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Teacher Printables: Make STAAR Review More Useful with Math Supplemental Aids

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

You taught the rule. Students practiced it. Then two weeks later, somebody looks at a problem involving negative numbers as if the minus sign just arrived from another planet. That is where a good visual cue can help. To be honest, I could have definitely used these as a poor math student.

The latest addition to the Teacher Printables collection is a set of Math Supplemental Aids designed to give students quick visual reminders of mathematical relationships they have already learned. You can print them, project them, or slip them into student notebooks.

Math Supplemental Aids To the Rescue

There is a difference between giving students the answer and giving them something that helps them retrieve what they know. That is the idea behind these math aids. Instead of another page of notes, students get a compact visual reference for concepts that can get tangled up during problem solving.

Most of the concept cards also include a four-page activity packet built around Retrieve, Apply, ACE, and a teacher key.

Here are five ways to put the collection to work.

1. Make Number Operations Easier to See

Integer rules and order of operations can become a blur of signs, symbols, and memorized phrases.

A visual reference gives students something concrete to return to while they work. Use the card during instruction, then pull it back out during warm-ups or independent practice.

I like this approach because the student still has to do the mathematics. The aid provides the cue, not the solution.

2. Make Proportional Reasoning Visual

Ratios, unit rates, and percents make more sense when students can see the relationship rather than trying to remember another rule.

The collection uses visual models, including percent bars, to make those relationships easier to retrieve when students encounter a new problem.

3. Keep Formulas Within Reach

Measurement problems can fall apart when a student remembers the concept but forgets the formula.

The collection includes a one-page measurement formula reference that can serve as a quick problem-solving aid during instruction and review.

Again, the goal isn’t memorizing a page full of formulas five minutes before a test. Use the reference while students solve problems so they learn when and why each formula applies.

4. Put Them Into Stations and Intervention

Wondering how you might use this? One approach may be to offer a single concept card to a group of students. That makes these printables easy to use for intervention, tutoring, stations, bell ringers, or targeted review. The accompanying activity packets give students a chance to retrieve the idea, apply it, and then ACE it.

With ACE, students move beyond getting an answer:

  • Articulate: Explain what you did in your own words
  • Connect: Show how the idea connects to what you already know
  • Extend: Apply it to a new problem or situation

5. Build the Cue Before Test Day

Avoid handing students a visual aid for the first time right before an assessment. Introduce it while you are teaching. Let students solve problems with it, explain what each section means, and decide when it is useful.

The visual should help students retrieve a relationship they already understand, not replace that understanding.

Start with the Math Supplemental Aids collection, pick one concept your students are working on now, and make the visual part of instruction before it becomes part of review.

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Math

ACE in Math: Three Questions That Show Real Understanding

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

One of the problems that plagued me as a young math student? Getting the right answer without understanding how I got there. It’s like making an intuitive leap instead of depending on a step-by-step strategy. As you might guess, math isn’t my strongest subject. Rather than see it as a personal failing, I’m trying to find a step by step process that makes sense to me. Gen AI, as you know, can produce polished steps faster than most of us can find the answer key. For students, this can make learning something new even trickier.

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A Problem To Solve

Picture a seventh grader working through a discount problem. The jacket costs sixty dollars, the store is taking thirty percent off. The student writes down forty-two dollars. The answer is correct. Then you ask, “Why did you multiply by 0.7 instead of 0.3?” and the whole thing falls apart. The student may have followed a pattern, copied a process, or got help from somewhere, but never really owned the idea. Identifying patterns is what I do in writing as a shortcut to avoid thinking. Do that when you are writing or trying to solve a math problem, you really miss out on the critical thinking part of problem-solving.

And, unfortunately, that’s the most important part, isn’t it? Not whether the paper looks good, or whether the answer is clean, but rather, when the explanation makes sense to the learner. So how do you deal with that? I’d like to suggest the ACE Framework.

A Simple Routine

In the first post in this series, ACE It: Three Steps from Surface to Transfer Learning, I shared ACE as a simple routine for checking understanding. It stands for Articulate, Connect, and Extend. In math, ACE gives you three questions that can tell you a lot more than a completed worksheet.

Articulate It

Say what the problem is asking in your own words. Use something from your life.

Before students start calculating, ask them to say what the problem is really asking. That sounds simple, but it is often where the trouble starts.

A fourth grader looking at a fraction problem might say, “This is asking how much pizza is left after three friends each take a piece.” A sixth grader working with ratios might say, “It wants me to compare the red marbles to the blue marbles.” The wording does not have to be perfect. In fact, I worry a little when it is too perfect. What you want is a student using ordinary language to show that the problem has meaning.

Try sentence stems like these:

  • “In my own words, this problem is asking…”
  • “The pattern I notice is…”
  • “This reminds me of…”
  • “Here, the numbers are showing…”
  • “I can describe what is happening as…”
  • “An example from my own life is…”

If students cannot restate the problem, the formula will not rescue them. They may still get through the worksheet, but the foundation is shaky. Articulate gives you a fast way to find that out before everyone is three steps into the wrong process.

Connect It

Show how this idea fits with something you already know. Explain why the math works.

Connect is where students move from “I did the steps” to “I know why those steps make sense.” For example, an eighth grader solving a slope problem might say, “I divided the change in y by the change in x because slope is rise over run. It is like the unit rates we used when we compared recipes.”

That explanation tells you something important. The student is not just naming a rule. She is linking a new problem to an older idea and explaining why the operation fits.

This is also where claim, evidence, and reasoning can show up naturally in math.

PartWhat It Sounds Like in Math
Claim“The final price is forty-two dollars”
Evidence“I multiplied sixty by 0.7”
Reasoning“A thirty percent discount means I pay seventy percent of the original price”

That reasoning line is the difference between doing math and reporting math. It is also the line that disappears when students rely too much on copied steps, online answer sites, or Gen AI output they do not understand.

Useful Connect stems include:

  • “This connects to _ because _”
  • “This is similar to , but different because ”
  • “The reason this operation works is…”
  • “I know this step makes sense because…”
  • “The evidence for my answer is…”
  • “The bigger pattern I notice is…”

When students connect, math starts to look less like a stack of disconnected chapters. Percent, ratio, slope, rate, and proportion begin to talk to one another. This is when deep learning begins to happen, as students make connections between ideas and information that previously was silo’d.

Extend It

Use the math somewhere new. Test it. Try a problem nobody handed you.

Extend is where you find out whether the student can carry the idea beyond the assignment.

An algebra student might say, “I could use slope to figure out how fast my phone battery drains during the day. The y-value would be the battery percentage, the x-value would be time, and the slope would show how fast it is going down.” That may not be a polished mathematical explanation yet, but it is a real one. The student is taking the idea somewhere personal and testable.

A student studying systems of equations might say, “I could use this to figure out when I would break even selling cookies at a basketball game.” Now the math has a reason to exist. Cost, price, profit, and the point where two lines meet are no longer just items on a worksheet.

Try stems like these:

  • “Another problem this would work on is…”
  • “If I changed this number to _, then…”
  • “One way to test this is…”
  • “I could use this idea to figure out…”
  • “A new question this raises is…”
  • “What if I tried this with _?”

