Math Learning Center Activities in Middle School

Middle school students can benefit from learning center activities.

Teachers use math learning centers to help break down the class and work with all of the students in smaller groups. One group works with the teacher while two or three other groups work on math activities at various learning stations set up around the room.

Nutrition and Math Activity

Teachers can use nutrition fact labels on food boxes or cans as a math lesson for students which also promotes good health. The students can look at information like the suggested percentage amounts and from there students can break down the information to find out what the recommended amount of various vitamins, minerals and nutrients are in foods. Teachers give instructions for which information to find, such as the amount of milligrams of sodium suggested for daily intake based on the amount listed in a serving size on one box and the percentages. This reinforces math skills such as finding percentages while also giving students information about nutrition.

Math and Exercise

Teachers can set up the classroom learning center so students are able to get exercise or burn energy while working on the math problems. Options include providing equipment like exercise balls instead of chairs or putting math problems on tables where the students stand while working out the problem, allowing the students to move while they work out the problems.

Math Games

Middle school students are able to benefit from games related to math. The teacher uses cards like Uno cards or regular cards and bases a game for math problems off the card game. For example, the game might require the students to pick two or three cards and fill in an equation given and then solve the equation using the numbers drawn from the cards. A board game might have instructions like rolling a dice and solving an equation based on the number rolled to find out the spaces the player moves. For example, a formula might have 3x - 3 = y and the rolled number is the x. So, if a student rolled a 4, the equation to find the number of spaces moved is 3 x 4 - 3 to get 12 - 3 or 9.

Varied Questions

Math centers can have a set up so questions are varied in difficulty, offering a challenge for all of the students in class, from struggling students who need more foundation practice to advanced students who might find the basics too simple. Each center setup can have several math problems which are a review of the math learned in class. The students then work on the problems they are capable of working on or start with the first problems and work up to the problems where they struggle. This not only allows the teacher to assess where the students are struggling, but also gives students further confidence in math and repetition in the skills previously studied.

References

• Teacher's Net: Math and Literacy Learning Centers for Upper Grades
• Education World: Math Flies Off the Shelf
• Education World: Math Games Can Target Key Instruction Areas
• Education World: Teachers Trade Space, Traditional Fixtures For Fitness