We love Google Earth for math lessons! Shapes For young children studying basic shapes, it is very fun to go to Google earth, put in an address, fly way down close, and look for shapes. Now click on the Polygon tool in the top tool bar and outline the shapes… Continue reading
Problem-solving in math can focus on real life math problems, but it can be fun to focus on unreal life math problems, too. Continue reading
Get your class excited about math and aware of the season by using Halloween candy for math manipulatives. Here are some ideas: You can use them for counting. Have students simply count them, or set them into groups using easily recognizable patterns like the dots on dice to help… Continue reading
Math is an essential 21st century skill, but we’ll have to make changes in how we teach it, and maybe even in how we think about it. Continue reading
Sir Ken Robinson said, discussing creativity, “I don’t mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative. But if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” It is an inspiring speech. You can also read Sir Ken’s book, Out of Our… Continue reading
Josepha shows file folder centers for telling time, designed to go with your Cinderella unit. Continue reading
The Frog Prince is another classic fairy tale written down by the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a princess is playing near a pond, and drops her golden ball in the water. A frog offers to get the ball for her, but only if she will let him live… Continue reading
Seven at One Blow or The Brave Little Tailor is a Grimm’s fairy tale about a tailor who swats seven flies at once, and is so proud of himself that he boasts to everyone that he has killed “seven at one blow.” When his listeners think he means that he… Continue reading
The Five Chinese Brothers was written by Claire Huchet Bishop in 1938. While it is generally described as a Chinese folktale, I haven’t found any earlier collections of it. The story begins, “Once upon a time, there were five Chinese brothers, and they all looked exactly alike.” Each brother… Continue reading
Folk and fairy tales are suggested in our state frameworks for students from kindergarten through middle school. They are a good example of a literary form, great for studying story elements, and always bring up interesting character points. One fairy tale that’s well suited to multiple grade levels is Jack and… Continue reading
