Free Digital Resources for Math to Use for Remote Learning

"This is crazy."

Something my current co-worker (my husband) and I said to each other several times a day at the beginning of this social distancing. Now, we mostly have settled into a schedule and it seems "normal" that we just stay home all the time. My kids haven't seen the inside of anywhere except their house in over a month. No church, no school, no dye-jobs (my poor gray roots). We are making it.

Transitioning to remote learning has been a learning curve. I have learned a lot about my school's LMS and Google Classroom and Boom Learning and Seesaw! So many tools to learn quickly for the students at my school and my own daughter's school work.

At the beginning of this, the other instructional coach and I worked quickly to get packets made and lessons up on our Canvas website. It was extremely helpful to turn to resources other teachers had shared. I would like to return the favor.

As much as my schedule will allow--(working from home, teaching a kindergarten, keeping a toddler entertained, and parenting), I am trying to create some quick digital resources that can be assigned virtually to students.

Check this space to see all my free digital resources . I will added free resources to this as I get finish them. Here are a few that are included.

Rational Numbers Cards FREEBIE Small Group Instruction Ideas

One things I consistently used every year was random numbers written on cards. Usually, I would take some index cards, cut them in half, and write random numbers on them right before class started. 

Once small groups started, I pulled students over and depending on the topic, gave them random numbers to work with. 

I used these number cards for classifying numbers, ordering and comparing numbers, converting between fractions, decimals, and percents, and rational number operations. 

By the end of going through 3-4 groups per class, over 3 classes over 2 day, those cards got a lot of use out of them. 

So, I wanted something that would last longer, and where I wouldn't have to use brain power to come up with random numbers on the spot. (Have you ever made yourself come up with random numbers on the spot? Eventually I can't think of anything!)

I created these cards with lots of numbers so I could laminate them on pretty colored paper and use them over and over again without scrambling to write down numbers real quick. 

Here are some ideas on how you can use them in small group instruction:

• For ordering numbers, students pull 5 random cards and order them least to greatest, greatest to least (use all the vocabulary here)
• For classifying numbers, students pull 10 random cards. Create a large Venn Diagram on butcher paper and students will classify numbers. 
• For converting numbers, give students a fraction, decimal or percent and ask them to generate two equivalent numbers. 

Of course, you can differentiate for each student. You can give them random cards or you can choose specific cards to give them depending on what kind of practice they need. 

I find that in the best small group instruction, students need to do most of the talking. So as they are completing the tasks above I ask them questions. 

"Why did you put this number there?" "Explain the process you used for this." "Why isn't this number an integer?"...

Moon Phases, Seasons, and Shadows TEKS 4.8C

5th grade science teachers in Texas need to spend some time reviewing/reteaching some 3rd and 4th grade science TEKS in addition to the 5th grade TEKS. 

Science TEKS 4.8C says "Collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time."

This TEKS has been tested once in the last 4 years and it was over tides--which was dropped from the TEKS this year. It isn't enough for students to know what causes these events but they should be able to look over data and predict. 

Moon Phases

This video shows all the moon phases from 2017.  

• Ask students what they notice and wonder after watching the video. Do they see a pattern after watching it?
• Give students a calendar with some of the moon phases filled in for the month. Have them complete the calendar based on the pattern they see. 

Seasons 

Use this file to assess what students remember about the different seasons. There are 24 cards. Give each student one card and they can walk around the room meeting up with their classmates. When they meet another classmate, each students will share the characteristic on their card and discuss what seasons they believe it belongs in. At this point, they can switch cards and then find another partner. At the end of the activity, create a chart and have students place their cards in the correct season. 

Shadows

Students need to understand how shadows are formed (because light travels in a straight line and when light hits an object, that object may block the light) and they need to understand that shadows form a predictable pattern. You can put an object outside and predict where the shadow that object creates will be. 

This activity lets students practice where the shadow is. It also doubles as an activity for 5.8C which is about Earth's rotation. Place the page with the tree in a sheet protector. Have students label the time for each of the Sun's position. Then have them draw where the tree's shadow will be with a dry erase marker at any given time. 

