If you don’t like where a shape is, then TRANSFORM IT!
How do you learn to translate, reflect, rotate, or dilate a shape?
Better yet, how do you have FUN while learning about transformations???
You play these FREE math games that help students master the concepts!
The Transformations Vocabulary Match Game is all about exposing students to the vocabulary of tranformations. If students master the vocabulary of transformations, they will have a cutting edge on mastering how to use an algebraic expression to explain the effect of a transformation!
This game is FUN because it requires a 3-card match with the ability to âstealâ another playerâs cards and win the game.
Now that students have mastered the vocabulary of transformations, play the Transformations Match Game with them as they match the name of the transformation, the description of the transformation, and a picture of the transformation. It’s a 3-Card Match, so players can “steal” an incomplete set at the last second! Of course, there’s a recording sheet for accountability and a passport to bridge to the state test. And, drum roll, please! The cost is the same as it always is on glennatabor.com. IT’S FREE IF YOU WANT TO HELP A STUDENT LEARN & HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME!
Last, but not least, how about a game for DILATIONS?
Yes, there’s a FREE game for that, too! Geoboard Dilations Game is definitely a hands-on way to engage students with dilation as they move bands on a geoboard or an X/Y Moveable Axis Pegboard to create the pre-image and the dilated image. Students will experience ENLARGING OR REDUCING a shape by DOING IT! They won’t just be memorizing an algorithmic procedure!
Here are some more free resources from around the web:
Why would a student be learning how to calculate simple and compound interest?
Understanding simple and compound interest can be very helpful in managing personal finances and making informed decisions about borrowing and investing.
Simple interest is useful for calculating the interest on a loan or investment where the interest is only calculated on the principal amount. It can help you understand the cost of borrowing and the return on a simple investment.
Compound interest, on the other hand, takes into account not only the initial principal but also the accumulated interest from previous periods. This means that interest is calculated on both the initial amount and the interest that has been added to it. Understanding compound interest can help you see the long-term effects of saving and investing, and the benefits of starting to save and invest early.
By understanding these concepts, you can make more informed decisions about borrowing money, saving for the future, and investing for long-term financial goals.
SNOOZE!!! đ´
The above paragraphs explained why it’s an important concept to learn, but knowing this information is not going to incite an eighth grader into learning it! Since this concept is being taught and tested in classrooms across the United States and the world, students need to be engaged in a fun, hands-on way of learning about simple and compound interest.
đŚ¸đ˝Hands-On Games to the Rescue!
The vocabulary of simple and compound interest is KEYto calculating and comparing simple and compound interest earnings and savings. I created a Simple & Compound Interest Vocabulary Match Game that requires a 2-Way Match to win a set of cards with another player’s ability to “steal” a set of cards before all four cards in a set are found. Unmatched cards are left face up which requires all players to reread the cards on the board. IMPRESSION! IMPRESSION! IMPRESSION! Students will learn the vocabulary WHILE HAVING FUN!
Identifying the parts of a simple or compound interest word problem and the way these components are used in an equation will help every student with simple and compound interest. That is EXACTLY what Simple or Compound Interest MATCH Game does for your learners!
This game is FUN because it requires 4-card match with the ability to âstealâ another playerâs cards and win the game! A recording sheet that asks players to calculate and compare simple and compound interest keeps accountability and rigor part of your curriculum.
Who knew that simple and compound interest could be rigorous AND so much fun???
I never remembered anything about Pythagorean Theorem being fun when I was in math class. In fact, to be honest, until becoming a teacher, I tried not to remember ANY postulates or theorems! Basically, geometry made me roll my eyes and prepare myself to be bored.
Realizing this, I went on a search for hands-on, fun ways to learn about the Pythagorean Theorem so that students can master the vocabulary and the concept. I found a board game that is FREE to anyone from AmazingMaths.Ulaval.Ca. To increase the rigor and accountability, I added a recording sheet and passport to bridge to the state test. I am thrilled to be able to share the entire file with you! Pythagorean Theorem Board Game File with Recording Sheet and Passport
I also went in search of a free game for the vocabulary of Pythagorean Theorem. No luck! That means I have the incredible opportunity to make one and offer it for the AMAZING LOW PRICE OF…JUST KIDDING…IT’S FREE (like all my games on glennatabor.com) in the Free Materials Page of my website.
