SamizdatMath

This "product" is an exercise in the form of a "lightly" competitive game that uses addition and subtraction on the number line (which was invented in 1685 by the mathematician John Wallis) that students can play in any number of configurations (pairs, triplets, etc.) and in any number of ways (rolling a single die, rolling 2 dice, using the numbers individually or in combination, etc.) There are versions that use 3, 4, 5 and 6 rolls. There is a number line under each game for your students prac

Okay, you're teaching your kids how to do two and three column addition.... WHAT A SNOOZE! I promise you, this is going to be fun! Here's how it works: you've taught your students about regrouping/carrying in multi-column addition, and they've done a few problems and you want them to have a little more experience with it while doing some deep thinking. This is the activity for you! This collection of "ink blot addition puzzles" will engage your students in a completely different way, because

This is Max Forstat; she owns a building which has 4 apartments per floor. There are 6 floors in the building. She decides to number the apartments from 1 to 24, starting from the ground floor. Apartments 1 through 4 are on the first floor, 5 - 8 on the second, and so on. How would you figure out which floor each apartment is located? This activity gets students involved in performing division with and without remainders, and then using the remainder to determine the floor and location of the ap

This is a collection of 34 different hexagonal subtraction/additional/logic puzzle cards (hence, the title above) which uses 5 rows containing clues that have to be figured out by moving around the puzzle in different directions. Very simply, each pair of hexagons add up to the hexagon above that connects them. However, in many cases you can't add the two hexagons together, because there is missing information that won't show up until you solve other parts of the puzzle. It's great because not o

This packet includes a cover letter for parents that describes the importance of doing math over the summer break, and features a handy chart with a list of the 6 games that are part of this pack, along with a checklist for the dates when they are played. If the child follows the chart, he/she will have practiced math over 50 times during the summer. There are 6 games in the packet, which can be played as partners. They practice addition, subtraction, place value and estimation, and includes ga

Stop That Rat! ? Why would anyone want to "stop that rat?" Well, because it's really fun to watch your students work on this puzzle, which comes in gritty color as well as black and white. 63 pages of rat fun! Seriously, the basic puzzle is simple: take the disks which are numbered 1 - 6, and arrange them on the board so that each side adds up to 9. However, things get very interesting when you find out that you can re-arrange the 6 numbers to add up to 10, 11 and 12. But it gets better than th

Greetings Intrepid Teacher: If you’ve downloaded this preview pack and have looked at the materials already, you’re probably scratching your head and thinking, “What is wrong with this person? Why do his activities look so strange? Why do they have all these fancy designs? And why does he love Louis Jordan so much? I have no answers: I was raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York, and my background was in industrial and visual arts. I was overeducated beyond my intelligence at a prominen

The Beans in a Pan Puzzles are a hands-on way to stimulate algebraic thinking in a fun and interesting context. CUT & SERVE! them on a paper or plastic plate, pour out the dried beans of your choice, and watch the kids go at it. Includes 10 "closed ended" puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty, 10 more "open ended" puzzles, and "DIY" blanks for your students to make their own. In middle school, you can have your students write algebraic equations about the different puzzles, including "3 mor