Math Madness Wednesday: Fall Math Ideas

I don't know if you have been able to tell or not, but I LOVE Fall!  I don't know if it the cooler weather, the crunch of leaves, the yummy foods, or maybe the football coma I often go into, but there is just something absolutely wonderful about fall! So, here are a few ways I share my love of the season in my class.  

I think candy corn is the unofficial symbol of Fall!  When I say candy corn, I also mean Indian corn and Autumn mixes (I tend to just call of them "candy corn" although I know there are more specific names for some of them).  There are so many lessons that can be taught with these yummy treats.  Students can use them to count, make a pattern, or graph the candies they received.  

     

I also made these candy corn numbers that can be used as puzzles, number lines, or as a part of an interactive notebook.

I shared some other apple ideas on my blog {HERE}.  We have already made a couple batches of crockpot applesauce and have loved making apple-scented play clay!  Again, there are so many things you can do with apples!  Take a taste test to see what colored apple your class prefers (add blindfolds if you dare!), read about Johnny Appleseed, talk about how apple trees change throughout the season, or even make some apple prints with paint.

I made this Apple True or False activity to help kids practice their math facts as well as determining if an equation is true or false.  Each color of apple works on a different skill (adding 0-10, adding 11-20, and subtracting 0-10) and can be used individually or all together.  I provided a recording sheet that can be used no matter which color you decided to use!

Fall leaves are so beautiful!  When I moved from the Mid-west to California, I was afraid I would miss out on all of the gorgeous, warm colors of Fall.  I was very happy to see that many of the leaves still change colors so I can enjoy the pretty colors!  For leaves, you can take the kids on a leaf hunt where they can collect some they think are interesting (only ones that have actually fallen from the trees, of course!).  Classify the leaves, allowing the kids to determine the categories.  Don't want a bunch of old leaves in your classroom?  You can still take the kids on a hunt and have them bring their notebook with them.  Students can walk and write, describing the beauty of nature they are seeing.  They could even draw pictures!  When they get back to class, they can write a poem or description of their favorite leaves.  

My new Fall in Line activity allows kids to practice number sequences.  You can use these as task cards or in a math center.  Each card includes 5 leaves, one of which has a number included.    Are your students not ready for this yet?  Pre-load some of the cards with 2 or 3 more numbers already included!  Do your kids need more of a challenge?  Have them count by 2s or 10s instead of 1s (Note:  card D includes the number 9 on it, so students will not be able to count by 10s on that card).   

Oh, how we all love pumpkins!  I have more pumpkins goodies coming soon, but I couldn't have a Fall post without mentioning them!  I have SOOOO many great ideas from other wonderful people on my Pinterest board {HERE}, including arts/crafts ideas, classroom ideas, and even a few yummy recipes!

Add some science into your classroom by using this foldable organizer to show how a pumpkin grows.  I have included MANY different options, some with the pictures already included, some with cut and paste pictures to add to the foldable, some in order, some in random order so you can EASILY differentiate to meet the needs of your kiddos!  I have also included a list of books that you can use to introduce this topic.  A reflection sheet is included.  The foldable organizer can be glued to the reflection sheet (with room for the students to write about what they learned, describe the cycle themselves, etc.) or it can be added to an interactive notebook.  

   

You can get all 4 of the Fall items mentioned above in one great bundle from Educents!  Click {HERE} for your very own copy.

And, if you haven't had a chance to grab my Pirates bundle, it is still available as well.  You can read more about it {HERE}.

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