Have fun mastering Pythagorean Theorem with your students! Remember…
Hey there, dedicated educators! We know you’re always on the lookout for creative ways to enrich your math lessons and keep those little mathematicians engaged. If you’ve ever dabbled in math stations, math centers, or math workshops, you’ve likely come across some challenges in managing these vibrant learning hubs. Well, fear not! We’ve got two fantastic strategies that will not only keep your classroom buzzing but will also help your students conquer math vocabulary like never before!
1. Team Names: Boosting Vocabulary Mastery
Imagine this: your classroom turns into a lively arena where math vocabulary terms are not just memorized, but fully understood. Introducing the “Team Names” strategy! Start by compiling a list of essential math terms that your students need to master before that all-important state test or end-of-course exam. These are the foundation stones of math success.
But here’s the twist: instead of the usual routine, let your students choose their team names from this vocabulary list. Each team name comes with a challenge â knowing the definition, example, non-example, and a practical application of that term. It’s like turning vocabulary into a superhero identity!
The excitement doesn’t stop there. Rotate these team names every month, ensuring that your students master at least 28 math terms over seven months. Not only will they gain a deep understanding of these terms, but they’ll also feel like a close-knit team of math superheroes!
2. Freeze Words: Prepping for Success
Ever wished your students could dive into a new math unit already equipped with the essential concepts? Enter the “FReeze Words” strategy! Four weeks before you delve into a specific unit, select four important words that serve as the building blocks for that unit. These words should be the bedrock on which new learning will stand.
Now, every week, introduce one of these “FReeze Words” in the most engaging way possible. When you say the word, watch as your students stop in their tracks and place their hands on their shoulders â a fun, physical cue to signal their readiness to learn.
Utilize this moment to your advantage. Turn it into a quick 30-second lesson, encouraging students to pair up and share what the word means or provide an example. It’s like a mini-discussion that sets the stage for the upcoming unit. By the time you formally start the unit, your students will already have a solid grasp of these foundational terms, making the rest of the learning journey even more exciting and meaningful!
So, there you have it, dear educators! With these ingenious strategies, math stations, math centers, and math workshops become not just a space for learning, but a playground for discovery and collaboration. Give these strategies a try, and watch as your classroom transforms into a hub of enthusiastic mathematicians, ready to take on any challenge that comes their way!
This quote makes me laugh. Iâve never bought 64 watermelons and wondered how much it cost if I gave the farmer $200 and had $7 left. In fact, I donât like watermelons, so I would never even buy one. (What in the world would I do with 64 of them???)
As I search for ways to engage students in secondary math and to make the concepts meaningful, I continue to add ideas to their interactive notebooks. The students like them, they use them, and they interest them. However, every time I use a search engine to find a foldable for a secondary concept it sends me to a E-Commerce website and they want $3-5 for the idea.
This blog is about giving you access to the Secondary Interactive Notebook Ideas and the foldables incredible teachers share with everyoneâabsolutely free!
I keep my Interactive Notebook with me at the Teacher Time Station. This is the station where I teach the most difficult concepts to no more than Âź of my class at a time. If youâre just beginning to use Interactive Notebooks, here are pictures of the items I keep in interactive notebook tool bag. I also keep a box of these supplies at the Teacher Time table for my students to use.
A pencil bag holds all your Interactive Notebook supplies.
A variety of fine-line markers, a few gel pens, and a couple of thicker markers help your students see the components more easily.
Colored pencils are a must. These twistable ones are the bomb!
No INB supply bag is complete without scissors (I like to have pinking shear, too), a glue stick, liquid glue (because some items just won’t hold using a glue stick), and a really good polymer eraser.
A supply of colorful paper in pastels and brights will “catch” your students’ attention
I am a teacherâs teacher and work with all levels K-12. This means my Teacher Time Station Interactive Notebook is at a variety of levels. One student recently commented that I had order of operations on one page and the next page I was finding the greatest common factor in really long polynomials. He told me, âThatâs a pretty big jump!â Â When I used algebra tiles to help him understand polynomials and then showed him the foldable, he got it. Not such a big jump from PEMDAS to factoring polynomials if you have the right tools to help you understand!
Here are some recent additions to my Interactive Notebook and the links to them.
