New on Mathwire.com:   October 2009

Featured Topic: Pumpkin Math

Each of the math activities in this new Mathwire collection capitalizes on students' love of pumpkins. Fall is the season that students begin the search for their own "perfect pumpkin" so these activities were created to help students develop mathematical concepts using a pumpkin theme.

Activities and resources in this Mathwire collection include

  • math mats
  • measurement
  • symmetry
  • glyphs & graphing ideas
  • math-literature connections
  • games
  • problem solving
  • links to additional internet activities
  • View the Mathwire Math Activity Themes: Pumpkin Math to view and download the pumpkin activities You'll find a variety of resources to meet the differentiated needs for additional practice or challenging enrichment.

Recent Additions to Mathwire.com

Added on October 15, 2009: Candy Bingo Cards

Bingo is a great game that provides number recognition practice for pre-kindergarten through first grade students. This set of bingo cards includes 10 different bingo cards and a set of blank cards teachers may use to have students create their own winning cards. The range of numbers they may use for each column is posted at the bottom of each column. This is another terrific skill as students must choose appropriate numbers that fall within each range, including the endpoints in this case.

Download the Candy Bingo Cards for a great seasonal math activity. The cards work for the entire fall season. Teachers may use unit cubes, bingo markers or candy corn for the bingo pieces.


Added on October 6, 2009: Pumpkin Games

Pumpkin Jumble Game

Pumpkin Jumble Game: students toss a die to get pattern blocks to add to create a jack-o-lantern face. The first person to complete his/her jack-o-lantern wins the game. This game develops the concept of probability of a single die as students also have opportunities for Lucky or Unlucky tosses that add a twist to the game.

Data Collection & Analysis: This simple game provides a great opportunity for data collection and analysis of the probability of a one-die toss.

  • Simply have students use the Pumpkin Jumble Game Data Recording Sheet to record each die toss. After completing the game, students may add their results to a class data table to see if each number does indeed have an equal chance of winning.
  • Let each student play independently until he/she completes the jack-o-lantern. Each student should use the Pumpkin Jumble Game Data Recording Sheet to record each die toss. Total the number of die tosses needed to complete the jack-o-lantern and add this data to a class line plot. Analyze the class results to determine the average number of tosses needed to complete the jack-o-lantern.

Pumpkin Farm Game

This game was designed to provide practice in reading coordinate pairs. First students arrange 12 pumpkins on their own Pumpkin Farm mat, making sure their opponent cannot see where they have placed the pumpkins. It is easy to stand up folders to block each student's view of the other pumpkin farm during the whole game.

Once the pumpkins have been planted, the first student calls out the coordinates for an ordered pair (i.e. A3 or D6). If the other player has a pumpkin on that space, Player 1 captures the pumpkin and the points. Play continues in this Battleship-type game until one player finds all of the pumpkins or time runs out. Students use a recording sheet to mark their guesses and whether or not they have captured a pumpkin.

Download he Pumpkin Farm Game. The pdf file includes the Pumpkin Farm game mat, pumpkin pieces, directions and a recording sheet. The directions also provide different options for ending the game.


Added on October 6, 2009: Pumpkin Farm problem

Pumpkin Farm is a sneaky way to get students to analyze the meaning of remainders in long division. Students must figure out which character will be the 100th to be printed on a neon signboard. The file contains the student handout as well as a detailed possible solution.



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