3-Digit Subtraction Or Addition Practice!

This activity is great for hands on practice for 2nd and 3rd graders struggling with 3 digit subtraction or addition w/ regrouping!

I split my "class" into 2 groups.  2 students vs. 2 students.  They rolled their set of dice.  Set up their problem.  I had to check (at the beginning- they ended up catching on) before they subtracted to ensure the larger number was on top- to avoid any negative numbers. :)  The groups would find the difference (or sum depending on what you are practicing).  Whichever group had the largest answer won the round!  I loved watching the teams catch on to put the biggest number on top and the lowest possible number on the bottom so they can get the largest possible difference.  So fun to see the light bulb go off in their little minds. :)

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This activity is great for hands on practice for 2nd and 3rd graders struggling with 3 digit subtraction or addition w/ regrouping!

I split my "class" into 2 groups.  2 students vs. 2 students.  They rolled their set of dice.  Set up their problem.  I had to check (at the beginning- they ended up catching on) before they subtracted to ensure the larger number was on top- to avoid any negative numbers. :)  The groups would find the difference (or sum depending on what you are practicing).  Whichever group had the largest answer won the round!  I loved watching the teams catch on to put the biggest number on top and the lowest possible number on the bottom so they can get the largest possible difference.  So fun to see the light bulb go off in their little minds. :)

Distributive Property Hands On Activity

Great hands on activity for 6th - 8th graders struggling or just learning the Distributive Property.  I like to tell my students that a fun way to remember Distributive Property is that the parenthesis are like a bowl and the term in front is going to be "double dipped" (or "triple dipped" depending on how many terms are inside the parenthesis) into the bowl.  I always have them circle the term in front including the sign so it's easier for them to remember it when distributing. 

Materials Needed:

Half Sheet of Paper (write boxes and parenthesis as pictured)

3 dice (I put in one red one for the older kids to represent a negative number)

Whiteboard or paper and pencil

Students roll the dice and place the dice in the boxes

(if they are using a red dice for negative numbers, then just put it in either of the first 2 boxes)

Students write the problem formed when the roll the dice and solve!

My summer class of 7th graders wanted to make a competition of it.  So, we set a timer to see who could solve the most distributive property problems correctly the fastest.  It was funny to watch them catch on that when they rolled a 1 they would put it in the first box so they didn't have to distribute or "double dip" like I call it. :)

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Great hands on activity for 6th - 8th graders struggling or just learning the Distributive Property.  I like to tell my students that a fun way to remember Distributive Property is that the parenthesis are like a bowl and the term in front is going to be "double dipped" (or "triple dipped" depending on how many terms are inside the parenthesis) into the bowl.  I always have them circle the term in front including the sign so it's easier for them to remember it when distributing. 

Materials Needed:

Half Sheet of Paper (write boxes and parenthesis as pictured)

3 dice (I put in one red one for the older kids to represent a negative number)

Whiteboard or paper and pencil

Students roll the dice and place the dice in the boxes

(if they are using a red dice for negative numbers, then just put it in either of the first 2 boxes)

Students write the problem formed when the roll the dice and solve!

My summer class of 7th graders wanted to make a competition of it.  So, we set a timer to see who could solve the most distributive property problems correctly the fastest.  It was funny to watch them catch on that when they rolled a 1 they would put it in the first box so they didn't have to distribute or "double dip" like I call it. :)

Teaching Positive and Negative Integers

Teaching how to find the sum of positive and negative integers can be a tough concept for students to understand.  So, here is a method I used when teaching Jr. High Math that worked. This was a great visual to set the foundation of the rules of adding & subtracting integers.  Most teachers will just have their students memorize the rules, but this method allows students to see WHY the answer is positive or negative.

Some phrases I use all the time when teaching this is:

"If the signs are DIFFERENT, find the DIFFERENCE!.... taking the sign of the bigger number"

"If the signs are the SAME, you find out how many negative/positives you have ALL TOGETHER by adding them"

Here is a game that can be used to review/teach integers:

Materials Needed:

Different colored dice

Optional Double-Sided Counters

Cards labeled with numbers -5 through 5.

Copy of "Lucky Numbers" page. 

(click to enlarge)

From The Teacher's Mailbox book "Sensational Centers"

This game is originally to roll the dice and practice adding numbers.  I changed it to be used for both positive and negative integers.

You can make your own easily or just have them use a piece of paper.

and small whiteboards.

HOW TO PLAY:

Put these cards face down in a pile.  Each player takes a turn drawing three cards from the pile and writes them in the lucky numbers boxes on the top of their paper.  These are their lucky numbers.

Then, each player get a set of dice: one red, one white.

The red die represents negative numbers

The white die represents positive numbers

The players can write their numbers on a whiteboard

Next, using the counters you can make a model to represent the problem.

One red counter under the negative one.  Five white counters under the positive 5.

Then, you match up the positive and negative counters to see what's left.

"Opposites attract right?" :)

Then, after you match them up you see what's left.  Four positives!  That's your answer.

