Math Models

One of my favorite topics in math is math models. I love them because you can use them throughout a grade level curriculum and from year to year. They can be an anchor for students as they are learning new material. I created this chart to help students (and teachers) remember/understand some of the most helpful math models.

What I really like about these models is that you can use them from kindergarten to fifth grade or older. (Okay, maybe the arrays and area models wouldn't be helpful until third grade.)

In order to give students chances to practice with the models, I also created this chart that you can use with any equations. The place value chart is only set up for whole numbers under 9,999, but the rest of the boxes will work for fractions and decimals as well.

Here are a couple of ways you could use the sheet...

The best part about these models pages is that they are free at my TpT store! You can get it here:

My First Video Lesson on YouTube!

I have been wanting to start making lesson on YouTube for a long time. Even before one of the panels at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference said it was a good marketing strategy. I tried working with a computer interface - like Khan Academy, but it just didn't work well for me. Then, I tried recording myself as I worked on paper. This didn't work either. Finally, many months (if not years) into the process, I decided to just do the videos the way I teach at school - using a whiteboard.

Here is the finished product. It isn't professional by any means, but I think it will be helpful, especially to parents who are trying to understand common core math.

I really enjoyed the entire process of making the video. There will be more to come! 

I will also be publishing a tape diagram product to my store to accompany the video. It will be up soon.