September is here! Along with some cooler weather

September has arrived!

Here in Florida, it’s been a hot July and August (not surprising, really). With the arrival of September, I’m happy to see some of the cooler breezes arriving on our porch. September evenings are terrific evenings to go for long walks in the neighborhood, to spend some time at the swimming pool, or to visit the Disney parks! Our family much prefers to visit central Florida’s attractions in the evenings; the weather is nicer, the crowds are fewer, and as such, the lines to the various rides are much shorter.

September Interactive Math Notebooks

These days, interactive notebooks are red hot. Most of the elementary and middle school teachers I speak to are using interactive math, reading, writing, and/or science notebooks in their classrooms this fall. They’re a great way to get kids to get some hands-on practice using the various skills they will need to master during the school year.

If you’re looking for September-themed interactive lessons for your students, we’ve made a Common Core-aligned September interactive math notebook for first, second, and third grades. Inside you’ll find various interactive activities with a back-to-school and fall theme. You can find the products here:

• September Interactive Math Notebook for First Grade
• September Interactive Math Notebook for Second Grade
• September Interactive Math Notebook for Third Grade

A September poster for your classroom

Here is a free poster that you can download in PDF (or JPG format. You can put it on your classroom door or tack it to the wall to add some September charm to your decor. We hope you have a wonderful September!

Click to download

Autumn Common Core Math Puzzles

Brian writes: Autumn is my favorite season. I like the slight chill in the air – though maybe not too much of a chill – and I love to go on walks in the forest to see the fall leaves changing color. I grew up in Ontario, Canada, where the fall colors are absolutely beautiful in the months of September and October… just before the snow starts falling in earnest! The colors where we are living here in northern France are also quite beautiful, but it’s hard to top the colors in Canada and the northeastern United States.

To bring a touch of autumn to the classroom, here are a series of math puzzle packets for first, second and third grade. These are a downloadable PDF files containing a number of different puzzles that correspond to individual Common Core state standards for mathematics, currently available at the Mixminder Teachers Pay Teachers store and Mixminder Teachers Notebook store. These math puzzles can be completed as an in-class assignment, at a work station, or as a homework assignment for your class.

The math puzzles in this packet include the following activities:

• Math Stories: Combining reading and mathematics, students must solve math problems in order to find out how the story goes
• Bubble Math: Answer math problems to find pictures hidden in the bubbles
• Picture Math: Draw a picture using equal parts imagination and mathematics
• Math Grid Puzzles: Find items on a two-dimensional grid according to the answers to a series of math problems
• Math Number Search: Solve some addition and subtraction problems, then search for the answers in a grid full of numbers.

First Grade

Common Core standards: 1.OA.6, 1.NBT.3, 1.NBT.6.

Second Grade

Common Core standards: 2.OA.2, 2.NBT.4, 2.NBT.5, 2.NBT.6.

Third Grade

Common Core standards: 3.OA.7, 3.NBT.2, 3.NF.3.

The goal of these math puzzles is to bring fun to mathematics learning… these puzzles are designed to test the math skills of your students in a fun and engaging way. If you do purchase these puzzle packets, I hope that your students have a great time completing them!