Middle School

PEMDice, the “Order of Operations Game,” is an excellent resource for expanding mathematical thinking in a fun, engaging way. It is a perfect fit for kids at home who enjoys a challenge at any level. It can start simply, and evolve into a remarkably complex puzzle.

The Linear Graphs Algebra Game is an interactive way to teach key algebra concepts to your students in grades 8+. This card game has 12 sets of matching cards, each set includes 6 cards showing multiple representations of the same equation. This is a great tool to use in a small group or whole class.

I like to think of number sense as the linchpin to learning mathematics well. It plays a critical role in students’ confidence and risk taking. It helps them determine the reasonableness of their solutions and tinker with strategies and approaches when their solutions to problems are off. Number sense enables students to be flexible and efficient with both their computation and reasoning.

Are you looking for a new way to teach or review integer addition and subtraction with students? These hands-on activities can help students build a solid conceptual understanding of integer operations!

As the proverb claims, Slopeometer was born out of necessity. It happened when I was teaching calculus but has since proven incredibly useful in a variety of ways--from a middle-school setting on up. The inspiration came when I kept tracing along the graph of a function while I asked my AP calculus students at each point to “imagine the slope of the tangent line” as it gradually changed--from negative to zero to positive--representing the values of the “derivative” of the function. When, after some puzzled looks from my students, I said “imagine a plumb bob, always pointing to the correct value as it changes slope…” the lightbulb moment happened. Over the weekend, after a trip to a building supply store, I was able to cut a semicircle out of a piece of plexiglass and mark it with appropriate numbers and fractions, then loosely fasten a gravity-activated indicator arm that did the pointing... and presto!--the Slopeometer. My students found it much easier to picture the process, often called “curve-sketching,” and apply it to their own work. My students found it so helpful. Slopeometer has since proven useful in many areas: from “best fit” regression lines, to estimating tangent ratios, to slope-fields for differential equations--but the device has shown to be especially useful when first introducing slope.

Teachers have long relied on manipulatives to introduce new math and literacy concepts and enhance learning. Manipulatives are useful at all grade levels, from kindergarten (think Unifix Cubes) through high school (think algebra tiles), with students of all abilities, including and especially those with special needs and learning differences.

Jumbo Unifix® Cubes, sandpaper letters and numerals, and Omnifix cubes are just a few of the go-to resources used in many SpEd classrooms throughout the country.