Anyway, as always, don't forget to link up YOUR awesome #Made4Math creations in the comments or tweet with the hashtag #Made4Math so we can archive them here when we need some inspiration :)
I don't have a theme for my projects this week, unless you call "ACK! School will start in a month!!" a theme. Yup - you heard me right... kiddos report back on August 16, that's ONE MONTH away for me! So it's time to get my nose to the grindstone and start churning out some of those awesome lesson ideas I've pinned and/or printed.
Project #1 - Lifehacker drinking game
I know, I know... a drinking game is NOT quite the message I want to share with my students! But this post showed up on Lifehacker earlier this month and I tried to pin it, but Pinterest wouldn't let me pin it! Anyway, the premise of the game is a dice game similar to rock, paper, scissors using three dice (red, green, and blue). You challenge your friend to a duel - whoever wins gets the prize (in their case a free drink). The idea is to find out if there is a strategy as to which die you should pick. If your friend picks the green die, should you pick the red or the blue in order to have a better shot of winning? It's a great exercise in probability, tying in simulation, tree diagrams, strategy, and just plain ol' fun!
Now here comes my dilemna... I need to make dice... lots of dice! So I head off to my favorite Dollar Tree (yes, I really do have a favorite one...and a second favorite...) and find these foam counting blocks and these cute little storage containers.
On the Lifehacker site, they had nets of the dice, so using my trusty Sharpie, I labeled each one. The Red dice have two each of 2, 4, and 9. The Green dice have two each of 1, 6, and 8. The Blue dice have two each of 3, 5, and 7.
One of each color dice went into a small storage container and now I have a class set of dice! I can give each pair of students a container and let them play the game to set up a strategy. Now for a whopping $4 investment, I have a great lesson plan!
Project #2 - Card Sort Organization
This project is dedicated to @lysarieger. Last week on her #Made4Math blog post, she mentioned that she liked to do Card Sorts, but struggled to organize them well. Believe me, I totally understood what she meant! I've used ziplocs, and while they are okay, storage of ziplocs was definitely a problem!
See? Doesn't that just look messy??? I mean, cards inside of snack size ziplocs inside of gallon size ziplocs... UGH!
BUT... Walmart to the rescue! In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a slight spending spree lately. I mean, who can resist Dollar Tree and Target dollar aisle and now Walmart's 88 cent aisle?!?!? Seriously! Anyway, last week, this was part of my Walmart shopping trip...
Each one of those index card boxes was 88 cents and ten index card boxes fit PERFECTLY into the small file crate that Walmart had for $1.49!! Needless to say, I bought 2 complete sets and couldn't wait to get to school to get my ziplocs of Card Sorts!
Later this week I will post about Card Sorts, but here is one set of cards. You will notice that they are all different colors. My classes work in partners a lot, so I usually make 16 sets of whatever activity I am doing. To help with potential misplaced or lost cards, I print the activity on 16 different colors of card stock then laminate them. I usually buy my cardstock when Hobby Lobby is having a 50% scrapbooking sale (which thankfully is about every other week!). Here you see a matching activity where students matched scatterplots and residual plots. Anyway, each of these sets of cards was in its very own snack size ziploc... but now they are all nice and organized into index card boxes! Then I just used my label maker and look how nice and neat that stack of ziplocs looks now!
So...much...better!!! :)
Your Turn!!! What did YOU make this week?
Okay, hit me with it! I am eagerly looking forward to your creations! Leave a link in the comments or tweet with the hashtag #Made4Math!!
@roitzc - Feeling Lucky and other Review Games
@gwaddellnvhs - Cross Country Math Trip
@ScottKeltner - Large Scale Printing for Probability
@Wyldbirman - Math Toolkit Posters
@merryfwilliams - Plumed Pencils
@fouss - Cereal Box Conversion
@jreulbach - Math Reference Books
@pamjwilson - Pencils, Bookmarks, and To-do List
@mathtastrophe - Ruler Storage and Teacher Binder
@LaurenDeReche - SBG Reassessment and Whiteboard Dividers
@fourkatie - Duct Tape Folders and Pretty Pens
@reminoodle - Teacher Binder and Math Posters
@MarshaFoshee - Fun with Modge Podge
@approx_normal - Marshmallow Guns
@elhodge - Keys to Math
@MsKLaster - Mathography
@bowmanimal - Mathematical Origami and More Origami
@sandramiller_tx - Classroom Tour
Sarah - Brain Breaks
@_CindyWallace_ - Great Graphing Marathon and Birthday Happies
@misscalcul8 - Positive Behavior Punch Card
@fawnpnguyen - Classroom Memory Collages
OMG! You are all so creative. I need to get on the bandwagon here. I'm challenging myself to make sure that I make it on your link list next week. Excuse me, I have work to do....
ReplyDeleteLOL - You can do it! Seriously though, part of it is the accountability. And I love all of the awesome projects people make!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across #made4math last week and had to join! I appreciate your work and am having a great time looking at these ideas and projects. Here's mine - a "Mathography" for the first day of school: http://nolearninglimits.blogspot.com/2012/07/made4math-mathography.html Thanks!
ReplyDelete@MsKLaster - so glad you joined us! Welcome aboard!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try out the card sorts idea. This coming year, I will be on trimesters for the first time with 72 minute class periods...so I DEFINITELY need more fun activities like these...I may try out the dice, too, for probability!
ReplyDeleteI haven't done anything yet this summer, but I wanted to combine M4M and @approx_normal's classroom picture request, so I posted pictures of my classroom which does have the tables that I have made along with a bunch of class projects (one of the cool things about teaching Geometry).
ReplyDeletehttp://tothemathlimit.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/made4math-and-classroom-tour/
Sandra
@NutterButtersmith - I also like an active classroom. These card sorts are for AP Stat, but I will post some Algebra 2 ones too.
ReplyDelete@tothemathlimit - multi-tasking is the most efficient use of our time! :)
I am so excited about Made 4 Math Mondays! Thanks so much! Just the kick start I needed! Here's mine:
ReplyDeletehttp://alwildasdaughter.com/?p=47
Something I made for my math classroom.
@Sarah - I know! Just having the accountability that I *have* to share something on Monday has helped me focus on things for my room! Thanks so much for joining in!
ReplyDeleteBy the way--I love your organization idea of the day! Baggies in boxes in crates would make me very happy, too. I'm just now starting to look through all of the posts for today and have already bookmarked, commented, emailed, and saved. Such a great compilation of fabulous work--thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI love the Lifehacker game! Now I have to find a way to make a set for my room. Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteLove your index card holder idea. Was at Walmart on Saturday and picked up 14. Was at a Walmart in a different town today and their .88 school supply stuff was on sale for .50 and the small crates were on sale too. Not for sure if that sale is Walmart-wide but I thought I would pass it on to everyone. Anything to help me keep more organized this year. : )
ReplyDeleteI came from twitter to read about your Lifehacker probability game. It sounds like it would be a fun activity to use in my classroom. Would you be willing to share the worksheet you mentioned? :)
ReplyDelete