If you are looking to add some fun math review to your middle school classroom, math games are the perfect fit. These versatile activities can be used in small math groups, math centers, math workshop, as review math games, or as a teacher vs. class game. Since I have spent so much time creating gam

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Are you looking for a poster that shows the 4 different types of slope? In this post I link a free slope poster to download and add to an algebra word wall. Recently updated slope guy with a color and also black and white version.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR GRADE 8 Get access to over 350 math worksheets as well as lesson planning resources for Grade 8 (aged 13-14) Mathematics. Cazoom Math is a trusted provider of Math worksheets for school children, and this set of Math worksheets is ideal for students in the

Learn how you can start engaging your students with math task cards in the classroom. These ideas will give you some variety in how you use these valuable tools.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

In this post are ideas for teaching algebraic functions, including activities, a study that I tell students to help function vs. not a function stick, a math word wall and an awesome introductory activity to introduce nonlinear functions.

This year I really changed how I taught my Number Systems Unit. I decided to teach a unit on Square Numbers and Square Roots. Then teach The Pythagorean Theorem Unit. My goal was for this unit to give the students a foundation of perfect and non-perfect square roots and set the students up for success with the concept of The Pythagorean Theorem and solving equations by taking the square root of both sides. Not only did I change the order of how this unit is taught, I completely changed how this concept was taught. I only had five days for this unit and I had to make those five days meaningful. :o) Math 8 Lesson - Square Numbers and Perfect Square Roots The first part of the unit was an introduction to Square Numbers and Perfect Square Roots. (Self-paced) “Digital” Time Tests After learning about square numbers and perfect square roots I wanted a way for the students to practice them by doing time tests. I didn't want to give the time test as a whole class and correct it. I wanted the students to do the time tests independently and without me. So I used the features in Showbie to create "Digital" Time Tests that the students could complete on their own and correct. As you can see the first page they opened up in Showbie tells them to turn off the annotations (which shows the answers). Then they are directed to set a timer for 3 minutes. They are then directed to take the time test and complete as many as they can in 3 minutes. As you can the annotations are off. When the time was up the directions tell them to turn back on the annotations and correct their time test. Here are examples of students taking the "Digital" Time Test. After the students corrected their time test they were to leave a comment in Showbie on how they did. I love using Showbie's comment feature to have the students reflect on their assignment. Students did the (self-paced) "Digital" Time Tests every day for the week. This really helped with their fluency of perfect square roots. Math 8 Lesson - Non-perfect Square Roots on a Number Line The next part of the concept was focused on Approximating Non-perfect Square Roots on a Number Line. This was just an introduction lesson and the focus was on determining the two whole numbers the non-perfect square root falls between. This lesson set the foundation for Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots. Math 8 Lesson - Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots The next part of the unit was focused on my new method for Estimating Square Roots (no calculator). I have always taught the method using "Ghost Squares" because it gives the students a visual understanding of non-perfect square roots. They have always liked this method. I realized after taking the CAASPP last year that this method was not practical for the students to be successful when estimating non-perfect square roots without a calculator. So I decided to tweak the method and use just the number line to estimate the non-perfect square root. For the first problem in the notes I merged the two methods to give the students the visual understanding. Then the rest of the problems were focused on just using a number line to estimate the non-perfect square root. The students loved, loved, loved this method. They thought it was super easy and didn't even complain about dividing by hand. #success Students did a round of Recorder/Reporter and the teams collaboratively estimated non-perfect square roots. (no calculator) iMath – Socrative (Self-paced) “Digital Task Cards” After practicing estimating non-perfect square roots with their teams, students did my Socrative (self-paced) "Digital Task Cards" lesson on Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots. Here is my Socrative Code. Feel Free to Use. :o) Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots: SOC-20210703 I made a Estimating Square Roots Dry Erase Mat for the students to use. (Feel free to use) Math 8 Lesson - Simplifying Radical Expressions The final focus of the unit was on simplifying and solving radical expressions. The focus was on basic equations and solving by taking the square root of both sides. iMath – Showbie “Paperless” Assignment Students practiced simplifying expressions and solving equations in Showbie. iMath – Tenmarks Practice and Review Students practiced Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots in Tenmarks. Socrative: Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots "Team Task" We ended the unit with my Socrative Collaborative "Team Task" on Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots, Space Race Style. Here is my Socrative Code. Feel Free to Use. :o) Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots "Team Task": SOC-20242278 Checking for Understanding This was a really quick unit and the students did good with the concept during the unit. My goal was to keep reviewing the concept so that they didn't forget. I accomplished this regular review by giving them one collaborative problem a week. The problems started out with just estimating one non-perfect square root. Once the students had confidence in solving those problems, I decided to challenge the students so I just started making the problems harder. Here are some examples of the problems and the students working collaboratively to solve them. The students rose to the challenge and persevered through the collaborative problems. :o) Do They Still Got It? I was getting nervous in weeks before the CAASPP. The students had learned so much this year and my fear was they were going to forget everything. So for the CAASPP Review Week I made a Socrative "Team Task" to review Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots. Socrative: CAASPP Review - Non-perfect Square Roots "Team Task" Here is my Socrative Code. Feel Free to Use. :o) CAASPP Review: Estimating Non-perfect Square Roots "Team Task": SOC-22817540 I loved the discussion and collaboration, but more importantly I loved that they still had it. Majority of the students could solve these problems successfully. :o) Unit Reflection I loved the changes I made to this unit. Everything was well thought out and worked perfectly. This unit could definitely use more time, but is doable in the week that I allotted. The new method is definitely a keeper. The students loved it and felt so successful solving these complex problems with no calculators. And teaching the students to solve equations by taking the square roots helped lay the foundation for my next unit on The Pythagorean Theorem. :o) Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. Feel free to leave feedback.

