Curated OER
Teaching Students Mathematical Reasoning Skills
Students can build upon their basic math skills and become higher order thinkers when we encourage the following principles.
Education Development Center
Thinking Things Through Thoroughly
Problem solving is a skill of its own. Learners use a variety of problems to encourage mental math and logic to get the correct answer. Guiding questions are provided along the way to encourage the right way of thinking to help tackle...
Noyce Foundation
Boxes
Teach your class to think outside the box. Scholars use the concept of equality to solve a problem in the assessment task. They determine how to use a scale to identify the one box out of a set of nine boxes that is heavier than the others.
EduGAINs
Data Management
Using a carousel activity, class members gain an understanding of the idea of inferences by using pictures then connecting them to mathematics. Groups discuss their individual problems prior to sharing them with the entire class. The...
Curated OER
What Is It?
Students explore the likelihood of events. In this logical thinking lesson, 3rd graders are given several scenarios and determine whether the possibility of the described event actually happening is likely, unlikely, or impossible. ...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Made Up Math
Is there a way to connect creative thinking, logical reasoning, mathematical understanding, and humor? You bet there is! Kids begin by creating creative math quizzes, which require creative thinking to solve. For example, 1+1=24, one...
Curated OER
Chess Lesson Plans
Students discover the game of chess. In this critical thinking lesson, students learn the rules for each chess piece and the game as a whole. Students use critical thinking, problem solving, logic, and reasoning skills to improve their...
Curated OER
Associative Property
Here is a new twist on teaching the associative property of multiplication. The author of this presentation makes an analogy between the associative property and a couple getting married. The numbers, like people, are separate, but when...
Curated OER
Mathematical Magazines
Young scholars use ads from magazines to create data to be measured and apply the skill of estimation. They record the percentage of magazine ads that could be separated into different categories made by students through the use of...
Noyce Foundation
Measuring Up
Teach the basics of measurement and conversion with a five-lesson resource that builds an understanding of proportion and measurement conversion from elementary through high school. Initially, young scholars use ratios to determine soup...
Noyce Foundation
Through the Grapevine
Teach statistics by analyzing raisins. A thorough activity provides lesson resources for five levels to include all grades. Younger pupils work on counting and estimation, mid-level learners build on their understanding of the measures...
Curated OER
Best lesson in the whole world!
Middle schoolers study the concept of fraction using mathematical reasoning. In this problem solving fraction lesson, students use various methods to explain their reasoning in solving fractions. Middle schoolers use a number of...
Curated OER
Triangle Sums
Fourth graders determine a way to place numbers in the nine circles that are arranged in a triangular pattern so that each side has an equal sum. They use each number once and practice adding single digit numbers.
Curated OER
The Family Tree
In this patterns practice worksheet, students read a 3-paragraph excerpt regarding a family tree and respond to 1 graphic organizer question and 1 short answer question.
Education Development Center
Algebraic Habits of Mind
Math really is just one big puzzle waiting to be solved. Show learners that math can be intriguing and provide them with visually engaging problems and puzzles. The focus is on solving simple equations and looking at expressions.
EngageNY
Patterns in Scatter Plots
Class members investigate relationships between two variables in the seventh installment of a 16-part module that teaches scholars how to find and describe patterns in scatter plots. Young mathematicians consider linear/nonlinear...
Curated OER
A Tale of Two Stories
Students develop their classification and math skills using the stories "The Three Little Pigs" (Galdone 1970) and "Cinderella" (Grimm and Grimm 1981). They compare the two stories using venn diagrams, simple maps, and problem solving.
Curated OER
Math Analogies
In this math analogy worksheet, students complete the analogy by writing in the last item based on the relationship between the first two items.
Noyce Foundation
Cutting a Cube
Teach the ins and outs of the cube! A series of five K–12 level activities explore the make-up of the cube. The beginning lessons focus on the vocabulary related to the cube. Later lessons explore the possible nets that describe a cube....
Noyce Foundation
The Wheel Shop
Teach solving for unknowns through a problem-solving approach. The grouping of five lessons progresses from finding an unknown through simple reasoning to solving simultaneous equations involving three and four variables. Each lesson...
Curated OER
Roman Bernardo: Solving Linear Equations
Mathematicians use an inquiry method to solve linear equations. In this linear equations lesson, students practice solving equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They solve multi-step equations and equations...
Education Development Center
Area and Multiplication
Take some intellectual fun and apply it to the concept of multiplying expressions together. A guide models how to break two numbers into an area model to multiply together in pieces similar to FOILing. The rest of the puzzles consist of...
Curated OER
Robot Sketcher
Students analyze and solve word problems. In this algebra lesson, students explore their reasoning skills as they analyze a problems and come up with the correct steps to solve it. They create a plan and execute it correctly.
Curated OER
Leaarn to Think Like an Archaeologist
Students examine how to act as archaeologists by examining artifacts. The inquiry is meant to teach learners about analysis of ancient civilizations and scientific finds. Fossil evidence is also covered to make connection to the...