ed-Tech Ninja » Math

Teacher and the Rockbots

Tech Ninja — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:42:25 +0000

While searching for video resources for the Pledge of Allegiance on YouTube I came across a song that explained the meaning of the Pledge in a fun and educational way. The song was by Teacher and the Rockbots. Currently they have four albums out. One about American, on over multiplication, one on Science and one covering the World. The Ninja’s students love them! Additionally, they have worksheets and online games to reinforce the concepts covered in the music. You can buy the CD or download from services likt iTunes. Video example after the jump….

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/9IaxDppVJsk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Deal or No Deal: Probability

Tech Ninja — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:50:02 +0000

Deal or No Deal? What’s the likelihood that $1,000,000 will be in the case that you picked? This game will encourage students to think about probability in relationship to the popular game show Deal or No Deal. (You might want to watch a show online to brush up on your Howie Mandel impersonation).

This Notebook file includes the Theme Music, several versions of the Think Music, the Banker’s phone and the Deal Music, and No Deal Music built in.

Here is how to play:

Before choosing a case, students must make a “Probability Statement” using words like certain, likely, unlikely, and impossible. For example: “It is unlikely that briefcase number 15 has one million dollars.”
A student chooses and circles one case. This is the class case.
First round, students must choose 6 cases. X through cases and dollar amounts that have been selected.
The Banker (the teacher) makes an offer after 6 cases are opened. The students take the deal or reject the deal (no deal).
If no deal, move on to round 2 and the students must open 5 cases, making “Probability Statements.”
Banker makes another offer. Students must accept or not.
If no deal, students must choose 4 cases in round 3.
In round 4 students must choose 3 cases.
In round 5 students must choose 2 cases.
In round 6 and after, students must choose 1 case.
Play until a deal is taken or you get to the last case.
Check the student’s circled case to see how much was in it. Was it a good deal?

Use the music buttons at the top of the main game board to enhance the experience.

There are two different games boards. You can create your own game by switching up the links on either of the two game boards.

Technical Information: This file was created in Smart Notebook 9.7.46. Notebook versions older than 9.5 may not be able to
open this file correctly. To prevent download issues, I have zip compressed the file. To view the file on Windows, right
click on the compressed file and choose "Extract All..." Double click the resulting file to view.

>>Download now<< 3.4 MB (ed. note: Link corrected 04-18-08.)

Telling Time

Tech Ninja — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:12:18 +0000

Here is an introductory lesson for telling time to the nearest hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour. In this lesson, students look at the clock cut into quarters to see when the quarters land. The lesson also discusses the different methods of saying and writing a time. Then whole group has practice problems. Other objectives covered include a.m. and p.m., likely times of doing an activity, reading a clock, writing the time in more than one form.

A note about this lesson (also detailed in the Lesson Notes page): The original version of this file had videos from Discovery Education Steaming (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/) that are have copyright. If you have access to DES you can easily download and add those video clips.

Technical Information: This file was created in Smart Notebook 9.7.46. Notebook versions older than 9.5 may not be able to

open this file correctly. To prevent download issues, I have zip compressed the file. To view the file on Windows, right

click on the compressed file and choose "Extract All..." Double click the resulting file to view.

>>Download now.<< 3.19 MB

Graphing: Pictographs and Bar Graphs

Tech Ninja — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:27:28 +0000

Creating, using, and interpreting graphs is a major part of the math curriculum. Here we have an introductory Smartboard Notebook lesson for pictographs and bar graphs. I would probably do this Notebook lesson over two math periods.

First, students are introduced to what graphing is. Then students take a closer look at pictographs and the different parts of pictographs. There are some interactive elements to allow students to answer questions about the pictographs and the parts of a pictograph. Finally, there are attached PDFs that will allow students to collect their own data and then graph it on a pictograph. The same sequence is used for bar graphs.

Here is how you do it:

Once logged in, search for Math All around Us: Graph Attack
Click the Video Segments Tab.
Download the following segments by clicking the small disk icon : What Is a Graph?, Bar Graphs: Comparing Three or More Things, and Pictographs: Using Symbols & Keys.
Link each segment to the correct picture. What is a Graph to the doggy door, Pictographs to the picture of the prairie dog on page 2 and Bar graphs to the pic of the elephant on page 6.

Worksheets for student use are attached on pages 3 and 7. Print out before lesson.

Technical Information: This file was created in Smart Notebook 9.7.46. Notebook versions older than 9.5 may not be able to
open this file correctly. To prevent download issues, I have zip compressed the file. To view the file on Windows, right
click on the compressed file and choose "Extract All..." Double click the resulting file to view.

>>Download now<< 864 kb

Let me know of any suggestions or corrections.

M&M Data Survey

Tech Ninja — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:19:59 +0000

M&M Data Survey is a website that allows students to gather and share data about the color of M&Ms. Students can then take and manipulate the data, put it into graphs.

The site also includes a downloads page in which you can get letter to send home to parents informing them of the project and worksheets that guide students through the data gathering and to graphing their own data.

Download recent data to get a larger picture on the downloads pages as well.

This project normally starts in November and ends in March.