Are You Using This Genius Strategy for Math Writing?

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

Writing about math helps kids to organize their thinking, use key vocabulary, and communicate mathematically—which leads to deep and meaningful understanding.

Over the past few years, math teachers are incorporating more writing activities into their lesson plans—a trend that is being driven by the use of highly engaging think-notice-wonder writing prompts that spark deep mathematical discussion and are highly effective as warm-up or cool-down activities. 

This strategy has recently been endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics:

By asking What do you notice? What do you wonder? we give students opportunities to see problems in big-picture ways, and discover multiple strategies for tackling a problem. Self-confidence, reflective skills, and engagement soar, and students discover that the goal is not to be "over and done," but to realize the many different ways to approach problems.

How does it work?

Math teachers often struggle to find topics for their kids to write about. Sometimes the best way to encourage creativity and exploration is simply posting an image and asking students to describe what they think, notice, and wonder about what they are seeing.

The best way to use think-notice-wonder activities is to choose an image every day and project it as large as you can at the front of your classroom.

Then, have students write 3 sentences about the image starting with:

      •     I think…

      •     I notice…

      •     I wonder…

✔  You may want to have students share their entries in a daily math journal. This practice will get them used to writing about mathematics regularly.

✔  Try not to give too many prompts. You’ll be surprised by how creative and detailed student responses will become over time!

✔  Try to choose images that work with the day’s topic/theme

What would think-notice-wonder look like in YOUR classroom?

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Image: Mashup Math MJ

Imagine an unusual day where your kids enter class expecting a normal warm-up practice problem but are caught by surprise.

They see the above image of a drone delivering a package displayed on the board along with a writing prompt that calls for them to complete the statements I think..., I notice..., and I wonder...

What kind of creative thoughts and ideas would they have?

How much weight can the drone carry? How many packages can it hold at once?

How would thinking about this image activate their prior knowledge and spark their curiosity?

What are the dimensions of the largest and smallest box it can hold? Does it have to be square?

What kind of anticipation would it build for an upcoming lesson or activity?

Does the drone use GPS coordinates to get from point to point?

Why Think-Notice-Wonder?

Engaging in think-notice-wonder writing activities at the start of a math class is a great way to ignite student thinking, spark creativity, and build anticipation.

Even if students are not directly engaged in mathematical problem-solving, their curiosity and interest will carry on throughout the day’s lesson.

Be mindful that your kids will need some time to get used to these kinds of activities, but after a week or so, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the spike in engagement, boost in student enthusiasm and high quality of responses!

Are you ready to try it with your kids?

Here are a few more sample graphics for you to try in your classroom:

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Want more? Download 101 Daily Think-Notice-Wonder Writing Prompts for Engaging Your Kids

You can now share 101 Daily Think-Notice-Wonder Writing Prompts with your kids with our PDF workbook!

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Do you have experience using think-notice-wonder activities with your math students? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below!

(Never miss a Mashup Math blog--click here to get our weekly newsletter!)

By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

Halloween Math: 13 Days of Spooky Math Challenges for Grades 1-8

Halloween Math Activities for Grades 1-8

Add these super fun (and extra spooky) math puzzles to your collection of Halloween Math Activities for elementary and middel school students. Enjoy!

Are you prepared to keep your students focused on learning math during the excitement of the Halloween season?

Source: Mashup Math ST

Sometimes it takes more than an extra shot of espresso in your pumpkin spice latte to get the job done and savvy math teachers know how to channel their student's excitement into holiday-themed activities.

And since preparing activities can be time-consuming (and you're already so busy this school year as it is), my gift to you this Halloween season is 13 Days of Spooky Math Challenges! 

The following printable Halloween Math Worksheets allow you to inject a little bit of spooky mathematics into your lessons this month.

Each puzzle is a sample from our best-selling workbook 101 Daily Math Challenges for Engaging Students in Grades 3-8, which is available as a PDF download and as a hard copy on Amazon.

Each Halloween Math Worksheet shares a challenge question (answers are included) appropriate for all elementary and middle school grade levels - they are perfect for warm-ups, exit tickets, and homework and extra credit assignments.

Parents can also share these fun challenge questions with your kids to keep them engaged and thinking mathematically this fall.

Now let's get problem-solving!

Download Instructions: You can download any of the challenges by right-clicking the image and saving it to your computer or by dragging-and-dropping each image to your desktop.

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1.) Day 1 of 13

(Hint: Notice that it takes two black cats to make one pumpkin!)