__________________________________________________________________________

All three of these patterns can be summed up with this free foldable found in my TpT store. 

Inequality Puzzles

As we got back from Christmas break, I needed to review what we learned right before we left: Inequalities.

I did a short small group lesson and added some notes to the math notebook and then I started pulling small groups. 

In these small groups, we put together some puzzles. 

Each puzzle had a word problem, number line, an inequality, and an inequality solution. I made this because I wanted to do something more than, "Here is a word problem, now solve it." It was more interactive and the students responded well to working to find matches. 

If you want this product, you can purchase it by clicking the picture below or HERE. 

Valentine Activities--Ways to use Matching in Math

I haven't ever done holiday themed activities in my classroom before this year. For Thanksgiving I did a turkey color by number, for Christmas I did a few others. The activities were not time wasters, or busy work--they reviewed previous skills that needed reviewing. The students liked it. It was different than normal--so I made some things for Valentine's Day. 

Coming back from Christmas break means students forget what they know. 

Integer Operations is something that they know but need reviewing. 

On our benchmark math test in December--making equivalent forms of benchmark fractions, decimals and percents was one of the lowest performing TEKS for my students. So they need some practice with this too. 

Go here for the Fraction, Decimal, Percent Matching--It is FREE right now. 

Go here for the Integer Operations Matching

I am going to use these matching activities in 3 ways. 

1. The students just match them. Turn all the heart pieces face up and find matches. 

2. Play a memory game. Turn all the heart pieces face down and find matches by turning 2 cards over at a time--I will reduce the number of cards I give the students so they aren't spending forever finding a match

3. Play go fish. Each student will get a 7 cards and then ask their group mates for matches. If they get -25+26=, then they will ask their group mates "Who has 1?

Writing and Graphing Inequalities

I had a good week last week, compared to last week. Things were clicking, the students were understanding and I was able to pull small groups on solving equations. 

We started with these cards. I wanted the students to connect the inequality signs with real world situations, so I made this inequality matching set. 

Day 1:

First Sort: I first gave students the cards without the signs. I asked them to come up with a way to sort the cards. They needed to have at least 2 groups and could have as many as they wanted. Some of the ways they sorted them.

• Numbers more than 50 and less than 50 (or some other number). --These groups didn't pay attention to the situations.
• Situations with more than one answer and only one answer. --I didn't expect this one and I was excited to hear it. 
• Situations the were positive or negative--really those that were less than or greater than. 
• Situations which were less than or greater than

I heard so many great conversations among my students as they sorted. 

After their initial sort, we talked about the word inequality and what it means. One girl said that an inequality has more than one answer--a wonderful response. 

Second Sort: After introducing them to each of the signs and learning the new less than/greater than or equal to --I asked them to resort the cards in 5 groups now. This was a little more difficult for them to distinguish when it was equal to and when it wasn't. But as I walked around I got to talk to the students about how to tell the difference by questioning them. 

Day 2:

I used this foldable to sort phrases into which sign they go with. I gave the students the cards back and asked them to look through them to find a phrase like "no more than" and identify which sign it goes with. 

Day 3:

We started writing the inequalities. We did some class practice and I called students to the board and the we added this page to their notebook and they practiced with their groups. 

Day 4: 

We started graphing inequalities. I had some examples on the board that students came up and practiced and then they finished the above page from their notebook.

I ended the week hearing students say this was so easy. Their exit tickets showed that they are understanding this. I know that when we start solving inequalities, it might be a different story though. 

The Inequality Sort Cards are available in my store now. 

Order of Operations Errors-Order of Operations Error Analysis Activity

We've been working on Order of Operations this week and my students have the Order part down, but it is the Operation part they need some help with. 

I did an activity where I asked students to purposely make a mistake when evaluating the expression. Then the class had to find their mistake.

Order of Operations Error Analysis

My students LOVED this. It went over so well and they all wanted to go up several times to try to stump their classmates with the tiny little error they made. 

Eventually, I found 3 students who had evaluated the expressions in 3 different ways and then had the class explain their mistakes. 

They made mistakes with the exponents, solving in the wrong order, ignoring grouping, not regrouping when adding and subtracting, etc. It shows that they know what type of errors are common and will hopefully be on the look out for it. 

