562 mind-stretchers results | sort by:

Order of Operations Quiz - Shodor
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): addition (227), exponents (43), numbers (197), operations (123), order of operations (40), subtraction (187), whole numbers (16)
In the Classroom
Make a shortcut on classroom or lab computers to use for student practice. Post the site on your classroom website or blog for students to use at home. Assign students to share one problem with the class that they had difficulty with and explain how the problem should be solved.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Math Fun Facts - Harvey Mudd College
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): brain (68)
In the Classroom
Use this type of fact as a class warm-up exercise or bell ringer activity to have students get actively engaged in learning from the moment they enter your classroom. Or, use it as a Fun Friday Math Fact activity. Assign students into small groups or partners to "solve" a math fact. Additionally, many of these facts could be turned into mini-math research project. Have students investigate this site independently and share their findings with the class by creating an interactive online poster using Genial.ly, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whole Number Cruncher - Shodor
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Introduce the activity on your interactive whiteboard or projector, then provide students with the exploration questions to complete on their own or with a partner. Provide a link on your classroom website or blog for practice at home. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and use it as a center. Have students create their own function machines to be solved by classmates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tables and Chairs - Shodor
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): equations (151), logic (248), patterns (87), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Introduce the site on your interactive whiteboard or projector by beginning with the learner section of the site. Discuss the different arrangements of tables and chairs and how seating capacity changes based on table arrangements. Allow students to complete the exploration questions on their own or with a partner. Provide a link on your classroom website or blog for students to use at home. Challenge able students to create pattern challenges of their own for classmates to try on an interactive whiteboard using shapes and colors.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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More or Less Estimator - Shodor
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): estimation (48), measurement (175)
In the Classroom
Introduce the activity on the interactive whiteboard or projector and model for students how to use estimation instead of actually counting the figures. Use the site as a springboard to discuss when estimation is appropriate and when measurement is needed. Use the site to begin discussions on what level of estimation is needed in different circumstances (close, really close and almost perfect).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Solutions - Math Solutions
Grades
K to 12tag(s): problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans; also search for plans in grades higher and lower that can be modified to meet your students' needs. Display student work included with the lesson plans on your interactive whiteboard or projector as conversation starters in your classroom - allow students to discuss other students' work to increase understanding of concepts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ice Ice Maybe - Manga High
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): estimation (48), logic (248), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Save as a shortcut on classroom computers to use as a center. Encourage students to problem solve to get the penguins further along the ice and achieve higher levels. Share this link on your class website so students can practice logic and estimation while at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fire: Estimating Percent - Shodor
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): estimation (48), fractions (228), percent (82), probability (141), test prep (98)
In the Classroom
Print out the exploration worksheet for students to complete, then discuss using your interactive whiteboard or projector. Using the interactive whiteboard, discuss why the probability of burn doesn't always equal the actual burn amount. Create a link on your classroom website, wiki, or blog for students to practice at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Snappy Words-Free Visual Online Dictionary - Snappy Words.com
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): maps (298), parts of speech (67), speech (89), thesaurus (24)
In the Classroom
Teachers and students on all grade levels will love usingSnappy Words for all subjects. Demonstrate it on your classroom whiteboard or projector, bookmark it in your favorites, and make it directly available to students from your class webpage. Elementary students will enjoy defining their spelling words or content area vocabulary. They can categorize their words by parts of speech or create a list of synonyms. Students can then create their own word "maps" for new vocabulary words using drawing tools or online graphic organizers like bubbl.us, reviewed here. Middle school, high school and adult learners can use it as a valuable tool for vocabulary specific to a literary work or subject area, preparing for a standardized test, or while reading assigned material or a book, poem, or article of choice. Whether you are writing content for an article, a blog, a letter, or any assignment, minimize this website and play with words to avoid repetition, choose precise meanings and kick your vocabulary up a notch! Share this one on your class web page, for sure.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Houghton Mifflin's Math Expressions - Houghton Mifflin
Grades
K to 5tag(s): decimals (125), fractions (228), manipulatives (36), money (185)
In the Classroom
If using this series, check your grade level for additional ideas to help struggling students or ones who need an extra challenge. List this link on your class website for parents and students to access both in and out of class. Even if you don't use this series, you will find a plethora of math interactives by clicking on the link for Students. Make a shortcut on your computers to the student activities for your grade level. Share some of the activities (and how to USE them) on your interactive whiteboard or projector before assigning students to work independently.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math-a-rama - Houghton-Mifflin