Extend is also where Gen AI assistance becomes easier to spot. A chatbot can explain slope. It can generate practice problems. What it cannot easily do is replace a student’s lived context, especially when you ask the student to explain it aloud and adjust the idea in real time.

What ACE Looks Like During Math Help

When a student gets stuck, I try not to begin by correcting the worksheet. I start with the question, “Tell me what this problem wants you to find.” That one question saves time because it tells you whether the student is struggling with computation, vocabulary, context, or the whole setup.

Here is a simple way to use ACE during conferring, tutoring, or homework help:

ACE StepAsk ThisListen For
Articulate“What is this problem asking?”The student can explain the situation in plain language
Connect“Why did you use that operation?”The student can give a reason, not just name a rule
Extend“Can you make up a problem like this?”The student can use the idea in a new situation

For parents, this is useful because you do not have to reteach the entire math lesson at the kitchen table. You can ask three questions before checking the answer:

  • “Tell me what this problem is asking in your own words”
  • “Why did you do that step?”
  • “Can you make up a problem like this about something we do at home?”

Those questions do not turn a parent into a math teacher, which is probably best for everyone involved. They do, however, make the student’s thinking visible. If the student can answer them, the math is probably sticking. If not, you know where to begin.

Did You Know? TCEA offers Effective Math courses in K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 versions. Each course is self-paced and offers 12 CPE credit hours. These pair well with ACE when you want students to move beyond getting the answer and toward explaining the math.

The Quick Test

Pick one math problem your students worked on this week. Ask them to ACE it.

Can they explain what the problem is asking? Can they tell you why the operation fits? Can they create a new problem that uses the same idea?

If they can do all three, the math is probably theirs. If they stall on one, that is not a failure. It is a map. Now you know whether to help them name the problem, explain the reasoning, or transfer the idea somewhere new.

Here’s a quick reference guide to all the sentence stems mentioned in this blog entry, by the way:

Try ACE on one math problem this week and share what you noticed in the comments.

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Tackle Word Problems in STRIDE:
Math

Tackle Word Problems in STRIDE

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Math is my worst subject,” I often thought growing up. Never was this fact more evident than when my teacher presented me with a word problem. My mother, a veteran middle school math teacher, worked math problems and read Algebra textbooks the way I do books on writing. But the calculus of word problems continued to escape me even into college.

It’s no surprise that word problems intimidate. Having a framework to build problem-solving mastery may make the difference for students like me. I often wished for a simple approach to solving math problems, but my mother, who taught math for many years successfully, never gave me one approach or model. I always wonder, if we offered students one model or approach to use consistently, would that would work? Perhaps like George Polya’s approach or the STRIDE Model, which I will focus on in this blog.

Update: Lynn has made a compelling argument for modifying the STRIDE Model in the comments. I’ve responded with a revised model that seeks to capture the critique in her remarks. I’ve also included the revised version with a new infographic at the end of this blog post. You decide which is the better model, version 1 or version 2. My thanks to my readers for assisting me in learning how to solve math word problems, to leverage comprehension while solving them.

The STRIDE Model v1

The STRIDE Model (Scan, Think, Reflect, Identify, Do, Evaluate) equips learners with systematic steps. It facilitates breaking down problems into steps. The Model aligns itself to schema-based instruction, and critical thinking. Let’s explore how to integrate STRIDE into classrooms with grade-specific activities, templates, and actionable infographics.

Let me know what you think, non-math experts and fellow bewildered word problem-solvers. Does STRIDE work for you?

Image created by author

An Example Solution: The STRIDE Framework

Let’s explore what this might look like below. If you’re a math teacher, I hope you’ll double-check the math and share your thoughts in the comments. Be kind, I’m not a math person and I totally relied on AI for support.

Image created by author

1. Scan the Problem

  • Numbers:
    • Truck speed = 60 mph,
    • Car speed = 66 mph,
    • Head start = 13 minutes.
  • Key Words: “13 minutes later,” “pass the truck.”

2. Think About Connections

  • Relate to real-life highway overtaking.
  • Visualize the truck’s head start as a distance gap.

3. Reflect on the Question

  • Rephrase: “How long will the car take to close the 13-minute distance gap created by the truck?”

4. Identify a Strategy

Calculate the truck’s head start distance:

Determine the car’s relative speed:

5. Do the Work

Time to catch up:

6. Evaluate Your Answer
Verify both of these items:
a) Truck’s distance after 2.17 hours:

b) Car’s distance:

Digital Templates

Below, you will find a chart that clarifies each stage of the STRIDE strategy, along with some sample ideas for activities. You can find a Canva template link to the STRIDE Model here.

StrategyActivitiesFocus
Scan the ProblemProblem dissection worksheets; keyword highlighting in multi-step problemsCircle numbers, underline keywords
Think About ConnectionsDrawing diagrams; writing real-life scenarios to contextualize problemsReal-life connections, diagrams
Reflect on the QuestionRephrasing exercises (individual worksheets and group comparisons)Goal identification, self-check prompts
Identify a StrategyStrategy justification; challenge prediction during planningBrainstorming, step-by-step planning
Do the WorkStep-by-step demonstrations (interactive whiteboards); collaborative solvingShowing work, explaining logic

Give it a go! Try students out on the STRIDE Model, a schema-based framework for solving word problems. You never know, it may assist them as they work to solve problems.

STRIDE Model v2

As promised, here’s the revised model. What do you think? How could it be improved based on your knowledge and experiences?

S – Survey the Situation:

  • Read the entire problem carefully to understand the overall story or context. What is happening in the problem?
  • Identify all the important information given: What facts or details do you know? (Make sure to include numbers and their units or labels).
  • Briefly consider what the problem might be asking you to find or do (you’ll refine this in step R).

T – Think About Connections:

  • Connect the problem to what you already know (similar problems, real-world experiences).
  • Visualize or draw the situation described in the problem to help build understanding and see relationships between the pieces of information.

R – Reflect on the Question:

  • Ask yourself: What specifically is the problem asking me to find or do? What will the answer look like (e.g., a number of apples, a measurement, a comparison)?
  • Rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you understand the goal.

I – Identify a Strategy:

  • Based on your understanding of the situation and the question, decide what mathematical steps, operations, or procedures will help solve the problem (e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, drawing a diagram, making a table).
  • Consider if there are multiple steps needed. Use tools like graphic organizers or charts if they help plan your approach.

D – Do the Work:

  • Carry out your chosen strategy step by step.
  • Show your work clearly and write down your reasoning to track your thinking process and make it easier to review. Check calculations as you go.

E – Evaluate Your Answer:

  • Check your final answer: Does it make sense in the context of the situation you surveyed in step S? Is the unit appropriate for the question asked in step R?
  • Review your steps (D). If the answer seems unreasonable, revisit your understanding (S, T, R) or your strategy (I) and try again.

