Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to kick off the year in your math classroom? Well, the same old math lessons won’t cut it. Say goodbye to the yawns and snoozes that sometimes accompany the first week of rules and procedures, and say hello to a math classroom bursting with imagination and engagement. How, you ask? I have gathered 5 amazing math writing prompts that are perfect for the beginning of the school year. You’ll be able to create a buzz and excitement for the year to come while also getting to know your students and their math skills!
Why Writing Prompts in Math Are Mind-Blowingly Awesome
Why the hype about these writing prompts in math class? First off, it’s different and your students won’t expect it. Break down those math walls by starting the year with writing. These prompts are like bridges that connect math to the real world. They are like a sneak peek into why math class is so valuable.
Plus, they turn your math class into a creative think tank. When your students write about math, they’re not just solving problems; they’re explaining their thoughts. And dare I say you will learn more about your students as people through these prompts than you will through a traditional ice breaker.
With these math writing prompts, you’re not just teaching numbers. You’re igniting a passion for math that’ll (hopefully) last a lifetime. Let’s take a look at some of these prompts!
5 Math Writing Prompts for the First Week of School
1. Math-Powered Welcome Back to School BBQ
Calling all event planners, get ready to throw the ultimate Welcome Back to School BBQ that’ll be talked about all school year! Imagine stepping into the role of the party mastermind, but with a twist – this isn’t just any shindig. It’s a math-fueled fiesta. Your mission? Plan a spectacular Welcome Back to School BBQ for your class or even the whole school, and use math skills to make it a hit!
Research and budget for decorations, utensils, plates, napkins, and the star of the show – the delicious food, of course! Use your math skills to calculate how much of everything you need, factoring in the number of guests. How many plates, forks, and napkins are required? How much barbecue sauce to slather on those juicy burgers?
Then it’s time to get spatial. Think about the layout of your event. Are you setting up on the field, in the cafeteria, or maybe in the gym? You’ve got to figure out how many tables and chairs are needed and then put on your space-planning hat to ensure everything fits perfectly. Imagine creating a map where every table, chair, and food station finds its ideal spot, maximizing both comfort and party vibes.
Teacher Tip: Whether your kiddos actually do the event in real life or just plan it out, they are applying real-world math skills (budgeting to geometry) in an authentic and fun way!
2. Summer Snapshot Geometry Scavenger Hunt
Alright, memory-makers and shape-spotters, get ready for a math adventure that starts with your very own summer snapshots! Whether you’re sharing a vacation memory, a special event, or a scene close to your heart, you’re about to dive into a world of shapes and geometry that’s hiding in plain sight.
First things first, look through your camera roll and choose a picture of something you did this summer. Whether it’s sandy beaches, laughter-filled barbecues, or your favorite park hangout, let your snapshot be a glimpse into your summer story. Describe the picture – what’s happening, who’s there, and why it’s special to you. Let your words paint the scene for your readers.
Now, here’s where the math magic comes in. Take a closer look at your picture and embark on a geometry scavenger hunt! Search for shapes and patterns that might be hiding in your snapshot. Are there triangles formed by rooftops? Squares in the tiles underfoot? Circles in the sun or moon? Let your math detective skills shine as you identify and circle these geometric gems.
Lastly, connect the dots between your picture and the shapes you found by using vocabulary terms. Maybe that sunny beach scene has triangles in the sails of sailboats, parallelograms in beach towels, or even hexagons in the patterns of the sand. Explain how the geometry within your picture adds another layer of meaning to your summer memory knowing math is surrounding you!
Teacher Tip: Have a variety of photos available for students to choose from if they don’t have their own picture (or allow them to bring one from home). Using what you know about your student community, try to include pictures that might represent what your students did during the summer.
3. Math & Me
You are an amazing and unique person. It’s time to share about yourself with your new classmates. But there’s a twist. . . you must incorporate math in your description. In this activity, you’ll be using your math skills to create riddles that reveal fun facts about yourself, making it an awesome way to get to know your classmates through the world of numbers and puzzles.
