The Meaning of the Equals Sign - First Grade Math

My students are learning that the equal sign doesn't always occur at the end of an equation. Once they get that each side of the equal sign must be equal, they are on their way. It might seem like a simple concept, but many have only seen an equation with the equal sign at the end. I am starting out with manipulatives and a balance to demonstrate this concept. I am still in the process of completing the unit.

Click here for a free copy of the activity sheets.

Need a technology connection? Check out the Math Illuminations website. It has a great activity showing Balanced Equations. 

I'm always looking for a book to connect to my math concepts.  Have you read Equal Shmequal by Virginia Kroll? Do you have any favorite books to use in this unit?

Adding Nine (Plus 9)

Some of my students are getting good at adding nine to a one digit number. Those that still needed a scaffold used the 2 ten frames to help them visualize how to make that friendly number ten. To play the game they rolled a die and then added nine. If the sum is in the box they can move the counter, if not they lose a turn.   

 Click here for the freebie.

 

 Head over to Mrs. Wheeler's First Grade for more great spring resources.

Money Unit - Top 4 Favorite Videos to Teach Coins

My favorite videos to teach coin identification and value.

Did I miss one of your favorites?

Identifying coins, value, and what is on the heads and tails. 

  Name of coin and its value. Goes with poem Penny, Penny Easy Spent  Show me the money. Students can hold up the mentioned coin.    Some equivalent values - My kids love this one it repeats going faster and faster.

Decorating Eggs - Sums to 10

Getting ready for spring break. Thought I would let my students be a little creative while they practiced their sums to 10. All that is needed for this activity is the attached paper and a die. Students can play against a partner or by themselves. They write a number (numbers 4-9) on each egg. Roll the die. How many more to make 10? Find the correct egg and color it.

Click Here for the file.

Pizza Yum! Subtracting Three From Sums to 18

I do love my math games! Shouldn't all learning be fun?  All you need for this game is dice and the game board. You could laminate the game board, but I just have students use crayons to color it in. For accountability I have included a worksheet. When students first play the game, I don't use the recording sheets. I just want them focusing on adding and then subtracting three. Click HERE for the freebie.

Stop by Clasroom Freebies for some more great resources. 

Spin and Swat - One More and One Less

I was checking out the adorable clipart on MyCuteGraphics, trying to figure out another way for some of my students to practice the concept of one more and one less. As soon as I saw the fly and swatter, I knew I had struck gold.

All you need is dice, a spinner (transparent spinners are wonderful to have), and cubes. 

For this activity students roll a die or dice (there is a different game board for 4 versions using up to 4 dice), then spin the spinner. Players have to find one more or one less than the number. If they do, they get to squish swat the fly. 

Click Here for your free copy. I'm one again excited to be linking about with Charity Preston at Classroom Freebies. If you haven't already, check out their great resources.  Happy Monday!!

Fraction Freebie 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4

Fraction Freebie

My students are able to name, read, and match fractions. I used the activities that I've included in this freebie to help my students master this skill. As you can probably tell, I love any kind of activity that has my students interacting and manipulating things.


 Click Here for a freebie. It includes a fraction dominoes matching activity, cards for a memory game, and a chart for students to complete. Students are focusing on identifying and matching 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4.

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Head on over to Classroom Freebies for more great resources.

MEGA GIVEAWAY form the Teaching Blog Circle

The Teacher's Chair

Are you feeling lucky? 
I am very excited to be linking  up with Tracey from the Teacher's Chair. She is offering her first GIVEAWAY. Seventeen bloggers from the Teaching Blog Circle are also offering items. Head on over for a chance to win!

We are in the middle of our telling time unit, so I have included a freebie, telling time dominoes. Click here for your freebie. 