I have a station that I will pull out next week where the students will get an expression solved two different ways and will have to sort them into correct and incorrect. That station is available in my store. If you have it, make sure to re-download it because I made some updates to it. 

Prime Factorization

The students started prime factorization this week. 

I was unfortunately sick on Wednesday and ended up missing school that day. It was the first unplanned absence I had in 5 years. It was agonizing on Tuesday night trying to predict if I would feel better the next day. There were many cons to calling in. Mostly, the students would miss a day of new instruction. I had an emergency sub basket all ready with work for them, but it was just practice. Also, I would miss our class picture. In the end, the sickness won and it is good I did stay home. I ended up losing 5 pounds in one day to being sick. I was miserable. 

So my prime factorization lesson seemed rushed as I was trying to make up for a lost day. But I tried to vary the activities the students did, and gave them time to talk about the math. 

We started the lesson with reviewing what prime and composite numbers were. We talked about definitions, debate over which numbers were prime and composite and watched this video.

In one class, we had to talk in length about the difference between a multiple and a factor. 

Then we added a page to our notebook about prime factorization that looked like this. 

The tree flips down and there is another practice factor tree underneath. The students then got a practice sheet to work on with their group which we then checked. 

Afterwards, I gave everyone a dry erase marker and they practiced making factor trees on their desks while I went around checking and asking questions. 

Some common mistakes I saw were wanting to make the prime factorization smaller. Like taking 2x3x5 and wanting to collapse it to 6x5. We would go back to the definition of prime factorization and ask ourselves if all the numbers were prime. Also, some students just did the factor tree and thought they were done. I had to remind them that the factor tree was the process, not the actual prime factorization. 

Next, I will pull students in small groups and practice so I can really who has it and who needs more help. 

One station I will have next week while I pull students in small group is this Prime Factorization Match Up with QR codes. I try to have many of the stations that my students do include instant feedback. I am actually much better at grading this year than I have been in the past, but it is still not same day grading. Students need to know if they are doing it correctly. This way, they can check right away. Plus they'll have an ipad which they still think is cool. 

Multiplying Fractions with Models

My students have a difficult time interpreting fraction word problems. And I do not blame them. I have a difficult time interpreting fraction word problems when it involves multiplication and division.

To help them practice, we draw pictures and models.

We start our lesson with folding patty paper. The paper that is between hamburger patties. It is a square and thin. We divide the paper as it says, shade in the fractional parts in different colors, and then where the colors overlap is your answer. (I'll be recording a video showing the process later.)

This was another teacher's patty paper. I like how she identified the parts of the fractions with the sections. 

For multiplying fractions, I also pull the fractions we are multiplying from word problems. I want students to connect the process with some context so it is not brand new to them. 

I created this notes page that I am looking for some feedback on. I've already taught this lesson this year and combined some different elements to fit on one notebook page. I hope to use this guided math page next year, and maybe even later in the year as we review for the state test. 

It is free on Teachers Pay Teacher right now. If you download it and use it, please let me know what you think. 

SALE!!

I am having my first sale at my store today through Friday.

Everything is 15% off.

Make sure to take a look and see if there is anything you just need to have!

Interactive Notebook Pages-Rational Number System

My project for the summer has been to make an interactive math notebook for the year. When I taught science, I used it the notebook all the time and LOVED it. Last year was my first year teaching 6th grade math and I didn't really start using the notebook until November. We set it up the first week of school, but then it would be a thing we would get out every once in a while. I really missed having one consistently. 

I want it to be truly interactive as well. Something students can use throughout the year to study, add to, revisit. I also want to incorporate more journaling in it. 

So these are the pages I've created so far for our first unit--The Rational Number System. Use these pages as inspiration to create your own. Or you can buy individual pages or the BUNDLE at my Tpt store. (I'm having a sale from 7/29 to 7/31)

The first page will be a VENN DIAGRAM that the students will add to as they learn about the different types of numbers

Whole Number, Natural Numbers and Integers

Fractions As Division

Absolute Value and Opposite Numbers

Rational Numbers
Ice cream Cone and Ice Cream flip up and explain why each type of number can be written as a fraction

Fraction, Decimal, Percent Converting

Ordering and Comparing Rational Numbers

Coordinate Plane

  

I've left various pages blank to add in practice that we'll do at in small groups.

