Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This site provides practice with linear functions with this programmable function machine. After entering a value for x, the value of y is displayed. Based on the value of y, students then will determine the function (add, subtract, or multiply) and the value needed using integers from -10 to +10. Teacher information includes standards, an exploration worksheet, classroom suggestions and links to similar resources.

tag(s): equations (119), functions (52), patterns (61)

BrainBashers offers many different types of puzzles, riddles, brain teasers, and optical illusions. The site is updated daily so new material is always readily available. Each time you open the site, find a new fun fact along with an odd word and its definition. The site is organized into puzzles, games, illusions, fun stuff, and logic games. Sudoku puzzles of different difficulty levels are also available. The link for teachers includes puzzles for schools and useful pages including optical illusions, memory tests, and logic puzzles.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): logic (161), problem solving (234), puzzles (149), riddles (15)

Here's every parent or teacher's dream: a site that helps you make your own puzzles, word games, and math puzzlers. There is a selection of almost a dozen different formats, each of which can be customized to meet your specific needs. Choose the puzzle type you want from the drop-down menu. Both adults and learners can create games!

tag(s): crosswords (19), puzzles (149)

This is a collection of instructions for puzzles involving paper folding. The site includes patterns which you can download and print.

tag(s): puzzles (149)

If you are looking for ideas to incorporate mathematical problem solving with fun, hands-on activities this site is for you! Well over 20 activities are offered covering Algebra, Trigonometry, Science/Physics, General Math, and Technology concepts. Choose a category, then select the activity and view all the materials offered. Titles include Color Sines, Right Triangle SAM, and Binary Signals. Each activity includes facilitator notes including 11 items from overview, setup, discussion questions, and troubleshooting. Most also include participant handouts in MS Word format and software needed for calculator programs.

tag(s): angles (52), critical thinking (136), electricity (61), light (56), logic (161), magnetism (35), stars (71)

This site offers all information on World Maths Day, usually held in March. World Maths Day has taken place each year since 2007. They plan to add science challenges. Students play at home and at school against other students around the world in live games of mental arithmetic. Each game lasts for 60 seconds and students can play up to 100 games, earning points for their personal tally. The students who answer the most questions correctly appear on the Hall of Fame. There are 5 different levels of play, 20 games on each level. All participants receive a digital certificate of achievement. Site resources include teacher and student quick launches, technical guides, and printable posters for the classroom.

tag(s): competitions (10), puzzles (149), seasonal (16)

This site provides interactives for practicing many different math skills. Each are categorized by a theme such as number facts, money, and subtraction. For those not sure what activity to try, recommended interactives by grade level are listed on the left portion of the site. On the right is a list of activities included under each category. This site has a lot to explore for all elementary students.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (128), money (114), patterns (61), preK (286), subtraction (109), time (91)

This site provides many different math activities for students. Directions are provided at the beginning of each interactive, some are for more than one player. At the bottom of the site there is a key that helps explain what skill(s) each activity teaches/practices. Click on "Search" to search the interactives for specific skills. Teachers may also want to take advantage of the free worksheet generators and math videos. Worksheets can be created for elapsed time, telling time, or addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Video directions are provided to help with the creation of worksheets.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): addition (128), division (97), money (114), multiplication (121), operations (72), subtraction (109), time (91), worksheets (71)

MathLibs offers multiplication practice and short slide presentations on various math strands. Multiplication practice is in the format of a word problem. Before starting the problems, players input several different names based on prompts. The prompts ask for teacher's names, boys and girls names, annoying boys names, etc. (like Mad Libs). These names are then inserted into the word problems to be solved. The slide presentations offer short tutorials on numbers, patterns, measurement, geometry, graphing, and probability.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), measurement (123), numbers (121), patterns (61), probability (99)

MathDoku is a mathematical and logical puzzle based on "KenKen" and loosely similar to sudoku. Puzzles can be solved by combining the four main mathematical functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Difficulty levels of the puzzles can be chosen from random, easy, medium, or hard and hints can be accessed to help solve puzzles. Size of puzzles can also be chosen from 6X6, 8X8, or a printable version. This site does include some unobtrusive advertisements.

