216 mind-stretchers results | sort by:
return to subject listingMath Interactives - Alberta Education
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use these great activities with an interactive whiteboard or projector to engage students and identify underlying math rules. Students can work individually or in groups on the "Use It" activities for guided practice in understanding the math concepts. Use the "Explore it" activities for additional practice or to uncover the math concepts. Students can create their own interactive directions using wikis, video or photo tutorials, or podcast which can be shared with others. Not sure where to begin with the multimedia projects? Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Having students create a video? Use a video sharing site such as Teachers.TV reviewed here. Looking to narrate an image? Try ThingLink, reviewed here. Not sure where to create Podcasts? Try a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Toys from trash - Arvind Gupta
Grades
K to 10In the Classroom
Share this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the simple directions and pictures for students to make their own manipulatives. After creating and observing, students can share their observations and the math and science processes can be uncovered. Use these to uncover misconceptions and dispel myths that undermine understanding of processes. Group students to choose one manipulative and present the concept to the class. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own "Toy From Trash." Have the groups create videos to share their "toys" and instructions. Share the video clips using a site such as Teachers.TV reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Problem site
Grades
K to 12Note: Ads appear along the side and students should be cautioned in clicking on these ads. This site requires Flash and Adobe Acrobat. Get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom
Share this eclectic site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Use these activities for problem solving drills and interest in words or numbers. Use this site for review. List the link on your class website for students to practice both in and out of the classroom. This is a great find for gifted students!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tower of Hanoi - NCTM Illuminations
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this activity for independent challenges at the beginning of your math class. List this site on your class blog or website for students to try at home. Ask your advanced students to generate a "how to" explanation for the challenge.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diffen - Diffen
Grades
2 to 12In the Classroom
The options are endless. Search the differences between two types of soils, mitosis and meiosis, presidents or those running for office, of geometric figures, artists or musicians, places to visit. As a way to build higher order thinking skills, this site is ideal, since comparison of attributes requires analysis.Try creating some lists of your own as a class after using the ready-made ones here. This activity would be easy to do on an interactive whiteboard, with students hand writing the characteristics and dragging them into Similarities and Differences columns before entering them into Diffen. This site could be used in nearly every subject area. Share this site on your class blog or website, for students to access both in and out of the classroom. This is definitely one to save in your favorites.
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KENKEN - Nextoy, LLC
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Introduce this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore the puzzles on their own. Use this site to differentiate for various students. Be certain to save this site in your favorites and check back often. List this link on your class website so students can "play" both in and out of the classroom. Have older students attempt to create their own KENKEN puzzles. It's not as easy as you think.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mathematics in Movies - Oliver Knill
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use the links "Begin of Lectures in College teaching" and "The end of lectures in college teaching" to identify effective and ineffective teaching elements at all levels. Use these clips for anticipatory set or activators at the start of a lesson or introduction of a concept. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Discuss the concepts as a class or have students work in cooperative learning groups. See if students can identify any other movie or television show that has used math concepts. If time permits, have students create their own mini-dramas that include discussion of math concepts within the story.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sharp Brains - Sharpbrains
Grades
6 to 12Be aware: each mind stretcher activity includes a blog. Some of the blog comments may not be appropriate, so be sure to READ any blogs that you plan to share. You may want to make these activities a group challenge, rather than individual exploration. Many are interactive and require Flash or Java. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom
Start your class (any subject area) with a mind stretcher or include this as part of a psychology or biology lesson on how the brain works. Share the puzzle or challenge on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge your students to create their own logic activities and create a class "Logic" wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Puzzlers Paradise - Shelly Hazard
Grades
2 to 10In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites. Use a logic puzzle as a class opener to "warm up" brains. Display the puzzle on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Print out the logic puzzles for students to complete for additional enrichment. Use this site with your gifted students. Provide a link to this site on your class website for students to use at home. Challenge your students to create some puzzlers of their own and share them on a class wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles - Alexander Bogomolny