Revised Infographic for the STRIDE Model v2

Here’s a quick revision featuring the STRIDE Model v2. Be sure to review each step with a critical eye, and remember that I am challenged in both art and math. 🙂

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Classroom ActivitiesContent AreasMath

Community Resource Roundup: Math Fact Fluency

by Macee Hall Greer
written by Macee Hall Greer

Ali Worsham, an Instructional Coach at Pine Tree ISD, recently asked the TCEA community, “What do y’all use for practicing math fact fluency? We currently use Xtra Math for our morning math drills, however a lot of our students have completed all of it. We have some using GimKit and paper based practices, and we chose not to renew our Reflex math subscription this year. We’re just looking for other options to keep it fresh!”

Well, that post got a ton of great answers that are jam packed with fun and engaging resources — so we’re sharing them with you! Check out some of our top community responses to that post below.

Math Fact Fluency Resources for Your Classroom

Karen Eden, a third grade math and science teacher at Georgetown ISD said…

“I have my students play games. I have played Pop-it multiplication with a 10×10 pop-it and students roll a dice (or two) to get their multiplication fact and then create the array on the pop-it. They also play Trash, which is a card game. I made 40 index cards with the multiples on them (so, 4 sets of multiples), and the kids lay the cards out face down in a ten frame. The first player picks a card from the draw pile and places that card in the correct spot where it would go in the ten frame, and then flips that card over and places it in the correct spot. Play continues like that until the first player gets a duplicate multiple, which then “goes in the trash”. The next player can then take that multiple out of the trash or pick a new card from the draw pile. The first player to reveal all 10 multiples wins that round. Circles and stars is also another great game to practice fact fluency and just requires a pair of dice. Students can fold their paper into 8ths and then draw the circles and stars in each box on their paper. I have students place a check or an x whether they win or lose the round (highest product wins). Games are great, fun ways to get students practicing their fact fluency!”

Jo Ellen Clive, a technology instructional coach at Scarborough Public School said…

“We are using Multiplication by Heart. They were bought out by Desmos recently, so the login is different than previous years, but it still works the same from the student end. Basically, it’s a daily 30-problem practice set of facts. It uses the concept of Spaced Repetition for frequent review and building mastery. The teacher can view student progress from their dashboard. In addition to multiplication, there are also practice decks for Number Recognition, Addition & Subtraction, and Division.”

Tiffany Crosson from Northside Christian School said…

“Boddle Math is free and you can assign addition/multiplication/etc. math facts for kids to practice.”

Sanna Elza, a third grade math and science teacher at Friendswood ISD, said…

“SplashLearn is what I use! It is free and has a gamified curriculum that is aligned to the TEKS! The kids love it!”

Dina Francisco, an instructional technology coach at the Memphis Business Academy, said…

“MobyMax is great for Math Facts, it starts with addition, then subtraction, multiplication, and then division. The nice thing about it, I really liked was the report you could print and send home to show progress.”

Katie Endorf, an educational technologist at Christ Community Lutheran School, said…

“Number Hive is another great math practice resource. No data tracking on the free version but it’s a very reasonably priced program. Works on any device, there is an app. Good math fact practice and they can compete against a classmate.”

Which resource is your favorite?

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion in the TCEA Community! Which resource are you excited to use first? Let us know (and keep the suggestions coming!) in the comments below.

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Announcements/Important Dates

STEM Day 2024

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Did you know that November 4th was National Chicken Lady Day and November 2nd was National Deviled-Egg Day? While these quirky celebrations might not leave you feeling egg-static, there’s another observance that’s truly worth cracking open: National STEM Day on November 8th. Unlike those egg-centric holidays, STEM Day 2024 is no yolk – it’s a celebration that’s truly egg-cellent and deserves our full attention!

This shell-shocking revelation highlights an important day dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM/STEAM Day offers us a golden opportunity to focus on the disciplines that are scrambling to shape our future. 

Puns aside, as educators, we play a crucial role in inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals and fostering a love for these disciplines among our students.

TCEA has consistently provided valuable STEM/STEAM resources and activities for educators. This year, I am taking a different approach with three offerings: an inspiring STEM Mantras poster, a visually engaging “Why STEM?” slide deck, and an interactive timeline challenge. These resources are designed to spark curiosity and deepen understanding of STEM across various audiences.

1. STEM POSTER

STEM MANTRAS is a poster outlining STEM/STEAM affirmations to ensure a productive learning environment. This epic poster will be helpful for students even after STEM day is long past!

2. WHY STEM? Slide Deck

Why STEM? was made in Google Slides as a visual representation slide deck that explains what STEM is using only photos and graphics. The speaker notes provide direct explanations for each slide which are simple and of few words. The straightforward dialogue is designed to be accessible to various audiences, whether it’s students, parents, or educators new to STEM concepts. Make a copy here.

3. STEM-TASTIC TIMELINES ACTIVITY

I made these “Stem-tastic Timelines” in Canva specially for STEM day.  The activity challenges students to explore the evolution of technology across various STEM fields. 

How the Activity Works:

  1. Each slide presents four images representing STEM innovations from a specific field (e.g., Communication Devices, Transportation, Optical Devices).
  2. Students are to arrange these images in the correct chronological order.
  3. The following slide reveals the correct order, along with brief explanations and dates for each innovation which you will find in the Notes.

Fields Covered:

  • Music Formats
  • Communication Devices
  • Transportation
  • Optical Devices
  • Farming Equipment
  • Cooking Methods
  • Flight and Space Travel
  • Space Exploration
  • Data Storage
  • Energy Sources
View the Presentation

Edit the Template

If you are looking for STEM/STEAM activities and resources, please check out these blog posts from TCEA.

STEM DAY 2022

Ignite Innovation: Online Contests to Spark Inspiration

Seven Story Bin STEM Activities

Microbit Block Coding Cards

STEM Resources for High School Learners

STEM Activities and Challenges for Middle School Students

Holiday Themed STEM Activities

As we celebrate STEM Day 2024, let’s remember the importance of fostering STEM and STEAM skills in students, ensuring a brighter and more innovative future for all. Hopefully these resources aren’t just chicken feed –  I am hoping they just might crack open some engaging discussions and activities that can extend far beyond November 8. So let’s get cracking and make this STEM Day a truly egg-ceptional experience!

And since I am having so much fun with the egg-stra delightful puns, maybe a National Deviled-Egg blog should be written next year? That is a solid NOPE from me!

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Access 7 read-to-use Story Bin STEM activities that combine literacy and science for fun, memorable learning.
English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)STEM/STEAM

Seven Ready-to-Use Story Bin STEM Activities

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Have you heard of STEM Bins?” Peggy Reimers said. “No, I haven’t,” I replied. In a moment, I’d fallen off the plank, submerged into a sea of learning. Like treasure chests filled with tools for creative imagineering, STEM Bins are fun. I like to think of them as Story Bins, because they turn stories into powerful learning opportunities. Let’s explore several practical ideas for elementary Story Bins.

Brooke Brown (follow her on Twitter for more exciting ideas!) gets credit for introducing me to the concept of STEAM/STEM Bins via this 2024 tweet by TCEA. Story Bins are just an adaptation of this. Here’s a video from Brooke sharing about STEM Bins. What an amazing idea to add to your repertoire!

