter penguin themes!
Includes the following skills:
Writing equations given slope & a point, slope & the y-intercept, or 2 points
Rearrange equations to find the slope & y-intercept
Write equations given a graph
Low prep and great for self-check! Perfect for math stations, classwork, homework, or sub plans.
Two pages of integer operations practice and coloring fun! Add, subtract, multiply and divide integers with this engaging color-by-code activity. Students complete each problem, choose the solution and use the color listed to fill in squares on the grid to reveal the mystery picture! Includes hamburger and ice cream pictures!
Instructions:
Each color section has two columns. For easy self-check, every solution in the left column has a matching solution in the right column. Students will locate their solutions on the grid and color those squares with the correct color to reveal a mystery picture! Note: Not all squares will be colored!
Low prep and great for self-check! Perfect for math stations, classwork, homework, or sub plans.
Partners will write linear equations in slope intercept and point slope form, completing different problems with matching answers. Great for getting students talking and working together!
Contents:
Partner A worksheet (10 problems)
Partner B worksheet (10 problems)
Answer key
How To:
Partner A will write an equation given a table, graph, 2 points or a word problem. Partner B will solve a problem given different information with the same solution. The partners then compare their work. Matching solutions means continue onward! If the answers do not match, partners trade papers and look over each other’s work for mistakes.
Great for taking notes or a review on properties of exponents. Includes multiplication, power to a power, division, zero and negative exponent properties.
Has examples with numbers, variables, and variables with coefficients for each of the properties. Key included.
Identify direct and inverse variation with this fun color-by-code activity. Students complete each problem, choose the solution and use the color listed to fill in squares on the grid to reveal the cute mystery picture!
Skills:
Students will identify direct or inverse variations from equations, tables, graphs and word problems, find constants and write equations.
Low prep and great for self-check! Perfect for math stations, classwork, homework, or sub plans.
Colorful posters with math standards in fun fonts. Title poster along with 8 posters, each featuring one CC Math Practice Standard. In color with B&W option as well.
I find that having these on the wall is a great way to inform and remind students of the big ideas behind learning mathematics- great conversation piece for middle school or high school students!
The eight Standards for Mathematical Practice are:
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
Model with mathematics
Use appropriate tools strategically
Attend to precision
Look for and make use of structure
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Related Products:
13 Inspiring Quotes for the Math Classroom
Problem Solving Posters
Solve systems of linear equations using a graphing calculator. Use this handout as a tool for full class instruction or a group investigation. Learn about entering equations, graphing equations, using the trace and zoom functions and verifying results on the calculator’s table. Includes reflection questions and practice problems with answer key.
Write and solve proportions with this cute color by code activity. Students complete each problem, choose the solution and use the color listed to fill in squares on the grid to reveal the mystery picture!
Includes the following skills:
Solve proportions
Rounding to the nearest tenth and hundredth
Write & solve proportions from percent questions
Write & solve proportions from word problems
Low prep and great for self-check! Perfect for classwork, homework, or even a quick informal assessment. Cat theme works great for Halloween or everyday coloring fun!
Partners will simplify expressions by distributing and combining like terms, working on different problems with matching answers. Great for getting students talking and working together!
Contents:
Partner A worksheet (10 problems)
Partner B worksheet (10 problems)
Answer key
How To:
Partner A will simplify an expression by combining like terms. Partner B will solve a different problem that simplifies to the same solution. The partners then compare their work. If the answers match, they continue on. If the answers do not match, they trade papers and look over each other’s work for mistakes.
Great for decorating your classroom at the beginning of the year!
Sample Quotes:
“Go down deep enough into anything and you will find MATHEMATICS.” ~Dean Schlicter
“The only way to learn mathematics is to DO MATHEMATICS.” ~Paul Halmos
“Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.” ~Stefan Banach
“It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a POET in soul.” ~Sofia Kolvalevskaya
“Math is the language of the universe. So the more equations you know, the more you can converse with the cosmos.” ~Neil deGrasse Tyson
Math interactive notebook cover that includes the 8 Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practices:
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Includes two about me pages: “About the Mathematician” and “Numbers About Me.”
Great for setting up your interactive notebooks at the beginning of the year! I have students glue the cover page to the outside of their notebook and one of the “About…” pages on the first open page.
Having the Common Core Math Practice Standards on the front on the front of students’ notebooks is a great everyday conversation piece!!
Great application problem showing real world situation modeled by a system of inequalities!
Topics:
A) Step-by-step break down for defining variables
B) Writing inequalities in standard form and rewriting in intercept form
C) Graphing and shading
D) Identifying the meaning of the solution region
Great for introducing inequalities, review or homework. Key included.
Related Products:
Systems of Equations Word Problems
Systems of Equations w/ Word Problems Task Cards
Solve Systems with a Graphing Calculator
Engaging Easter egg themed task card activity for practicing converting Standard Form to Slope Intercept Form and vice versa!
