Olivia M. Doiron
Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School:
Activity Diary
Red= Used in Practicum
Number and Number Sense
Name and
Location
Choose the
Better Deal
From
Mathsolutions.co
m
Materials
Description
SOL
-Comparable
store bought
goods
-Paper
-Pencil
Have students
figure out
which item is
a better deal
to buy to get
your money’s
worth and
make sure
they explain
why
Number
and
Number
Sense 3.1
Number Flash
In class
-Pictures of
different
arrangements
of numbers
such as tens
frames or dice
Number
and
Number
Sense K.2
What’s My
Number?
In Class
-Post it notes
-Pen
Flash pictures
of different
arrangements
of numbers at
students to
see if they can
recall the
number and
explain why
Place a
number on
the back of
each student
and have
other
students in
the class give
them clues to
help the
student figure
out what their
number is
Garbage
In Class
-Decks of cards
Split students
into pairs and
have them
each deal 10
cards facing
down
Number
and
Number
Sense k.2
Number
and
Number
Sense 5.3
NCTM Process
Standards
Problem
Solving:
Through
looking at
possibilities
students must
come up with
a strategy to
choose the
better
shopping deal
Reasoning and
Proof: The
students have
to explain their
reasoning
behind
choosing the
particular
number
Reasoning and
Proof: The
students have
to figure out
their number
through logic
and
questioning
Evaluation &
Suggestions
This will help
students
connect math
to real life
situations.
Make sure to
have a class
discussion
after students
have had time
to solve the
problem on
their own
Use pictures of
objects
instead of just
dots
This can be
used to teach
fractions,
decimals, odd,
even, and
many other
math
characteristics.
It can be easily
differentiated
by giving some
students
easier or
harder
numbers
Representation Differentiation
: The students can be done
are using cards by giving some
to manually
students cards
place the
1-5 only or
including face
Fraction Puzzles
Practicum
Worksheet with
puzzles, pencil,
small countable
manipulatives
like marbles
(eliminate
face cards).
Each time
they flip it
over they
must place it
in ordinal
order among
their cards. If
their card
doesn’t fit
they draw a
new one. The
first to get all
10 numbers in
order wins
In pairs or
groups have
the students
attempt to
solve the
puzzles which
give clues to
figure out
which fraction
is correct out
of six given.
The puzzles
state different
facts about
the fraction.
The students
can use
manipulatives
or drawings
as needed.
Number
and
Number
Sense 4.2
numbers in
order
cards and
assigning them
value such as
11, 12, 13…
Communicatio
n: The
students must
agree on the
answer and
explain their
reasoning to
one another
This activity
helps students
really
understand
fractions
because they
have to look at
and
understand
the multiple
qualities of a
particular
fraction to
figure out
which is the
correct one
Computation and Estimation
Name and Location
Materials
Descriptio
n
SOL
NCTM
Process
Standards
Bingo
Educationworld.com
-Blank bingo
card
Write
solutions
Computati
on and
Problem
Solving: The
Evaluatio
n&
Suggestio
ns
When a
student
-White board
-Pencil
Twenty-One
http://mathcoachscorner.
blogspot.com/
Dice, pencil,
paper
Less and more
Practicum
Numberline,
paperclip,
pencil,paper
on the
board and
have
students
choose
where to
fill them in
on their
bingo
board.
During the
game write
problems
and give
students
time to
solve it to
mark it off
their board
Role the
three dice
then use
addition,
subtraction
, or
multiplicati
on to get a
number as
close to 21
as you can.
The closest
player to
21 gets a
point
Estimation
1.5
students
must come
up with
strategies
and ways to
solve the
problems on
the board
Computati
on and
estimation
4.4
Problem
Solving: The
students
must develop
their own
math
equations to
reach a
certain
answer
Give the
students
different
questions
that ask
them to
add certain
amounts
more or
less than a
number
from 1-20.
They use
Computati
on and
estimation
1.5
Representati
ons: The
students are
manually
moving the
clip along the
number line
wins they
should
explain
their
answers
or their
board
should be
shown
and the
class can
have a
discussio
n about
any
answers
they
disagree
with.
Students
will be
able to
develop
their
critical
thinking
process
and push
themselv
es to
work
through
many
possible
solutions
This
activity
was
helpful
for
students
who are
visual
and
tactile
learners
the paper
clip to
move up
and down
the
number
line.
Measurement
Name and Location
Materials
Description
SOL
NCTM Process
Standards
How Old is the Tree
Education.com
-Tree
-Measuring
-tape
-Marker
-Pen
-Paper
-Helper
Have students
measure the
circumference
of the tree.
Give them the
formula. The
circumference
equals the
tree’s age in
years
Measure
ment
6.10
Connections:
They are
making
connections
between
science(trees)
and
math(measure
ment)
Lincoln’s Height
Educationworld.co
m
-Abe Lincoln’s
Height
-Card Board
-Scissors
-Measuring tape
-Paper
-Pencil
Tell the class
Measure
how tall Lincoln ment
was and as a
2.11
class draw an
outline of him
on cardboard
and cut it out.
Have the
children
measure each
other and then
stand next to
the outline.
Have them
Connections:
The students
are connecting
history with
math
Evaluation
&
Suggestions
This will
connect
with
science as
students
learn about
trees. This
could also
be a
competitio
n to see
who can
find the
oldest and
youngest
tree
This
connects
with
history and
learning
about
Lincoln.
