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The Slinky Paradigm: How One Science Teacher (Eventually) Created Another
“He made the material, and his students, feel important and, hey, when you’re talking about fundamental issues in the universe, it isn’t always easy to make an individual student feel significant. It was a gift he gave each of us.”
Wonder Years’ Actress Extols Wonders of Math
After endearing herself to TV viewers as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, actress Danica McKellar discovered her love and aptitude for mathematics. McKellar hopes her book, Math Doesn’t Suck, makes math more understandable for girls.
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Education World provides practical resources for math educators. Click the links below to find lesson
plans, articles about what excellent teachers are doing in their classrooms, and additional professional
development resources.
Math Lesson Plans
Math Articles
Teachers earned cash for submitting these classroom-tested lesons:
Math Lesson Plans
Have you seen our printable math puzzles? Each series includes 36 puzzles -- that's one a week for an
entire school year.
It All Adds Up Puzzles
Math Cross Puzzles
Cut and paste this
weekly Math@Home Activity into the parent newsletter you send home:
Math @ Home
Education World reviews Web sites to supplement your curriculum. Math teachers might be interested in
checking out the reviewed sites below.
Math Site Reviews
Search our databases below for more math lesson ideas and resources.
Math Database
National Math Standards
State Math Standards
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Math Heroes
How much richer an appreciation our students might have for mathematics as a living science if we share with them the budding of new ideas in math heroes past and present! It all begins with "I wonder…."
Growing a Summer Math Garden
Will the long summer yield a “math drought,” an occasional “math drizzle,” or a flourishing “garden” of math skills for your students? Activities to help their summer math garden grow.
Springtime Math
In springtime, you and your students might like to explore math in the great outdoors. Wendy Petti offers a number of creative ideas for teaching math outside the classroom.
Probability
Probability is a numerical measure of how likely an event is to happen. Probability is measured in fractions between 0 and 1. (0 is impossible; 1 is certain.) Sometimes, probability is represented as a percentage -- from 0 percent to 100 percent.
Linear Equations Game
Ms. Madhavi Dhande, who teaches at Sree Chaitanya Public School in Delhi, India, submitted this lesson, which provides a game where students pair up to solve linear equations for the value of a variable. (Grades 7-12)
Practical, Hands-On Financial Literacy Lessons
Managing money is not an innate skill, as the high rate of debt in the U.S. shows. Lessons on managing money should be part of a formal education, many believe. Programs like Hands on Banking give students practical lessons in handling their finances.
Kids Fill "Passports" With Practical Math
The success of previous reading nights prompted staff at one Wisconsin elementary school to design a similar math-focused event. Students’ math "passports" were stamped as they “traveled” from activity to activity, explained organizer Amy DeWall.
Mean, Mode, and Median
Mean, median, and mode are averages. Mean is the average of a group of numbers. Median is the middle number in a list of numbers that have been arranged in order. Mode is the number that occurs most frequently in a list of numbers arranged in order.
A Student-Led Math Family Fun Night: The Logistics
Wendy Petti provides a step-by-step guide to help you plan a student-led Math Family Fun Night at your school.
A Student-Led Math Family Fun Night: Learning from the Planning Process
Math Family Fun Night planned and led by students presents wonderful learning opportunities for students -- and teachers too!
A Math Toolbox in Every Home
As teachers, we know the value of hands-on exploration with math manipulatives in school. We can extend the sense of discovery and empowerment into our students’ homes by helping them assemble math toolboxes to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Ratio and Proportion
A ratio is a comparison of two numbers. A proportion is a statement (or equation) that says two ratios are equal. If one number in a proportion is not known, cross-multiplying can be used to find the unknown number.
Decimals
Decimals, like fractions, are a way of writing numbers that are larger or smaller than whole numbers. Decimals are represented by a symbol called a decimal point.
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
To add or subtract fractions with the same denominator (like fractions), add or subtract the numerators, and write the sum or difference over the denominator. To add or subtract fractions with different denominators, find a common denominator and rewrite the fractions as like fractions.
Regrouping
We group numbers to make them easier to work with. Most of the time, one group of 10 or one group of 100 is easier to work with than ten 1’s or one hundred 1’s. Sometimes, however, numbers are easier to work with if we arrange them into different groups.
Explain Rounding and Estimating
Decimals are a way of writing numbers that are larger or smaller than whole numbers.
Adding Up the Benefits of Financial Literacy
With so many Americans saving little and spending a lot, financial literacy is a critical skill. The Foundation of Investor Education offers multiple resources for teaching students about saving and investing, including the popular Stock Market Game.
Fantasy Game Helps Students "Pass" Math
Many youngsters crunch sports statistics, but never think of it as doing math. But a curriculum developed by a former
middle school math teacher that combines math with Fantasy Football is scoring big with students.
Online Math, Science Training for Teachers
Increasing the number of qualified math and science teachers in U.S. schools is a concern not just for school systems,
but for businesses as well. Now some companies have teamed up with the University of California-Irvine Extension to
improve teachers' skills.
