Category: Math

23 Websites to Support Math Automaticity in K-5

Summer is when parents worry about math facts and the automaticity of math skills. The following websites focus solely on that facet of math.

I’ve broken them down by grade level, but you can decide if your second graders are precocious enough to try the websites for grades 3-5:

You can find updates for this page here.

1^st

2^nd

How to Use Excel to Teach Math Arrays

Grade Level: 5th (or whichever grade you are teaching arrays)

Background: None. This is an intro to MS Excel

Vocabulary: Excel, cell, rows, columns, paint bucket, borders, arrays, resize, formulas

Time: About 30 minutes

Steps:

(more…)

Weekend Website #64: Khan Academy

Every Friday I’ll send you a wonderful website that my classes and my parents love. I think you’ll find they’ll be a favorite of your students as they are of mine.

[caption id="attachment_5735" align="aligncenter" width="614"]

Khan Academy–free videos on lots of stuff[/caption]

(more…)

Weekend Websites #56: 23 Websites to Support Math Automaticity in K-5

2 Comments

This is the time of year when teachers worry about math facts and the automaticity of math skills. The following websites focus solely on that facet of math. I’ve broken them down by grade level, but you can decide if your second graders are precocious enough to try the websites for grades 3-5 (click here for an UTD list):

1^st

2^nd

9 of the Best Math Websites Out There

There are an awful lot of math sites on the internet and too often, they are filled with distracting ads that make it difficult to find the learning material, or too many games that don’t so much teach math skills as babysit kids.

Here are some I’ve found useful in my technology lab. They’re straightforward, with an uncluttered interface (mostly) and a focus on teaching not entertaining:

Math and Virtual Manipulatives and Tessellations –well organized, using a whiteboard with shapes and colors as the virtual manipulatives.

Math website—popular, a standard

Math—by Grade Level–a longtime favorite that reinforces basics, math facts and speed math

Math–Mental Math –traditional mental math practice. Well done.

Math–Minute Math –Mad Minutes

Games that make you think –logic, for K-3

Multiplication.com–lots of multiplication problems, lessons, games, with a few on addition and subtraction

Interactive Math Lessons–lots of them. You’ll find everything you need here.

Math problems by skill and grade

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Can Your Fifth Grader Answer This Math Problem?

1 Comment

Thanks to Jeff for this…

Can the level of math education sink any lower?

Teaching Math In 1950:
A logger sold a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1960:
A logger sold a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1970:
A logger sold a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Math In 1980:
A logger sold a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math In 1990:
A logger cut down a beautiful forest, because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? After answering the question, the topic for class participation is: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.)

The Result In 2005:
Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The young woman at the counter took my $2. I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies while looking at the screen on her register.

I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.

Jeffrey J. McGovern

Find Great Kids Websites

They’re user-friendly, kid-tested, organized by grade and topic. Just click this link to Great Kids Websites and scroll down until you find your grade and subject.

Send me an email with any websites you use with your students:

#72: How to Check Your Math in Excel

3 Comments

This is one of the most popular lessons I teach to Excel beginners. It is relevant, instantly usable and makes sense from the beginning. Before you start this one, be sure to complete Project 70 and 71.

[gallery columns="2" ids="45219,45218"]

–from 55 Technology Projects for the Digital Classroom

–5 lesson plans for spreadsheets

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, CSG Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, anAmazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

updated 5-18-16

#71: Beginning Graphs in MS Excel

Excel makes graphs simple and easy for beginners. Even my parent helpers are amazed at how much students can do with a simple F11 shortkey and a right click.

If the lesson plans are blurry, click on them for a full size alternative. (more…)