If the kids are seeing that as a plus five instead of a positive five, have them put a circle around the negative one and another circle around the positive five to establish that they are two separate integers: -1 and +5.

Kids then record this on their paper.  Is +4 one of their lucky three cards they drew earlier?  You write YES or NO in the box. 

 Now for another example

You rolled a -6 and +2.

Put your counters.

Match up the positive and negatives.

What's left?

4 negatives.

Answer is -4.

 Don't have double sided counters?  No problem.

Just do this instead:

My students loved  playing this game and using this visual method to help form a foundation of understanding   how to find the difference between positive and negative integers.

**Side note:  If you use this method and you have two negative integers, for example: a -5 and -4.  You would have all red counters or negatives drawn.  There aren't any positive or white counters to match them to.  So you combine all the red counters (or negatives) to find out how many you have all together. So you have 9 negatives so the answer is -9.**

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Teaching how to find the sum of positive and negative integers can be a tough concept for students to understand.  So, here is a method I used when teaching Jr. High Math that worked. This was a great visual to set the foundation of the rules of adding & subtracting integers.  Most teachers will just have their students memorize the rules, but this method allows students to see WHY the answer is positive or negative.

Some phrases I use all the time when teaching this is:

"If the signs are DIFFERENT, find the DIFFERENCE!.... taking the sign of the bigger number"

"If the signs are the SAME, you find out how many negative/positives you have ALL TOGETHER by adding them"

Here is a game that can be used to review/teach integers:

Materials Needed:

Different colored dice

Optional Double-Sided Counters

Cards labeled with numbers -5 through 5.

Copy of "Lucky Numbers" page. 

(click to enlarge)

From The Teacher's Mailbox book "Sensational Centers"

This game is originally to roll the dice and practice adding numbers.  I changed it to be used for both positive and negative integers.

You can make your own easily or just have them use a piece of paper.

and small whiteboards.

HOW TO PLAY:

Put these cards face down in a pile.  Each player takes a turn drawing three cards from the pile and writes them in the lucky numbers boxes on the top of their paper.  These are their lucky numbers.

Then, each player get a set of dice: one red, one white.

The red die represents negative numbers

The white die represents positive numbers

The players can write their numbers on a whiteboard

Next, using the counters you can make a model to represent the problem.

One red counter under the negative one.  Five white counters under the positive 5.

Then, you match up the positive and negative counters to see what's left.

"Opposites attract right?" :)

Then, after you match them up you see what's left.  Four positives!  That's your answer.

If the kids are seeing that as a plus five instead of a positive five, have them put a circle around the negative one and another circle around the positive five to establish that they are two separate integers: -1 and +5.

Kids then record this on their paper.  Is +4 one of their lucky three cards they drew earlier?  You write YES or NO in the box. 

 Now for another example

You rolled a -6 and +2.

Put your counters.

Match up the positive and negatives.

What's left?

4 negatives.

Answer is -4.

 Don't have double sided counters?  No problem.

Just do this instead:

My students loved  playing this game and using this visual method to help form a foundation of understanding   how to find the difference between positive and negative integers.

**Side note:  If you use this method and you have two negative integers, for example: a -5 and -4.  You would have all red counters or negatives drawn.  There aren't any positive or white counters to match them to.  So you combine all the red counters (or negatives) to find out how many you have all together. So you have 9 negatives so the answer is -9.**

Money! Money! Money!

Money!  Money!  Money!

Whenever I get ready to teach a lesson on money I always think of Dr. Jean's Preschool Song: "I like money, to buy things at the store.  Money, Money, Money, I always want more.  A penny's worth one cent, a nickel's worth...."  If you haven't heard this song.  Look it up. :)  It will get stuck in your head.

I started teaching math prep/tutoring classes this summer.  This two week session I had 8th grade, 3rd grade, and 7th graders.  Here are some activities I have done with my 3rd grade class this session:

Drawing out word problems

 High, Low, Three Game:

Kids pick three cards off the top of the deck.  Put them in the hundreds, tens, and ones place on their place value mats.  They then need to move the numbers to make the highest number possible and lowest number possible.  They can do this as individual work.  Or you can have them play each other.  Whoever can make the highest number gets a point.  Then, the next round, whoever can make the lowest number gets a point. etc...

I'll try to scan this worksheet in for you.

 Money, Money, Money!

I made this worksheet with a shopping cart on it and space to glue the coins.

You can print the coins sheet here.

I just cut out items from the weekly ads.

They drew 4 of them out of a bag.  Glued them in their carts and had to glue the money they would use.

Kids had fun with it.

Then, I pulled stuff out of my pantry and put price tags on them.  Really... I have healthier food then this.  I just knew the kids would like this stuff. :)  They came to check out with me as the cashier at a toy register.  I had them add up the totals with me.   Then, we checked out and they gave me the "money" from their bag.

Kids love this.  Never gets old. :)

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Money!  Money!  Money!

