Self Checking Activities
One of my favorite time savers is self-checking activities. Students love them because they can work independently or in partners. I love them because students check their work first. If they get stuck, then they ask for help. I also love that I can assign multiple self-checking activities at the same time, so that students can be working on different content when necessary. Here’s three of my favorites:
Self-checking task cards: Matching task cards mean that students can easily figure out if they didn't do a problem correctly. Ideally I can print these on 2 different colors (one color for problems and one color for answers). Students solve the problems and match to the solutions. If everything doesn't line up, then they know they need to go back and rework a problem. There is an answer sheet which students can hand back into me. We use interactive notebooks, so since my students will have lots of time at home, they can cut out the notebook-sized cards and paste next to the solution. And yes, I am sending everyone home with two glue sticks. These are versatile enough for getting problems in multiple forms to students. Digital task cards work as well.
Paper Chains: the paper chains are simply lots of fun for the students while reviewing math concepts. The idea here is similar to the self-checking task cards. Students cut out strips of paper that have problems on them. They solve a problem and then find the solution on another strip. This strip has a new problem to solve, and so on. I can print a set of strips to send home and students can solve and assemble the chain on their own. Plus they now have a new decoration for their room :)
Puzzles: Puzzles are great because they simply don't work unless all the pieces are in the correct place. You can have 2 or 4 part puzzles that work with multiple parts of a concept such as graphing rational equations or a puzzle that fits all together such as the triangular one shown above for expanding and condensing logarithms. If my students have the capability, they can send me a picture of their completed puzzle.
Other fun self-checking options include
activities and
(this one requires a little help from someone at home to set it up).
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