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  • Combining Like Terms – From Concrete to Symbolic Form

    Combining Like Terms – From Concrete to Symbolic Form

    Here is a Jamboard (see photo at very bottom for how to make a copy to edit) that presents like terms as visual manipulatives and then eases into the symbolic form – the “mathy” stuff. The following shows each slide as is and how it looks after completion. Start with two groups of common items,…

  • Introduction to Absolute Value – Distance from Home

    Introduction to Absolute Value – Distance from Home

    Here is a Jamboard to introduce the concept of absolute value (make a copy and you can edit – see photo at bottom of this post). Start with prior knowledge of how many houses a child is from home. Emphasize that the number of houses is positive. Change the setting from a row of houses…

  • Intro to Ratio Tables

    Intro to Ratio Tables

    If you find this helpful, maybe consider making a small donation to help build an accessible playscape for children with disabilities. To introduce ratio tables, I draw upon a relevant prior knowledge for a child. Food, especially pizza is a go to context for me. Use a CRA approach by using manipulatives (concrete), pictures (representational),…

  • Group Model for Proportional Relationships and Slope Application

    Group Model for Proportional Relationships and Slope Application

    If you find this helpful, maybe consider making a small donation to help build an accessible playscape for children with disabilities. In my experience, many students struggle with translating word problems modeled by a proportional relationship or a linear function into a algebraic expression or equation. (Image below.) Here is a link to a Jamboard…

  • Fractional Units of Ruler – Instructional Strategy

    Fractional Units of Ruler – Instructional Strategy

    The fractional units of a ruler and measuring fractional lengths can be tricky, especially for students with processing, working memory, or visual related disabilities. For the students I have helped, here is the approach I have used. I relate the fractional marks and counting them to walking across a set of stepping stones. This ties…

  • Fractional Units of Ruler – Instructional Strategy

    Fractional Units of Ruler – Instructional Strategy

    The fractional units of a ruler and measuring fractional lengths can be tricky, especially for students with processing, working memory, or visual related disabilities. For the students I have helped, here is the approach I have used. I relate the fractional marks and counting them to walking across a set of stepping stones. This ties…

  • Division of Fractions with Cookies

    Division of Fractions with Cookies

    Division of fractions may be one of the most abstract concepts in middle school math. Here is an approach to address the concept using a Google Jamboard (you can make a copy which allows you to edit it), which would be a foundation for the ensuing steps. I will preface this approach by stating the…

  • Division of Fractions with Cookies

    Division of Fractions with Cookies

    Division of fractions may be one of the most abstract concepts in middle school math. Here is an approach to address the concept using a Google Jamboard (you can make a copy which allows you to edit it), which would be a foundation for the ensuing steps. I will preface this approach by stating the…

  • Intro to Constant of Proportionality Using Hourly Pay

    Intro to Constant of Proportionality Using Hourly Pay

    An effective instructional strategy is to make the new math topic meaningful. A fellow Facebook group member asked about teaching the topic constant of proportionality. My suggestion is to use hourly wages as an introduction. I created a handout that starts with students finding a job with an hourly pay stated and then completing a…

  • Plotting Points Introduction

    Plotting Points Introduction

    Plotting points is challenging for some students, even in high school. This approach uses the analogy of setting up a ladder for the x-value and climbing the ladder for the y-value. Jamboard with Ladder This activity is conducted on a Google Jamboard with moveable objects (see photo at the bottom on how to access it).The…