Whenever I get ready to teach a lesson on money I always think of Dr. Jean's Preschool Song: "I like money, to buy things at the store.  Money, Money, Money, I always want more.  A penny's worth one cent, a nickel's worth...."  If you haven't heard this song.  Look it up. :)  It will get stuck in your head.

I started teaching math prep/tutoring classes this summer.  This two week session I had 8th grade, 3rd grade, and 7th graders.  Here are some activities I have done with my 3rd grade class this session:

Drawing out word problems

 High, Low, Three Game:

Kids pick three cards off the top of the deck.  Put them in the hundreds, tens, and ones place on their place value mats.  They then need to move the numbers to make the highest number possible and lowest number possible.  They can do this as individual work.  Or you can have them play each other.  Whoever can make the highest number gets a point.  Then, the next round, whoever can make the lowest number gets a point. etc...

I'll try to scan this worksheet in for you.

 Money, Money, Money!

I made this worksheet with a shopping cart on it and space to glue the coins.

You can print the coins sheet here.

I just cut out items from the weekly ads.

They drew 4 of them out of a bag.  Glued them in their carts and had to glue the money they would use.

Kids had fun with it.

Then, I pulled stuff out of my pantry and put price tags on them.  Really... I have healthier food then this.  I just knew the kids would like this stuff. :)  They came to check out with me as the cashier at a toy register.  I had them add up the totals with me.   Then, we checked out and they gave me the "money" from their bag.

Kids love this.  Never gets old. :)

Math INBs

What is an INB?

INB stands for Interactive NoteBook

What are they?  They are just that.  An interactive notebook. :)

When I taught Jr. High we used these.  They were a huge success!  My students who don't normally take Math notes, took them!  I taught both Math and Reading.  So, my students had a Math INB and a Reading INB.  I would have my students set them up on the first few days of school.  4 pages of Table of Contents. And then they number the front and back of EVERY page.  Then, we are ready for the year.  I had a printout to glue on the cover.  If they decorated it, it was extra credit.  And then the students kept them in storage size baggie in their backpacks.  My experience with students using these is that they really take ownership of them and become quiet possessive of them.

In the Math INB, we would take notes.  We had a table of contents at the beginning.  So, every day before we began Math Notes, my students would go to the next available page in their notebook.  See what page number was next.  Then, they would go to the table of contents, put the page number, date, and note section {such as 9.4 Surface Area of a Square Pyramid etc...}

Then, when they were studying for a test or referring to their notes during homework it was EASY to find.  I would collect the student's Math INBs at the end of each Chapter and give them quick participation points if they had their math notes.  I rarely had any students not take notes because of these INBs.  

In the Reading INB, we would do their vocabulary, novel studies, etc....  Any worksheets I handed out were cut and glued into the INB {no lost papers!!}.  Glue sticks work best.  Don't recommend the bottle glue... huge mess and not a flat surface to write on.

And what an easy cost at the beginning of the the year.  A single subject notebook.  That's it.  

10 cents at Target.  Done.

 My favorite unit to teach in the INBs were the surface area and volume chapters.

My students loved gluing in the nets of these shapes and hands on folding the shapes as they try to configure the Surface Area.  How easy is it to tell the difference between the slant height and height of the square pyramid when you can actually see it!

Pin It Now!

What is an INB?

INB stands for Interactive NoteBook

What are they?  They are just that.  An interactive notebook. :)

When I taught Jr. High we used these.  They were a huge success!  My students who don't normally take Math notes, took them!  I taught both Math and Reading.  So, my students had a Math INB and a Reading INB.  I would have my students set them up on the first few days of school.  4 pages of Table of Contents. And then they number the front and back of EVERY page.  Then, we are ready for the year.  I had a printout to glue on the cover.  If they decorated it, it was extra credit.  And then the students kept them in storage size baggie in their backpacks.  My experience with students using these is that they really take ownership of them and become quiet possessive of them.

In the Math INB, we would take notes.  We had a table of contents at the beginning.  So, every day before we began Math Notes, my students would go to the next available page in their notebook.  See what page number was next.  Then, they would go to the table of contents, put the page number, date, and note section {such as 9.4 Surface Area of a Square Pyramid etc...}

Then, when they were studying for a test or referring to their notes during homework it was EASY to find.  I would collect the student's Math INBs at the end of each Chapter and give them quick participation points if they had their math notes.  I rarely had any students not take notes because of these INBs.  

In the Reading INB, we would do their vocabulary, novel studies, etc....  Any worksheets I handed out were cut and glued into the INB {no lost papers!!}.  Glue sticks work best.  Don't recommend the bottle glue... huge mess and not a flat surface to write on.

And what an easy cost at the beginning of the the year.  A single subject notebook.  That's it.  

10 cents at Target.  Done.

 My favorite unit to teach in the INBs were the surface area and volume chapters.

My students loved gluing in the nets of these shapes and hands on folding the shapes as they try to configure the Surface Area.  How easy is it to tell the difference between the slant height and height of the square pyramid when you can actually see it!