Math Stations or Centers in a Snap!

We are all crunched for time these days. Even as a tutor, I wanted some materials that I could throw together at a moments notice when I saw a skill that my student needed help with now.  I created these awesome things called 3-5 Common Core Aligned Playing Card Math Mats (say that 5 times!).  The title though tells us exactly what it is!

Every math mat has been aligned with the Common Core and it's easy to see which standard has been met.  Let's look at the anatomy of a math mat.

In the upper right hand corner, you'll see an oval with the Common Core Standard written inside.  At the top we have clearly written directions for the student.  Over to the left in a banner is the skill that is being worked on.  The rectangles in the center are used to write inside of or place cards in (if there is enough room).

I like to have mine printed out and slid into a sheet protector so I can use them again and again.  All that would be needed to throw together this center or station is a deck of cards, a dry erase marker, and the playing card math mats.  Many teachers use them for early finisher students too, differentiation activities, and test prep games.

My students really enjoy using these math mats.  They are fun and less intimidating than a page full of math problems.  I love watching them cruise through the practice and they feel much more confident with the skill after they are done.

You can view the entire product (66 pages) before you purchase it over at Teachers Pay Teachers.  These are a deal at $8.00.  There also is just grade 3 available.  I think they are awesome, but don't take my word for it, read the comments in the ratings section.

Adrianne is the author of The Tutor House.

Math Intervention! {Elapsed Time}

Are your students struggling with elapsed time?  I've found that elapsed time is one of the more difficult concepts for my students to "get" easily.  This Math Intervention pack helped my RTI students meet grade level standards with a scaffolded approach.

This lesson addresses the intervals of time portion of the following Common Core Standard:
CCSS.Math.Content.4.MD.A.2 Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Lessons Included:
1- Introduction to Time- review telling time on an analog clock, make a clock, 2 intro time word problems
2- Time Number Lines- 3 time problems and graphic organizer for elapsed time
3- More in Depth with Time Number Lines- graphic organizer then 3 time problems
4- Creating Word Problems- solve personalized word problem, students write their own elapsed time word problem
5- Big Problems (more difficult time word problems)- 3 time problems and 1 time graphic organizer
6-7 Big Word Problem Task Cards- 6 task cards with time word problems
8- Progress Quiz- 4 question quiz

Check it out at my TpT Store, The Science Penguin.

For more Common Core aligned teaching ideas, please visit my blog www.thesciencepenguin.com.

Math Vocabulary Word Wall Cards: 3rd, 4th, and 5th

My name is Gina and I'm from Beach Sand and Lesson Plans. I'm so excited to be a part of this new collaborative board! This is a great opportunity to share resources and products that will help us all on the road to Common Core. Here is South Florida we are just starting the journey. CCSS will be fully implemented in grades 3-5 by 2014. We will take our FCAT test until then and switch to the PARCC during the 2014-2015 school year. CCSS are still fairly new to us. I have been reading and listening and thinking about these standards in order to be prepared when it is upon us!

I have created 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade CCSS math vocabulary cards. Since I could not find an "official" list of vocabulary, I combined lists I found and after reading through the standards, decided on the ones I thought were most important. Each set contains word cards with a visual representation of the definition. The 5th grade set contains more cards with definitions included. I hope you find many uses for this class resource!