Hobbies And Interests
How Much Candy?
Candy can be a useful tool to help kids with addition and subtraction, particularly if you let them eat some after the lesson is through. Lay out several colorful candy pieces on a table and let kids take turns doing math problems with them. (Use individually wrapped candy to avoid germs!) Have kids perform simple problems, like 5+3, and solve them by physically counting out each piece to see how a math problem breaks down. Do the same with subtraction. Give a child the starting number in the problem. Then, have them count how many pieces they have left if you subtract or "take away" a certain number.
Slice It Up
Fractions can also be a delicious subject for an elementary school class. Use an easily divided item. This is a good activity to regularly intersperse through your day as your students learn fractions. Two helpful examples to demonstrate division are a pizza or a piece of fruit. Cut one piece into two to demonstrate halves. Break the lesson down one step further by cutting each half into another half to make fourths. Have students draw the foods cut into pieces in their notebooks to remember the lesson.
Shopping List
Bring in several grocery items. For perishable items, empty containers in advance. Put a price tag on each item. Next, instruct kids to buy groceries and work with a specific budget. Give kids enough play money to buy the essentials and include some "impulse" items in the displayed items to show them that people have to make choices at the supermarket to be able to afford to eat.
Sale!
Every kid has seen how grown-ups react to a sale. Present kids with fake items to purchase and not quite enough fake money to purchase it with. Then, lower the prices by 10 percent and have kids calculate whether they have enough. Next lower the prices again by 25 percent and have kids calculate the cost. Have kids calculate several different changes in percentage---particularly the basics, 10, 20, 25 and 50 percent off.