Black Cat = 6

Cauldron = 14

Pumpkin = 12

? = 8

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2.) Day 2 of 13

(Hint: Start with the bucket!)

Candy = 9

Zombie = 1

Bucket = 7

Cat = 5

? = 35

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Share this puzzles with your students on Halloween day! (Source: Mashup Math ST)

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3.) Day 3 of 13

(Hint: Notice that the pumpkin and the witch's hat have the same value!)

Ghost = 8

Bat = 1

Pumpkin = 4

Witch's Hat = 4

? = 31

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4.) Day 4 of 13

(Hint: Start with the haunted house and don't forget order of operations)

Spider Web = 10

Witch = 5

Moon = 7

Haunted House = 8

? = 30

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“I always look forward to getting my Mashup Math newsletter email every week. I love the free activities!” -Christina R., 5th Grade Math Teacher, Dallas, TX

Do YOU want free math resources, lesson activities, and puzzles and games for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Join our mailing list and start getting tons of free stuff (including a free PDF eBOOK)!

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5.) Day 5 of 13

(Hint: Start with the ghost first!)

Ghost = 13

Scarecrow = 4

Tree = 7

? = 16

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6.) Day 6 of 13

(Hint: I know it's scary, but start with the zombie hand!)

Werewolf = 5

Witch's Hat = 2

Zombie Hand = 8

Owl = 6

? = 21

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7.) Day 7 of 13

(Hint: To find the haunted house, think about what value that when subtracted from 12 equals that same value!)

Ghost = 25

Broom = 15

Haunted House = 6

? = 16

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Are you looking for more daily math challenges and puzzles to share with your kids?

My best-selling workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students in Grades 3-8 is now available as a PDF download!

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8.) Day 8 of 13

(Hint: All candy bags are created equal!)

Candy Bag = 9

Bats = 10

Boo! = 9

Witch = 1

? = 20

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9.) Day 9 of 13

(Hint: Each value comes from doing something to the previous value)

Case #1: ? = 35 (each value increases by one more than its difference with the previous value: +4, +5, +6, ...) 

Case #2: ? = 95 (each value increases by twice its difference with the previous value: +6, +12, +24, ...)

Case #3: ? = 121 (each value increases by the square of the difference with the previous value: +3,+9,+27,...)

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10.) 10 of 13

(Hint: The growth pattern is exponential!)

1,3,6,10,...

Notice that the first value increases by 2, the second value increases by 3, the third value increases by 4, etc.

Case 5: 15 Zombies

Case 8: 36 Zombies

What about case 100?

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11.) Day 11 of 13

(Hint: Remember the multiplicative identity!)

Vampire Lips: 0

Moon = 1

Pumpkin = 2

Frankenstein: 0

Black Cat = 4

Zombie Hand = 5

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12.) Day 12 of 13

(Hint: You need to visualize this situation by drawing a diagram and/or using manipulatives and colored pencils or markers!)

Case 4: 25 Faces

Case 5: 36 Faces

Case n: (n+1)^2

*This question was inspired by Jo Boaler's TED Talk: How You Can Be Good at Math and Other Surprising Facts About Learning.

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13.) Day 13 of 13

(Hint: Think about what kinds of values have a product ending in 5.)

25 x 13 = 325

Bat = 20

Pumpkin = 5

Witch = 10

Leaf = 50

Ghost = 60

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Save the tricks and the treats (except for the bite-sized Twix bars - those I'll take), I just want your input. Please (oh please, oh please) share your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking for more fun math resources to share with your kids? Click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel and access our free video library--and don't forget to subscribe!

(Never miss a Mashup Math blog--click here to get our weekly newsletter!)

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10 Awesome End of Year Math Activities for Grades 1-8

Looking for Effective and Easy End of Year Math Activities?

The final weeks of the school year have arrived and keeping your students engaged in learning math is no easy task.

You can mix up your instruction and keep your students interested in learning math by incorporating a few awesome end of year math activities and projects into your upcoming lesson plans.

The following end of year math activity ideas are perfect for implementing during the final weeks of the school year, an extremely hectic time when sticking to your usual routine is nearly impossible.

And each end of year math activity is easy to modify to best meet the needs of your students! The activities can be modified for students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

So, which end of year math activity will you share with your students this spring?

(Tags: end of year math projects, end of year math activities, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, grade 7, grade 8)

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1.) Math Book Report

Description: Standard math curriculums hardly ever make time for students to actually read about math. The end of the school year is the perfect time to give your students an opportunity to choose a book about math and create and share a book report.

