I just finished up my first activity for the school year! Yay! I'm pretty excited to try this out with my kiddos, and of course I will post an update once we complete the activity. So let's get to it!
My advanced 8th graders are starting the year off by reviewing Number Systems, specifically rational and irrational or "real" numbers. I wanted to do an activity that would get them out of their seats and review ALL of the numbers: positive, negative, rational, irrational, you name it! What better way to do this than to turn them into a giant number line!
Materials you will need:
- Plain duct tape (Colored tape works fine for this activity, as long as there isn't a pattern).
- Ruler
- Sharpie or other permanent marker
- Real Numbers Task Cards
Before class starts you will want to clear out a space to put your number line. The kiddos are going to be standing on it, so there needs to be lots of space. Create the number line by placing the duct tape on the floor in a straight line. You want the line to be as big as possible so the students aren't squished together. Using a ruler and Sharpie, label the number line in increments of two. (The increments can be different depending on class size/ability level. I have a small advanced group, so I chose two). If you are blessed with a classroom using those convenient 1 foot floor tiles you may not need a ruler. My classroom has carpet, so I need one to make my spaces even. Make sure that zero is in the center of the number line, and the line goes to positive and negative 10. You may want to cut out the task cards prior to the activity as well. I plan on laminating mine so they last awhile, but the students can always cut them out at the beginning of the class period.
The Activity
Pass out the task cards to each student. I'm incredibly lucky and only have 5 students in my advanced group this year, so my students will have multiples. I made my task cards two sided, so each student will be able to go at least twice.
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| Task Cards! Cut them out, fold them up, and you are good to go! |
One by one, have each student walk to his/her place on the number line that matches the number on the task card. You can call students one by one, or I created a "Teacher Cheat Sheet" with all of the numbers I used on the task cards. Calling them up by their task card numbers gives time for students with difficult fractions or square roots to convert their number to a decimal and figure out their place on the line. While students are waiting their turn, they will plot each number on a number line worksheet. You can easily create one of these yourself at TheMathWorksheet.com. My number line on the floor is in increments of two, so I reflected that on my number line worksheet. The worksheet provides an easy way to assess students at the end of the class period, and helps to keep students engaged while they are still at their seats.
And that's it! Continue plotting numbers on the line until the task cards run out or time runs out! I ended the lesson by reviewing which side of the number line is positive and negative, as well as what makes a rational and irrational number.
I have this lesson uploaded on my TpT store here. The download includes a full lesson plan, 28 pre-made 2 sided task cards, Teacher Cheat Sheet, and number line worksheet! I spend a lot of time creating materials for my store, and would love it if you guys checked out some of my resources. You can also easily make your own task cards using index cards if you like.
Sorry I'm low on pictures for this lesson at the moment, but more will be uploaded when we do the activity!
Thanks for reading.
Ms. B
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