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Christmas Math Crafts That Help Spread Holiday Cheer

December 9, 2018 by Krejci Creations

“O Factor Tree, O Factor Tree, your factor pairs are lovely.” I know those aren’t the traditional lyrics to the song, but they are the lyrics to my FAVORITE Christmas math song, “O Factor Tree”, by yours truly! More on the song later 🙂

A Holiday Tradition: Christmas math Ornaments

These Christmas factor tree ornaments are an annual tradition of mine. As a math teacher, I don’t get to incorporate crafts into my lessons very often–which is fine because I am the LEAST crafty person I know!

Regardless, I look forward to creating these every year with my students. It’s the perfect Christmas math craft for the not-so-crafty person.

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, Christmas math craft that reinforces math concepts, you will LOVE these factor tree ornaments!

Getting Started with Christmas Factor Trees

First, I teach my students about prime factorization. Since they’ve already learned about prime and composite numbers, this is a fun extension for them. After modeling a few examples, I introduce the lyrics to “O Factor Tree”, and we sing the song to an instrumental version. It’s my favorite part of the whole activity!

Next, I give students the first page of factor trees which we complete together. I then allow them the option to choose their own numbers on the second page. It’s fun to see students challenge themselves with really large numbers! When finished, they glue these pages in their math journal for future reference.

Next, I go through the instructions on how to create their Christmas factor trees. I’ve learned it’s best to design and color the trees and ornaments before cutting everything out.

Finally, I assemble all of the materials on my teacher table and have students grab what they need. To save time, I copy the trees double-sided so one side is blank and one side includes the lyrics.

As a result, each student only needs one tree, 6-12 (two rows) of ornaments, and presents, which can be optional.

Another option is to copy the trees single-sided. In this case, each student needs 2 trees, one blank and one with lyrics that they will glue together. Either way works well!

Now they are ready to create their factor tree. During this time, I play festive music as it lessens the desire to talk and adds to the overall excitement of the activity.

How to Differentiate Christmas Factor Trees

There are several ways to differentiate this activity. Allow students to choose their own number. This is differentiation in itself! In addition, challenge your students to create presents under the tree showing the standard form of prime factorization, with or without exponents. Each tree will be unique, and students will take pride in their creations.

Want to cut down on materials and class time? Use the low-prep version where all student materials are on one page. I ended up using this version during my last few years.

Teacher Tips

It’s important that students tell you what number they are factoring before they begin. Some factor trees will be too large to fit on the tree, and some might look too small. Therefore, students should consider the number of ornaments they will need before beginning. Also, because the ornaments can be a challenge for some to cut out, I prepare a handful of them beforehand just in case.

Christmas math ornaments

Once students have cut, colored, and glued their factor trees together, the trees are ready to be made into ornaments. To do this, I hole-punch the star and tie a piece of string, yarn, or pipe cleaner around the hole.

I then display the finished products outside my classroom for the weeks leading up to Christmas Break. It’s so fun to see all of the unique and creative designs the students come up with!

On the day before break, they take them home to hang on their own Christmas trees for years to come.

Ready to start your own tradition of making Christmas factor trees? I hope the answer is YES!

For more holiday-themed ideas, check out Episode 21 of Elementary Math Chat where I share 10 holiday party and gift ideas for upper elementary students. Listen using the link below or through your favorite listening app!

Episode 21: 10 Holiday Party and Gift Ideas for Upper Elementary Students

Until next time,

Happy Teaching!

P.S. Find even more 4th grade holiday resources in my TPT store!

8 Helpful Tips for Teaching Long Division

November 11, 2018 by Krejci Creations

Long division is one of the most difficult skills to teach. What other math skill requires students to think about division, multiplication, subtraction, and comparing numbers all within a single problem?

Here’s the thing. I know students will eventually have that “aha moment”. The challenge is preventing them from getting frustrated and giving up. I tell them daily I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect progress. So we shoot for that: progress.

Here are a few tips to help you teach long division without any tears from students…or from you!

Tip #1: Focus on a Growth Mindset

My first tip doesn’t have anything to do with the long division process, but it is a must. When I hear students say they don’t understand, I make them add a very important word–YET! Teaching students to have a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset is key. They need to realize mistakes help them grow.

Class Dojo has amazing videos that reinforce the importance of this concept. I’ve been showing these videos weekly and have had wonderful discussions with my students about growth mindset. Sometimes they need a pep talk from someone other than me!

One of my favorites is called The Incredible Power of Yet. This short video will inspire your students to conquer long division!

