Math Pack #10 is ready and will help you introduce 'length' with a week full of engaging and fun activities.
My Math Packs are perfect for the teacher who knows how to teach the basics, but needs fun motivating resources that are easy to prepare.
This bundle of math activities will help students learning to:
- make direct comparisons of length
- identify objects that are the same and of similar length
- read some basic length words
- use informal units to measure
- count and compare informal units for length
These activities can be used in a structured game rotation program, as math centers or in guided math. Once taught, they also make fantastic 'fast-finisher' activities for revision of key concepts
Some considerations before you expect students to play the small group or individual game activities in this pack.
- Make sure students have had plenty of opportunity to play with math equipment and stack, build and join blocks and manipulatives
- Be sure they have been encouraged to use their own informal math language to talk about and describe their creations - 'sharing time' after play is perfect for this! Ask 2 students to compare their creations and foster their descriptive language. Gradually model more sophisticated terms and they will naturally start to refine their mathematical language.
- Be careful when conducting activities for measurement that you consider sensitive students. When we put students in front of the class and compare the height and size of their bodies we may be causing unnecessary worry. Use toys or objects instead.
- Young students will use terms like 'big', 'tall', 'long', 'high' to discuss size and measurement without a consistent and clear understanding of their meaning. You will need to clearly and explicitly introduce each term and be patient as students learn their correct meanings - combining this with lots of 'hands-on' experience is essential.
- Make sure students are aware that there is a difference between length and distance. Length is the measure of an object from end to end in one direction. Distance is the interval between two objects or points (in the 5th game in the pack, between the head and tail of the worms).
- Gradually move from simple 'sorting long and short' activities to asking students to order multiple objects according to length.
The activities included in this bundle are:
Caterpillar Compare
Students compare 2 caterpillars and label with a card to make a statement of comparison.
My Peeps
Students use direct comparison to compare the length of two people cards - shorter, taller.
Piece of String
Students will place two pictures together to directly compare length.
Snake Measure
Students will use blocks to measure informally.
Worm Match
Students will count units to find the distance between the worm head and end.
Each of the 5 small-group activities has:
- detailed instructions
- playing cards/boards/templates
- a worksheet (either a recording worksheet or a fun-follow-up)
- a cover page to help you organize your resources for future reference
I've also included this pack in a growing bundle so you can secure the early-bird listing price for the next nine units (and an additional discount) without having to keep checking for my new releases. Each new using will be added to this bundle and you can download the updates when they are ready or wait for the complete bundle to be finalised.
Throughout your teaching, observe and listen to students to assess their knowledge and understanding. Where you can, capitalise on incidental and routine classroom activities where measurement and length can be easily interwoven in your instructions and activities.
Thanks so much for stopping by today friends - have a lovely weekend!
- Mel x