Thought I might keep a list of some available activities for launching the year in a (maths) classroom…
- Dan Meyer’s worksheet Who I Am (editable) that might be editable through this link?
- Desmos has also got a couple of activites – one on writing a letter/filling out graphs etc. the other on just checking in/getting to know you. Perhaps a more tech/online sort of version of above – I like the take home nature of the first one and capacity for free drawing etc. This one might be better if learning online!
- Here’s 4 things someone else did on ‘first days‘
- Or a list from Howie Hua on his twitter feed – ideas like having students share qualities of good mathematicians, autobiography slides…
- This one includes a whole range of activities that tie in with maths and help build a culture of group work etc.
- And one from ispeakmath…
- Jon Orr and Kyle Pearce also demonstrated in one of their online webinars the game of nim. Offer $5 to someone who can beat you. Start with 21, goal is to be the last one to take ‘sticks’; you can take 1, 2 or 3. Doesn’t matter who goes first, your goal then is to get to a multiple of 4 from which point you can’t lose. Play a round, then let them play a couple in pairs, then suggest there is a mathematical strategy and leave it at that. These guys also advocated for Sara’s name tags at one point. And this is their site I believe of ‘starting the year well‘.