KATE'S MATH LESSONS - My Favorite Math Websites

Back to School Algebra 1 Freebies!

7/19/2019

Is it really almost time to go back to school? I have always had a love-hate relationship with this time of year. I hate the thought of summer being almost over, but there is just something about the back-to-school aisle that makes me excited for a new year!

Back to School meme

For those of you teaching Algebra 1 this coming school, I've rounded up some free resources for you! (free as of 7/19/19)
Grab the activities below:

1) Multi-Step Equations Relay Race by All Things Algebra
2) Combining Like Terms Task Cards by Gotta Luv It Creations
3) Slope Graphic Organizer and Guided Notes by Jenna Jackson
4) Properties of Equality and Real Numbers Poster by The Enlightened Elephant
5) Algebraic Expressions Math Flips Game by Misty Miller
6) Slope Poster by Scaffolded Math and Science
7) Last, but not least, I just updated my free set of Order of Operations Boom Cards. If you haven't tried Boom Cards yet, I highly recommend giving them a try this school year. The instant reports for teachers and feedback for students are amazing. Your students will beg to play these digital task cards!

7 Back-to-School Algebra 1 Freebies

Order of Operations Boom Cards

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and can start the new school year refreshed and excited! Do you know of more Algebra 1 freebies I should be aware of? Let me know in the comments!

- Sarah

Desmos Card Sorts

4/19/2019

I am so late to the Desmos party! I used to think Desmos was just an online graphing calculator, but it is so much more! The team at Desmos has developed so many great activities and I recently discovered the card sort feature that is AMAZING.

In a nutshell, a card sort is a digital matching activity. You can use it for about any activity where you want students to categorize or sort things. I created a Graphing Linear Equations Card Sort to show you how it works!

$How to use Desmos Card Sorts!$

In the activity I created, students have to match up the linear equations with their corresponding graphs. I made 7 cards with equations and then used the Desmos graph tool to add the 7 matching graphs. When students open up the activity, Desmos will randomly mix up the cards so they'll see a screen like this:

All the cards are moveable, so students drag the equations and graphs around to match them up. When they pair them up, they'll show up like this:

They keep moving the cards around until they get all the cards matched up.

But the best part (in my opinion) is the teacher view while they're working! I am kicking myself for taking so long to discover this. Teachers can see student progress as they're working! It will highlight correct matches in green and incorrect matches in red. Such an easy way to see which students need help as they're working!

You can even hit the "Anonymize" button if you want to display this up front for the whole class to see. Desmos also lets you see an overview of which cards students are getting wrong so it's easy for you to address some common misconceptions students are having.

It's so easy to share the activity with students when you're ready for them to try it. You hit the "Create Class Code" button (you'll want to create separate codes for each class period).

After you create the code, you'll get a screen like the one below that you can display for students or share the link with them in Google Classroom, Moodle, etc. They can create their own Desmos accounts if you want or they can do the activity without signing in (it just has them type in their name before they start).

Just an FYI, you can use the code you see above to test it out but the results will show up in my Desmos account, not yours. You'll want to grab the link below and make a copy of the activity in your own Desmos account so you can see your student results.

Click the button below to try the activity for yourself!

I Want to Try It!

Boom Cards Bootcamp

1/27/2019

Want to make your own Boom Cards and aren't sure where to start? Have you already tried creating your own decks and need a little help making them look more polished? You're in the right place!

I've created an online course that will walk you through the basics of Boom Learning and help save you time and confusion about how the process works. There's always a learning curve with new technology - let me help you! I'll walk you through the process of creating and publishing your own decks and break it down into manageable steps.

Want to learn how to create your own Boom Cards? Check out this 5 day email course! Learn how to create and publish your own decks and start earning $$ on Boom Learning. Includes 18 video tutorials, 100+ images to use in your decks, step-by-step instructions for creating multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, drag & drop questions, and more!

The Bootcamp Includes:

5 Days of Instruction: After signing up, you'll receive an email each day with a link to that day's activities. The links will be good any time, so there's no pressure to finish within 5 days if you're busy. You'll have access to all the material at the beginning, so you can finish early if you want!
18 Video Tutorials: The videos are short and sweet so you can complete one small task at a time. Each activity also includes written instructions with detailed diagrams.
100+ Background Images: I'll send you more than 100 different images you can use to create your cards. Includes a wide variety of borders, clip art, banners, and more to create professional looking cards. Don't worry secondary teachers, I've got plenty of simpler images you can use that will appeal to older students.
Step-By-Step Instructions: I'll show you how to create Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-Blank, Drag & Drop Questions, and more! I'll also show you how to customize the look of each card.