One option is to have your students research a famous mathematician. I also like having students choose a math-related fiction book, like any of the ones included on this list of 13 STEM Fiction Books Your Kids Will Love.

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ.

There are tons of excellent math-fiction books available for students of all grade levels.

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2.) Tessellation Project

by GeometryCoach.com

Description: This project blends elements of the history of math, geometry, and art/design into an engaging learning experience where students use mathematical thinking to manipulate shapes to create “Escher tiles” and use them to create geometric works of art!

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

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3.) Barbie Bungee

Description: The Barbie Bungee data collection activity may be the most underrated math activity ever. Ideal for pre-algebra students, this activity gives students a fun and engaging opportunity to make predictions, collect real-world data, and then analyze the results within the context of their initial hypothesis. This activity is even endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), who share free lesson resources for any teacher interested in trying the Barbie Bungee in their classroom.

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

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4.) Escape Room!

Description: Classroom ‘escape room’ lessons are growing in popularity. Why? Because classroom escape rooms boost student excitement and engagement while helping your kids apply and improve their mathematical problem-solving skills.

If you are new to the idea of classroom escape rooms (sometimes called breakout challenges), check out this blog post So You Want to Build a Classroom Escape Room… by We Are Teachers.

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

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5.) The Parachute Project

by Amy at www.allabout3rdgrade.com

Description: Students use their math skills to design and build a parachute that will stay in the air the longest. This STEM activity is a great opportunity for math and science teachers to collaborate—and it’s a great activity to do outdoors!

Image Source: Mashup Math FP

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Are YOU looking for some super fun daily math puzzles for your students in grades 3-8? Our best-selling 101 Daily Math Challenges workbook is now available as a PDF download!

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6.) Plan and Budget Your Dream Vacation

by Jennifer at www.loveteachingkids.com

Description: Students are given a budget and have to work groups to plan all aspects of their determined “dream vacation.” This end of year math activity allows students to learn more about budgeting, personal finance, and real-world math applications. Aside from vacation planning, this activity can be modified to budgeting things like personal finances, events, starting a business, etc.

Image Source: Mashup Math FP

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7.) Build Fraction Kits

by Anthony at www.youtube.com/mashupmath

Description: Many students struggle with fractions and never really grasp the important concepts. Whether you want to help fortify your students’ understanding of fractions before the school year ends or you want to expose them to fractions a little early, this simple hands-on activity is highly effective and is definitely worth giving a shot!

Click here to get your Free Fraction Kit Lesson Guide!

Image Source: Mashup Math ST

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8.) Area and Perimeter Architecture

Description: Students explore and apply the concepts of area and perimeter by building a city using LEGO bricks! This hands-on activity is another great example of how math teachers can use LEGO to teach challenging concepts.

If you don’t have access to Lego bricks, check out this free STEM: Area and Perimeter City activity guide by teachbesideme.com.

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

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“I always look forward to getting my Mashup Math newsletter email every week. I love the free activities!”

-Christina R., 5th Grade Math Teacher, Dallas, TX

Do YOU want free math resources, lesson activities, and puzzles and games for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Join our mailing list and start getting tons of free stuff (including a free PDF workbook)!

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9.) Year End Reflection Activity

Description: In this activity, students take time to reflect on what they learned in math this past school year, what challenges they overcome, and how they’ve grown as problem solvers. This activity is perfect for teachers who have students complete a math portfolio over the course of the school year.

Image Source: Mashup Math MJ

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10.) Math Puzzles and Brain Teasers

Description: The end of the school year is a great time to let your students apply their mathematical problem-solving skills to fun puzzles, brain teasers, and challenge questions.

You can access dozens of free math puzzles for all grade levels by visiting our Free Math Puzzles page.

Image Source: Mashup Math ST

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Have any more ideas for awesome end-of-year math project ideas? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

(Never miss a Mashup Math blog--click here to get our weekly newsletter!)

By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

Are You Ready? 5 Free St Patricks Day Math Activities for Grades 3-8

Are you ready to channel your kids' enthusiasm for St. Patrick's Day into learning math?

Math puzzles give your kids an opportunity to think critically and deeply about mathematics, develop problem-solving strategies, and work through challenging problems.

And when math problems incorporate your kids' personal interests, their engagement will skyrocket!

So, go ahead and try these challenges and puzzles with your kids this month. These free and printable St. Patrick's Day math activities are perfect for warm-up and/or cool-down activities and are great for sparking mathematical discussions in your home or classroom. The puzzles are perfect for students in grades 3 through 8.

