K-5 Math Teaching Resources
Math Center Labels
From counters and calculators to pattern blocks and Unifix cubes, this collection of printable labels has exactly what you need to bring some organization to your elementary math class.
Curated OER
Tiles, Blocks, Sapphires & Gold: Designing a Treasure Map
Young cartographers in groups hide treasure at school and then create a map to find it using pattern blocks and tiles. They make paintings with clues to create a visual representation of the location of their treasure. Groups present...
Exploratorium
Exploring Pattern Blocks
Pattern blocks are one of the best math manipulatives ever invented. They are used quite extensively in the math lesson presented here. Youngsters use the pattern block to fill in shapes that are present on the worksheet embedded in the...
Curated OER
Combining Attribute Blocks
For this geometric shapes worksheet, students analyze the colored attribute blocks and find the figures that can be made by combining those blocks. Students color the figures that are possible to make and draw an X through the ones that...
Curated OER
Attribute Block Shapes
In this math worksheet, students cut out 15 attribute block shapes. The shapes are described as red or blue and include squares, circles, triangles, and hexagons.
Noyce Foundation
Between the Lines
Explore linear and square dimensions by comparing areas of similar figures. A creative set of five activities designed for elementary through high school classes asks young scholars to compare areas of specific polygons. The first two...
Curated OER
Math Mouth!
Students examine and discuss math vocabulary. They participate in various games involving the math vocabulary. Use this as a supplement.
Curated OER
Tall Towers
Linear measurement is the focus of this math lesson. Youngsters work in groups to build towers with blocks. They build towers represented on index cards and determine how many blocks taller one tower is.
Illustrative Mathematics
Saving Money 1
How many days will it take Louis to save enough money for school supplies and new pair of shoes? Focus on Common Core math standards with a two-part task that involves a word problem and counting manipulatives.
Curated OER
The Attribute Train
Students participate in a hands-on activity working with attribute blocks. After reading a story about attributes as a class, they each are given two attribute blocks. The first student lays one attribute block on the floor with the next...
World Wildlife Fund
Arctic Shapes
In a two-part worksheet, young geometers examine 3-D shapes and describe their attributes in a table. They will be able to draw the shape and name the number of vertices, faces, and edges. In the second part, individuals explore nets of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Roll & Build
Develop young mathematicians' understanding of place value with this hands-on math activity. Working in pairs, learners take turns building two-digit numbers by rolling two ten-sided dice. Base ten blocks are then used to model the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Which Weighs More? Which Weighs Less?
Expand the the comparative language of young mathematicians with a hand-on weight measurement activity. Working independently or in pairs, children compare the weight of large wooden blocks to various other classroom objects, recording...
Curated OER
The Building Blocks of Geometry
Fifth graders explore geometric building blocks in the real world in order to describe the characteristics and relationships of points, lines, line segments, rays, and planes. This is the first lesson plan in a series of lessons in...
Curated OER
Pattern Block Polygons
Sixth graders create polygons. In this shapes lesson, 6th graders explore prefixes such as oct, tri, quad, pent, etc. and share their findings. Students use pattern blocks to create two different polygons and label them.
Curated OER
Problem Solving Using Pattern Blocks
Students use pattern blocks to create a figure that is described to them and establish a pattern based on the description of the geometric figure. In this pattern blocks lesson plan, students fill out shape and fraction worksheets.
Curated OER
Visualizing Multiplication
Upper graders represent multiplication of a two-digit number by a two-digit number as the area of a rectangle with dimensions of the two factors. They find patterns for the number of different base ten blocks in a rectangle representing...
National Math + Science Initative
Introduction to Decimals
Three activities make up an introductory lesson designed to create a strong foundation in comparing fractions to decimals and exploring and building decimal models. Pupils brainstorm and complete a Venn diagram to show how decimals and...
Curated OER
Pattern Power
Young elementary students will discover there are patterns all around them in their daily lives. In groups, they sort pattern blocks by size and color. Using the internet, they create their own type of patterns and share them with the...
Curated OER
Tiling Tessellations
Young scholars explore tessellations. In this shapes and geometry activity, students describe the attributes of many of the shapes displayed on an Elmo. Young scholars create examples of tessellations using pattern blocks.
Illustrative Mathematics
Ten $10s Make $100
If ten $10s make $100, then how much money do twenty $10s make? Young bankers find the number of bills required to make base ten amounts in three different word problems.
Curated OER
Shapes
Students identify attributes of different geometric shapes. For this geometry lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation on shapes and use attribute blocks to examine the corners and edges of each shape. Students work together to...
Curated OER
Symmetry with Manipulatives
First graders investigate symmetry in patterns by utilizing unifix cubes. In this pattern lesson, 1st graders practice creating patterns that are perfectly symmetrical no matter which way it's looked at. Students utilize original...
Illustrative Mathematics
How Many Days Until Summer Vacation?
On the 124th day of school, young mathematicians are asked to find out how many days are left in the 180-day school year. The teacher version to the task offers several ways the problem can be solved, and can be used to guide instruction...