Students worked hard all week? Do they deserve a special reward for a job well done? This activity will offer students a nice break from structured learning. Adapt it to fit your needs. Have some Friday Fun!
Math word problems can be a difficult concept for many students to master. Why not add some fun to problem solving by having students write their own word problems? Increase the fun by adding a little theater! Bring word problems to life by challenging students to work together in pairs or small groups to stage photographs of real-life settings that involve math, and to write word problems to go with the photographs.
This activity is best used after students have had experience reading and solving math word problems as a class, in small-groups, and independently. Even better, use this activity after your students have had experience writing word problems as a class and in small groups.
Arrange students into pairs. Encourage them to think about where they encounter math in their lives. Begin by brainstorming a list of places in which they find math. Then encourage students to be creative as they find math in unusual places, dress themselves up, and stage photos...
If you have a digital camera, use it to take the photos, and then enlarge the photos to create vivid images. You might use student-written word problems as the focus of a "Word Problems of the Week" learning center in your classroom.
Click the link below for suggested photo opportunities and other tips for using cameras to bring math word problems to life. The possibilities are limited only by the students' (unlimited) imagination!
"Photograph Math" Word Problems
Education World (January 2, 2003)
Find links to more Friday Fun activity ideas in our Friday Fun archive.
Article by Gary Hopkins
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