Teacher of the Year Targets Education Inequities
Jason Kamras, the first National Teacher of the Year from Washington, D.C., wants people to know that urban children
want to learn - they just need the resources and support.
New Approach to Teaching Math, Science Spurs Gains
Instructing teachers to use computational math and science in their lessons has led to marked student improvement
in two New York districts. Dr. Osman Yasar, director of the institute that trains teachers in this approach, explains
why.
Just the Facts: Five Games for Teaching Math Facts
Practice! That's how most students learn their addition facts or times tables. Rote drill is a popular and proven
tool for learning math facts. But it's OK to lighten up and add some fun to math-facts learning. Included: Games to
engage students as they learn their facts.
Math Fun (Volume 3)
Celebrate Math Awareness Month with Education World's third volume of "Math Fun" lessons. These five activities can
be used to reinforce a variety of math skills. Included: Activities that teach critical thinking, math facts and computation,
decimals, more.
A Puzzle A Day Provides Practice That Pays
Puzzles exercise students' critical thinking skills while providing practice in many curriculum areas. Puzzles make
great "bellringer" activities. Introduce a puzzle a day: A puzzle a day provides practice that pays… Included: A year
of puzzles!
Plan a Pi Day Party for This March 14
Teachers in many classrooms are planning to celebrate P Day this month. Pi - the number 3.14… -- gets its own
special day on 3/14, or March 14. Ed World editors have gathered a collection of links to ideas and activities around
which you can plan your own Pi Party.
Math Night by the Numbers
Is it time for a "Math Night" at your school? Math Nights get students excited about math, familiarize parents with
the math curriculum, and encourage families to continue the fun of math at home. Included: Advice from organizers
of Math Nights.
It's About Time: Teaching Students to Tell Time
Telling time is a skill often relegated to when-the-teacher-finds-time status. But it is a skill as real-life and
essential addition. Included: Five fun lessons focused on teaching kids to tell time plus links to 20 more
lessons for teaching about time.
Reviving Reviews: Refreshing Ideas Students Can't Resist
Is review time a deadly bore for you and your students? Add a little fun to review time and you might be surprised.
Games will spice up reviews, revive interest, and ensure retention! Included: Five activities for use in all subjects,
all grades!
Iditarod Math: Ten Math Work Sheets Teach About the Iditarod
The Iditarod is a “teachable moment” that rivals few others. Wise teachers use this annual sled dog race to teach
geography and language skills, history, and science. This week, Education World provides 10 math work sheets for students
in grades 4 to 8.
We're In the Money: Lessons for Teaching About Money
Every time we spend a dime -- or a penny or a dollar -- we see the face of one of our presidents! What better time
than Presidents Day can there be to teach kids about money? Included: Five hands-on lessons. Hold a "money bee," make
predictions, learn about inflation/the cost of goods over time, more.
Math Fun! (Volume 2)
Math class doesn't have to be stay-in-your-seat quiet. Kids will love practicing their computation skills with these
six activities -- in which the emphasis is on the “active.” Activities include dice, playing cards, candy, cameras,
and more!
Phone Book Math
Did the phone company just deliver new phone books to your door? Don't throw out the old ones -- ask students to bring
them to school. Those old phone books offer opportunities for lots of valuable math practice; they're a great teaching
tool!
Math Fun! -- Five 'Invisible' Math Lessons
You may have to remind students that they're learning math after they've done one of these five lessons from Education
World. The lessons are "invisible" because kids have so much fun they don't realize they are actually doing math!
Introducing Tessellations
Students use the drawings of M.C. Escher, as well as online research, to deduce what tessellations are. Then each
student creates tessellations from both regular and irregular polygons.
Will the Leaning Tower Fall?
Students in grades 9-12 research the Tower of Pisa and write a report about its history. They examine the physics
of why the Tower leans and whether it might fall. Finally, they plan a trip to Italy to see the Tower, developing
an itinerary and budget for the trip.
Token Economies Yield Promising Results
When classroom management is a struggle, the answer might be as simple as the traditional American "five and dime!"
See how systems based on "token economies" can work with even the toughest classes. Included: Tips for setting up
a classroom auction.
Write a Number Story
Make writing across content areas fun with this K-3 computer activity. Students use AppleWorks (or Office) to write
and illustrate number stories. The stories then are used to create a Keynote or PowerPoint show and displayed for
the class (or parents!) to see and share.
Introducing Calculators
This year, introduce calculators with this K-2 computer activity. Students record how many pets each has, then use
the computer's calculator to find the sum of pets by type, for small groups, and for the entire class. A downloadable
template makes this activity easy to implement in your classroom.
Lesson Study: Practical Professional Development
For teachers who have wished for hands-on professional development, lesson study is it. Teachers gather to research,
create, try, and evaluate lesson plans to determine if they are helping students learn. Included: A description of
lesson study practices.
