Turkeys, pumpkins, and leaves! Oh my! Fall has arrived. If you find yourself without a plan or uncertain where to start with fall math activities for your first graders, fear not. This blog post is here to guide you. Join me as we explore five engaging fall math activities that are sure to captivate and enchant your young learners!
5 Fall Math Activities
Turkey Graph
One of my students’ favorite November read alouds is Turkey Trouble by Wendi J Silvano. In this story, students are taken on a whimsical journey where Turkey is faced with the impending threat of becoming Thanksgiving dinner! Thankfully, he devises a clever plan. His strategy involves disguising himself as other animals to outsmart Farmer Jake and his wife. The students love seeing his hilarious costumes and like the surprise ending.
After reading this book, you can extend the excitement beyond the story by engaging your students in a creative poll. Ask them to envision themselves as Turkey and choose a disguise – an astronaut, mermaid, or bunny? Once the class graph is done, don’t forget to lead your students in a data discussion. Students can create their own individual graph and proudly showcase their chosen turkey disguise at the top. Don’t miss out on the fun – grab the graph template here.
Thanksgiving Glyph
Elevate your fall math activities with a Thanksgiving twist! One fun math idea is to have your students work on a glyph. What better way to show their excitement for Thanksgiving than making their own Thanksgiving dinner plate with all the fixings!
Start by posing a Thanksgiving-related question to your students, like “Do you like turkey?” The item they place on their dinner plate will coincide with their answer. Picture it – a turkey leg for the enthusiasts, a wishbone for those less fond. Once the glyph is complete, gather all the responses and have your kids analyze the data and engage in a rich math discussion. Ready to infuse your classroom with Thanksgiving spirit? Grab a copy of this engaging math activity here and let the festive glyph-making begin!
Fall Themed Estimations
A beloved routine in my classroom that sparks enthusiasm among students is our daily estimation activity. It’s a simple yet effective exercise that seamlessly integrates with seasonal themes, making it perfect for fall. Ready to infuse a dash of excitement into your math lessons?
To kick things off, take a photo of an object suitable for estimation, or conveniently find one online. For instance, during a visit to the market, capture an image of a turkey and challenge your students to estimate its weight. You can take this activity up a notch by encouraging students to come up with both a high and low estimate before settling on what they believe is the “just right” answer. Be sure to have them explain their math thinking behind their estimates. Watch the anticipation build as students will eagerly await the reveal!
Thanksgiving Feast Shopping
November is one of the best times to incorporate real world fall math activities. With Thanksgiving approaching, consider immersing your students in the excitement of planning and executing a festive feast. After planning what they want to include in their feast, you can send them to the “store” tasked with purchasing the ingredients for their envisioned Thanksgiving meal. Students will have to work within a budget and use their addition and subtraction skills to make sure they have enough money to get all their items. What makes this real world activity even more captivating? It’s an ideal group project, fostering collaboration and turning the classroom into a dynamic marketplace of mathematical exploration!
Fact Family Turkey
Cap off your fall math activities with a turkey-themed twist that combines creativity and math! Have your students create any turkey craft. Then, incorporate math by having them write a number bond on their turkey’s body. Following this, the real magic happens as they write the corresponding addition and subtraction number sentences on the turkey’s feathers, forming a fact family. It’s a great and easy way to integrate math into your November craft!
And there you have it – five fall math activities that are sure to engage your students. Not only will these activities ignite their love for learning, but they also bring a meaningful, rigorous edge to your classroom. Which activity are you most excited to try, or do you have any fall math traditions to share? Drop a comment below and let’s keep the math-inspired conversation going!
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