By the end of the Bootcamp, you'll have all you need to create your own customized decks, publish them to the Boom Learning Store, and start earning some extra $$ for all your hard work!

Kate's Math Lessons is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Boom Learning.

How to Get Started with Boom Cards

1/15/2019

*This post contains affiliate links.

Have you discovered Boom Cards and want to start using them in your classroom? Here's an overview of the set up process to help you get started. Just be careful - Boom Cards are addicting! (Did you land here and have no idea what Boom Cards are? Check out the Top 7 Reasons to Use Boom Cards!)

1) Go to Boom Learning and click on the green Sign up button.
2) Join with your email, Facebook, or Google account.
3) Once you've created a username and password, click on the Library tab.

How to Get Started with Boom Cards - a guide to creating an account at Boom Learning, assigning digital task cards, and more!

4) Scroll down to the bottom and click on the green "Show me free stuff!" button. You can type in a specific topic in the search bar or refine the results by subject and grade level.

5) Click on the deck of cards that you would like to use and click on the Add to Library green button. Don't forget you can preview the first 4 cards of any deck - make sure to click on full-size preview to see how they work. Check out my free Order of Operations deck to see an example.

6) Next, click on Classes. You can now enter your name and picture (if you want).

You may notice here that the membership information says you only have 5 students. Don't worry! You can always use the FastPlay option for free! I'll go into detail later on in the post, but there's a way for students to use the cards without needing to log in. The free plan includes unlimited FastPlay for as many students as you need, but it doesn't record their scores. If you want to be able to see reports for students or create your own decks, you can upgrade your membership plan (and currently at $15 a year for 50 students, that's not a bad deal if you ask me).

7) Create a classroom. Click on the blue "New Classroom" button at the bottom. It will automatically create a name based on what you entered in your profile. You can click on it and change it to Mrs. Smith's class, 1st period, Algebra 1, or whatever you would like to call the class. You can also change the username and password for your class.

8) Add students to your classroom.

Option A: Add the students yourself. This is probably the best option if you have young students or only a few students. You can do this by clicking on "Add 1 Student" if you want to enter one at a time, or on "Add Many Students" if you want to add several at once. If you choose the second option, you just enter the names separated by commas and create a default password. Students can change this password when they log in (don't worry, you can reset it for those that forget their password!).
Option B: Let students create their own accounts! I would recommend this option if you have older students. It's especially nice if you have a lot of students and don't want to type in all their names! You just share the classroom username and password with your students (write it on the board, post it in your Google classroom, etc.). Students go to Boom Learning just like you did, but they go to where it says Students and choose "Create Student" to make their own account.

After they've entered the classroom username and password, they type in their name and create their own password.

9) Assign decks to students. So easy to do! Go to your library and find a deck that you want students to complete. If you click on the blue "Action" button by the deck, it will give you several options to choose from. (My Rounding Decimals deck is also free if you're interested.)

Assign: Click this to assign the deck to students. You can assign it to one class or multiple classes (or to individual students). If you choose this option, it will record student scores.
Fast Pin: Use this option if you want students to practice and don't want to record their scores. It will give you a link that students can use without needing to log in. Once students have this link, they click on the FastPlay option at the top and type in the pin to start.
Hyperplay Link: This gives you a link that will prompt students to log in and then play will begin. Grab this link if you want to post it in Moodle, Google Classroom, etc.
Print: Click this if you want to print a hard copy of the cards.
Hide Cards: Use this if there are any cards in the deck you don't want students to see. Great option if the deck is too long or if there are cards that aren't quite what you were looking for and you don't want to assign them to students.

Hope that helps you get started!

-Sarah

P.S. Want to learn how to create your own decks of Boom Cards? Check out my Boom Cards Bootcamp! It includes 18 short video tutorials and 100+ images you can use in your own decks!

How To Create SELF-GRADING Quizzes with Google Forms

8/13/2018

If there's anything teachers need more of, it's TIME! I am always on the lookout for anything that can save me time grading assignments. Did you know there's an add-on that can automatically a Google form? It's called Flubaroo and is FREE and super easy to use. Check out the steps below to see how to use Flubaroo to automatically grade a Google Form!

