What Remains? BINGO

By Ellen Dean

This board game focuses on the art of finding remainders. With a few simple materials you can find around the house, you can create a fun new way to work on an important concept. Your child will start out by creating a bunch of division problems, then he'll solve them and, finally, he'll turn the remainders into a game of bingo.

What You Need:

• Index cards or white paper cut down to size
• Pencil
• Paper
• Ruler
• Counters (plastic chips, pennies, beans)
• Scratch paper

What You Do:

1. Have your child and all other players write a unique division problems on 24 index cards. Distribute the cards evenly among the players and figure out the answers on scratch paper. Double check the answers to make sure they are correct.
2. Write the correct answer on the back of the index card.
3. Create a bingo card by making a grid on paper. The grid should be 5 squares across and 5 squares down, with the center square being the "Free" square. Write B-I-N-G-O at the top of the grid.
4. Read aloud all of the answers on the back of the index cards. Have the players write down the numbers inside the squares on their bingo cards. They should choose which square they wish to write each number in and continue writing numbers in the squares until each square has a number in it.
5. Shuffle the index cards and place them face up in a stack in the middle of the table, so the answers cannot be seen.
6. All players should place a counter on the "Free" space.
7. Read aloud the division problem on the first card and let all the players work out the answer on their pieces of scratch paper. The first player to call out the correct answer gets to use that number on his bingo card.
8. Continue playing until the first player to make a full row on his card shouts, "Bingo!"

Magnetic Division

By Mary Anne Edwards

The mere mention of long division may make your kid cringe. But there's no getting away from it: it's an important fourth grade math skill, and one he needs to know well. The key to conquering long division is lots of repetition and practice, but that doesn't have to mean all worksheets and scratch paper. Make this hands-on game, and explore the fun side of division.

What You Need:

• Roll of blank magnetic strips (with a white surface on one side)
• Magic markers
• Pencil
• Lined paper
• Scissors
• Large baking sheet (or use side of refrigerator)

What You Do:

1. Have your child grab the pencil and a sheet of lined paper and review his multiplication facts by completing the following problems:
   1. 3 x 2=____
   2. 4 x 5 = ____
   3. 6 x 7= ____
   4. 8 x 9 = ____
   5. 9 x 9 = ____
   6. 7 x 4=____
   7. 8 x 3 = ____
   8. 5 x 8 = ____
   9. 9 x 5 = ____
   10. 10 x 10 = ____
2. When he's done, check his answers. If he's a little shaky on certain multiplication facts, it doesn't hurt to try a few more problems.
3. When he’s ready, create the number tiles by writing the following numbers and symbols on the magnetic roll:
   • 2 sets of  numbers 0-9
   • 1 division sign
   • 1 set of numbers 10-100
   • 1 decimal point
4. Snip the numbers into individual tiles with the scissors.
5. Use the baking sheet and magnetic numbers to complete the following division problems:
   1. 250 / 2
   2. 1075 / 50
   3. 6728 / 46
   4. 9258 / 71
   5. 3478 / 62
   6. 8120 / 89
   7. 9671 / 34
   8. 754 / 12
6. Remind him to use the decimal point when needed. When he's done, help him check his answers. As he gets more confident, encourage him to try problems with larger numbers.

Need to practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication instead? No problem: just make plus sign, minus sign, and multiplication signs, too.

Mary Anne Edwards is a freelance writer with teaching experience in Preschool, First, and Fourth Grades. She has also taught Second Grade Title One reading groups.

Graham Cracker Division

By Melissa Dianda

Are you looking for a fun way to teach your child important math concepts? Start with this quick and simple activity that will teach him the concept of dividing whole numbers by fractions—using one of his favorite snacks! Graham crackers are perfect for this activity, since they're easily divided into equal parts…and they make a great tasting reward!

What You Need:

• Graham Crackers (whole can be divided into 2 parts)
• Lined paper
• Pencil

What You Do:

1. First, have your child predict what he thinks 1 divided by ½ is. With a little help from a graham cracker, invite him to find out if he's correct.
2. Hand over a whole graham cracker to your child. Explain that this is one graham cracker, so it represents the number 1.
3. Then, have him divide the graham cracker in half by bending it down the middle. After it splits, ask him to count how many graham cracker pieces there now are.
4. After he responds that there are two, say “That's correct. 1 divided by ½ is 2.” He may looked puzzled, since most division problem answers or quotients are usually smaller than the dividend, which in this case was 1.
5. Now, ask your child to predict what 2 divided by ½ is.
6. After your child responds, have him set the broken graham cracker aside and hand him two more. Explain that now he has two graham crackers, representing the number 2.
7. Then, have him divide the graham crackers in half by bending them and splitting them down the middle. After they split, ask your child how many pieces there are.
8. After he responds that there are 4 pieces, say, “That's correct. 2 divided by ½ equals 4.”
9. Next, explain how to divide whole numbers by fractions without using graham crackers. Multiply the whole number by the fraction that has been reversed. 1 divided by 1/2; 1 X 2/1 = 2, or 1/1 x 2/1 = 2/1, which equals 2. Remind him that any whole number is equivalent to that number, over 1.
10. Have your child try a few problems on lined paper. For example, 3 divided by 1/4 is 3 X 4 = 12. 4 divided by 1/4; 4 X 4 = 16, 5 divided by 1/3; 5 X 3 =15.