tag(s): addition (128), division (97), multiplication (121), problem solving (234), subtraction (109)

Math tricks and tools fill this easy to use site. Find a list of all prime numbers up to 100 and a conversion chart for fractions to decimals to percent. Tricks include Calendar Math which gives a formula for finding the day of the week someone was born based on their birth date, 73 which gives a formula for always finding an answer of 73 to a problem, and Two Too which provides a simple formula for always finding an answer of two after choosing any number. This site does include some unobtrusive advertisements.

tag(s): mental math (19)

The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation offers this site as a way to explore and learn how to play. The site includes opportunities for play that develops visual thinking, problem solving, exploration, and collaboration. You can also create your own doodles to help develop creative thinking and invention. Find a multitude of ideas for students to investigate and create from designing an all-terrain wheelchair, inventing a toy, to redesigning the shopping cart or creating a solared-powered invention. Scroll down the page to find "Story Tags." There is a link to Women inventor's stories, which ncludes the stories of some male intventors, too! Read about little known and well known inventors such as Stephanie Kwolek (Kevlar) and Alexander Bell (telephone). Each story includes background on the inventor and information on how their idea developed. Several videos are included demonstrating play activities and skills developed through play and the use of common toys.

tag(s): biographies (95), collaboration (94), creativity (87), design (79), inventors and inventions (82), problem solving (234)

This site provides hands-on math using a Mobius strip (or band). Though the site is "plain vanilla," this topic always fascinates students. Directions are included for creating the strips. A simple, mathematically important, and wonderfully entertaining two-dimensional object, also known as the Mobius strip, that has only one surface and one edge and is therefore of great interest in topology. It is used in classrooms to develop understanding of surfaces and create mystery. Two experiments build on each other.

tag(s): experiments (55), gifted (66)

This site provides links to formulas and calculations used for finding baseball statistics. The site is written as a Baseball Stats 101 workshop providing a basic overview to statistics. Available links include common abbreviations, quotes about stats, and definitions and formulas. One of the most in-depth portions of the sites includes sample Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that can be used to track hitting and pitching, Little League individual player or team stats, odds of hitting a pitch, and major league team stats. Be sure to read some of the interesting quotes listed at the bottom of the page! This site does include some minor advertisements.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), data (150), Microsoft (79), statistics (121)

Several familiar "games" are offered with an animal twist: Penguin Quest, Zoodoku, Super Trivia, Crossword, Bedazzled, and Matching. This site, created by Minnesota Zoo, also has links for teachers under "Education."

tag(s): animals (293), logic (161), puzzles (149)

This site offers practice with math and challenging problems for all grade levels. If you teach math to grades 1-12, this site is a MUST SEE. It contains a graduated set of over 1,000 problems starting from very easy and working up to very difficult levels. Each problem contains a short description and an image to help visualize the problem. Problems adapt to the skill of the person answering problems, grade levels cannot be increased until 5 correct problems in a row have been solved. The tests concentrate on understanding, spatial reasoning, and problem solving rather than math rules and theorems.

tag(s): decimals (85), fractions (160), logic (161), operations (72), order of operations (29), test prep (69)

This site contains many visual explanations of Math topics including interactive practice activities. Each explanation begins with a definition of the topic (such as adding or subtracting fractions), then moves on to practicing the skill with the interactive pieces. Practice activities at the end of each topic are very visually appealing and will appeal to most students. One of the most useful portions of the site is the glossary which contains definitions of many Math terms along with examples of the terms in use.

tag(s): charts and graphs (171), fractions (160), integers (21), puzzles (149), statistics (121)

Students of all ages will find this site challenging and entertaining. The site includes thirteen different types of games to challenge and stretch the brain. These "Brain Games" are placed into the categories of picture logic and number logic.

tag(s): logic (161), puzzles (149), sudoku (10), symmetry (26)