Tip #2: Begin with a Hands-On Approach

It may be tempting to start with a cute acronym (Does McDonald’s Sell Cheeseburgers?) and then begin drilling the steps repeatedly. While I’m not opposed to the acronym, I’ve learned you must first begin with a hands-on approach.

Students need to know the meaning behind the steps. Why do we compare the remainder to the divisor? Why do we bring down the next digit? They won’t understand this without seeing it first.

Therefore, on day one, I help students model the process with base 10 blocks. We have deep conversations about what each part of the division problem means and why the steps are in the order they are. As a result, students begin to understand the true meaning behind the algorithm.

Tip #3: Teach the Box Method First

I want to kick myself for not teaching this method years ago. The “box method” prepares students to learn the algorithm but presents the steps in a simpler, more organized manner. I teach this method first and work up to dividing a 4-digit number. Here is a video of an example in action.

After students master this method and comprehend the steps of long division, I move to the algorithm.

I am amazed at how quickly students understand the algorithm on the FIRST day! This was not the case when I didn’t teach the box method. Back then, long division was frustrating to teach and frustrating for students to learn. It took DAYS for them to grasp this concept. Now students have a choice and can pick the method that works for them.

In the end, most of my students prefer the algorithm. For the rest, I’m so thankful they have a backup method that fits their needs and helps them be successful. You can find this FREE WORK MAT HERE!

Tip #4: Use a Long Division Guided Work Mat

Because there are so many steps, long division can be an overwhelming process to learn. That’s why I make sure to check in with students frequently. I want to know what part is clear and what part may be confusing to them.

The most common problem they express is not understanding where to place the digits. Guided work mats can be helpful when students struggle in this area. I created these to use with my students and recently added the place value chart for students to gain a better understanding of what long division means. This work mat has been extremely beneficial and is something I recommend trying if your students are having difficulty with long division.

Try a FREE SAMPLE to see for yourself!

Tip #5: Create Long Division Challenges for Students

It’s easy to spend most of your time helping students who are struggling, but you can’t ignore those who master long division early. Be sure to create a few challenges for those students as well. Mine love my LOOOOOOONNNGGG DIVISION challenge where they can attempt to see how many digits they can divide. It has become quite the competition! By the end of the unit, my entire outside wall is filled with division problems from floor to ceiling!

Tip #6: Go Digital with Boom Cards™

Since much of our current and future testing will be online, students need exposure to digital resources. Those who are just getting the hang of long division by hand may struggle with transitioning to a digital platform. Therefore, it’s important to be selective when going digital.

My favorite digital resources are Boom Cards because of their unique guiding nature and self-checking component. Curious about these digital task cards? Read this blog post which explains how I use Boom Cards in the classroom!

After a few days of practice, I assign students my Long Division Boom Cards. Students who have mastered long division work through these with ease and are able to move on to the Long Division Challenge. Students who struggle still benefit because of the self-checking feature. As a result, students learn from their mistakes, something other digital resources don’t always have.

The Bright Bunch has this to say about my Long Division Boom Cards-“My students were much more engaged while using this than a typical worksheet, and the fact that it collects grades – wow!”

Sample a few Long Division Boom Cards yourself! Not sure your students are ready for 2-step division? Try practicing with 1-step division first.

Tip #7: Listen to Your Students

When you see students struggling, refrain from automatically telling them what to do next. Sit down and listen to what they have to say. Ask them what parts of the process are clear and what parts are still confusing. Every student is different!

Tip #8: Be Patient

It’s called Long Division for a reason…sometimes it takes students a LONG time to grasp. But hang in there. It is so rewarding when they finally succeed!

Resources to Get You Started

If you need a few resources to get started, I’ve got you covered. Click below for more information!

Long Division Work Mat FREE SAMPLE

Divide with Remainders Boom Cards

Long Division Boom Cards

Long Division Work Mat

Long Division Digital and Printable Anchor Charts

I hope you and your students grow to love long division. Do you have any helpful tips when it comes to teaching long division? Leave a comment!

Until next time,

Happy Teaching!

P.S. If you listen to podcasts, then check out Episodes 15 and 16 of Elementary Math Chat on interpreting remainders. There was so much information to share that I had to break it up into two episodes!

Part 1 | Part 2

interpreting remainders with long division — Episode 15 (Part 1)

4 Simple and Effective Kagan Engagement Strategies That Work!

October 14, 2018 by Krejci Creations

Looking for simple ways to boost student engagement? I have one word for you: Kagan. I learned about Kagan engagement strategies early on in my career and have been using them regularly ever since. They are easy to incorporate into daily activities and will instantly boost student engagement. Here are a few of my favorites and how I use them in my classroom.