What Are Story Bins?

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

Story Bins are containers filled with various materials. They start with a story, then provide a challenge. The challenge is to build something that helps a character in the story.

These are perfect for students in elementary grades. Meeting the challenge pushes students to think outside the bin. Even better, they can learn hands-on skills through their constructions.

Story Bin Resources made by TCEA
Access Story Bin Seven Activities + Resources (English and Spanish) at the End of the Article

Why Use Story Bins?

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

With these bins of imagination, treasure chests of creativity, students blend their learning. You can also incorporate critical thinking skills a la Engineering Design Process.

Example: Jack and the Beanstalk

Take this old favorite tale. How would you build a catapult to escape the giant? The goal is to help Jack, who has to flee from a giant. A question to ask is, “How can we engineer a catapult using materials like pipe cleaners, scissors, tape, and disposable cups to help Jack escape from the giant’s castle in the clouds?”

The hands-on aspect of Story Bins makes it easy to connect knowledge to the real-world. In developing solutions that work, students solve problems that feel real to them. Tapping into various modalities can assist students’ brain in remembering concepts.

Some more questions for different stories are available via this link. Stories include:

  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Cinderella
  • Hansel and Gretel
  • Jack and Jill
  • Jack and the Beanstalk
  • Little Red Riding Hood
  • Pinocchio
  • Rapunzel
  • Rumpelstiltskin
  • Santa Claus
  • Sleeping Beauty
  • The Elves and the Shoemaker
  • The Lion and the Mouse
  • The Three Little Pigs
  • The Ugly Duckling
  • Three Billy Goats Gruff

An Example Story Bin Using the Engineering Design Process

In her blog entry, The Engineering Design Process for the Elementary Student, my colleague Peggy Reimers shares the Whirli-bots Engineering Design Process. Below, please find an adaptation of the Engineering Design Process. What if you ran one of the story bin challenges through this process?

Stages of the Engineering Design Process
Public View Link | Template Link

The result might be something like what appears below. Let’s focus on another “Jack and the Beanstalk” idea. What’s my fixation with “Jack and the Beanstalk”? This was one of the stories I first read in Spanish, then later in English when I was growing up.

Challenge: Create a parachute to safely transport Jack down the beanstalk.

Before beginning, you might first consider some guiding questions for the Engineering Design Process. Now that the challenge is set, let’s think through what it might look like in action.

1. Ask (Define the Problem)

  • Problem: Jack needs to escape from the giant’s castle safely.
  • Criteria: The parachute must slow Jack’s descent.
  • Constraints: Use available materials (pipe cleaners, scissors, tape, disposable cups).

2. Imagine (Brainstorm Solutions)

Ideas:

  • Use a large piece of lightweight material (e.g., tissue paper or plastic bag) as the parachute canopy.
  • Attach strings to the corners of the canopy and connect them to a small cup that represents Jack.
  • Ensure the parachute is large enough to create enough air resistance.

3. Plan (Develop the Solution)

Materials Needed:

  • Tissue paper or plastic bag
  • String
  • Disposable cup
  • Tape
  • Scissors

Design:

  • Cut a large square from the tissue paper or plastic bag.
  • Attach strings to the corners of the square.
  • Connect the other ends of the strings to the cup.

Steps:

  1. Cut the canopy material into a square.
  2. Reinforce the corners with tape and punch holes.
  3. Cut four equal lengths of string and tie them to the corners.
  4. Attach the other ends of the strings to the cup.

4. Create (Build, Modify, Test & Evaluate)

Build:

  • Assemble the parachute as planned.

Test:

  • Drop the parachute from a height and observe its performance.

Evaluate:

  • Check if the parachute slows the descent effectively.
  • Note any issues, such as the parachute not opening fully or the descent being too fast.

Modify:

  • Adjust the size of the canopy or the length of the strings if needed.
  • Test again to see if the modifications improve performance.

5. Improve (Share)

Learnings:

  • Document what worked well and what didn’t.
  • Share the design and test results with classmates or teachers.

Improvements:

  • Based on feedback, make further adjustments to the parachute design.
  • Consider using different materials. Or change the shape of the canopy for better results.

More Engineering Design Process Story Bin Ideas

Here’s another Engineering Design Process you might find useful for younger students. How would you do it?

StoryChallengeQuestionBrainstormPlanBuild (Test & Evaluate, Modify)Share
Jack and the BeanstalkCreate a device to propel Jack away from the giant’s castleWhat can we build to help Jack escape?Think of ways to make Jack move fast, like a slingshot or a rocket.Draw a picture of our idea and list what we need.Make our escape gadget, try it out, and change it if we need to.Show our friends and explain how it works.
Jack and the BeanstalkDesign a safe way for Jack to come down the beanstalkHow can Jack get down without falling?Imagine things that float down softly, like parachutes or balloons.Choose the best idea and plan how to make it.Create our parachute, drop it from up high, and make it better.Share our parachute and tell others how we made it safe for Jack.
Three Billy Goats GruffBuild a raft for the goats to cross the riverCan we make a raft that holds all three goats?Think of floaty things like logs or big tubes.Pick the floatiest idea and plan how to tie them together.Build our raft, test it in water, and fix anything that’s not right.Show our raft and tell the story of how the goats used it.
See MORE examples of the EDP in action in this Google Doc (Get a copy)

How Do Story Bins Enhance Education?

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Put Story Bins into the classroom to get the benefits for students. Those benefits include:

  • Have students who finish assignments early? Use Story Bins as a way to keep them involved and learning.
  • Need sponge activities for morning work or centers? Maybe you have a need to keep kids as a time-out/cool-down area engaged. Use Story Bins for that, too.
  • Focused on a particular story? Use Story Bins to explore various parts of the story.

Science is often under-utilized but processes like the Engineering Design Process (EDP) help. They model scientific thinking where students develop a hypothesis, gather evidence through prototyping. Then, they test their hypotheses to see if they are falsifiable (if the work or not).

Examples of STEAM Story Bin Challenges

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”- Albert Einstein

Here are a few ideas for Story Bins using common stories with a STEAM twist. You will find an AI-generated list of stories, challenges, and materials.

My colleague, Peggy Reimers, suggested the materials area include reusable materials, as well. Take a look at what’s available in your classroom, at home, and add to the list of one-time use materials, too.

