Math Tip Monday - Keeping Math Meaningful

A December classroom can be a very hectic place.  Keep Math meaningful during the month of December with some of these fun activities:

1) Turn gingerbread house making into a math adventure.  Students have to "buy" their ingredients based on prices and a spending allowance set by the teacher.  For example, for grade 3, I often state that a gingerbread house making expense could be $10.00  From that, ingredients are determined to have a cost.  Jelly beans could be a penny each, graham crackers could be worth 25 cents and so on.  Students have to determine how many things they can buy for $10.00 (using play money of course).  Once ingredients are purchased, the gingerbread making construction begins.

2) Play some fun math games.  Here's one of my favourites:

Students generate odd or even sums and then race to the gingerbread house.

3) Finally, have fun with some Christmas Medleys.  Imagine rewriting the 12 Days of Christmas using a mathematical theme.  The possibilities are endless.  

Thanks to Theresa's Teaching Tidbits and K's Classroom Kreations for hosting this Math Tip Monday! 

  

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