Mad Math Desk Derby
Stephanie Templet, who teaches at Galvez Middle School in Prairieville, Louisiana, submitted this week's lesson in
which students review and practice math facts by playing a fun game.
Vampires: Fact Or Fiction?
Polish students' graphing and problem solving skills with this Halloween spreadsheet activity from Microsoft. Using
Excel and Internet sources, middle school students determine how many vampires might exist in the world based on current
census data.
Slicing Up Fractions
Are your students struggling to understand fractions? Check out this Web-based lesson in which students read a problem
involving pieces (fractions!) of pizza, review the concepts necessary to solve the problem, and then solve further
equations based on the same concept.
The Prop Box: Setting the Stage for Meaningful Play
Dramatic play is an essential mode of learning for young children, and "prop boxes," play materials grouped by theme,
make this activity even more effective. Find out how you can use these educational tools to guide your students toward
meaningful role-playing and creative exploration.
I Know My Shapes and Colors
On the news today, a famous senator said, "Shapes are useless. People can't eat shapes. They can't ride in shapes.
They can't work or play in shapes." The senator is trying to pass a law to get rid of all the shapes in the world.
You and your classmates must prove that shapes are important to keep the law from being passed.
Tasty Tech Activity With Excel
Do your students struggle when entering data into spreadsheets or creating graphs with Excel? Try this simple Excel
lesson plan in which elementary and middle school students use their opinions of fast food for data collection and
analysis.
Sports and Hobby Math
Melissa Thomas, who teaches at Dacula (Georgia) Middle School, submitted this lesson, in which students write about
ways in which they use math in a favorite sport or hobby. (Grades 3-12)
Cold Mush: Serving Stories from the Iditarod Trail
Jeffrey M. Peterson of Minnesota, this year's Teacher on the Trail, is eager to experience the Iditarod and to share
his observations and lessons with students around the world.
Number Line Game
Sr. Ann Claire Rhoads, who teaches at Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, submitted this week's lesson, which
offers a game that reinforces number line concepts and the addition of positive and negative numbers. (Grades
3-8)
Jump Rope Math
Laurie McGrath, who teaches at Holy Trinity Elementary School in St.John's, Newfoundland, submitted this fun-filled
math game that can be used to reinforce math skills across the grades. (Grades PreK-12)
Awesome Summary Notes Make Studying a Breeze
The Awesome Summary Notes system provides students with an easy and efficient method for organizing information and
studying for tests. Included: Directions for creating summary notes and tips for using them for studying and review.
Educator Astronaut Program Continues
Undeterred by the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia February 1, teachers are continuing to apply for NASA's
Educator Astronaut program, which is designed to select and train three to six teachers for future space missions.
Hitting the Math Trail
The National Math Trail program shows teachers how their students can create mathematics problems based on what they
see in their community. Students also use computer technology to submit their math problems to the National Math Trail
Web site.
Kids Discover the Value of Learning Through Hands-On 'Hammer' Time
When master carpenter Perry Wilson showed his friend's son how to build a tree house, he discovered that he was really
teaching the child the value of mathematics. The task brought to mind his own struggles with a learning disability
and the failure of his school to help him realize his potential. As a result, Wilson quit his job and established
If I Had a Hammer, a program that uses alternative methods, specifically the construction of a small house, to show
kids how to put the material they are learning in school to work.
Yummy Gummy Subtraction
Tori Ledlow, who teaches at Pinson (Alabama) Elementary School, submitted this week’s yummy hands-on lesson, in which
gummy bears are used to teach simple subtraction. (Grades PreK-2)
Shopping Spree
Julie Graves, who teaches at Centre (Alabama) Middle School, submitted this week's lesson. Students go on a shopping
spree that requires them to calculate discount amounts and sales tax on merchandise. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Writing Takes Shape!
Julie Graves, who teaches in Centre, Alabama, submitted this week's lesson. Students identify geometric solids and
where those solids can be found in the world around them. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)
Call Me
Submitted by Crystal Schweickert
What is the real story behind all those 10-10 numbers we see advertised on TV? In this WebQuest project, students
write essays to persuade their families to use a particular long-distance phone plan. Students will compare a 10-10
plan to a regular long-distance plan. They will develop equations and graphs for both of the plans and use this information
to support their essays.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Bubbles Galore
Submitted by Kellie Slaughter
Students blow bubbles, measure them, and predict their staying power. (Grades 3-5)
Ladybug Math
Submitted by Krista Weiss
This hands-on activity involves students in solving simple addition problems.
(Grades K-2)
Discover the Pythagorean Theorem
Narinder Jeet Makkar, who teaches at Salwan Public School in New Delhi, Delhi (India), submitted this week's lesson,
in which students discover the Pythagorean Theorem and find a real-world example of it.
Positive and Negative Integers: A Card Game
Pam Harper, who teaches at Rockville (Indiana) Jr/Sr High School, submitted this lesson -- a card game in which black
cards have positive values and red cards have negative values. (Grades 6-12)
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