Category: Math

I partnered with 4 other teachers on Instagram to share a week’s worth of book recommendations specifically for math teachers! We have saved these on our highlights, so be sure to find each of us on Instagram for more details.

My reccomended number talks book for fractions, decimals, and percentages provides video examples for various grades through 6th grade, but we know students need practice with these problem types well beyond 6th grade. The problem types are perfect for my 7th graders. For those not familiar, number talks are a quick 5-15 minute mental math routine that you can incorproate in your classroom as a warm up or at the end of a lesson. (I personally prefer a warm up.) There are hand signals I used with my elementary students that can be found on Pinterest, but in middle school I mostly use the thumbs up in front of your chest when you have an answer. I love to make these a big deal with my students because in math it always seems we are asking them to show all their work, and for good reason. This is a mental excercise with no paper or pencil, so I try to hype it up.

The number talks have a specific progression, and problem types are grouped together for you- so it is very low prep! I keep a notebook and document students who share responses and what strategies they used. Having multiple classes, this also helps so I can show different classes various strategies. A huge takeaway from number talks is to have a mathematical conversation about various strategies, utilize number sense, and discuss reasonable answers. I utilized these 3 days a week when I taught 1st and 3rd grade, but in middle school with my quick 55 minute periods, I incorporate them as often as I can. This means that some classes may get more than others- I have some classes who start the period more urgently than others! (;

Please be sure to check out those highlights on my Instagram for an exclusive peek inside this book!

I was inspired by Math with Meaning, who was inspired by Middle School Macchiatos, for this amazing lesson! I started with the video below.

Once students watch the video, we discussed what we noticed. A student was quick to point out how he could have made the order easier by combining things that were the same, such as the fries.

So, I gave the students the script & challenged them to make the order easier! I got the script from Math With Meaning’s Blog Post. Once they analyzed the script, we had another discussion and I have included a photo of a sample.

This lead us into a combining like terms lesson. I started with some notes and a color by number to work in partners. Here was my favorite part! My students last year would always want to combine every term with the same variable. For example, if x was squared, they would combine it with any term that had an x. So today, we discussed how junior fries and fries were both fries, but different sizes so they couldn’t be put together. LIGHT BULBS went off! We color coded our work because that strategy has really helped in the past when it came to included signs with the terms.

Here is a link to the color activity we did. It is a perfect intro activity. Here are notes and quick checks for combining like terms as well that I use in my own classroom.

I hope if you teach combining like terms, you try this activity!

I used these Estimation Slides during quarantine virtually as well as this past school year in person! It was a perfect warm-up at the end of the year, but would also be a great activity to incorporate on a regular basis! I was inspired by @mathtothe6thpower on Instagram.

In person this past year, I used these as our bellringers at the end of the year. We did 3-4 a day. Students disucssed as a group and decided on an estimate. They were given one minute to discuss and put their final answer on a whiteboard.

When the timer went off, the group with the closest number without going over got a point. At the end of the slides that day, I entered each winning group for a drawing. Whoever was chosen in the drawing got a prize. (Tickets, candy, sticker, etc.) You can of course have students individually estimate as well.

You can grab a free copy of the slides here!

Please tag me on social media if you decide to use them- I would love to see it!

@brooklynsbrightest on Instagram

@brooklynsclass on Twitter

I have always loved task cards because they are such great practice, low prep, and easy to implement. But, my middle school students were not as engaged-or focused- with them as my elementary student were. (In elementary, we would do write the room- tape them around the room and it was magic!) So, here are a few simple twists you can add in to make them a little more exciting, and keep students focused on actually solving them and not getting distracted. (:

After passing out an answer document, I always start by choosing a few to complete together. I call this their head start. Then I set a timer for an allotted time. I personally tell my students if you do not finish all of the cards in the time frame, that is okay- but get as many completed as possible. Quality>Quantity.

After the timer is finished, we go over the answers. I use the app Popsicle Sticks (I use the paid version) to boost participation for answers. Students get one point for each correct answer, including the head start we did together.

At the end, students count how many they got correct. This is their number of ‘points’. I then pass out a 100 chart and students can mark off however many points they have. So if they got 14 task cards correct, they get to choose 14 numbers to mark off. This is a huge incentive for accuracy and engagement as they are solving the cards.

After students have marked off their numbners, I make them put their pencils down and hold the 100 chart in their hands. This ensures a fair game! I Google a random number generator for 1-100 and generate a number. If a student has that number marked off, they get a prize. (I usually do candy but you can choose your own reward of course.) I do three numbers personally. If it chooses a number that no student picked, I just don’t count that.

I also use this stragegy for group work. If you do not prefer for students to walk around the room solving task cards taped on the wall, place a few in a bag and do group rotations. YouTube has cute timers! When the timer goes off, rotate the bags. At the end of all the rotations, do the same process. Go over the answers and collect points, etc. The group can decide together what numbers to mark off , & the winning group gets the prize. If I do this method, I just have one winning group- the first group who has a number that is generated.

As I am currenlty teaching summer school, I added a new spin. I am letting students keep thier 100 chart and as we keep doing tihs over the course, they can add to their numbers. Just adding another incentive for getting questions right and collaborating. (: How do you like to add a spin on task cards? I would love to know!

Last year was the first time that I tried a math egg hunt and it was SO great that I have planned even more for this year! I just updated my own Egg Hunt product but this post will be beneficial for setting some ground rules so your classroom egg hunt is successful!

I got my eggs very cheap at Target but they can be found just about anywhere this time of year. I numbered the eggs 1-16 with a Sharpie as that is how many I wanted to personally hide. Each of my egg hunt products have numbers on each question through 16, so each question matches an egg. I fold the question inside & place the eggs around the room. I strategically place my students in pairs & they have a recording sheet to share.

Here are my rules. *Only ONE partner at a time goes to find an egg. They are to take turns. I give them a moment to decide who will get the first egg. *Then we talk about how we will not run around the room. *We also talk about not hiding these in impossible places, such as someone’s backpack. lol *I also remind them that time is of the essence– when they are finished solving the egg, they are to raise their hand for me to come check their work before they can move on. When they are checked off (I mark that question with a smiley face so we all know it is good to go) they know to quickly place the egg back & grab another.

The winning teams are chosen for a Minute to Win it Challenge. SOOOO this really motivates them to not play around hiding the egg because the more questions they get answer the better. Guys- I teach first grade and they do SO WELL with this. I am convinced if this group of 6-7 year olds can do it, so can yours!!

Now, once time is up (I set a timer for about 20 min.) the teams with the most solved eggs participate in a Minute to Win it. Sometimes I also pick a ‘hardest working team’ to also participate even if they didn’t have the most answered. This is a very popular choice among the kids too- it really gives an even playing field. Our two favorites are jelly beans and Oreos. For the jelly bean challenge, students take a straw and suck up jellybeans from the desk into a cup. (I model this.) The student with the most in the cup after one minute wins a medal– and their partner! DO NOT WORRY- the jelly bean cannot go up the straw!! They are too big to fit trust me. I have done this for years even when I taught 3rd! The Oreo challenge is to place an Oreo on your forehead and get it into your mouth with no hands. I pull up a video for this & show them how it works. There are many other Minute to Win it ideas you can try as well.

I have seen SO many ways to use Easter eggs in the classroom lately. If you have used them in your classroom, comment below. I would love to hear about it!