Thank you to the following bloggers and teachers who are sharing such incredible ideas:
Sarah Hagan: Math Equals Love; Beth Ferguson: In Stillness the Dancing; Vicki Blackwell: Making Books; Chris: A Sea of Math; Jan Lichtenberger: Equation Freak; James Tanton: Quadratic Pamphlet.
One of my students wore this shirt to Algebra class. Thanks to the teachers featured in this blog and the teachers who will take their ideas and use them, students may really want to find x!
When I showed a set of Anglegs to a high school math department and everyone said, âWhat are those?â I knew I needed to blog about these amazing manipulatives!
Anglegs come in six lengths of plastic that easily snap together to explore plane geometry. When you snap two Anglegs, of any length together, you can snap a special 4â protractor to explore angles. When you snap three legs together, you form triangles; 4 legs quadrilaterals, and so on.
These manipulatives are quite powerful even if you simply use them to explore the creation of polygons and angles. The vocabulary of geometry standards is easily understood when accompanied with a manipulative. Students understand the term when they can create it. In fact, middle school students were fascinated by high school geometry concepts that âmade senseâ when they were right in front of them. Transversals and bisectors become simple with Anglegs.
I created a review an âAngles and Trianglesâ game for the Games Station of Tabor Rotation. The students not only LOVED the game, but kept laughing as they easily created the angles and triangles named on the cards with their Anglegs. The first pair of students to create what was named on the card then had to explain how they knew it was correct by stating at least two characteristics of the angle or triangle. This was a great bridge to their justifications on course exams.
Now, letâs go a little deeper using AnglegsâŚ
Congruent and Similar: Create pairs of triangles that are similar and pairs that are congruent. Prove their classification using the snap-on protractor.
Triangular Sum Theory: Build at least 3 different triangles with 3 different combinations of legs and measure each angle. What is the sum every time?
Properties of Quadrilaterals: Find the sum of adjacent angles and the sum of opposite angles.
I use a class set of Anglegs and they bring about the same results every single time with so many concepts! They are worth every penny! I also recommend Anglegs Plus for high school Geometry and Algebra II. Both of these manipulatives can be purchased from Amazon or ETA and can be shipped to you in just a couple of days.
My students call Anglegs the âLegos of Mathâ and canât wait to explore with them. Watching the âahaâ moments and connections my students make was amazing.
And, just in case anyone out there thinks that Anglegs are âsillyâ and “unnecessary,” Iâll end with this quote from Robert Frost,
âForgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense.â
Can a learner have FUN solving systems of equations by substitution AND understand it by using LEGOs? YES! With Solving Systems of Equations with LEGO Bricks, learners will compete to see who can be first to represent an equation, from a system of equations, using LEGO bricks.
Algebra can be made simple if you use hands-on strategies, competition, and fun when learning the concept. That’s EXACTLY what happens when a learner plays this game. Watch the video to see for yourself!
Why bother with LEGOs?
Concrete manipulatives, such as LEGO bricks, tiles, and other physical objects, can greatly benefit students’ understanding and retention of algebraic concepts.
When students are able to physically manipulate objects to represent abstract mathematical concepts, they can better visualize and understand what is happening in the problem. This helps to bridge the gap between abstract thinking and concrete understanding. Moreover, the use of manipulatives helps students to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, which is vital to their success in higher-level mathematics.
Concrete manipulatives also provide a more hands-on and engaging learning experience for students. They make math more accessible and enjoyable, which can be especially important for students who may struggle with abstract thinking.
Reduces Math Anxiety
In addition, research has shown that the use of manipulatives can help to reduce math anxiety and increase confidence in students. When students feel confident in their ability to understand and solve math problems, they are more likely to actively participate in class and take ownership of their learning.
As math teachers, it’s essential that we provide our students with a variety of tools and strategies to help them succeed. The use of concrete manipulatives is one such strategy that can greatly benefit students’ understanding and retention of complex algebraic concepts.
This ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS GAME video teaches you how to use LEGOS to make the expressions used in this Solving Systems of Equations using LEGOs Game.
It’s January and it is TIME for AHA moments!! Make one of these games or one from our website and see what happens! To download all three of these free math games, simply join the Tabor Team (it’s FREE, too) and you’re set to go! Joining will also make sure you receive a new FREE math game every month!