Today I stayed after school to create some anchor charts my regular 7th grade math classes. We are currently working on 7.EE.A.1 "Apply properties of operations as strategies to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients." All my math students did ACT Interim testing today so I spent some time designing my anchor charts. I'm a bit compulsive when designing anchor charts and prefer to map out what I want to include on post-it notes and then transfer the information to chart paper. I don't decide on colors until I sit down to write my anchor charts. These three (well really four because I redid the Solving Expressions chart) took me over two hours to complete. Below was the first chart I created. I was definitely not happy with how the examples looked. I should have had space between each line on example 2. Solving Expressions Take One I ended up redoing this chart after I created the charts for Distributing and Factoring. I thought they were so much easier to read and see each example that I went back and and fixed this one up and was much happier with how it turned out the second time. Solving Expressions Much Better! I do not require my students to show the work of how they distribute, but put it on the anchor chart as a guide to remind them they have to distribute to all terms in parentheses. A common misconception is for them to only distribute to the first term. Distributing I love the way this chart turned out and like the combo of blue, red, and purple with the black. Stepping outside my comfort zone of my pink, blue, green color scheme. When students struggle I always refer back to the anchor charts to guide them to solve the problem. Factoring All ready to go on my front board for tomorrow. I'm very happy with the finished products and hope they will be beneficial to my students as they work through this chapter. In the past students have really appreciated having anchor charts to look at and often take photos of them on their phones so they can look at them at home. I still need to make a chart for Combining Like Terms, but my family was waiting for me to get home so we could have dinner so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

This FREE product includes 27 challenging math problems for 8th grade math. I post a new problem for students to try each week. Concepts covered in these challenge problems include the number system, expressions and equations, ratios and proportional relationships, geometry, statistics, and probabil...

