Recent Additions to Mathwire.com

Added on October 11, 2008: NCTM Family Resources

This site offers downloadable PDF documents to answer parent questions: Why does my child's math look different? What can I do to help my child learn math? The resources are available in both English, Spanish and French. Add the NCTM Family Resources to your Parents' Resource list.

Added on October 9, 2008: Election Resources

The Illuminations Getting into the Electoral College unit explores the mathematics of the electoral college, the system used in this country to determine the winner in a presidential election. The lessons include activities in percentages, ratios, and area, with a focus throughout on building problem-solving and reasoning skills.

Added on October 6, 2008: Division Resources

Partial Quotients Algorithm: This alternate algorithm is now routinely taught in many math series and is sometimes called the "Forgiving Method" as students may approach division utilizing the facts that they know. It relies heavily on student fluency with extended facts (3 x 10 or 3 x 100) to get students started on the process. As with factor trees, different students may approach the problem differently, but they will eventually end up with exactly the same quotient and remainder that the traditional algorithm generates. Learn the method and add it to your repertoire for helping students quickly master the division process. Here are some resources to help teachers and parents learn this effective alternate algorithm that so many students love to use:

• This YouTube presentation covers both the partial products (multiplication) and partial quotients (division) algorithms.
• This Power Point presentation also explains the process and prompts independent practice of additional problems.

Online Division Bingo: requires students to quickly enter the answer to division facts. Three options for the game allow for differentiated playing levels. The game reports how quickly students got a bingo so it rewards quick recall of multiplication and division facts. Add Division Bingo to your online basic facts practice resources and share this resource with parents.

Division Bingo: Consider creating the game materials and adding the game to your classroom math center for student division practice. This Division Bingo site offers downloadable bingo cards and calling cards in PDF format.

Factor Bingo: The demo version of this Everyday Math game is available for online play. The Factor Bingo game requires students to create a bingo card and then play the game using their card. A card is turned over and students are prompted to cover all numbers on their card which have the given number as a factor. The site provides online directions and helpful prompts so that students may play independently at classroom computers or at home. This is also a great site to send home to parents for practice.

• Written directions for Factor Bingo are available at this site, should you wish to add this game to your math center or send home for student practice.

Added on October 5, 2008: More Seasonal Math-Literature Connections

Seasonal Math-Literature Connection: The Candy Corn Contest by Patricia Reilly Giff would be a great literature connection for a Candy Corn Estimation Station. The sneaky teacher in this story required that students read a page of a library book for each guess they submitted. Math teachers might vary this requirement to include some fun math practice as a way to earn guessing rights. Either way, incorporating the actual candy corn jar estimation is a great seasonal variation of the Estimation Station, as described in the Fall 2008 Math Activities collection.

Seasonal Math-Literature Connection: Pigs Go to Market: Fun with Math and Shopping by Amy Axelrod is another seasonal book with math connections that students will enjoy as they prepare for Halloween. In this story, Mrs. Pig wins a contest and earns a free shopping spree. Students get to practice buying skills with the Pig family as the Pigs restock their Halloween candy supply.

Added on October 4, 2008: Online Stopwatch

This online site offers a full screen online stopwatch which is easily set for the required time and then started to visually track time. Users may opt for the stopwatch or countdown mode. Teachers with interactive whiteboards or large computer displays will find this site useful in visually tracking times for math centers, mad minute fact practice, test prep, etc. This resource is also a handy way to track times for class Who Has? practice, designed to promote basic fact fluency.

• View the Online Stopwatch