This Free Game Friday’s FREE math games cover skills everyone needs to learn at their own level:
multiplication with automaticity for 3rd graders (their 9th grade Algebra teachers will praise you)
exponents for 6th graders (let’s take the mystery out of those” little numbers”) and,
geometry vocabulary at the high school level (just in case a helping hand is needed to remember all  that info before the end of course exam)
And to the other grade levels: Keep reading! If reinforcement in multiplication or exponents is needed, these games would be great Anchoring Activities!
Â
FREE Math Game: Multiplication Bingo
TEKS 3.4F; CCSS. 3.OA.C.7
Third GradeTeachers: When 3rd graders need to increase their fluency in multiplication, try this fast and fun game of Bingo. The passport adds rigor and encourages discussion as the partners compete within the teams. Tally sheets help keep score. Give each pair of partners an Answer Key so they can use it for review!
Here’s a tip, since you already know the play: to mark the answers, use interesting erasers or bling. OR, usemagnetic markers with a wand to scoop them up at the end of the game. Makes me smile!
FREE Math Game: Tic Tac Exponents Grade 6
TEKS: 6.7(A) CCSS: 6.EE.A.1Â .
Sixth Grade Teachers, as you are instructing your wonderful students in Algebra, you can utilize this game to help take the mystery out of exponents. Students will use the Answer Key to review, increasing their exposure to the concept. CHALLENGE them to create their own problem cards and Tic Tac Exponents cards!
Check out the tip to 3rd Grade TeachersâŚ.works for 6th graders, too!
Â
FREE Math Game: Geometry Terms and Definitions
TEKS & CCSS — INTRODUCTION
 High School Geometry Teachers: Students enjoy these games as they reinforce their understanding of the vocabulary they need to be successful in the end of course exam. Add more terms and definitions if needed!
Â
Look at all the ways to have fun while remembering (or learning) the vocabulary! And here is a passport to spark discussion!
Everyone:Â Since I just sent the high school teachers to the website, it reminds me to tell you:
Check out the newly revised FREE math games available on the Free Math Materials page of GlennaTabor.com! We have organized the free math games to make it easier to find what you need!
What AHA moments will your students have? Go for it and watch them happen!
â Sharon, Operations Manager for Glenna Tabor Resources and fellow instigator of FUN in mathematics!
âThe journey for an education starts with a childhood question.â    – David L. Finn
As I played âConversion Concentrationâ with a small group of students at the Games Station, one student asked the inevitable question about conversions,
âWhy do we have to learn this stuff?â
These students had been completing a conversion chart every week since the beginning of school, but their teacher knew the value of partnering conversion memorization with meaning, so before the students began creating conversion charts, he had the students use manipulatives at the Manipulatives Station to help them develop a concrete understanding of the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents.
The week after experiencing conversions concretely at the Manipulatives Station, their teacher began to have them play games that used the visual representation of the fraction, decimal, and percent partners. I just happened to be there on a day when they had moved to the abstract and were playing âConversion Concentrationâ to help them memorize the conversion âfacts.â
âConversion Concentrationâ asks pairs of students to match the fraction to the equivalent decimal to the equivalent percent. If a pair finds at least one match, then they take those two cards and win a point. If a pair finds the third, then they win 5 points. t
Every card that is turned over remains visible for the next pair. This encourages constant review of the cards and comparison of the possible matches between the fractions, decimals, and percents. To add challenge to the game, a timer can be used and each pair has only one minute to find the matches.
The steps this teacher had used, concrete to pictorial to abstract, must have been effective, because these students were faster than I was at matching the three cards and winning the 5 pointsâsomething they absolutely loved!
But letâs get back to that question, âWhy learn conversions?â Recently, a store provided the perfect example and I shared my story with the students. Two of my children and I were going into a store and were looking through the carts of seasonal items that had been marked down for a quick sale. Several of the carts held big bags of candy and had a 75% off sign on them. This was a bargain, so I got several bags.
At the check-out register, the cashier scanned the first bag of candy. It rang up at $3.24âNOT the sale price at all! I mentioned the 75% off cart and she agreed that it was on sale.
Cashier, âBut, I have no idea how much to charge you. If you can tell me the price at 75% off, then Iâll give it to you for that amount.â
I looked around the group of students and asked them if it was worth my mental energy to calculate how much the items really cost at 75% off. Everyone enthusiastically agreed. So, I asked them, being experts in conversions, to share how they would figure out the discounted price of the itemsâknowing what they did about conversions.
