AboutStoreFavorite LinksHomeFavorite Blogs

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Number Sentences

Every year, when we take our quarterly assessments, I always have one or two students that freeze up when I say, "Write a number sentence" (or whatever it is that uses those words in the directions).  Yep, we talk about them ALL. YEAR. LONG.  but there's something about tests---I get it.  I'm not a test taker either. 

I needed something new (well not new) but more practice for my students writing number sentences.  I thought what better way than using workstations. So, I came up with this:

I have several ideas in mind on how I want to incorporate them.  I think that they would be great practice for "now what?" activities for those fast finishers at the beginning of the year. 

To do this, I would place them inside of a detergent box.  Yep, detergent box--like the one below. (I saw this great idea in a Mailbox magazine once.)  Add a sign to the box to say, Here are some activites to "Tide" you over.  Cute, right?

You can then place the activities (I would suggest laminating the work mats) inside of a manila envelope, or a manila folder.  Add a dry erase marker, and some connecting cubes, stick it all inside of a gallon baggie (y'all know that I love cheap, fast and easy) and Ta-da!  A quick go to activity.

If you don't want to use them as a "now what" activity, I do think they would make great activities for workstations, or even as extra help with an aide/helper.  Of course these are just suggestions. 

How are students to use them?  With connecting cubes, they will show addition sentences for a given number.  The work mats start with 3 and 4, so students will show ways to represent the sum of 3, and the sum of 4.  This could also lead into a math fact discussion of  "turn-around" facts.

The work mats go up to a sum of 18.  As students work through them, maybe they will discover that there is one extra math fact per number they are to model.  (For example, there are 4 math facts to represent the sum of 3).  Maybe this could lead into a fun math discussion--- Will it work that way for even  numbers?  Does it always work that way?  etc.

The work mats are on Teachers Pay Teachers for free.  You can click the picture below to head over and grab you a copy.  I hope you are able to get some use from them!! 

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the great freebie!

    Karen
    anappleadayinfirstgrade

    ReplyDelete

First Grade and Fabulous

Total Pageviews