Finally, celebrate your child's new math concept with a yummy snack of sweet graham crackers! Try practicing some more math during snack time.

Divide by Two Activity

By ChristianMiller

Learning to divide is a math skill that will not only come in handy during math class, it'll be useful later on in life when baking or dividing up the bill. Help her get a jump on division early with this engaging math game!

What You Need:

• Scissors
• Construction paper
• Black marker

What You Do:

1. Encourage your child to fold the sheet of construction paper in half.
2. Then, using the black marker, have her draw nine lines on the front of the folded over paper, separating it into 10 different sections.
3. Have your child use the scissors to carefully cut along the lines she made in the previous step. These will be the game cards.
4. Then, using the black marker, have her write the numbers 10-100, by tens, on the front of every card (one number per card). For example, on the first card you write 10, on the next card, write 20, and write 30 on the one after that. Keep making cards until you reach 100.
5. Then, take over duties by opening each card. On the inside, write the answer by dividing the number on the outside by two. For instance, on the inside of the 10 card, write five. On the inside of the 30 card, write 15.
6. Next, have your child shuffle the cards together.
7. To start playing, she should flip over the top card of the deck.
8. Then, she has 5 seconds to divide the number on the front of the card by two.
9. Once she guesses, she should open the card and see if she got the answer right.
10. If she's correct, let her set the card to the side.
11. To win, she must successfully make her way through each and every card.

Third Grade: Real World Math

Collect This Activity

set

See in set:

8 Awesome Money Games

2.3 based on 18 ratings

By Jane Oh

Updated on May 3, 2013

It's an old adage in the world of education, but it's true: math is all around us. You can try this simple activity with your child to get him thinking about the real world math you use everyday. While you're at it, you're strengthening key third grade math skills that you can expect your child to encounter all year.

What You Need:

• Supermarket ad
• Pencil
• Paper

What You Do:

1. Grab your weekly supermarket ad and look through the advertised specials together with your child. Ask her to circle 5-10 items she likes and then use these sale prices for practice with addition, subtraction, division and multiplication problems. (This activity can easily be substituted with restaurant take-out menus, clothes, game catalogs, or book order magazines.)
2. What's the total cost? Ask your child to line up all the decimal points in order to correctly compute the total cost.
3. How much change? As with addition, line up the decimal points before solving subtraction problems. Then have your child find the amount of change that you would receive from a $100 bill if you bought one item, two items or all items, depending on the price of the items.
4. How much for five? Your child should solve multiplication with decimal problems in the same manner as he would normally solve multiplication problems, but they must remember to move the decimal point over in the answer as many places as are in the problem. Have him find the total cost of purchasing 5 of the most expensive item.
5. How much if we split it? Division with decimals simply requires your child to include a decimal point in his answer directly above the decimal point in the dividend (the number being divided). Then have your child calculate how much each person should pay if 2 people split the total cost of the groceries, rounding their answer to the nearest cent.

While this activity offers lots of fun and challenge even when it's done occasionally, it's even better if you make it a regular feature of your weekly shopping. Do it often, and your third grader will thrive in math--but even better, will be prepared to be a savvy consumer for life.

Jane Oh has taught third and fourth grades for 8 years. She has worked with many diverse groups of students. She has also taught adult ESL and enrichment courses for youth at local community colleges. Most recently, she has written teacher textbook guides.

Click for Reference

Exploring Technology in the Elementary Classroom

Time Math by Recession Apps LLC

Reference

            Time Math is targeted to children in the second grade.  I could see this app used for students beyond second grade if they were still struggling with telling time.  This app is free and can easily be found on the app store for Apple products.  The specific math area of this app is the concept of time.  This app provides five different levels that can be explored.  The first level provides information on how to tell time.  The user learns what the hour and minute hands are used for.  The next level consists of asking the user “What time is it?”  The user then has the choice to select the intervals that will be asked.  These include: easy (hours), medium (fifteen minutes), hard (five minutes), harder (hours and five minutes), and hardest (hours and minutes).  The user is asked this each time they select one of the four levels.  The app generates a clock with a set time in relation to the difficulty selected and the user is asked to pick the correct answer out of three options.  The next level is “Set the Time” and asks the user to drag the hour and minute hand on the clock to the time that is indicated.  The last two levels are “What time will it be?” and “What time was it?”  Both of these levels require students to drag the hour and minute hand around the clock to reach the requested time. The graphics and design of this app is aesthetically pleasing.  The app is also very easy to navigate and allows for some many different difficulty levels, which is great for users who are just being introduced to telling time all the way through students who are more advanced.  When teaching a lesson about time, I think having this app projected on the board and/or giving each student an iPad to use with this app would be a great way to demonstrate time and walk through some problems together.  Instead of doing a worksheet, students could spend some time going through problems on their own. 