Kagan Engagement Strategies: Sage 'N' Scribe

One of my go-to engagement strategies is Sage ‘n’ Scribe, which requires students to work together to solve problems. Before I learned about this strategy, I would have students pair up and practice solving math problems “together”. However, this would often result in only one of the students doing the work, which meant only one student was engaged. Most of the time, the student who struggled in math was off-task and not doing the work. The Sage ‘n’ Scribe strategy prevents this from happening. Here’s how…

Students pair up and only have one writing utensil between the two of them. I typically have them use whiteboards and dry-erase markers, but it works with paper and pencil as well. One student is the “sage” and tells their partner, the “scribe,” what to do. The scribe then writes for their partner as they work together to solve the problem. If the sage makes an error, the scribe coaches them and helps them fix the error. Students switch roles after each problem.

Here is a video you can show students the first time you implement Sage ‘n’ Scribe.

I do not use Sage ‘n’ Scribe immediately after a new concept has been taught. Instead, I implement it after students have had a chance to practice the skill and feel comfortable with it. In addition, you can easily differentiate the problems for various skill levels. It’s important the sage chooses the problems since he or she will be the one explaining the solution.

Here is an example of differentiated problems I use for Sage ‘n’ Scribe. I display both question sets and allow them to choose which level they feel comfortable with.

Sage ‘n’ Scribe gives students an opportunity to practice the skill in a unique way while building relationships with their peers. As a teacher, I also use this engagement strategy if I’m working with a student who is struggling. By having students explain their thinking, I’m able to get a better sense of exactly where they are struggling. I’ve even shared this with parents to use at home!

Kagan Engagement Strategies: Quiz-Quiz-Trade

This might be my absolute favorite of all the Kagan engagement strategies! With Quiz-Quiz-Trade, students circulate the room in a hand-up, pair-up fashion, and quiz one another. If both answers are correct, they trade cards and repeat with another partner. If not, students coach each other until they get the correct answer.

Flashcards are great to use since most have a question on the front and an answer on the back. In addition, I turn old sets of task cards into Quiz-Quiz-Trade cards by writing the answers on the back.

This strategy works well as a warm-up activity, review activity, or something to do when you see students begin to lose engagement.

Here is a helpful video you can show students before implementing Quiz-Quiz-Trade for the first time.

Make sure the questions aren’t too difficult and can be solved mentally. That’s why flashcards are the best! Students LOVE this strategy and often ask if they can play this “game” again!

Kagan Engagement Strategies: I Have Who Has

This strategy is a class favorite and one I use often in my small group teacher center. Fun fact–I actually remember using this activity for my very first observation back in 2003, way before I knew anything about Kagan!

When incorporating I Have, Who Has, students pass out a set of cards, such as multiplication fact cards. The first person begins by saying, for instance, “I have 48, who has 7 x 4?” All students look through their cards. The person with 28 says, “I have 28! Who has 5 x 9?” Play continues until all students have read their cards.

In this activity, my small group first completed an I Have, Who Has round with the decimal cards. They then had to place their cards on a number line before they were dismissed from my group. Right away I heard how many students struggled with reading decimals, so I made sure to review that in my lesson the next day.

These are super easy to create for your classroom. Just make sure to create an answer key to guide students along. By doing so, they can actually complete this activity without you. My students love doing I Have, Who Has with a group of friends when they finish their work!

Here’s another video you can show students before implementing I Have, Who Has for the first time.

I recently created a set of digital and printable I Have, Who Has cards for U.S. States and Capitals. This would be a fun family activity as well!

I have who has kagan engagement strategy

Kagan Engagement Strategies: Find Someone Who

This engagement strategy is perfect for a quick review before a test. In Find Someone Who, students circulate the room in a “hand up, pair up” fashion. Once paired up, students exchange papers, answer a question, and sign their initials.

Partners then switch back to their original papers and check their partner’s work. If they agree with the answer, they put a check on that space and go looking to find someone else who can solve another problem. If they disagree, the student pairs work together to solve the problem.

It can also be used as a fun icebreaker for the first week of school. Be sure to make a copy for yourself so you can play right along with your students! Click the button for more info.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kagan engagement strategies, tune in to Episode 20 of Elementary Math Chat. In this episode I share three additional Kagan strategies (Numbered Heads Together, Rally Robin, and Round Robin) and fun ways to implement them with students.

I’d love to hear how you use Kagan’s engagement strategies in your classroom. Do you have a favorite? Which one(s) are you excited to try? Leave a comment!

Until next time,