StoryThe ChallengeOne-Time Use MaterialsSuggested Reusable Materials
Jack and the BeanstalkDesign a catapult to help Jack escape the giant.Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoonKeva Planks, rubber bands
Jack and the BeanstalkCreate a parachute to safely transport Jack down the beanstalk.Lightweight fabric or a plastic bag, string, small toy figureLightweight fabric, string, LEGO figurine
Three Billy Goats GruffBuild a raft to help the Billy Goats Gruff cross the river.Corks, popsicle sticks, rubber bands, small plastic figuresStrawbees, foam pieces, small LEGO figures
Jack and JillConstruct a pulley system to lift the pails for Jack and Jill.String, spools, paper cupsLEGO bricks, string, small buckets (LEGO pieces)
The Three Little PigsEngineer a stronger house for the Three Little Pigs using different materials.Straws, craft sticks, clay, cardboardLincoln Logs, LEGO bricks
The Three Little PigsDesign a trap to catch the Big Bad Wolf.Cardboard boxes, rubber bands, plastic bottle capsLEGO bricks, rubber bands
Three Billy Goats GruffBuild a bridge that can support the weight of the Troll.Popsicle sticks, glue, string, small weights like coinsKeva Planks, glue (if permanent), weights (coins or small stones)
Little Red Riding HoodCreate a zip line to help Little Red Riding Hood escape the woods quickly.String, straw, paper clip, small toy figureString, straw (from Strawbees), paper clip, LEGO figurine
Hansel and GretelConstruct a marble run for Hansel and Gretel to find their way out of the forest.Cardboard tubes, marbles, tapeKeva Planks, marbles
The Ugly DucklingBuild a boat that floats for The Ugly Duckling.Corks, plastic spoons, waterproof tapeStrawbees, waterproof material (cut from reusable shopping bags), small LEGO figure
RapunzelDesign a tower that won’t fall down for Rapunzel’s prince to climb.Cardboard, tape, paper tubesKeva Planks, LEGO bricks
The Elves and the ShoemakerCreate a simple machine to help the Elves make toys faster.Gears, wooden skewers, rubber bandsLEGO gears, wooden skewers, rubber bands
Santa ClausBuild a prototype of Santa’s sleigh with working runners.Ice pop sticks, cardboard, fabric scrapsKeva Planks, fabric scraps
The Elves and the ShoemakerEngineer a contraption to help the Shoemaker work more efficiently.Cardboard, scissors, glue, fabric scrapsLEGO bricks, gears
Sleeping BeautyDesign a device to help Sleeping Beauty’s fairy godmothers travel faster.Balloons, straws, rubber bands, small toy figuresBalloons, Strawbees, rubber bands, LEGO figures
CinderellaConstruct a vehicle powered by wind to transport Cinderella to the ball.Cardboard, paper, straws, balloonsLEGO bricks, paper (for sails), straws
The Lion and The MouseBuild a seesaw for the characters from The Lion and The Mouse.Popsicle sticks, plastic spoon, small toy figuresKeva Planks, plastic spoon (as a fulcrum), LEGO figures
PinocchioCreate a toy car for Pinocchio that moves using rubber bands.Cardboard, rubber bands, bottle caps for wheelsLEGO bricks, rubber bands, bottle caps (for wheels)
Alice in WonderlandDesign a contraption to help Alice get back up the rabbit hole.Cardboard tubes, string, pulleysKeva Planks, string, pulleys (LEGO or similar)
RumpelstiltskinBuild a spinning wheel that can wind up the golden thread.Cardboard, dowels, stringKeva Planks, dowels, string

Additional STEM Resources for Story Bins

You can find a wealth of resources for Story Bins online. Here are a few curated links for your consideration. They may ignite your own passion and learning, as they did me.

Which Story Bin activity will you try with your students? Have ideas for other Story Bin STEM activities? Leave us a comment so we can add it to the list!

Access Seven Story Bin Activities + Resources!
(English and Spanish included)

Love Story Bins? Check out Story Bins: The Virtual Edition

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An 81 piece Quaker friendship quilt pictured on the left. On the right is a picture of one of the quilt blocks showing a hand-written message and signature.
HistoryMathSocial-Emotional Learning

Friendship Quilts Bring History, Math, and SEL Together

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

You’ve heard of friendship bracelets… but what about a friendship quilt? Whether it’s for a back-to-school community builder, a social studies tie-in, or just a feel-good class project, creating a friendship quilt is a meaningful way to celebrate connection and belonging. First, we’ll explore the history and symbolism behind quilts—especially friendship quilts—and share a hands-on activity that brings students together, stitch by stitch (no sewing required). Bonus: You’ll get plenty of additional resources for weaving quilts into your lessons, too.

If you’d like to skip right to the project, click here.

Why Are Quilts Important?

My grandmother, Ma, made each of her children and grandchildren several quilts throughout our lives— Christmas quilts, quilts for graduation, quilts made of old blue jeans, quilts made from material with patterns representing hobbies or interests, etc. She wasn’t a show quilter or professional, but she would spend hours choosing material, measuring, piecing patterns, pinning, and sewing. My ever-patient grandfather, Pa, was called upon for all the meticulous cutting that my grandmother did not particularly enjoy. She would always include a little cross-stitched patch with our name, “Love, Ma,” and the date, which is my favorite part. I will cherish and keep these quilts forever!

Photo of a quilt with a cross-sticked message from the quilter.
Quilt made by Ma in 2002

As a young girl, my mom saved up all her extra money over time to get me an American Girl Doll, the absolute prized possession of so many children in the late 80s and 90s. I had wanted one for a long time! And my first experience with quilting myself was when my Ma helped me sew a small quilt to cover my American Girl Doll with at night, you know, while she was sleeping. I’ll never forget sitting with her, talking, and learning about sewing and how to cut and measure the squares. Now, this is just a bit of my personal experience with quilts and quilting, but it is a very teeny tiny reflection of how quilting is passed down and how relational it can be.

A 16x16 inch (4x4 quilt block) doll quilt sewn by the author and her grandmother.
16″ x 16″ babydoll quilt made with my Ma circa 1990.

Quilting is a skilled art passed from generation to generation. It spans cultures and peoples. Quilts require mathematical skills, creativity, patience, focus, and precision. They were, and are still, handmade and given to commemorate special occasions— a form of both artistic expression and documentation. Additionally, quilting bees and circles were a way for women to socialize and spend time together. It was at one time a very community-driven and relational art, and in some areas and cultures, this is still very much the case. Over time, there have been many different types of quilts and quilt patterns, like Double Wedding Ring, Patchwork, Log Cabin, Crazy Quilts, and more, but one of my absolute favorites is the friendship quilt.

1974 Friendship Quilt Displayed at The Airing of the Quilts, Greenwood, Arkansas
1974 Friendship Quilt | The Airing of the Quilts, Greenwood, Arkansas | “Made by Milltown Methodist Church and given to Rev. J.M. and Jane Rogers, Owned by Jane Rogers”
Note the signatures of the ladies who made each square on the white diagonal pieces.

What Is a Friendship Quilt?

Friendship quilts are a traditional form of quilt made collaboratively by a group of friends or even family. They have a rich history and special significance in American culture and are some of the very few quilts that have names associated with them. They sometimes even included dates, special messages, and addresses as well, making them very special. Originating in the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Jersey areas, the tradition of friendship quilts spread to become more popular in areas west, north, and south. The form and patterns of friendship quilts have changed and adapted over time.

The Making of a Friendship Quilt

A friendship quilt is made by having each member of a friendship group contribute a quilt block that they have sewn. The quilt blocks are then assembled and sewn together into a single quilt. Each block is unique and represents the individual who made it. The blocks often contain personalized decorative elements like embroidered names, initials, symbols, dates, or short messages. Names, initials, and messages may be hand-sewn, written in ink, or even stamped.

