I find Pinterest to be a fabulous resource for teaching ideas. It is so fast and easy to scroll through a wall of images to find something that looks like what you want… And more often than not, clicking on one image leads you to a whole treasure-trove of great resources! Each week, I will bring you my ‘Pinpicks’ based around a theme or topic. This week, I am teaching co-ordinates to Year 5, so without further ado, here is my ‘pick of the pins’:
1. Giant co-ordinates grid
Use masking tape to turn your classroom or playground into one enormous co-ordinates grid – then get the kids to plot themselves on it! It would be great for less able learners who need that concrete experience. And imagine how well it would work for translations – with the children actually physically stepping a number of spaces left or right, up or down. I love it!
2. Four-quadrant foldable
A great activity to cement understanding of positive and negative co-ordinates in all four quadrants. Children jump at the chance to use felt tips in their Maths books, too! The superb maths blog that posted this has a whole range of foldables to download on this page.
3. I Have, Who Has?
This one’s not a freebie, but I bought it and at only $3 I recommend you at least consider it. Each child is given a co-ordinate grid with letters plotted on it, and then the ‘I have, who has?’ cards are dealt out between the children. They then take it in turns to read from their card – and whoever has the letter or the co-ordinates described is up next. With practise, kids can get quite speedy, and more importantly, they love playing it. Laminate the cards for regular use.
4. Treasure map display
Ahoy there! Kids love pirates, so I see this four-quadrant treasure map as a great way of engaging your reluctant young mathematicians. What’s more, it makes a quick and easy interactive maths display. Tick!
5. Plotting Angry Birds
Angry Birds may be a touch passe now, but this idea would make a fantastic homework or extension task. Better yet, why not provide your pupils with a blank co-ordinate grid, and have them make instructions for their own cartoon character for a partner to plot? Hours of happy maths fun!
What great maths resources have you found on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments!
Love,
Mrs C xx
Teach, Peach, Pear, Plum! 