Step 1: Create a Google Form

Open up your Google Drive and click the New button.

Next, click on the Google Forms option (you may have to click on the More button to show the option). You can choose a template or start a blank one.

How to create a Google Form

Step 2: Create Your Questions

Type your questions or upload images to use for your questions. You have several options for the type of answer you'd like students to submit: short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, etc. Click on the plus sign on the right to add another question. You can move questions around if you want them in a different order.

How to add questions in a Google Form.

$Picture$

I always make the first question ask for the student name and the second question ask for their email address. This makes it easy to identify the responses and you can set it up with Flubaroo to automatically email them their grades once they're done.

Want to see an example of a Google Form? Check out this FREE Translating Algebraic Expressions Activity.

Step 3: Assign the form to students

Click on the SEND button at the top right of the page. You can enter student email addresses or get the link to share with students.

How to use Flubaroo to automatically grade a Google Form.

Step 4: Create an Answer Key

Flubaroo needs to know the correct answers in order to grade the form you created. You can create an answer key by answering the questions in your form yourself. Use the same link you gave to students or email it to yourself and make sure to enter all the answers correctly to create the key. I usually type "Answer Key" as the name on the first question so it's clear which response is the one I need to use to grade all the forms.

Step 5: Create a spreadsheet in Google Sheets

After students have completed the form, click on RESPONSES. You can scroll through and see an overview of all the answers or click through to see what a specific student submitted. In order to use Flubaroo to grade the responses, you need to click on the green button and create a spreadsheet in Google Sheets.

Using Flubaroo to automatically grade a Google form.

Step 6: Install the Flubaroo Add-On in Google Sheets

After you click on the spreadsheet button, it will open up a spreadsheet in Google Sheets and will show all the student responses. Now you need to install the Flubaroo add-on (if you haven't already in the past) in order to grade them automatically. Click the Add-ons tab and choose "Get add-ons." Then type Flubaroo in the search bar and follow the installation instructions.

How do you install the Flubaroo add-on to automatially grade a Google Form?

Step 7: Use Flubaroo to Grade the Forms

The Flubaroo add-on should now show up in the add-on tab. Select "Grade Assignment" when you're ready to grade the responses.

Flubaroo will give you options to change the point value of questions or to grade certain questions by hand. This works great if you have some questions that are short answer or paragraphs that you don't want graded automatically. Make sure to pick your response to use as the answer key!

Flubaroo will create a new sheet that will show up at the bottom of your spreadsheet. It does a great job of giving you a summary of the responses and will even highlight in red students that received less than 70% (you can change this in the Flubaroo settings if you want).

To share the grades with students, you click the Add-on tab again and it will now show an option to "Share Grades." This is an easy option if you want to email students their grades.

Step 8: Enjoy your free time instead of grading!

Freedom! GIF from Freedom GIFs

This may seem like a lot of steps at first, but once you've installed the Flubaroo add-on and tried the process once, the second time will go much faster!

Trust me, this is an amazing time-saver for teachers! There are so many of my old assessments that I'm now turning into Google Forms to save time on grading.

Need more help? Check out this video to see the process in action step-by-step.

Looking for some Google Forms that you can use Flubaroo to grade automatically? Check out these activities:
Factoring Quadratics Activity
Discriminant Activity
Area of a Circle Activity
Converting between Percents, Decimals, and Fractions Activity

What are Boom Cards?

1/28/2018

Do you use task cards in your classroom? If you like task cards, you are going to LOVE Boom Cards! These digital, self-checking task cards are my new favorite way to differentiate learning. Here are the top 7 reasons I'm a fan:
1) They're DIGITAL. No more printing, laminating, and cutting out sets of paper task cards. Less prep = more time for teachers.
2) They're SELF-CHECKING. Students type in their answer and get instant feedback! If they get a question wrong, they can submit a new answer or "give up" the card and go to a different question if they get stuck.
3) You can track student progress. Right now, Boom Learning is offering a three-month free trial of student progress reporting for up to 150 students. (Students can still use the cards even if you don't pay after your free trial, you just don't get student reports anymore.)

Why should you start using Boom Cards from Boom Learning? They're self-checking, digital task cards. You can even track student progress! Plus, no printing means less prep for teachers.