An 81 piece Quaker friendship quilt pictured on the left. On the right is a picture of one of the quilt blocks showing a hand-written message and signature.
Conner Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | 81 Piece Sampler Quilt (left) | Quilt Square (right) |
Quaker Album or Friendship quilt made in Burlington County, New Jersey in 1843.

The Meaning of the Friendship Quilt

Friendship quilts first became popular in the early 1800s. Groups of women would gather together for quilting bees as a social occasion. They would work collaboratively on quilts for members of their community while also using it as a chance to talk and build friendships. The quilt they produced represented the bonds of sisterhood, community, and connection between those who worked on it.

The History of the Friendship Quilt

These quilts were especially meaningful on the American frontier. As women headed west from the east coast with their families, the quilts served as a record of the long journey. They also helped pioneer women maintain social networks in isolated areas without extended family nearby. The quilts connected them to friends and home.

Over time, friendship quilts began to mark major life events like births, deaths, weddings, or relocations. They took on special significance as historical records of women’s lives and friendships. The communal creative process represents shared experience and cooperation.

1933 Carolina Lily friendship quilt displayed at The Airing of the Quilts in Greenwood, Arkansas.
Carolina Lily Friendship Quilt Displayed at The Airing of the Quilts, Greenwood, Arkansas | The quilt top was pieced by friends in 1933. In 2017, relatives and friends of the original group quilted it.

Today, many antique friendship quilts are preserved in museums. They are valued as culturally important folk art celebrating relationships between women and documenting American history through intricate stitches and patches.

Making a Class Friendship Quilt

If you’re looking for a class project, why not piece together a paper friendship quilt with students that represents your classroom community? Each student can make a quilt block to contribute to the class friendship quilt and sign their name on it. A quilt block is a unit (in this activity it will be a square) that is sewn together to make up a full quilt.

For this activity, students will each construct their own quilt blocks out of paper. Essentially, they will:

  1. Cut the shapes out of a quilt block pattern.
  2. Trace the shapes onto a variety of colorful, patterned paper.
  3. Cut those colorful shapes out.
  4. Glue them onto a plain white square made of posterboard, card stock, or paper.
  5. Admire their created quilt blocks!

Here is what a finished quilt block made by a student might look like. This was a student-created pattern, meaning the student did not follow a quilt block pattern but made up their own using shapes.

Example Paper Quilt Block

Here is a list of materials and a few suggestions for choosing quilt block patterns. It can really be as simple or complex as you’d like it to be!

Materials List:

Three examples of quilt block patters that could be used for a friendship quilt.
Screenshot by the author: Example Quilt Block Patterns from Free Quilt
  • Plain white square (6×6, 9×9, or 12×12) made of posterboard, cardstock, or paper.
  • Quilt Block Patterns: When it comes to patterns, I’ve listed a few approaches for you to choose from. Choose which option works best for you and your students.
    • Pattern Option 1: Preselect one quilt block pattern for all students to use as their template. Distribute a copy of the pattern to each student in the correct size.
    • Pattern Option 2: Preselect 3-4 quilt block patterns for students to choose from for their template. Distribute a copy of the pattern to each student in the correct size.
    • Freeform Option: Have students create their own special patterns using traceable shapes, rulers, or freeform drawing!
    • Digital Option: Have students design their blocks online using line tools, shapes, and elements in Google Slides, Canva, Adobe Express, or similar tools.
  • Paper: Scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, and colorful paper with a pattern will work great. Some solid paper would also be good to incorporate. Note: For younger students, sticking with just solids may be best if you’re having them follow a quilt block pattern.
  • Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils: If you opt for students to create their own patterns on white paper, you’ll need plenty of coloring options!
  • Scissors: Regular scissors or scissors with fun edges are both great.
  • Glue: You can use glue sticks, from a bottle, or Mod Podge (I prefer using old paint brushes with liquid glue).
  • Ink: Sharpies or paint/gel pens are great.
  • Ruler: Measuring to make sure the squares and pieces are straight and the correct size will be important!
  • Pencil: Mistakes will happen. Using a pencil when measuring and tracing will be helpful.

This can be just a fun arts and crafts activity for students to celebrate Palentine’s (or Valentine’s) Day. But you can also incorporate some math and history standards as well!

Suggested Lesson Plan Structure

This is an adaptable lesson that can be completed in a short period or span multiple periods. Feel free to adapt it to meet your needs and desired outcomes! For example, if you’d like the activity to go more quickly, you can provide precut shapes for students to glue (no cutting or tracing involved) or have them design squares in Canva to be printed. If you’d like to take more time, incorporate some of the math ideas and history of friendship quilts.

Screenshot by the author of a Quilt Block Template Being Created in Canva
Screenshot by the author: Quilt Block Template Being Created in Canva

Introduction:

Introduce students to the concept and history of the friendship quilt. Look at pictures of different friendship quilts and talk about what students notice. How do students imagine these quilts were made? What do friendship quilts tell us? Why might they be important in a community or group of people? Read an article or book as a class and discuss (see resource list). Explain that students will be making a paper friendship quilt as a class. Each student will contribute one square, and when they are all put together, it will create a full-sized paper quilt.

Activity:

Explain and briefly demonstrate how:

  • Students will either choose a block pattern or create their own block pattern for their square. Look at some examples of quilt block patterns together, if appropriate.
  • Explain and demonstrate how students will cut out the shapes from their printed block pattern and trace them onto the colorful paper of their choice.
  • Then, show students how to cut the traced shapes from their colorful paper and position them on their white squares. They should lay out their shapes to match their block pattern.
  • Demonstrate how to glue the pieces of the block to the plain white square.
  • Show students an example of a finished square. You could make your square in advance to show them!
  • Distribute the quilt block pattern you chose, have students choose a pattern, or let them create their own patterns.
  • Pass out the plain white squares (whatever size you choose, 6″, 9″, 12,” etc.).
  • Have fun cutting, tracing, gluing, and signing squares!
  • Hang students’ blocks individually on the wall, grouping them together to create a visual quilt. Or create your quilt by gluing the squares together before hanging the full quilt on the wall.

Ideas for Incorporating Math Skills

After you determine how big you would like your overall quilt to be, here are some math skills you can work with students on before and during the activity:  

  • Determine the perimeter and area of the full quilt.
  • How many rows and columns should the quilt have in order for each student to have the same size square? Calculate how big each individual student’s square should be.
  • Identify the shapes within your block. 
  • Explore symmetry by creating block patterns with symmetrical sides.
  • Measure and record the angles of the shapes within your block. 
  • If designing your own pattern, use a ruler to draw out and measure shapes in your pattern. Record your measurements.

Lesson Plans and Resources about Quilts

Besides friendship quilts, there are many other varieties of quilts, each with their own significance and meaning. I hope you’ll enjoy exploring some stories, history, resources, and information on the great personal and historical significance quilts hold. And if you try making a friendship quilt with your students, please leave us a comment and link to a photo! We’d love to see your class’s friendship quilt.

