Pinterest Finds

I have been scouring my new favorite site, Pinterest, looking for new ideas for teaching math. I will be starting my 8th year teaching in the fall, and I really want to build up my bag of tricks for the school year. I started following a couple blogs after finding some of these gems, and I am planning a craft day (or week) in the very near future.

http://statteacher.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-heart-activities.html

this is one of my favorites so far. I love the versatility of these cards. The creater talks of using the cards with domain and range. I was also thinking of introducing parent functions with these cards, and using it for a matching game. While I have not taught anything higher than Algebra 2, what a great opportunity to introduce sine functions and others.

http://rootsoftheequation.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/algebra-taboo/

here is a great find for vocab review! The creater also includes printable cards in PDF and Word, so you can create your own to your specific needs! I would like to build on this concept for my ESOL/ELL students, and make them in Spanish and Creole.

http://mrswilliamsmath.wordpress.com/

I LOVE FOLDABLES! I have never made foldables. I am so excited to try this! I have been heading in the direction of students keeping composition notebooks as resources the last few years. This just makes it more fun! I found a book on Amazon that goes with the McGraw Hill Algebra 2 textbook dealing with foldables. I am anxiouslt awaiting my smiley brown box to show up.

http://mrsphippen.blogspot.com/search/label/Math

If you scroll about halfway down the page, you will find "Value Time." It was the picture of the placemat with the equal/inequality sign that struck me. Yes, this is an elementary blog, but how many of us, every year, have to discuss which way the sign goes for the larger value? I was in a Marzano training with Tom Roy a few weeks ago, and he said something that just clicked with this picture. He said "Close your eyes and imagine an equal sign. What does that look like in a cartesian plane? (the lines a parallel and equidistant). Now bring the top left of the equal sign closer to the bottom left of the equal sign. What does that tell you? (the distance on the left is closer, or smaller, than the distance on the right)." It was a wonderful Aha moment for me.

I have found more on Pinterest, but these really stood out. I am looking to add to my bag of tricks, so anything you find interesting, please share! (and please note, these are NOT my ideas, I am borrowing and sharing.)