Grades
K to 6tag(s): fractions (228), integers (40), manipulatives (36), money (185), probability (141), test prep (98)
In the Classroom
Share the virtual manipulatives on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to list this link on your class website for students to access both at home and in the classroom. If you are going to use this site as a math learning center, put direct shortcuts to activities on your computers. Have older students create their own brain teasers and share them on your class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mathematics from Houghton Mifflin - Houghton Mifflin
Grades
1 to 6In the Classroom
This site would be especially useful for teachers using the textbook, but the activities have general applicability as well. If you use this series, be sure to share this link on your class website for students to use at home for additional practice. All activities could be used in any elementary math class. Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to share a daily brainteaser appropriate for your grade level. Have students work with a partner to solve the brainteasers and create their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Maths is Fun - Rod Pierce
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): logic (248), measurement (175), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Use the teacher's page on the interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate math concepts such as symmetry, tessellations, and basic algebra concepts. Assign activities and games to students and let them become the expert in one topic. Use the illustrated math dictionary provided on the site as an example and create a class math dictionary of concepts learned. Have students share their new math term on the class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. This may also be a site that you want to include on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Puzzle Playground - Smart Kit
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): logic (248), problem solving (294), puzzles (203)
In the Classroom
This site is ideal to use on classroom computers as a center. Students will think they are playing games; however, they are really expanding their logic and problem solving skills through the interactive activities. This is a great site to list on your class webpage, for students to access both in and out of the classroom. For a bonus/extra credit challenge, ask students to FIND connections between a game and topics/concepts they have been studying and to explain the connections while demonstrating the game on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Hint: start with the Physics challenge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tangram House - Andrey Orlov
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): tangrams (13)
In the Classroom
Introduce on your interactive whiteboard or projector when beginning a geometry unit on shapes and vocabulary such as turn, flip and rotation. Challenge students to discuss how shapes are moved to form tangrams. Provide this link on your class website for students to use at home. This site is great for younger gifted students!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Algebra Meltdown - Manga High
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Have a team competition on the interactive whiteboard or projector and challenge students to move on to higher levels. Students who aren't playing will still be learning as they try to solve problems along with the players. Use the activity as an introduction to algebra skills included in the interactive, such as multiplying and dividing with negatives. Challenge students to come up with the formulas for multiplying and dividing negatives based on correct responses in the activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plastelina Logic Games
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Have a team competition as students use the site on an interactive whiteboard or projector and try to see who can solve the puzzles first. Use the puzzles as a quick time filler and revisit on occasion until the puzzle is solved.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LEGO Education Activities - LEGO Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): creativity (118), critical thinking (120), logic (248), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Expose your students to different levels of the learning spiral by challenging them to use problem-solving skills for increasingly difficult obstacles. Students can work in small groups to foster cooperation and teamwork as they sort, graph, follow and give directions, and discuss ideas. Of course you will need some LEGOs, so you might try raiding your own children's toy boxes, include a request in your classroom newsletter for donations, look around for LEGO kits collecting dust on classroom shelves, or put it on your school's PTA wish list. Be sure to have cooperative learning groups video their activities to share with the rest of the class using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gymnasium For Brain - Sitalakshmi Seshadrinathan
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): logic (248), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a resource for a problem of the day activity. Challenge students to solve and provide explanations to logic puzzles and create their own problems. Display on the interactive whiteboard or projector as a springboard to class discussion of the Mathematics involved within each of the problems.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lesson: Life After Trash - Teach Engineering
Grades
6 to 9tag(s): critical thinking (120), engineering (129), problem solving (294)
In the Classroom
A week or so before conducting this simulation activity, ask students to bring in recyclables and clean trash from home. This will cut down on the amount of trash you need to collect, and it will add variety to the supplies. Set up the activity by talking about trash, where it comes from and where it goes. Discuss better alternatives for trash "disposal" such as recycling and reusing. Have students think of obvious reuses for materials and then explain that there are other alternatives to obvious uses. Introduce the activity and basic rules and safety to the students. Arrange them in groups of three or four and then allow them to "shop" the classroom "landfill" to create new things out of old trash. Follow up with discussion of group products, uses, and real life applications of this idea such as recycled art.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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