Last week, I wrote a post about using a hole punch to find function inverses in algebra. A few people asked on Facebook if the process would also work for geometric reflections, and it absolutely does! In this post I share an easy, hands-on method for demonstrating reflections and rotations of geometric shapes and their coordinates in the coordinate plane. The video included in the post covers reflecting over the x-axis, over the y-axis and over the line y = x. This same method will work for reflecting over any line of symmetry in the coordinate plane, even linear equations. I then share an idea for showing geometric rotations with a hole punch. 1: Reflections Above is a quick video showing how to use a hole punch and a template to reflect a geometric shape in the coordinate plane. I glued the colored paper behind the holes just so that they were easier to see on the video. This probably wouldn't be necessary in the classroom. Here is the PDF of templates in my Google Drive. There are graphs to demonstrate inverse functions in there, too, so it's named hole punch inverse functions. But you'll find the geometric shapes in there, towards the end of the PDF. 2: Rotations Geometric rotations in the coordinate plane. I added 3 templates into the PDF template file linked above to show geometric rotations with a hole punch. The grid I used for this rotation is the blank template from the Google Drive file linked above. I cut cut into half of the y-axis to show the clockwise rotation from quadrant 4 into quadrant 3. I've been posting the videos on my Facebook page and on my YouTube channel. The hole punch that I used in the videos is a 1/8th-inch with a 2-inch reach. It looks like the one in this picture. I had gotten mine from a craft store years ago (probably in the paper craft aisle, though I can't remember exactly), but this screenshot came from Amazon. *If you don't have this longer reaching hole punch, an alternative is to have students poke holes in the paper with their pencils. One teacher commented that she prints the templates smaller so that they can be glued into student notebooks. I thought that was a really great idea. UPDATE: Teacher Eric Funke was super generous in creating and sharing a printable set of lessons he made based on the video and handouts in this post. You can make a copy of his lessons here in my Drive. Geometric transformations activities Geometric transformations digital math escape room Geometric transformations math pennant activity Transformations - 8th grade math word wall

One of my favorite topics to teach in eighth grade math {Pre-Algebra} was Exponents & Scientific Notation. Students have prior knowledge of numbers and how they can be big or small, but have little grasp of how BIG and small they can really get. Giving students options with hands-on activities and Math stations lets them explore the concepts and gather their own understandings of the Math. I have listed here four activities to review and practice Exponents & Scientific Notation. I hope these help jump start your lesson planning into Exponents & Scientific Notation. The key to getting your students involved in the learning process is to include interactive, visual, engaging activities for them to actively participate in. {Click HERE for IMN: Exponents & Scientific Notation Grade 8} These interactive notebook activities are intended to help students understand and apply the properties of integer exponents, use numbers expressed in single digit form times an integer power of 10, and to perform operations with scientific notation and use appropriate measurements. Included are: -4 different Exponents & Scientific Notation activities to engage students -Teacher facilitated activity for 60-90 minutes of classroom time -Activities include: Vocabulary, Writing expressions using exponents, Writing numbers in scientific notation, and Simplifying expressions with exponents. -Examples of Completed Interactive Math Notebook Activities are included {Click HERE for the Math Station: Scientific Notation} This math station activity is intended to help students understand and apply the properties of integer exponents, use numbers expressed in single digit form times an integer power of 10, and to perform operations with scientific notation and use appropriate measurements. Included are: -6 different stations to engage students -Teacher facilitated activity for 60-90 minutes of classroom time -Stations include: 1. Vocabulary 2. Technology (Need classroom computers & internet access to ixl.com) 3. Practice of Exponents & Scientific Notation 4. Additional Practice of Exponents & Scientific Notation 5. Real World applications of Exponents & Scientific Notation 6. Word problems of Exponents & Scientific Notation -Student Station Guide helps students record their answers -ALL ANSWER KEYS included {Click HERE for Card sort activity: Powers & Exponents} This lesson unit is intended to help you assess how well students are able to apply properties of integer exponents, express numbers in the form of a single digit times an integer power, and express how many times as much one is than the other. Included in this lesson are: -one formative assessment (pre-test) task -card sort activity with concept development of powers and exponents -one extension activity for students to deepen their conception of expanded, standard, and exponential forms -one summative assessment (post-test) task -answer keys for all the assessments and activities -how the lesson is tied to common core and mathematical practices {Click HERE for the Back to School: No Prep Math Packet Grade 8} A Back To School Math NO PREP packet that will keep your eighth graders engaged on day 1 in your classroom! This packet is just plain fun. Not only is it PACKED with eighth-grade common core math problems, it also gives students fun coloring, puzzles, and problem solving. Also included is a beginning of the year diagnostic test with seventh and eighth grade benchmarks addressed, back to school activities, and a Math portfolio starter pack. Use this packet at the beginning of 8th grade year for review activities during August & September!! Have fun with Powers & Exponents! Find a creative approach and teach it. Now is the time to engage your students at the beginning of the year in Math and the rewards will be higher in the end!