The Common Core State Standards have updated the way schools approach teaching by emphasizing critical thinking, content goals and creative lesson plans. Math is one subject in which teachers must dive deep. Each grade level will focus on different mathematical topics and it's up to the educator to get students engaged. However, that's not always easy. If you want to make your instruction hands-on and fun, check out these lesson-planning resources for math teachers:
1. Pinterest
Believe it or not, this website is a hub for trending teaching ideas. It began as a way to share do-it-yourself how-to's and morphed into a website where people can gather all sorts of ideas for their lives, homes, weddings and even classrooms. By searching "creative math lessons" in Pinterest, you'll find a running list of links that will guide you to new teaching options. Many of the things you find will include activities that get the kids up and moving or using artistic mediums to comprehend various mathematical concepts. Take a look at Pinterest and start your own math teaching board.
2. K-5 Math Teaching Resources
This website lets you browse activities and lesson plans by grade to find a project that will fit your class schedule. The best part is that all the suggestions on the site mirror the Common Core State Standards. For example, the Standards note that first graders should focus on basic concepts during math class, including addition and subtraction. The first-grade page of K-5 features ideas for ways to introduce these topics to your students, whether it's in the form of counting blocks or adding by groups of 10. You'll also find a variety of math games, counting rhymes and vocabulary resources.
3. Teacher Vision
This teaching site includes tools for a variety of subjects, one of which is math. When you check out the math section of the site, you'll find printable activities for every grade level, Common Core-specific worksheets, cross-curricular teaching tools and ways to connect math to real-life situations. No matter what grade you teach in K-12, Teacher Vision has creative math resources you're sure to love (and that your students will enjoy). For example, you can use the visual guides this site provides to introduce subjects concepts using related images.
4. Teachers.Net
Teachers.Net is an overall resource for educators that includes chat boards where people can share their classroom experiences with one another. In addition to being able to connect to other teachers, you'll find project and lesson plan ideas on this site. You can browse by grade or subject to find an activity you feel is appropriate for your classroom. Once you try out a lesson, you can make a post on the discussion boards and tell other teachers how the class discussion went. The connection you'll have to other teachers can help you find materials that fit your curriculum.
5. Math Goodies
Another online resource, this website provides projects, games, worksheets and homework that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards. You can find the right activities for your classroom in one of several ways. Try clicking on lessons, then choose a topic. You'll be given a list of activities that would support that lesson plan. If you're still strapped for fun ideas, you may want to view the math articles section, which features numerous posts containing teacher suggestions.
6. Bright Education
With all these lesson plan resources, you may be wondering how you can help your students prepare for Common Core assessments. That's where Bright Education comes in handy. This site features numerous test preparation materials to help students get ready for assessments in any subject, including math.