One of those pages will be for this activity made by my new co-worker. It is an awesome Rational Number Sort. 

Number Line Clip Art--FREE

I have been enjoying summer, while working on school stuff late at night when my daughter goes to bed. That is the only time I am allowing myself to work on or think about school. I am spending as much time as possible with my little girl.

As I was working on my interactive math journal for the year, I wanted some number lines. I was unable to find what I really wanted, so I made some.

And for you, you can download my first attempts at making number line clip art for FREE.

There is one number line included ranging from -8 to 8 in 5 different colors. Each file is a PNG with a transparent background. You can find it in my TpT Store. For Free. Please leave feedback or send me a message with your thoughts.

I am going to bombard my students with  number lines the first weeks of school. We are going to draw them, look at them, make human number lines until they are thinking about number lines in their sleep.

Do you have any amazing number line activities to share? I would be interested to hear them.

States and Capitals

I try to make my students learn the states and capitals every year. The standards say they are supposed to know major cities, landforms, regions and capitals in the United States.

The problems is, I don't want to spend so much class time teaching/studying it. I prefer it to be an activity that the students complete in their extra time. So I am creating some Social Studies Centers this year that can focus on learning and practicing the states and capitals.

Rumor has it, that we are going to have mini Ipads actually set up on our campus this year. They were delivered to our campus around spring break, but we never go to use them. I am going on the assumption that I will have access to them and want to create lots of centers to go with them.

I created one that uses QR codes. Each page starts out by looking like this:

Then I will cut the paper in half- right through the QR code. Then the students have to match the capital with the correct state. To check their answer, they only need to scan their QR code. If it is correct, text will pop up that says "Austin Texas." If they are wrong, nothing will happen. A great way for them to practice on their own and get instant feedback of their work.

What I hope to do is print on colored paper and laminate them. I am hoping that after I laminate them that the QR code will still be able to line up. I'll let you know how it goes.

You can find this States and Capitals QR code activity in my TpT store. Just click on the picture!

I have already introduced the students to Quizlet. You can just search for almost anything and get virtual index cards. I have found states and capitals, multiplication facts, science vocabulary words, and I even used it to study for the GRE. You can also create an account and make your own set of cards.


My favorite part is the game at the bottom of the index card called "Scatter." We play that on the smartboard sometimes. The students have to match the two pairs together. Anything that is competition, they love. Even if they are competing with their own time.

Science Homework

I am on a quest this year to create some science homework.

Yes, I believe in homework. Even in a school where parent involvement is low.

I believe in order for students to be successful, they need to devote some time outside of what is mandatory and PRACTICE. Practice reading, researching, multiplication, thinking...etc. (Most) students will not want to do that on their own. But maybe a few more will do it on their own if it is assigned. I know that not every student will return homework everyday. But I try.

However, usually my homework was math problems. I am not teaching math this year, but I still want kids to practice what they are learning.

So... I want to create science homework. I could give them practice multiple choice questions to prepare them for the 5th grade science STAAR. (One of the state mandated tests they will take this year in Texas.) Or I could make it more exciting. Something they might actually want to do. And something that won't get me in too much trouble with their parents.

Like, using water, create a mixture with another substance. What did you use and describe how you would separate it.

And maybe, just maybe, they ask a parent for help. Maybe the parent becomes a little more interested in the education of their child.

Because another thing I believe in, when parents become involved, it changes things. And parents don't need a college education or even a high school education to be involved.

I finished my first page of homework. An Energy Scavenger Hunt. Science TEKS 5.6A says a students needs to explore the uses of energy. (Mechanical, Light, Thermal, Electrical, and Sound) Last year we did a foldable where they looked for examples of each energy in the classroom. This year, I want my 5th graders to try it at home as well.

You can find the Scavenger Hunt on my Teachers Pay Teachers page. It is a free download. If you like it, leave a comment.