How to Download: You can download any of the puzzles by right-clicking on the image and saving it to your computer or by dragging-and-dropping it to your desktop.

1.) Find the value of the '?'

Use your math skills to find the value of each icon.

Top Hat = 3

Pot of Gold = 9

Teddy Bear = 5

Irish Flag = 4

? = 21

Hint: Start with the Teddy Bear.

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2.) Multiplication tables work like a Bingo board, where the value of each box represents the product of its corresponding row and column.

Rainbow = 0

Green Hat = 1

Leprechaun = 2

Heart = 4

Pot of Gold = 0

Shamrock = 5

Looking for more free math challenges like this one to share with your kids? click here

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3.) Multiplication Area Model

Area models help kids to think visually about multiplication, which is the approach that Mathematical Mindsets author Jo Boaler recommends most for improving math understanding.

Balloons = 10

Shoe = 6

Leprechaun = 60

Shamrock = 30

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Are you looking for more daily math challenges and puzzles to share with your kids?

My best-selling workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students is now available as a PDF download. You can get yours today by clicking here.

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4.) Which One Doesn't Belong? 

Remember that WODB? activities are meant to spark mathematical thinking and discussion and do not have a single correct answer.

Want to learn more about how to use WOBD? math activities with your kids? click here

Tip: Have your kids justify their thinking in writing!

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Are you looking for more daily WODB? math graphics?

You can now share 101 daily WODB warm-up activities for grades 1-9 with your kids with our PDF workbook!

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5.) Math Writing Prompt

Writing about math encourages creativity, exploration, and communicating one's thoughts and feelings, which leads to deep and meaningful understanding of difficult math concepts.

And Think/Notice/Wonder (TNW) writing activities are a great way to get your kids engaged in math writing every day.

Want to learn more about how to use TNW math activities with your kids? click here

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How will you use these math puzzles with your kids? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below!

(Never miss a Mashup Math blog--click here to get our weekly newsletter!)

By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

Free Canada Day Math Puzzles for Grades K-8

Source: Mashup Math FP

Are you ready to celebrate Canada Day with your math students this July 1st?

In Canada, July 1st commemorates the official day of Canada and the anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 1867. This national holiday is celebrated with get together with family and friends, parties, music, parades, and fireworks.

And you can add working on fun math puzzles to the festivities this Canada Day, by sharing today’s free Canada Day Math Worksheets and Activities for Grades K-8 in your upcoming lesson plans. Today’s activities are super fun, 100% free, easy-to-print, and can be shared with children of all grade levels at home, in the classroom, or both!

These kinds of holiday-themed math puzzles and activities give your kids a chance to apply their math and reasoning skills in an enjoyable context that incorporates critical thinking, number sense, and even algebra skills!

So, if you are ready to channel your kid’s excitement for Canada Day this year into an enjoyable math learning opportunity, then be sure to take advantage of these free Canada Day Math Activities for Kids!

Each worksheet can be used as a warm-up/anticipatory set or cool-down activity as well as a key component to any math lesson for grades K-8. Full answer keys for each activity are included.

Tags: Canada Day, math puzzles, math riddles, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, Homeschool, Homeschooling

How to Download: You can download any of the puzzles by right-clicking on the image and saving it to your computer or by dragging-and-dropping it to your desktop.

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1.) Find the value of the '?' (for Grades K-2)

Use your math skills to find the value of each icon.

Flag=6

Mountains=10

Hockey Player=9

?=3

Do you want access to hundreds of grade-specific holiday math activities for every month of the year? Become a Mashup Math member and access all of our K-8 math activity libraries. Start your free 7-day trial.

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2.) Find the value of the '?' (for Grades 3-5)

Use your math skills to find the value of each icon.

Flag=4

Mountains=5

Hockey Player=3

Poutine=12
?=24

Do you want access to hundreds of grade-specific holiday math activities for every month of the year? Become a Mashup Math member and access all of our K-8 math activity libraries. Start your free 7-day trial.

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3.) Find the value of the '?' (for Grades 6-8)

Use your math skills to find the value of each icon.

Flag=70

Mountains=14

Hockey Player=5

Poutine=10
?=89

Do you want access to hundreds of grade-specific holiday math activities for every month of the year? Become a Mashup Math member and access all of our K-8 math activity libraries. Start your free 7-day trial.

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Are you looking for more daily math challenges and puzzles to share with your kids?

My best-selling workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students is now available as a PDF download. You can get yours today by clicking here.

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How will you use these math puzzles with your kids? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below!

(Never miss a Mashup Math blog--click here to get our weekly newsletter!)

By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.