Student 1: âEasy. You just convert the 75% to a fraction. The fraction is ž. You know that the total number of parts is 4 so you divide $3.24 by four. That will give you 81¢.â
Student 2: âHow did you get 81¢?â
Student 1: âAgain, easy! You divide 32 by 4 and get 8. I still have 4 cents left, so I divide that by 4 and get 1. Thatâs 81¢.â
Student 3: âWhatâs that called when you do that?â
Student 4: âFront-end estimation. Remember when we learned how to do that a few years ago? What do you knowâweâre using that stuff, too!â
This group of enthusiastic and engaged students were amazed at the practical and meaningful use of what they had been learning in math. We talked about discounts and ways to use conversions and mental math in stores every day. They never dreamed that they could actually use conversions except for regurgitating information on a test.
The most genuine statement from a student?
âYou saved over $2 a bag for that candy. Thatâs why we learn conversionsâso our moms can buy us more candy!â
âItâs not that Iâm so smart, itâs just that I stay with problems longer.â   – Albert Einstein
Thanks to this teacher, these students have learned conversions, a little bit more about personal financial literacy, and, as Albert Einstein stressedâŚthey aren’t just smart, they now have the tools to stay with the problem longer!
Exponents are useful, applicable, mathematical, and sometimes downright annoying! I like the way BetterExplained.Com explains it.
Numbers arenât just a count; a better viewpoint is a position on a line. This position can be negative (-1), between other numbers (sqrt(2)), or in another dimension (i).
What does 3^10 mean to you? How does it make you feel? Instead of a nice tidy scaling factor, exponents want us to feel, relive, even smell the growing process. Whatever you end with is your scaling factor.
It sounds roundabout and annoying. You know why? Most things in nature donât know where theyâll end up!
Do you think bacteria plans on doubling every 14 hours? No â it just eats the moldy bread you forgot about in the fridge as fast as it can, and as it gets more it starts growing even faster. To predict the behavior, we use how fast theyâre growing (current rate) and how long theyâll be changing (time) to figure out their final value.
The answer has to be worked out â exponents are a way of saying âBegin with these conditions, start changing, and see where you end upâ.
When working with one of my Algebra I, we were identifying upcoming conceptual challenges. Knowing the rules or laws of exponents was one of these conceptual challenges. Students see the abstract numbers, terms, or expressions and just begin to multiply without applying the rules.
Students will state that 32 = 6, instead of 3 x 3 = 9
The Algebra Teamâs plea?
Can you develop a game that will engage our students in a review of exponents and another game to teach them how to SLOW DOWN AND THINK ABOUT THE RULES OF EXPONENTS FIRST, THEN SOLVE!
Two weeks later I met with the team and we played the games. Algebra Exponent Practice is a review of what students learned in middle grade math about exponents. Find the Exponent Rule truly helps the students slow down, learn the rules, then apply the rules.
Everything you need to make learning exponent rules FUN
Students SWAT the exponent rule or example
The best part, according to the teachers, was how much fun both of the games were. They especially liked using the poster game board and swats for Find the Exponent Rule.
If youâre apprehensive about giving your students swats, just substitute a button or a piece of bling to mark the rule that is illustrated. Using magnetic bingo markers and a wand magnet to remove them can be just as much fun.
Buttons or bling can mark the exponent rule to be applied
Why bother to download and use these games? They make learning about exponents fun and students will remember what they learned for the rest of their lives!
Our intuition about the future is linear. But the reality of information technology is exponential, and that makes a profound difference. If I take 30 steps linearly, I get to 30. If I take 30 steps exponentially, I get to a billion.   Ray Kurzweil
Want more about exponents? Download or view this free slide share about why exponents are important.
o translate, reflect, rotate, or dilate a shape?
match the name of the transformation, the description of the transformation, and a picture of the transformation. It’s a 3-Card Match, so players can “steal” an incomplete set at the last second! Of course, there’s a recording sheet for accountability and a passport to bridge to the state test. And, drum roll, please! The cost is the same as it always is on glennatabor.com. IT’S FREE IF YOU WANT TO HELP A STUDENT LEARN & HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME!
DILATIONS?
/Writing%20algebraic%20expressions%20practice.pdf
