Need some math lesson plan ideas for the new school year? We asked Really Good Teachers from around the country to share some of their favorite and most effective math lesson ideas. From telling time to fractions, there are tons of tips and tricks for teaching math!
Math Lesson Plan Ideas
When Money is Golden
Idea by Rebecca, 4th-8th Grade Learning Disabilities Teacher, Norwood, OH
I find that when exploring math operations, money is key because it provides a tangible, real world manipulative students can relate to. For example, when students have a hard time figuring out when they need to borrow, I pose a money-related question, such as, “If you have four dollars and want to buy something for–or spend or take away–six dollars, what do you have to do in order to get the money you need?” They easily realize that they’d have to borrow money or the transaction would be impossible.
Make Your Own Oversized Dice
Idea by Dawn, 3rd and 4th Grade Teacher, Blackwood, NJ
For multiplication and division fun, I like using oversized dice made from discarded tissue cubes. I cover the cubes with craft paper, then, to each facet of each cube, I attach a clear plastic sleeve recycled from old brag photo albums. I then prepare a series of cards that feature helpful representations (e.g., sets of drawn “objects,” numbers, number sentences, and operational symbols). Once I’ve selected the target skill or criteria I want students to work on, I insert the corresponding cards into the plastic sleeves and have children take turns rolling the dice and recording and solving the problems that result. Tips: You can color-code cubes or cube sides to represent the different operations. Also, store cards together in small envelopes.
Idea by Jane, 1st Grade Teacher, Philadelphia, PA
When teaching time, I use pizza pie fraction puzzle pieces to help students understand concepts related to an analog clock. I relate the fractional pizza pie pieces to the whole hour, the half hour, and the quarter hour. Kids benefit from this analogy, as they are better able to envision the time as portions of pizza and are then able to describe clock times using their pie-inspired terminology.
Serving Up Addition
Idea by Katy, Kindergarten Teacher, Broken Arrow, OK
To help my kindergarteners grasp the idea that addition is a process by which we combine two sets to make one larger set. I use disposable, divided plates fitted with two small and one large compartment. I have children count and place one set (a specific number) of manipulatives into each of the smaller compartments. I then show them how to move both smaller sets to the larger compartment where we count the sum of both sets. This approach really helps my children visualize what it means to add sets together to get one sum.
Partners in Time
Idea by Sylvia, 1st Grade Teacher, Northridge, CA
I recycle empty paper towel rolls into little “wrist watches.” I draw analog faces on some watches and digital faces on others. I put matching times on both sets of watches. I then offer one watch to each child and challenge each to find his or her “partner in time.” Then we switch watches and do it again. It is a good way to review time and boost a cooperative classroom spirit.
Share your favorite math teaching tip or lesson in the comments below!