Classroom Math Activities for Grades 4 Through 7
Math can be a tricky subject for some students. To encourage learning and growth in mathematical skills, teachers can make math into activities to help increase the class's understanding of concepts and skills with a little fun. From word problems to higher equations, math activities are an appropriate learning tool for elementary and middle school children.
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Math Curse
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Teachers can incorporate the book "Math Curse," by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, into a classroom activity. The book talks about math anxiety and gives children tools to battle their math-related fears. The teacher should ask children to get into groups and discuss their math fears, then come up with suggestions about dealing with these issues. The book is geared toward the younger groups, but it is applicable for Grades 4 through 6 as it can be tailored to the current area of study. "Math Curse" helps students discuss where they have math trouble and can help straggling students catch up.
Build a Kite
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For Grades 4 and 5, students can explore geometry by building a geometric kite. The teacher should put students into teams and give them supplies such as wooden dowels, string, plastic garbage bags, tape and glue, tissue or crepe paper, straws, scissors and markers. Students should create a blueprint for a kite using only geometric shapes, then construct the kite accordingly. Once every team completes its kites, have a kite-off to see which design flies best.
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Treasure Hunt
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A treasure hunt can help students increase their comprehension of maps and graphing. Teachers can put a map of the classroom on a grid and give students clues to finding where a treasure is hidden. To figure out where the treasure is located, students will have to plot points on the grid using the x and y axis, which will lead to new clues. For example, the teacher can begin by giving the class specific coordinates on the x and y planes, which students will have to find in the classroom and which leads them to the second clue. This clue should be an equation based upon the original coordinates, which students must solve and then plot the answer to on the graph, which leads to the next location. At the end of the line of clues, students will find the treasure, which can be anything from candy to a high grade. This exercise familiarizes students with graphing basics, which are important prealgebra topic for Grades 6 and 7.
Bingo
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Bingo is an activity that is highly adaptable to whatever math lesson students are currently learning and is applicable to Grades 4 through 7. The teacher should post the answers to problems or equations on the board and have students fill in bingo cards with the answers, leaving one space, typically in the middle, as a free space. The teacher then calls out a problem, and the students will solve to figure out where on their card to place the marker. When a student achieves a straight line, or bingo, the teacher can double check her math and declare whether or not she won.
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