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Welcome to Kate's Math Lessons!My mission is to make life easier for secondary math teachers.
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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! 
 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
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 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!
Want to know how to make your own Boom Cards™ and aren't sure where to start? (What are Boom Cards?) I made a lot of mistakes and spent way too much time watching YouTube videos when I first started making my own Boom Cards. So much so, that I decided to create a course to help other teachers who were also struggling with the process.  
 This course will walk you through the basics of Boom Learning and help save you time and confusion about how the process works. In the email course, I walk you through the process of creating and publishing your own decks and break it down into manageable steps. The Course Includes:
By the end of the course, you'll have all you need to create your own customized decks, publish them to the Boom Learning Store, and start earning some extra money for all your hard work! F.A.Q. about Creating Boom CardsQ: Is this course for elementary or secondary teachers? A: Both! I've had a wide variety of teachers complete this course. The course shows you how to use the interactive features to create Boom Cards, the content and images you use are completely up to you! Q: Which programs do I need to make Boom Cards? A: Whichever program you're most comfortable with! You can create your background images in any program you'd like and insert them into your Boom Cards. All of the interactive features like multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions will be created within Boom Learning's platform. Many teachers use PowerPoint or Keynote to create their images, but it doesn't matter which program you choose to start the process in. Q: Do I have to pay to use Boom Cards? A: You can use the free account to assign Boom Cards to your students and can make up to 5 decks of your own. If you'd like to make more than 5 decks or if you'd like to sell your decks, you'll need to upgrade your account. Most sellers quickly make back this investment!  Kate's Math Lessons is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Boom Learning.
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. Custom Play Settings: You can adjust the number of cards that students see here. Note that this option does not work with FastPins. You'll need student accounts for this option. 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 Course! It includes 18 short video tutorials and 100+ images you can use in your own decks! 
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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. If this is your first Google quiz, you might want to start with the following options:
Multiple-Choice: Students click on the one right answer. Short Answer: Great for one-word or numeral answers. Checkboxes: Similar to multiple-choice. Great if you want students to choose more than one option. Once you get the hang of it, you might want to try the other answer types. Keep in mind that Google won't be able to grade paragraph answers, you'll have to go back and grade those manually. You could even just type in the problem numbers from an assignment you've given from a book, worksheet, or printed assessment you've already made. 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. 
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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 later.
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Want to see an example of a Google Form that's already made? >> Check out this FREE Translating Algebraic Expressions Activity << |
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Step 3: Make it a Quiz
If you want to have Google grade the form automatically, you need to change the settings to make it a quiz. To do this, click on Settings (the gear icon).
Next, click on Quizzes. Then slide the button over to the ON position where it says "Make this a quiz."
Next, decide when you want students to see their scores and if you'd like them to be able to see the missed questions, correct answers, or the point values for each question. Click on the question marks for more details on each option.
Step 4: Create an Answer Key
Google needs to know the correct answers in order to grade the form you created. Go back to the questions you created in your form. First, decide if you want the question to be required. I usually make most questions required so students don't skip one on accident. Then click on the blue Answer Key link to set the correct answer to your question.
Once you've clicked on Answer Key, you can add the correct answer(s), change the number of points if you want, and can even add feedback for students if you'd like. Click on the Mark all other answers incorrect box if applicable. Here's what it looks like for a short answer question:
Step 5: Send the Quiz to your Students
When your quiz is ready to go, click on the SEND button at the top right of the page. You can enter student email addresses, get a link to share with students, or grab an embed code. I usually send it to myself first and take it as a student would to make sure everything is set up how I want!
Step 6: Check the Responses
After your students have taken the assessment, click on RESPONSES to see their scores. You can create a spreadsheet with their scores or click on the 3 dots to download the scores. If you click on the 3 dots, you'll also see more options like email notifications or turning the quiz off if you no longer want to accept responses.
Step 7: Enjoy your free time instead of grading!
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Now you can sit back and let Google grade it for you! Which assessment will you convert to a Google quiz first?
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Don't have time to make your own Google quizzes? I've got a whole bunch of Google Drive Activities you may be interested in. They're all set up to be graded automatically. They're easy to edit if you want, and then just hit SEND! If you're looking to save some money, make sure to check out my Algebra 1 Google Drive Activities Bundle.
Never tried Boom Cards? Your students will LOVE them! In a nutshell, Boom Cards are digital, self-checking, interactive activities. Students are shown one question at a time and get instant feedback on their answers!
Check out the short video below to see a few examples, then keep reading to see my top 7 reasons to love them.
Check out the short video below to see a few examples, then keep reading to see my top 7 reasons to love them.
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These digital, self-checking task cards are my new favorite way to help students practice a skill. Here are the top 7 reasons I'm a fan:
1) They're DIGITAL. No printing, laminating, or 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 use Boom Cards for free. There are lots of free decks available (here's an example). You can always use Boom Cards for free by using the Fast Play option (see my post on getting started with Boom Cards for more details). This option allows you to create a link to send to students. Important Note: The Fast Play option generates a link that students can use to go through the cards without needing to log in to a student account. This option does not record student answers. You can upgrade your account for a reasonable fee if you want to track student progress and use some of the other features like live monitoring.
You can preview 4 cards from any deck for free. Try it before you buy it! Check out this preview to see an example. Make sure to click on Full-Size preview to get the full effect. 4) Live Monitoring makes intervention easy! If you're using a paid account, you can go to Reports and click on Go Live to see how your students are doing in real-time. A great resource for teaching virtually or in person. 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. You can also customize which cards you'd like students to see (see below for details). 6) Not 1-1? Use them on an interactive whiteboard or use a projector to work on them with the whole class. 7) Did you know you can use Boom Cards with your Google Classroom? Check out this video to see how. You can assign Boom Cards with a link, so they can be assigned using about any learning management system. So yes, you can use them with Google Classroom, Schoology, SeeSaw, Canvas, Moodle, PowerSchool, Class Dojo, Microsoft Teams, and more! The link above is specifically for Google Classroom, but the same idea works for about any LMS. 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. 
Update #2: You can also now customize a deck even more! When you click on the Action button on a deck in your library, the last option is now "Custom Play Settings." You can now choose if you want students to see the correct answer after giving up a card, if you want them to be allowed to play a deck multiple times, and you can also adjust how many cards from the deck you want them to see per play. These are great options to customize the deck to meet your students' needs. Just note that these options don't work for Fast Pins, students need to be logged in for these settings to take place.
Download a FREE set of Boom CardsWant to test out a set of Boom Cards? Grab my free set of Order of Operations Boom Cards. I also have a whole bundle of Algebra 1 Boom Cards if you want to see some more examples.
Elementary math teachers, you might be more interested in my free Identifying Coins Boom Cards from my elementary store. I hope you give them a try - your students will LOVE them!
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Interested in using Boom Cards, but need help getting started? Check out my Complete Guide to Getting Started with Boom Cards to learn how to set up your classroom, create student accounts, and assign decks of cards.
Want to learn how to create and sell your own decks of Boom Cards? You'll want to sign up for my Boom Cards Course! It includes 18 short video tutorials, written step-by-step directions with diagrams you can refer to at any time, 100+ images you can use to create your own decks of Boom Cards, and more!
| 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. |  |
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| 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.
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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!
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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!
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!
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