Think about interesting facts from your life that you’d like to share – maybe it’s how many family members you have, your birthday month, or the number of trips you’ve taken. Now, turn these facts into math riddles. Challenge yourself to create questions that require a bit of math to solve, adding an extra layer of intrigue.
Once you’ve crafted your riddles, swap them with a partner or share them in a small group. Let your classmates put on their detective hats and use their math skills to solve your riddles. It’s a fun and engaging way to learn more about each other while waking up those math muscles!
As your classmates solve your riddles, reveal the answers and the interesting facts they unveil. It’s like a math-infused show-and-tell session where everyone gets to learn cool things about their peers in a playful and brain-stretching way.
Teacher Tip: Begin with your own math riddle and demonstrate how it works. This will help your students understand the activity and encourage them to create their own engaging riddles. A couple of examples are:
- I’m part of a family of 6. Add the number of letters of my favorite animal, ‘cat’, and the result is the number of siblings I have. How many do I have?
- If I multiply the number of days in a week by 2 and then subtract the number of months in a year, I get the answer to when my birthday is. What’s my birthday month?
4. Travel the World of Math: If You Could Go Anywhere
Alright, math adventurers, get ready to let your imagination take flight in a whirlwind journey of numbers and places! Imagine you’ve got a magic passport that lets you travel anywhere in the world, but with a twist—you’re going on a math-powered exploration. Whether you choose to jet off to the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, or even the depths of the Amazon rainforest, your mission is to discover the math hidden in every corner of your chosen destination.
Pick your dream travel spot and dive deep into its mathematical secrets. Maybe it’s measuring the angles of architectural wonders, calculating the distances between landmarks, or exploring the patterns in nature unique to that location.
You choose the destination and the math concept you want to use to explore it. For example, if you’re strolling through a bustling market, you could count the symmetrical patterns in the fruit stacks, figure out the ratios of different types of goods being sold, or determine which fruit stand has the best price per pound of fruit.
I can’t wait to see where the wonderful world of math takes you!
Teacher Tip: Have a list of recommended websites or some maps and travel brochures available for students to reference as they respond to this prompt. You can also connect with a social studies teacher for a joint effort activity during the first weeks of the year.
5. Math Time Capsule: Messages for Future Math Wizzes
It’s time to share your math knowledge with future generations. As a class, we will be creating a time capsule that won’t be opened for 50 years. We’ll pack it with letters loaded with math insights and puzzles. It’s passing on math magic to your fellow mathematicians of the future. How cool is that?
Imagine future mathematicians cracking open the time capsule and stumbling upon your nugget of math wisdom.
As a class, brainstorm some intriguing math concepts that you’ve learned. Think about ideas that future mathematicians will find fascinating. Perhaps it’s exploring patterns in nature, understanding multiplication with strategies you know, or unraveling the mystery of shapes and symmetry.
Each of you will craft a letter to future middle school math students. Share one of the math concepts you brainstormed and explain it in a way that’s easy to understand. Add in how you apply the math skill to your life to explain the “why” behind needing to learn it! Throw in a math puzzle or two that will work their minds.
Through your letters and puzzles, you’re building a bridge to future mathematicians, igniting their passion for math. You’ll be their motivator as they continue exploring the world of math in their year!
Teacher Tip: Show your students just how exciting it can be to open a time capsule and get a glimpse of the past. You might use a scene from a movie or book to build excitement about this activity.
Writing Prompts are Impactful in Math
These creative math writing prompts hold the power to transform the way students think about math and the real world. They provide a platform for students to explore the far-reaching domains where math extends its influence.
As you dive into these prompts during that first week of middle school, remember that you’re not just doing math – you’re embarking on a journey full of creativity and discovery. While you are helping your students get excited about math and what they will be learning, you also have so many opportunities to get to know your students and their math abilities.
Happy writing in math class!
Looking for writing prompts to help your students add details to their reasoning? Check out my blog post, Help Middle School Math Students Improve Problem-Solving Skills. Free recording sheets are included to help your students strengthen their math problem-solving and math communication skills!
Save for Later
Remember to pin this post to your favorite math Pinterest board to return to when you need creative writing prompts for your math classes!
