Students sometimes struggle with measurement. Authentic measurement projects can focus students on the real-world applications of this mathematics skill. In this project, students work in small teams to calculate the cost of a new floor for the school's basketball court. The teacher provides the cost per square foot. The students must measure the floor, determine the area, and multiply the area by the cost per square foot. Fourth-graders should complete this sort of activity in 15 to 20 minutes. Physical learners will enjoy this activity.
Some students have difficulty creating and interpreting data displays. Instead of just giving students raw data from a textbook, teachers can allow students to engage in the behavior that forms the basis of the data. Two students at a time stand on one foot. The other students record the time each student stands on one foot. The cycle continues until all students have participated. Students then place the data on a large data display, such as a Smart Board. This assists visual/spatial learners.
Grasping the concept of negative numbers is not an easy skill. Because most sports and games do not involve numbers below zero, teachers can intentionally introduce negative numbers in classroom games. Using the school's buzzer system or clicks attached to a Smart Board, students answer math questions in two teams. The teacher tells the students that all incorrect answers will lose a point for the team, even if the team's score is zero. The large screen draws the attention of visual/spatial learners. Students complete a poster showing how the scores dipped down with incorrect answers.
Physical learners will enjoy hunting around the classroom to find examples of assigned geometric shapes. Students searching for trapezoids might find such varied examples as TV stands and magazine shelves. Students might realize that floor tiles are both squares and rectangles if they have four 90-degree angles. Students should provide a list to students to keep them on task, while giving them the option of searching for the items in any order they wish. Students complete posters with drawings of the items they found.