Monstrous Math
Spooky Skill-Based Ideas
Monster Math
As always, these are just some suggestions and completely optional. Let me know if I can help in any way. Merry Monster-ing!
Eyeball Counting
Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
Fill in the number of eyeballs listed under each empty monster. Kids could draw or glue googly eyes or use stickers. For kids needed more support, use the document with the eyeball dots already in place to glue or put stickers on.
Subatize with Monster Dice
Standard K.CC.5.
Use counting to answer questions about "how many." For example, 20 or fewer objects arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or circle; 10 or fewer objects in a scattered configuration. Using a number from 1–20, count out that many objects.
Roll a number die and find a monster dot die that matches. Take turns rolling and coloring until they are all full and you and your partner "win".
You can make it harder by rolling and adding or subtracting one from the number rolled.
Eyeball Equalities
Standard 1.OA.7
Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine whether equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.
Introduce equalities with the SmartExchange lesson: First Grade Exploration of Equalities
Then challenge students to complete the equality by cutting out eyeballs and gluing them in the proper place to make a true equation. Students will need one strip of eyeballs each.
Monster Equations
Monster Eyeballs
Monster Roll and Record - Addition
Standard 1.NBT.4
Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens to tens and ones to ones, and that it is sometimes necessary to compose a ten.
Students roll two dice and figure out the sum. They color the corresponding dot on the monster. Pairs can "win" when their monster is complete.
Make it harder - Use one dot die and one number die. Have students use plus-one or minus-one to the sum before recording.
Monster Math Glyph
Standard 2.OA.2
Fluently add and subtract within 20.
Standard 2.OA.3
Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, (for example, by pairing objects or counting them by twos). Write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.
Have students complete the glyph. For students new to making glyphs, it can be helpful to work through each problem and highlight the answer before making or drawing the glyph.
Glyphs can be hand drawn or can use cut pieces and googly eyes for a more crafty monster.
Monster Roll and Record Multiplication
Standard 3.OA.7
Fluently multiply and divide.
Students roll two die and multiply the numbers. On the monster, they color the spot where the product is shown. Pairs "win" when the monster is completely covered. For competitors, use one color for each student and the most colored products is the "winner".
Monster Division Bump
Standard 3.OA.7
Fluently multiply and divide.
Multiplication Strategies
Example of Activity
Multiplication Strategies
Fraction Monsters
Standard 4.NF.3
Understand a fraction a/b with a >1 as a sum of fractions 1/b. In other words, any fraction is a sum of unit fractions.
Create monsters using fraction pieces that are the same and then write the fractions that go with the image. Students can practice adding the value of their fraction monsters.
If you aren't feeling like cutting out all those pieces, you could have students draw on grid paper. Using a 1 cm grid or an empty 100 chart works well (if you use tiny grid paper, you get HUGE denominators).
Check my friend Alycia's blog on the creations her class made. They are super cool!
Also check out these fraction people (remind you of Minecraft?!)
Fractional People
Fraction Menagerie
Recording Sheet
Monster Decimals and Percents
Standard 5.NBT.3
Read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths.
Fill in a 100 grid to create a monster image. Fellow blogger Genia Connell used this same technique with area, and I have used it with holiday images as well. Count the number of squares used for each image and list as a fraction of 100, a simplified fraction, and a decimal. Pump of the difficulty by adding in recording the result as a percentage.
Standard 6.RP.1
Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. The following are examples of ratio language: “The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak.” “For every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes.”
For ratios, challenge students to use colors with a ratio, such as 2 blue for every 3 green or have them discover ratios that exist after they draw.
Standard 6.G.1
Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
Students can also work with area and perimeter. You can challenge students by allowing them to cut squares in half and using the halves when figuring area.