Academic Skill Builders http://www.arcademics.com/games/

Reference

            Academic Skill Builders is a free website with a plethora of fun math games.  The great thing about this website is that the user can select whatever grade level and subject they would like.  The grades range from first to sixth and the subject levels include shapes, counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, integers, money, time, decimals, fractions, ration and proportion, and algebra.  Therefore, this website is great for all elementary students.  For the most part, the grade levels are on point.  This website appears to be set up to allow students the chance to practice math skills through fun and competitive games.  Parents, teachers, and administrators can also be at ease when having students online because the designers of this website were conscious about online safety. “Private” games can be set up with a password, so a student and his or her friends could organize games to play against each other in a private game.  “Public” games can be joined by anyone at anytime but there is no contact between the outside players and the student. The website also monitors player names and blocks inappropriate ones.  One of my favorite games I stumbled across while exploring this website was Jumping Chicks.  This game would be perfect for kindergarten and first grade students because the purpose of the game is to match the number to a pile of leaves that has the same number.  Your chick then jumps to that pile of leaves and the player is asked to complete the same steps again to keep your chick moving forward.  This is a fun and easy way to practice counting from one to ten. If ever in the computer lab or near computers and students finish their work before others, this would be a great website to have students visit until everyone was completed.  Having a math station in the classroom could also promote the use of this website.  Students would be able to select this math website, as opposed to a math worksheet, and have fun while still practicing their math skills.  This website, and the other website and apps I chose, provide visual learners with engaging animations to look at and allows game-based learning in a fun and interactive way.

Funbrain Math Arcade http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/MathBrain.html

Reference

            Funbrain Math Arcade is intended for students in grades one to eight; however, after playing through this game at multiple grade levels, I feel that this game should really only be applicable for students in third grade and higher.  The reason I say this is because I do not think that students in second grade or below would have the proper hand-eye coordination and reading skills that are necessary for this game.  I had a hard time doing it myself so I have a feeling that very young students would struggle with the ability to select the right answer and figuring out how the game works.  Regardless, this website is great because it allows students to play in the format of a board game and has 25 different math games for them to play.  I think this would be great to use as a mini math activity maybe once a week.  Students could login with their saved password and complete five rolls on the game board, which means five games.  I would guess this would take around fifteen minutes. Depending on the grade level entered, the games ask students to add, match, adjust height and distance, subtract, multiply, divide, etc. A few things that I wish could be changed about this game is that the levels do not provide a lot of feedback for students who struggle and may need assistance or a hint.  However, the student is allowed to start that game level again after so many attempts.  I do like that the each game is fairly short and keeps the student motivated to win and unlock the next game.  Each game level also provides so much variety that could be tied into lessons.  For instance, one game level takes place inside a pyramid tomb and has images of Egyptian sarcophagi.  This could tie in nicely with a geography and social studies lesson on Ancient Egypt, as well as, reading aloud or independently reading books about mummies, pharaohs and pyramids.  There are a lot of options for using this website within the classroom. 

Todo Math by Enuma Inc.

Reference

This free app is by far the best math app I came across.  I love this app because the logistics and layout are fantastic.  Additionally, this app is perfect for student just beginning math, as well as for students who are up to second grade.  This app covers many specific math areas, such as: counting and cardinality, number operations, mathematical reasoning, time and money, and geometry.  The intended purpose of this app is to allow students to trace numbers and shapes, practice patterning, subtraction, adding, multiplying, and so much more.  I think the number and shape tracing is a great addition to this app; it’s probably my favorite part about the app because it would be such a huge help for students who are just learning how to write their numbers and drawing their basic shapes. I can easily see this app being used within the classroom because of all the great features it has.  The teacher could demonstrate how to use the app and then the students could follow along and complete each number and shape together.  A lot of the levels seem to follow the same order; therefore, it would be easy to have the teacher and young students complete the lower levels together to make sure that every student understands the process and the content.  This app seems like such a great tool to use because of the way it asks students to select the numbers and then draw them as well.  I feel like it reinforces their learning and knowledge. One downfall to this app is that although it says it is free, there are limited levels that can be played on the free version and buying this app is incredibly expensive.  However, I could justify buying this app for $24 each because it is so comprehensive and of high quality.  It also changes displays according to the seasons, which is cute, but could also be integrated into learning the new season each time it changed.  Lastly, this app was built with the classroom in mind.  If teachers do not have the budget to buy Todo Math, teachers may qualify for the school year’s Todo Math Grant Program.  Additionally, this app has a web-based teacher dashboard that tracks progress, students can play Todo Math at home on parents' iPhone or iPad and their progress is synched to your teacher dashboard, and school level management allows for supporting device sharing between classrooms (cart system) and multi-teacher management of school account. 

Reference