Ideas for Middle School Math Learning Centers
A learning center is a section of the classroom where students can undertake fun and educational activities. Learning centers can be dedicated to a specific topic, such as letters, numbers and professions, or give students the tools to engage in a variety of tasks involving more than one subject. In teaching middle school math, compelling learning centers can test students' knowledge, introduce them to a new topic or present a math issue.
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Geometrical Shapes Workshop
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Cover an 11-by-17-inch paper with the basic shapes and their attributes and place it on a side wall of the classroom. Put a table and four chairs under the paper, along with a big box with materials for making geometrical shapes: thin cardboard sheets, glue, tape, scissors, rulers and pencils. Children in groups of four can take turns sitting in the workshop. Give each team a specific task; for example, ask them to make a cube of a certain volume and have them calculate the length and width of each side.
Play With Dice
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List the arithmetical operations on a cardboard sheet and place it over the learning center. Children who use the center can form two opposing teams. Each team first throws one die, which determines the math operation they will do. If they roll a 1, it's addition; 2, subtraction; 3, multiplication; 4, division; 5, their choice; 6, roll again. They then throw two dice, which gives them the numbers for the operation; the left-hand die, from the throwers' perspective, is the dividend and base (for example, if children roll 4 and then 6 and 3, they will have to figure 6/3=2).
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Coordinates
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Provide a map of the town or county and transparent coordinate grid paper, and mark the center of the map and the compass directions. Apply the grid paper on the map and let the children have fun playing with coordinates. Ask students to find the location of a particular set of coordinates (for example 2, -10). Alternatively, ask for the coordinates of a particular spot, such as the town hall or a park. When setting up the learning center, include a cardboard sheet explaining how to find coordinates and their role in different aspects of life, such as urban design and military affairs.
3-D Graphs
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With different colors of clay, children can work in teams of four to create three-dimensional graphs. Discuss with the children the type of graph you want them to create and give them the relevant data. Based on those data, such as the number of students in each class or the results of an election, students design the graph on paper. Then they form the bars of the graph, or the parts of the pie, using different colors of clay. Help students determine the height according to the data of the z-axis; for example, if the scale is 2 children equals 1 inch, a datum of 16 students would produce a clay bar 8 inches high.
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References
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