You could
also use
this activity
to make a
graph of
student’s
heights and
write how their
height
compares.
Gummy Worm
Estimation
Teachervision.com
Gummy worms,
markers,
different objects
to compare
measurements
to, and a data
recording sheet
Geoboards
In-Class
Geoboard,
Geobands,
Paper and pencil
Let students
estimate the
different
amount and
colors of
worms in their
package. Then
have them
estimate how
many gummy
worms long
different
objects in the
room are and
then test it out.
Tell students to
create certain
shapes like
triangles or
squares with a
certain area.
Have them
create their
own shapes
and record the
area.
Measure
ment
K.10
Measure
ment
3.10
relate it to
probability
and
statistics
Representation This will be
because the
an exciting
students are
way to get
using physical
students
objects to
thinking
represent the
about the
length of other length of
objects
objects
and how
they
compare to
other
objects
around
them
Representation This is a
: The students
good
are using
activity
manipulatives
especially
to observe the for the
concept of area tactile and
visual
modalities
Geometry
Name and Location
Materials
Description
SOL
NCTM Process
Standards
Scavenger Hunt
exploratorium.edu
-Page with
shapes
-paper
-Pencil
Give
students a
list of
shapes and
have them
go to the
playground,
or just
Geometry
1.13
Connections:
They are able to
connect
geometry and
the material
they learn to
their
surroundings
Evaluation
&
Suggestions
It would be
beneficial
to scope
out a place
with plenty
of shapes
available.
Homework
around the
classroom,
and find as
many of
the shapes
as they can.
Have them
sketch the
object
Move to the Shape
-Room to
-Have
classroomcaboodle.com move
students
-List of lines
work in
and angles
groups to
come up
with body
formations
to
represent
different
lines, rays,
segments,
and angles
Create the Shape
Geometric
The
Practicum
manipulatives, students
Worksheet
have to find
with
out how
geometric
many
shapes, and a different
pencil
ways they
can arrange
the shapes
to fill the
shape
given. For
example six
equilateral
triangles
can be
used to
construct a
hexagon
Probability and Statistics
could be to
have them
also do this
activity at
home
Geometry
3.15
Representations:
The students are
using their
bodies to
represent each
shape
This can
also be
done by
individual
students to
give them
more of a
challenge
Geometry
1.13
Representation:
The students are
using
manipulatives to
represent
geometric
shapes
Students
use critical
thinking to
decide
what
shapes will
fit best.
Name and Location
Materials
Description
SOL
NCTM Process
Standards
Probability Card Game
Education.com
Deck of
playing
cards
Scratch
paper (1
sheet per
player)
Pencil (1
sheet per
player)
Students go
over the
probability of
drawing a
particular suit
out of a deck
of 24 cards.
There should
be 6 of each
suit. Then
players draw
cards until
there are no
more left.
They see who
beat the odds
and get a
point. The
first with 10
points wins.
Draw graphs
with two
points shown
on a set of
cups. On the
lip of another
set of cups
write the
corresponding
X and Y
coordinates.
The children
will match
them by
stacking the
graph and
points that go
together.
The students
color each
word listed on
the worksheet
a specific
color and
then color in
Probability
and
Statistics
4.13
Connections:
This connects
the real world
use of playing
cards to the
subject of
probability by
showing
students that
they have a
certain
probability of
drawing each
card.
Probability
and
Statistics
6.11
Representation:
The students
are sorting
graphs and
data using
manipulatives
This is a
good
activity for
visual,
kinesthetic,
and tactile
learners
Probability
and
Statistics
1.14
Representation:
The students
graph the
amount of
words using a
worksheet
given
This activity
will help
students
gain the
basis of
using a bar
graph
Cups
White
http://literacymathideas foam cups,
.blogspot.com/
permanent
markers
Word Color
Practicum
Crayons,
Worksheet
Evaluation
&
Suggestions
I think this
is a simple
and great
game to
play with
students
and they
can take
this home
and
experiment
with
probability
the amount of
each word on
a bar graph
without
drawing the
complete
graph
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Name and
Location
M&M Pattern
Education.com
Materials
Description
SOL
-Multicolored
M&Ms
Create a
pattern using
M&M’s and
have the
children
identify the
type of
pattern. Let
the children
create
patterns with
their own
M&M’s and
explain why it
is a certain
type of
pattern
Patterns,
Functions,
and Algebra
K.16
Tic Tac Toe
Three
Equations in a
Row
Education.com
Paper,
small paper
clips or other
objects to use
as markers,
tic tac toe
board,
equation list
Write out
equations on
cards with the
answer on the
back. A
student draws
a card solves
the equation
and checks
their answer.
If it is right
they can put
their mark on
the tic tac toe
board.
Patterns
Functions and
Algebra 5.18
NCTM Process
Standards
Representation:
Manipulatives
are being used
to help the
students
visualize the
pattern
Evaluation &
Suggestions
This activity
can use any
other colored
foods if
students are
allergic to the
M&M’s such
as skittles and
colored
goldfish
Problem
solving: The
students are
taking the
equation given
and solving it to
the best of
their ability and
then checking
their answer.
This is a good
game to help
students gain
automaticity
in solving
simple
equations