Concept Confessions: Numbers, Numbers Everywhere!

To start the school year, my students in 5th grade are working on some number sense / place value review. I quickly created some number cards for some basic activities - here they are on google docs.
Number Cards 3-5 digit

I am planning to use these cards for reading multi-digit numbers. The cards are color-coded:
pink - up to the hundreds (3-digit)
green - up to thousands (4-digit)
blue - up the ten thousands (5-digit)

Number Cards - Ordering

I am planning to use these cards for ordering numbers. They are color-coded as well with some sets skipping by ones and others skipping by random intervals. After students put the number cards in order from least to greatest OR greatest to least, have the student read the numbers aloud.

You could use these cards for many other "number sense" activities:
flash a card and ask for the number before
flash a card and ask for the number after
compare two cards - which is greater or less
show a card and ask how close to 100 or 1,000
flash a card and ask for the digit in a specific place value
show two cards and ask which is closer to 0, 100 or 1,000
show two cards and ask how far away they are from one another

Concept Confession - Math Madness

I have been working on math activities for my classroom. The issue comes in when the WIDE range of students requires me to make different things. So, on one hand, I was making some fraction activities and on the other hand I was making number sense activities.

                                                            Number Sense Activities


I have had the pleasure of have some extensive training on the importance of number sense. These skills provide a solid foundation for all other mathematical skills. If there are gaps or deficits in basic number sense, then math thinking will not develop naturally and students will rely on steps and procedures as opposed to understanding the concepts. With this being said, I have some students who have splinter skills with numbers . . . I also have students who are just learning their numbers. For both, I have been using these activities from my packet of Number Sense Activities:


These are number cards that could be used for an endless list of activities!

Subitize! This was something I learned a great deal about and had never intentionally taught. I used dots from dice and cards to get quick recognition, but I didn't realize the power it had for visualizing numbers.

Five Frames - basic number sense starts with 5 - this gives a framework for visualizing five and then constructing and de-constructing five.

A fun way to get students to count and make sure they are understanding the value of numbers. Try it as a brain break!

Building numbers is a great way to work on facts. Using a ten frame and two colored chips, this activity requires students to visualize the adding and what that looks like. The more they can visualize these concepts the more it becomes their OWN knowledge and takes on a personal level of understanding.

I love this one. You could play this with dice and cups, but then it would be a great center! It pushes students past using dots to COUNT the answer for both numbers. A great way to lead students to count on, but not tell them to do it.

 . . . these are some of the activities from the Number Sense Packet. My students have really enjoyed using the the materials.

Fractions

The fraction packet is new to my TpT store. It is designed for students in 3rd and 4th grade but who require some modifications to the curriculum. With that in mind, I think it would work for students in 1st-5th, whether beginning fraction work or needing some review.

Here is the cover . . . Super Heroes are big right now for my students. They have enjoyed having a character to associate with their fraction work . . . CAPTAIN FRACTION!

These two are great for reading fractions, fraction identification, and fraction matching. For kids who need challenged, I was able to use these cards to sort equivalent fractions and play Go Fish for equivalent fractions.

These task cards were the hardest for my students . . . trying to color the fraction of the group. This offered LOTS of extra practice. I could easily get manipulatives for them to physically sort and then color with a dry erase marker on these laminated cards.

The comparing cards were a great way to see if kids needed to have a visual or if they were starting to understand the relationship of the denominator and the numerator. I always allow my students to draw or use materials to figure out answers, and this one had a range of student supports.

Finally, I made a Fraction Battle Game - just like war. We mixed it up, having the larger fraction win sometime and the smaller fraction win other times. There are fraction number cards as well. It was great when the kids got equivalent fractions and had to battle for a group of cards! Competitive learning at its best!