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Math

High-Dosage Tutoring: A Research-Backed Math Intervention

by Henry Price
written by Henry Price

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted education, leading to widespread learning loss among students. In Texas, the recent results of the STAAR test reveal that only 45% of students are scoring at or above grade level in Algebra. This concerning trend has serious implications for students’ preparedness in STEM fields and college, as pointed out by Judith Cruz, a former HISD trustee and Texas assistant director for the Education Trust, in an interview with Texas Public Radio.

The Increasing Need for Math Tutoring

Low algebra scores are a pervasive and nationwide issue, with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reporting math scores, on average, have declined by 9 points, reaching the lowest level in decades. The Princeton Review® and Tutor.com also report an unprecedented demand for algebra tutoring, correlating with historically low algebra assessment scores, and indicating that students are seeking math help more than ever.

Math, particularly algebra, has long been Tutor.com’s most requested subject. “Even for this historically popular subject and subtopic, we are meeting a demand for support we have not experienced before,” said Sandi White, Senior Vice President for Institutional Partnerships. “Our aggregate 2022 session data aligns with what Tutor.com tutors and quality specialists see every day.”

A Research-Backed Math Intervention

As the struggle with pandemic-related learning loss persists, High-Dosage Tutoring has emerged as a research-backed intervention to bridge the math achievement gap and provide timely assistance to students in need. The Annenberg Institute’s 2021 meta-analysis showcased the positive impact of High-Dosage Tutoring in Chicago Public Schools, where it significantly reduced math course failures by over 50% while improving overall course outcomes and math grades.

What Is High-Dosage Tutoring?

While High-Dosage Tutoring’s efficacy has been well-established among researchers, its application on a broad scale has never been more crucial. Effective High-Dosage Tutoring models, like the one provided by The Princeton Review and Tutor.com, follow the methodology outlined by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. This model recommends a minimum of three weekly sessions with a consistent tutor in a small-group setting during school hours.

A diagram of a high-dosage tutoring instruction, which can be used for math tutoring.

High-Dosage Tutoring is a powerful and research-backed intervention to bridge the math achievement gap for students and provide much-needed assistance in their learning journey. With its proven effectiveness and scalability, High-Dosage Tutoring can further empower students to regain their math confidence and proficiency, setting them on a path to success in mathematics and beyond.

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Math

Boost Mathematical Understanding with Versatile Tech Tools 

by Debbie Tannenbaum
written by Debbie Tannenbaum

Math is one of those subjects that elicits strong emotions from educators because when most of us today were in school, it was all about getting the right answer. Now, that is no longer the case in today’s schools. We aren’t solely focused on just getting the answers anymore. We are focusing on the process of mathematical understanding – sharing our thinking in how we solve problems and learning from others’ perspectives. 

According to the National Council of Mathematics, the world’s largest mathematics organization, there are eight mathematics teaching practices that develop mathematical understanding in all of our students. These teaching practices include focusing on learning, implementing tasks to focus on problem solving, facilitating mathematical discourse, and building students’ conceptual understanding. 

8 effective mathematics teaching practices as promoted by NCTM.
Created by the author.

But how can we better support our students’ mathematical understanding using best teaching practices and technology?

What is VMI?

As a tech coach, I am of course drawn to ways that technology can support this pursuit. Over the course of the past few years as I have worked with teachers both inside and outside my district, I have noticed three ways that technology tools can support the development of students’ mathematical skills and understanding. I call them VMI or Visualize Math Concepts, Multimodal Thinking, and Interaction.

A graphic asking "What does it mean to tech up the math?" With VMI explained as visualize, multimodal, and interaction.
Created by the author.

V: Visualize Math Concepts

Does the tech tool allow our students to visualize math in a way not possible without the technology? All of our students have unique ways of demonstrating their mathematical understanding. As NCTM’s Principles to Actions shares, “An excellent mathematics program integrates the use of mathematical tools and technology as essential resources to help students learn and make sense of mathematical ideas, reason mathematically, and communicate their mathematical thinking.”

NCMT Mathematical Thinking Quote
Created by the author.

M: Multimodal Thinking

Does the tech tool offer students more than one way to share their thinking and show their mathematical understanding? All of our students share their thinking differently. Are we providing them choices in how they share? Using multimodal thinking helps educators incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and give our students different ways to represent their ideas. Can students use video, audio, images, paint tools, text and speech to text? Technology offers us a variety of ways to support multimodal thinking.

I: Interaction

Does the tech tool empower our students to interact with others’ mathematical thinking? Our students need opportunities to learn with and from each other? Collaboration is such a vital skill in our world and it starts by learning how to share ideas and respond to others’ ideas. We need to help our students to engage in math discourse to create a shared understanding of math concepts. There is no longer just one way to solve a problem.

Tech Tools That Promote VMI

“What tech tools best incorporate VMI?”, you might be asking. Let’s look at three free, amazing tools that can promote both VMI and support mathematical understanding for all students. Of course, these are not all of the tools that demonstrate VMI, just my top three VMI tech tools.

Desmos

If you think of Desmos as just a graphing calculator, then you are truly missing out. Desmos is so much more than that! Desmos also includes a variety of classroom activities that promote not only visualization, multimodal thinking, but also interaction. Desmos Classroom Activities includes the ability to create so many different types of pages with different features. Some of my favorite features include interactive tools like sliders and polypads. It also provides students with many ways to share their thinking and show mathematical understanding, including drawing tools, text, and even audio options. In addition, Desmos has an amazing feature called a polygraph (think “Guess Who” for Math) that allows students to work in pairs to determine which picture their partner has chosen.

An explanation of how Desmos helps students visualize math concepts to support mathematics understanding.
Created by the author using screenshots from Desmos.
Created by the author using a screenshot from Desmos.

Flip

Flip, previously known as Flipgrid, is another truly exceptional tool. It is so much more now than a video discussion board. Flip helps students visualize math and use multimodal thinking using its many features. Its features include drawing tools, stickers, text, boards, audio, and video options. It even offers backdrops and filters. Flip also allows students to interact with each other’s ideas through the use of text, audio, and/or video. It’s a great tool for students to share their thinking and demonstrate mathematical understanding collaboratively.

An explanation of how Flip helps students visualize math and use multimodal thinking to boost mathematical understanding.
Created by the author using a screenshot of the Flip camera tools.

Flashcard Factory

Flashcard Factory is a free part of Pear Deck that is often overlooked. It allows our students to make interactive flashcards in pairs and can be an extremely important tech tool in our math classrooms. Students log in using a code that is displayed on their projector to get started. They are then randomly partnered up and given problems chosen by their teacher to solve. Pairs are either part of the factory “day shift” or “night shift” teams.

One student in the pair acts as the artist, showing how to solve the problem; while the other student acts as the detective, showing an answer, an equation, or even a word problem based on their teacher’s directions. Students can sit side by side as they solve their part of the problem and roles can change frequently. 

Example Flashcard Factory addition activity in Pear Deck.
Created by the author with a screenshot from a Pear Deck Flashcard Factory activity.

After about 15 minutes, the class comes back together and goes through Quality Control when the class determines whether the problem (shown anonymously) is a good example or not. Good examples earn their team a point. After Quality Control, good examples can be exported to Gimkit for further practice.