Contents:
10 cards on converting equations between Standard and Slope Intercept forms
Student handout with space to show work & record solutions
Answer Key
Student Instructions:
Convert each equation according to the directions on the card. Shade the egg that represents the correct answer choice.
Classroom Use:
Small Group:
Each group gets a set of task cards and each student gets a handout to record their answers on. Give students time to solve each problem. It can be fun to assign each group one or two problems that they are in charge of explaining to the class after completing the activity.
Around the Room Activity:
Post task cards around the room and give each student a handout. Give students time to circulate in small groups to solve the problems. When using this method it can be helpful to assign each group a starting number to ensure that groups begin the activity at different task cards.
Whiteboard Games:
One of my favorite ways to do this activity is as a small group competition with whiteboards. In this case, no handout is needed. I show a task card under the projector and give a time limit. Every student (or pair of students– sometimes it works better for them to share one board per two people) in the group has to have the correct work and solution to score a point for their group. The group with the most points at the end wins.
Three fun pages! Multiply, divide and multiply/divide integers with this fun color-by-code activity. Students complete each problem, choose the solution and use the color listed to fill in squares on the grid to reveal the mystery picture! Includes sun, cherry and cupcakes pictures!
Instructions:
Each color section has two columns. For easy self-check, every solution in the left column has a matching solution in the right column. Students will locate their solutions on the grid and color those squares with the correct color to reveal a mystery picture! Note: Not all squares will be colored!
Low prep and great for self-check! Perfect for math stations, classwork, homework, or sub plans.
5 great math-focused back to school activities for getting to know your students, and for them to get to know each other!
Math Scavenger Hunt- hunt for students who know the answers to middle school math questions (answer key is included so that you can go over the math facts when the time runs out).
Partner Interviews- a great way for students to get to know each other. I have students choose 2 or 3 interesting things they learned about their partners and have them introduce the other person to the class.
60 Second Challenge- fun challenges that students do in pairs! Have one student help by timing and counting, while the other student completes the challenge and vice versa.
My Mathography- student choose numbers that best describe them and make illustrations about these numbers to create a numbers autobiography page.
Numbers in the Room- students search for others with specific numbers (like the same birth month) in the room to get to know each other.
Small group fun with Ratio and Proportions Board Game based on the popular board game SORRY!
A fun and engaging way to review or practice ratio and proportions for middle school students!
Game intended for 2-4 players plus one student answer checker. Great for stations and small group activities. Whiteboards or scratch paper recommended. Clock or minute time needed.
How to Play:
Students cut out cards and player pieces. Since part of the game play is based on color, if you print out in black and white, have students color the board and player pieces based on a color example before play begins.
Groups decide who is the answer checker. This person is in charge of time limits and checking answers.
Player pieces begin on ‘start.’ The youngest player goes first. This player draws a card, reads it and has 1 or 2 minutes to find the solution.
If the player has the correct solution in time, then follow the directions on the card and move that number of spaces.
If a game piece lands on the beginning of a slide, the student must slide to the end, except when they are on their own color.
Two game pieces cannot occupy the same space at the same time. If a player slides, or lands on the same space as an opponent’s game piece, the player bumps the other player back to start. If a player slides, or lands on the same space as their OWN game piece, then they do not get to move.
The first person to get both pieces home wins!
Topics covered:
Rates
Ratios
Equivalent Ratios
Proportions
Word Problems
Be sure to check out my Expressions & Equations Board Game too!
An excellent and fun way to practice or review Order of Operations for middle school students. With negative and positive numbers, parenthesis, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and exponents.
Includes: 16 cards to hang around the room, starting number cards, student recording sheet and answer key
How to:
Cut out and hang cards around the room. The top numbers on each card are the ANSWERS to the previous problems.
Assign small groups a starting answer to find first (you can do this verbally or you can cut out and hand each group a “Starting Point Number” from the sheet at the end of this packet).
Students search for their assigned number and then solve the problem below that number on the card, which leads them on a hunt to find their next problem.
The solution to the LAST problem leads to the number that they started with!
Small Group Option: Make a set of order of operations cards for each group. Give every group the same starting number and have groups arrange the problems in the correct order, filling in their scavenger hunt worksheets as they go.
Word problem focused task cards are great for practicing writing and solving systems of equations!
Contents:
10 total problems, including 6 word problems
Student worksheet
Answer key
Small Group:
Each group gets a set of task cards and each student gets a handout to record their answers on. Give students time to solve each problem. It can be fun to assign each group one or two problems that they are in charge of explaining to the class after completing the activity.
Around the Room Activity:
Post task cards around the room and give each student a handout. Give students time to circulate in small groups to solve the problems. When using this method it can be helpful to assign each group a starting number to ensure that groups begin the activity at different task cards.
Whiteboard Games:
One of my favorite ways to do this activity is as a small group competition with whiteboards. In this case, no handout is needed. I show a task card under the projector and give a time limit. Every student (or pair of students– sometimes it works better for them to share one board per two people) in the group has to have the correct work and solution to score a point for their group. The group with the most points at the end wins.