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use these applets on an interactive whiteboard or projector as an anticipatory set for a lesson in math class. Have students work independently on the logic and puzzle activities. These activities are ideal for gifted students (for advancement and/or enrichment) or extra practice for struggling students. Provide this link on your class website, so students can explore at home or as review.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Paper Models of Polyhedra - Gijs Korthals Altes
Grades
6 to 10In the Classroom
Why not print a pattern onto cardstock or other thick paper. Then project the image (that you printed for your students) onto a projection screen or interactive whiteboard, while students work independently at their seats. Before you pass out the paper copies, have them view the projected image and predict what it will be. These shapes can also serve as creative study aids for all subject areas, especially for students who need engaging ways to review. Have students write key terms and questions on the "faces" before assembling the figures, then "roll" them as a study game, testing each other to define or explain terms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fill-It-In Outline Mathematics - Alexander Bogomolny
Grades
1 to 10In the Classroom
These activities are perfect for an interactive whiteboard (or projector). You could also provide a link to this website in your class newsletter or on your class web page. Many of the activities would provide excellent at-home practice and/or enrichment. Challenge your students to answer a question of the week for extra credit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Teasers - NCES
Grades
5 to 12In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your teacher web page for students to access both in and outside of class. Use the challenge as an extra credit opportunity or a prompt for "math blogging."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Inventing Modern America: Games - Lemelson-MIT
Grades
5 to 12In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard to play the games in science class as you talk about inventions, engineering, and the inquiry process that drives them or as an interdisciplinary connection in your lessons on inventions and the Industrial Revolution.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cool Math - Coolmath.com
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Provide this link in your class newsletter or share the link on your class web page for students to use this resource for additional practice at home. Use selected activities as a center on your single classroom computer or for whole-class practice.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Braingle: Brain Teasers, Puzzles, Riddles and More - Braingle
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Start class with a "warm-up" brain teaser. Or include this link on your teacher web page (with a caution about parental supervision for younger ones). Site creators claim the entire site is family-friendly, safe for classroom use. Portions of the site require membership, and the membership level that displays ads is free. You may want to set up a CLASS account and use it under controlled circumstances since there are forums and chat rooms, however. Or ask your tech folks to block the portion of the site that includes "community" in the URL (http://www.braingle.com/community/) to avoid having to deal with forums, chat rooms, etc.(If you are lucky enough to have such helpful tech support, make them cookies once in awhile!)Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Presentations - Jefferson County Schools
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Try these ready-to-go PowerPoint presentations on an interactive whiteboard or projector in your classroom. Some may also be well-suited for individual students to run on a single classroom computer for remediation or review. There are games, resources and a lot of information. The site includes a disclaimer asking to be notified if users find any unauthorized, copyrighted material. TeachersFirst recommends that you NOT download copies but instead use them online, just in case.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Substitute Survival: Tools You Can Use - Education World
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Substitutes - don't go into the trenches empty handed, print out this useful survival guide (or make it a TeachersFirst Favorite so you can find it anytime) and be prepared for the unexpected!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Logic and Reasoning Games - Math Playground
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use one of these on an interactive whiteboard as a brain warm-up at the beginning of class or as student enter the room. If you have a difficult group in a study hall, this site could keep them busy in a positive way. Substitutes will also love it! Include this link in your class's newsletter, classroom computer, or teacher web page for extra challenges and enrichment. Teachers of gifted can challenge their students to write "how to" directions for how to solve these puzzles, once they have figured them out!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lateral Puzzles - WebRing
Grades
3 to 12Not sure what a Lateral Puzzle is? Read the FAQ section!
In the Classroom
Challenge your class with a "lateral puzzle of the day". This site would be perfect for your gifted students or to get everyone thinking at the start of class. Be sure to include the link on your web page! For an extra challenge when students have mastered the puzzles, ask them to analyze how they work and write some of their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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