As you can see in the picture, you can use this tool for almost any math concept and for students of any age. For first graders, students may do addition and subtraction facts within 10. Third graders can use it for multiplication facts within 100; while one student draws the array and the other writes a word problem. By sixth grade, the students can use it for multiplying and/or dividing fractions. It is very versatile!

Example Flashcard Factory mathematics activities in Pear Deck for grades 1, 3, and 6.
Created by the author using screenshots from Pear Deck Flashcard Factory activities.

In today’s world, when our students are building mathematical understanding and proficiency, we need to consider how tech tools like these can help students make sense of math and build math connections. Which one will you try first in your math classroom to impact student learning? With tools like these, there is no wrong answer. 

Debbie Tannenbaum will be leading three sessions at TCEA’s 2024 Convention & Exposition!

If you want to learn more about pairing technology and instructional best practices in math, attend Debbie’s “Tech Up the Math” session on Monday, February 5. Early bird pricing for TCEA 2024 ends November 3. That’s THIS Friday! Don’t miss your chance to save up to $100 on the educator event of the year that will help you drive great outcomes.

Save Up to $100!
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Content AreasEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)ReadingRoboticsScienceSocial Studies

How to Integrate Robotics into Elementary Content Areas

by Laura Mackay
written by Laura Mackay

Are you looking for a way to engage your students with content? Tired of the same old routines? Think about integrating touch-based robots into your curriculum. Most teachers, when they hear the word “robotics,” immediately think, “Nope. Not me.” or “I have no clue.” Coding a robot can seem daunting! That was our first thought when we were asked to integrate robotics into the regular curriculum. Luckily, kids have no problem trying something new! Here are some simple ideas for you to try as first steps to integrating robotics into content area instruction. 

Types of Robots

First, there are so many different types of robots! Some are simple, like Bee-Bots, Code and Go Mouse, or VEX 123. With these types of robots, you simply push buttons and go. Many videos are available on YouTube to show how easy it is to program these. They help students focus on creating algorithms and learning executive functioning skills like critical thinking and problem solving. Additionally, you’ll see that the mats used with these robots can be very versatile! You can easily adapt them for whatever skill you want students to practice – from phonics to addition and subtraction.

Getting Started with Robots

Our first lesson is simply setting a structure and having students learn to program the robot and use the mat. We have them write their algorithm on a whiteboard or a planning guide, program the robot, press start, and see what happens. The key is classroom management. Set a structure of making students think and plan before touching the robot. This engages critical thinking. Once students have the planning and programming down, you’re ready to go. And they catch on very quickly!

Two photos of students using the VEX 123 robot for content practice
Notice students have a map to plan their algorithm before programming the robot. We are using the VEX 123 robot in these pictures with a plastic mat. You can also make your own mat with a poster printer or out of paper.

Many teachers will say they do not have time to teach the regular curriculum, much less to play with robots. The key is to incorporate both into lessons! I’m going to share some types of lessons we’ve had success with in my district. Most are done in the classroom, but some are in the library’s Makerspace. We are still in the pilot phase of integrating content and robotics, but hopefully, some of these ideas can work for you.   

Example Activity Using Robots in Math

In math stations, students practice a variety of skills. Why not add robots? One favorite activity is rolling the dice and practicing addition, subtraction, and coding robots with One More, One Less, or Two More, Two Less. This lesson can be differentiated based on students’ personalized learning needs. 

How to Play:

Two photos of students using the VEX 123 robot for math practice
  • First, students place the robot on the number 1 or a designated “Go” or “Start” square on the mat.
  • Students roll the dice. You can differentiate by using different types of dice or rolling more than one to make it more challenging.
  • Write down the number rolled (for example, 6).
  • Do the appropriate math (for example, if you’re playing Two More, you add 2: 6 + 2 = 8).
  • Find the number from the answer (8) on the mat.
  • Write out the algorithm for coding the robot to go from where it is on the mat, to the number in the answer (for example, straight 2, right 2, left 1, straight 3).
  • Program the robot to go from where it is on the mat (1 or “Go”) to the number from the answer (8). Press start!

If the student programs to the wrong number, they can take another turn, or another person can take a turn programming the correct number. Notice that sometimes we make cards to tape to the robot mat and other times we simply write numbers with an Expo marker. You do not have to be too fancy! Students are happy to simply engage with the robot. Can you think of other math concepts students could practice using robots?

Robotics and English Language Arts (ELA)

There are so many content ideas for ELA. In the lower grades, the focus can be on retelling a story or telling the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Simply change out the content cards on the mat and students become engaged in coding the robot to retell a story. Phonics practice is also important, and it is hard to make it fun. Teachers have created lessons helping students to learn contractions, CVC words, CVCE words, different word families, and diagraphs with robots. Once students learn a concept, it is easy to change the topic to practice a new one using the mat.  

Image of Vex 123 mat used to retell a story
Heidi Danner at Ward Elementary created the ELA activity for Halloween using the VEX 123. In this activity, students practice retelling “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,” but the idea can be used with any book. Students code the robot to move to the images in the order they appear in the book and retell the story as they go.
Image of students using the Bee-Bot robot for sight word practice
Here, the Bee-Bot mat is used with students practicing sight words.

Science Review with Robots 

Science started easy with students coding the robot to a picture that showed either a living or non-living thing. After teachers saw the engagement level with the students, they created a “Four Seasons” mat to review what type of clothing and weather goes with each season. Third graders practiced reviewing solids, liquids, and gases. Fifth grade students in Texas take the Science STAAR assessment, and teachers wanted a fun way to review material. Amanda Hughes at Ed White E-STEM created a Water Cycle mat with question stems to review important vocabulary and knowledge. The sky really is the limit to what you can practice!

Science challenge cards for robotics activity
Here are example challenge cards for the living a non-living activity.
Example science activity robotics mat for practicing solid, liquid, and gas
Here you see a printed mat with a practice review activity for solid, liquid, and gas.
Science challenge cards for the solids liquids and gases robotics activity
These challenge cards were used for the solid, liquid, and gas activity.

Using Robotics in Social Studies

Developing lessons in social studies has been fun for teachers. For one activity, we had students identify the continents. Images of the continents were placed on a mat, and students were tasked with locating a continent and coding the robot to move to it. In the first iteration of the lesson, we had the image of the continent labeled with its written name on the mat. The students simply had to match the card and code. To make it harder, we then used images of continents without their names. The students drew a continent card, found the continent on the mat, and then coded.

Image of students identifying continents using the VEX GO
Students are identifying the continents using the VEX GO.

The same structure works with a variety of topics. You could code the robot to important mountain ranges in Texas. Or code the robot to important cities or places in the United States. Upper grades had students design their own content-based robotics games about important places in the American Revolution. 

Robotics is an engaging and fun way for students to learn the core content curriculum. Hopefully, a few of these ideas will inspire you to try something on your own! 

Don’t miss Laura Mackay at TCEA’s Elementary Technology Conference in Galveston, Texas! She’ll be presenting two sessions: “Integrating Scratch Coding and Core Curriculum” and “Robotics for Littles – Using VEX 123.” Only a few days left to register!

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