Grade 7 Online Student Activities
Also appropriate Grade 8
Integer Product Game
Purpose
Developing fluency with multiplication and division of integers
Description
A two-player game in which players take turns choosing a pair of integers numbers from a pre-determined list of 12 choices, ranging from -99 to 99. For each product they form, they place a chip on a board, on the appropriate number. A student has to think about the consequences of choosing a number on the factors list; how to position himself or herself to make a mark while thinking about how his/her opponent(s) might be able to benefit from the factor choice. First player to have four chips in a row wins.
Virtual Box
How to Use (Video) | Launch Virtual Box
Purpose
Finding the surface area and volume of rectangular prisms
Description
Students create boxes of various dimensions, unfold the boxes to create nets, and "fill" the boxes with cubes to calculate volume. This activity facilitates understanding volume of prisms as "filling the base" and looking at the "number of stacks" to fill a prism.
Climbing Monkeys
How To Use (Video) | Launch Climbing Moneys
Purpose
Exploring patterns of change in equations and graphs; modeling the climb or decline of the monkeys using two linear algebraic equations
Description
Students set the "climbing options" for two monkeys, and watch the monkeys ascend or descend palm trees. The vertical heights of the monkeys are graphed on an associated grid. Monkeys can climb up or down, move at different speeds, and start from different heights.
Paper Pool
Purpose
Investigating the pattern of bounces a pool ball makes its way around pool tables of various dimensions
Description
Students shoot a ball on a pool table and predict a) in which pocket the ball will stop and b) how many hits are needed. They can vary the dimensions of the table to begin to see patterns and relationships that will inform their predictions. Students gather and organize data, search for patterns, recognize similar rectangles, and use the simplest ratio to predict the stopping pocket and number of hits.
Related Links
Related Video - (Donald Duck learns the math in billiards.)