First Week Math: Exciting Lessons to Motivate Students
18 July 2023 / by Crystal Brown
Are you trying to get the school year started with a bang? Look no further than our exciting first week math lessons designed to not just engage, but truly motivate students. Here, we will provide you with a series of activities that are both fun and educational, guaranteed to foster a love for mathematics right from the outset.
Ice Breaker – Math Bingo
To ease your students into the new academic year, we’re starting off with a familiar game – Bingo! But, not just any bingo – it’s Math Bingo.
This game introduces students to the world of numbers in a fun and interactive way. You can include mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to match your student’s grade level. Not only does this activity serve as an ice-breaker, it also gives students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with essential math concepts. You can find templates for Math Bingo here.
Daily Math Puzzles
Challenge your students with daily math puzzles. These puzzles can range from Sudoku, magic squares, number series, or any other challenging math-related puzzle you think would be a good fit for your students.
The best part about this strategy is that it sets a routine for the students and improves their problem-solving skills. Regular puzzle solving also helps to build a child’s perseverance. To find out more about how puzzles can help with learning mathematics, check this link here.
Math Art
Art and math might seem like an unusual pair, but they can work together in harmony to create an engaging learning experience. Math Art is an incredible way of visualizing mathematical concepts such as shapes, symmetry, and patterns.
In the first week, encourage your students to create art using mathematical principles. This could include drawing tessellations or creating symmetry paintings. This method of learning allows students to engage with mathematical concepts in a unique and tactile way. Read more about Math Art here.
Real-world Math Scenarios
One of the best ways to motivate students to learn math is by making them understand how math is used in everyday life. Set up a classroom grocery store or ask them to plan a trip within a certain budget.
Creating real-world math scenarios can help students understand the value of learning math, improving their motivation and excitement to learn. You can get more real-world math scenarios here.
Math Treasure Hunt
Make your students go on a journey filled with adventure and math! Math Treasure Hunt is a group activity where each group must solve math problems to get clues.
This activity is not only fun but also promotes teamwork and improves problem-solving abilities. You can find some interesting Math Treasure Hunt ideas here.
In Conclusion
Each of these activities combines learning with an element of fun, ensuring that students associate mathematics with enjoyment right from the beginning. They will love the way these activities challenge their thinking while giving them a sense of accomplishment. In the end, they will not just learn math, they will start loving it too!