I was talking to some math teachers yesterday, and one of the things I mentioned to them was a great site run by the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) called Illuminations. The site is a treasure trove of lesson plans and activities for grades K-12. Many of the lessons have interactive applets embedded in them and, as such, are suitable for using with a white board.
Searching for particular lessons is easy. You can create a specific search by choosing a grade band, math strand, and then adding specific terms (for example, gr 3-4, geometry, with the words “right angles” typed in) or choose to cast a wider net and use broader criteria in your search. There are some really wonderful ideas there, and I encourage you to bookmark the page and try some of the ideas presented.
Remember as you look at lessons and/or activities that they are grouped in four grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. You will need to be aware of the curricular requirements of your province or state and check the lessons and/or activities against your curriculum. It is, of course, never a problem to “stretch” students beyond the given curriculum, but for assessment purposes, it is important to assess against the standard set by the grade level curriculum.
So, here is the link:
http://illuminations.nctm.org/
Go have a look! I know you will find some great ideas there!
Mathematically yours,
Carollee
