The Teacher Toolbox

Tonight I added a cylinder net to my website. + a definition of what a net is

I’m rather chuffed with the way this one came out. It’s the first time I’ve managed to get cartoon teeth looking right.

cheers

Adrian

Here’s my cone net download for you guys to print out and use. I added a few construction details in the print out after watching my son putting it together

cheers

Adrian

My new math game is ideal for teaching numeration, subtraction, addition and estimation strategies. It offers heaps of opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ but its power comes from discussing the mental strategies which are most effiecient for arriving at correct answers.

Feel free to download it, print it out and hand it around staff working on these concepts.

cheers

Adrian

PS Thanks Cath for the ‘hairy man’ - all the kids I played the game with wanted this board

Less than a month after posting my first colourful 3d nets I’ve already achieved position 2 for the search terms ’square pyramid net’ & ‘tetrahedron net’. So I’m thinking that there were a few other teachers out there looking for good resources for teaching 3d shapes

This fact coupled with the plethora of other requests I’ve had via email to make more nets I’ve knocked up one for a ‘rectangular prism’.

Mr 9 constructed this one for me this afternoon & approved so here is my new rectangular prism download.

Enjoy!

Adrian

PS If someone makes a mobile of all my nets would you mind sending me a digital photo?

Every time I invite students to get out a calculator & double numbers until they either become so large they show an ‘E’ on the display or move to scientific notation I’m amazed at the banter/buzz that is produced.

Students love BIG numbers and for me this activity has always produced an excellent opportunity to seize the teachable moment presented. ie you can extend the your students beyond the constraints of syllabus and direct them towards the parts of our existence that inspire ‘awe & wonder’ & raise truly interesting questions.

Look, I know that HUGE numbers are outside the possible conceptual understanding of children, but hey… these numbers are so fantastically large I would say that most people cannot truly comprehend their enormity. But why do we shelter children from them? My new place ‘value charts on steroids’ webpage is more about attitude development than complete understanding.

As an aside… my son 9 y/o son has been asking soooooooooo many questions about BIG numbers while I have been putting these resources together. Surely the question raising in itself has to make the place value chart downloads worthwhile. lol

So, feel free to download, print, laminate, display in your windows or at eye level in your class, discuss and explore my new large number place value charts. Who knows, you might even switch a couple of kids onto the Math of the HUGE with the research tasks and bits of trivia I have included.

cheers

Adrian

Here’s a net for making cubes. I’ve added the faces again as I’ve received a couple of emails saying how the students are liking the play on words between a ’square faced’ cartoon character and the ’square face’ of a 3d shape.

I’ve also added a section of facts and questions about cubes so you can have your students create labels for your Math display. I figure this will give them a little more ownership.

cheers

Adrian

PS If you found this resource useful, you might like to consider subscribing to my newsletter. It lets you know when I’ve added new resources to my site.

Hi Again All,

Here is the second in my series of three addition games that I’ve set the goal of completing this week. This new addition game deals with reinforcing the addition facts of ‘doubles + 1′. I’ve played it heaps with kids over the years and it is very effective.

You can add to the gameplay by allowing students to use calculators and this way they will see that the human mind can be a more efficient tool to use in some situations

For those of you in the snow, you can play this game by drawing it up in chalk on the carpet.

Enjoy

Adrian

Dear World,

Tonight I’ve put together a colourful tetrahedron net for you all that can hang in your Math display area. Feel free to use the tetrahedron in any way will aid your students’ education. (or help them get through those bloody, bloody stupid, dumb, rah, rah, rah tests)

Yes… I drew all the triangular faces myself in a program called Inkscape and for those who asked I used a Wacom tablet to get the drawing control. NB I tell my classes that, ‘drawing with a mouse is like picking your nose with your elbow’. OK, they are 10… they think it is funny

cheers

Adrian

Evening All,

Today I finished one of the tried and true number fact games I have used over the years with my classes. This new addition game is drawn up on the concrete in chalk and play as a small group. The game board and game cards are all in the download.

The power of the game comes when you discuss the use of ‘efficient’ mental strategies. I get the kids to aim for ‘SEE IT. SAY IT’ ie automatic recall. We also discuss the steps on the way to ‘automacy’. 1. Counting on fingers 2.Knowing the answer in your head but since you are stressed you still use your fingers 3. Automatic recall.

You’ll have heaps of fun with this but make sure they ‘Play Safe!’

cheers

Adrian

Each year when I have to teach 3d shapes in Mathematics I always struggle to find the disk with all my nets on it. This year I’m getting in early and I’m planning on getting them onto my website so I can find them relatively easily

You will notice that I’ve added a memory tag to each face i.e. a square pyramid has three triangular faces and one square face. The net prints out in A4 and is a nice size to make a class mobile out of.

You can download the net as a Word document or and Acrobat file from the Mathematics area of my website.

cheers

Adrian

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