Teach your students to identify number patterns

This activity will allow students to develop an understanding of math patterns.  Identifying patterns also builds number sense including skip counting, mental math, and problem solving.  A pattern can be any arrangement of things in math such as numbers or geometric shapes that are repeated in an orderly recognizable manner.

Click here to download the entire 5 page lesson plan

Teach your students how to create and interpret bar graphs

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Learning Intention / Overview

In this activity students will develop an understanding of bar graphs.  A bar graph uses horizontal or vertical bars to organize and display data for quick easy generalizations.  The bars represent amounts or qualities of things being compared.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

Individual Practice

Group Discussion

Personalized Learning Task

Assessment of Learning

Bar Graph Sheet (included)

Individualized Learning (Student Bar Graphs)

Performance Task 1 and 2

Click here to download the free 7 page lesson plan

Google's Sneaky Calculator

It's even correct!  Amazing!

It's even correct!  Amazing!

So a couple of months back I posted a short article about Google's Sneaky Timer that is built into it's search engine. 

It seems as though Google is forever revealing new tools to us that very few of us know even existed, and the calculator definitely fits that category too.

Simply type a sum into Google ie: 34*6 or 2+2 and shazam it will not only spit out the correct answer but provide you with a decent simple and / or scientific calculator if you really want to settle in for a while.

A colleague of mine also advise me that if you turn your monitor upside down you may be able to spell "boobs." if you punch in the right sum!!  Enjoy

Getting started with Wolfram Alpha in the classroom

Wolfram Alpha is a search engine for statistics and facts.  It is linked to thousands of databases and is an excellent tool for analyzing and comparing data and statistics on virtually any field of interest... Literally anything.

The video below will explain the potential and how it differs from Google, which is a completely different search engine which becomes apparent after some use.

Wolfram Alpha have always understood the potential of using their tool in the classroom and have created an education portal made up of courses and resources for teachers and students.

The resources are more geared to the maths science area and would not be of great interest to junior primary teachers but the product is constantly evolving and works on every platform.

The education portal can be found here.  IF you have been using Wolfram Alpha in creative ways with your students we would love to hear about it in our comments section below.


Christmas Calculation Challenge

This mini lesson will allow students to put their computation skills to work, while having some Christmas fun.  Students will be provided a budget (set amount of money to spend).  They will be choosing items from the list for each member of their family.  The goal is for them to divide their money evenly between each family member.  Then, they will be choosing the best gifts for each family member. 

Click here to download the complete lesson plan

Christmas math word problems

Christmas Math Word Problems provides some math word problems that allow students to apply real-world settings.  Students see how important math is in computing basic problems that can arise on a daily basis.  Hopefully, these math problems won’t be greeted with too much frustration, since they were written with a heavy Christmas theme.  After all, this time of year is all about tinsel and holly, right?

Click here to download the complete lesson plan

Calculating the cost of Christmas - Maths Lesson

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This mini lesson will allow students to put their computation skills to work, while having some Christmas fun.  Students will be provided a budget (set amount of money to spend).  They will be choosing items from the list for each member of their family.  The goal is for them to divide their money evenly between each family member.  Then, they will be choosing the best gifts for each family member. 

Essential Questions

·    How does price influence purchases?

·    what decisions affect buying decisions?

Key Learning Areas - Numeracy & literacy

Concepts Taught - Subtraction, problem-solving

Target Age - 9 – 12 Year Olds

Duration - 1 x 60 minute Session

Click here to download the entire lesson plan for Free

Tallying Christmas Temperatures - Math Lesson

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Tallying Christmas Temperatures provides a quick review of converting temperatures from degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius.  The head elf, Amos, has provided his secret formulas for converting these degrees.  It seems that he forgot to fill out his award-winning chart, recording the temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit at key stops, Santa made on his trip around the world.  Help Amos complete his record that is straight “FROM THE DESK OF SANTA”.

Click here to download the complete worksheet for free