4) You can preview 4 cards from any deck for free. Try it before you buy it! Check out this preview to see an example.
5) It's super easy to differentiate instruction with Boom Cards. Once you have a deck of cards in your library, you can assign them to individual students or to the entire class.
6) Not 1-1? Use them on a Smart Board or use a projector to work on one with the whole class.
7) Boom Learning lets you show the cards to students in a random order. You could even use them as an assessment and not have to worry about students looking over shoulders!
8) I know I said 7 reasons, but I wanted to add just one more. Did you know you can use Boom Cards with your Google Classroom? Check out this video to see how.

Update: Boom Learning just added a new feature that makes me love them even more! You can now hide any card in a deck that you don't want students to see. Simply go to your library and open a deck. You can go through the deck of cards and click the "Hide Cards" button on any you don't want to be assigned.

How to hide Boom Cards from Boom Learning.

Ready to see them in action? Check out these Boom Cards. Click on the full-size previews to test them out!

Order of Operations Boom Cards

What are Boom Cards? Check out these digital, self-checking task cards!

$Picture$

Interested in using Boom Cards, but need help getting started? Check out my Complete Guide to Getting Started with Boom Cards. Want to learn how to create your own decks? You'll want to sign up for my Boom Cards Bootcamp! It includes 18 short video tutorials, 100+ images you can use to create your own decks of Boom Cards, and more!

Solving Systems of Equations with the Elimination Method

1/3/2018

Working on solving systems with elimination? Check out these resources for Algebra 1 teachers! First, there's a free lesson on solving systems with elimination. The online lesson includes examples, a video, and even a practice quiz with instant feedback.

There's also several accompanying resources available to use with the lesson. There's a study guide, an assessment, and an activity where students have to solve systems using elimination to fill in the words to a funny poem.

Solving systems of equations with the elimination method Algebra 1 activity.

Fun activity to practice solving systems of equations with the elimination method.

Resources for Factoring Quadratic Expressions

12/18/2017

Looking for some extra ways to help students learn to factor quadratics? First, there are two FREE Algebra 1 lessons on factoring. The first is on factoring quadratics with a leading coefficient of 1 and the second is on factoring with larger leading coefficients.

There's a great set of factoring quadratics task cards available to help students practice factoring on their own. You can print the cards with or without QR codes (students can quickly scan the QR codes to check their answers!).

There's another printable activity available to accompany this lesson: factoring quadratics speed dating. Never tried speed dating in your classroom? It can also be called Quiz Quiz Trade. The idea is for students to quickly "date" as many other students as possible. Students form pairs and answer questions on small printed cards. They check the answers on the back, trade cards and quickly find a new partner to repeat the process.

Finding Scale Factors of Similar Figures

12/11/2017

Looking for resources to help geometry students find scale factors of similar shapes? Check out the FREE lesson on scale factors. I've found that students usually struggle to figure out if the scale factor is going to be smaller or larger than 1. This lesson has lots of great examples to help students find scale factors of similar triangles, rectangles, and other similar figures. There's also a printable study guide you can print off for students to fill out as they follow along with the online lesson!

Don't have access to technology in your classroom? You could also use the guided note sheet to use with whole-group instruction!

How to find scale factors of similar figures in geometry. Guided note sheet.

Printable study guide to help students learn how to find scale factors of similar shapes in geometry.

Learning How to Round

12/7/2017

How do you round decimals to the nearest tenth or hundredth? Check out this FREE math lesson!

Do your students struggle with rounding as much as mine do? It seems there are always middle school and high school students who haven't quite mastered rounding. Here's a few resources that I hope you find helpful for your students!

First, there's a FREE lesson on rounding to the nearest tenth and nearest hundredth. The lesson includes examples, short videos, and a practice quiz with instant feedback! I often direct students to this lesson if they need a quick refresher.

If you're working on rounding decimals to the nearest tenth, hundredth or thousandth, there's also a fun rounding decimals speed dating activity. Never tried speed dating with your class? It's so much fun! (It can also be called Quiz Quiz Trade) The idea is for students to "date" classmates by pairing up and solving questions on little cards that you pass out. The answers are on the back so students check their work and then find a new partner to work on new problems. It's a great way to get students up out of their seats and working together on math!

Rounding decimals to nearest tenth and hundredth fun activity

How to round decimals to nearest tenth, hundredth, thousandth fun activity.