Ten Less - Subtract 10

My students still need opportunities to practice subtracting ten from a 2 digit number. I have put together a couple of worksheets and a game to help students with this skill. Some students needed to use a hundred's chart (included) to help them. Other students were more strategic. When they rolled a 5 and 1 they could make 15 and then subtract 10 to get 5 or they could make the number 51 and subtract 10 to get 41. Love games that incorporate both skill and strategy work!

Click Here for the free file.

My Top Ten Interactive Fraction Websites

Fraction Websites for First, Second, and Third Grade

These are some of my favorite fraction websites to  introduce or review basic fraction concepts including identifying, naming, and comparing fractions. 

Pizza Fraction
http://www.infoplease.com/math/knowledgebox/player.html?movie=sfw42848
Enter the cafe and decide whether the pizza is divided into fair shares.

Fraction Shoot

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/fractions_shoot.htm

This site does have ads on either side of the game (I don’t usually like these), but it does have student decide whether shapes are divided into equal or unequal parts. 

Fraction Bowling

 http://www.hbschool.com/activity/bowling_for_fractions/bowling_fractions_new.swf

Students click to color in part of a shape. and then write the fraction. If they are correct a bowling pin appears. When they get all their bowling pins, the ball knocks them down.  Shapes are divided into up to 12 parts, but a nice site to review naming fractions. 

Cross the River

http://www.hbschool.com/activity/cross_the_river/cross_the_river.swf

Given a fraction (parts of a whole) student select the correct fraction so that the boy can cross the river. I love the little music that plays when he crosses the river, get ready to boogie. 

Fraction Concentration
Match the fraction to the picture.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=73


Fraction Flags

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/fractionflags/fractionflags.html
Create colorful flags by coloring the fractional part.

Hatchin Fractions

http://www.pearsonschool.com/live/images/custom/envisionmath_ca/games/hatchin.swf

Select easy and each problem has the same denominator. This shows fraction on a number line (actually a telephone line). If the answer is correct, a bird lands and lays an egg. Feedback is given if the answer is incorrect. Nice as a linear mode.

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/fractions/index.htm
This site has four different levels and can used whole group or individually. It starts very basic starting with selecting the number of slices of pieces needed. The highest level has students find equivalent fractions (with picture support).

Mendall’s Magic Math Market

http://e-learningforkids.org/Courses/EN/M0901/index.html. It does move into decimals quickly – but I would use the first section to demonstrate to students just learning about fractions. 

Cookies for Grampy
http://www.visualfractions.com/CookiesF.html
Make cookies for Grampy by selecting the correct fractional parts. No bells and whistles but nice to compare equivalent  fractional parts of a circle. 

Virtual Manipulatives:

http://enlvm.usu.edu/ma/nav/activity.jsp?sid=nlvm&cid=2_1&lid=274
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_104_g_2_t_1.html

More Place Value - Ten More Game

We are winding down our place value unit. I am a firm believer in giving students multiple opportunities to practice a skill.. While worksheets have a place, I prefer to use games to reinforce math skills; it also is a great way to build fluency/automaticity. Here are some simple games to practice ten more. All you need is the game board, dice, and a partner. For first graders that can already add ten more to a number, use the last game board with 3 dice (for more of a challenge use number cubes) and encourage them to organize the cubes in a way to add the numbers more efficiently.     Click Here for a free copy.

Place Value - Ten More and Ten Less

My students are amazing. They are making such great progress in math. As part of my place value unit, I'm working on the concept of one more and one less. We played a variation of a game I have seen in many forms. Each child had a hundred's chart, one game piece (I used bears), and a spinner card. Students put their game pieces on number one to start. On each turn, the child would spin and either add or subtract 1 or 10. If the child couln't subtract the number he or she would lose a turn.

To assist some students, I had them count by using a finger to point to each number on the hundred's chart. Doing this before moving the game piece helped. Other students didn't need to do this. I loved seeing the Aha! moment when some realized how easy it was to add 10. I was thrilled when one commented, "Oh, you just add one to the ten's place." Others aren't there yet, but getting close.

 Click Here for a free copy.