Alternatives to Worksheets

We all know that it is important for students to understand content deeply and be able to apply what they have learned.  However, there is still a need for basic skill practice from time to time.  My students hate worksheets as much as I do, so I've tried to come up with some more creative ways to practice skills.

Some of my favorite alternatives to worksheets are board games, color-by-numbers activities, and task cards.  Here are some examples that I have used recently.

Angle Addition Board Game:  Directions and Questions   I put out the directions and the cards and allow students to choose one childhood board game.  Right now I have snakes and ladders, trouble, and candy land.



Angle and Perpendicular Bisector Color-By-Numbers  I have collected some color by number images here that I pull from for these activities.  Then I just copy and paste some worksheet problems to create the activity.



Area and Perimeter Task Cards  Task Cards are a good way to have students work on challenging problems.  I also use them often for word problems.  Sometimes students can be thrown off by a long list of problems.  The task cards just split the work into manageable chunks.



Comments

  1. RandiOctober 24, 2015 at 10:12 AM

    I'm at a school the limits the amount of copies we make every month. We have to get creative and use less worksheets. I used a color by number once and have wanted to get some more. Thanks for the idea.

    Teaching in an Organized Mess

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  2. abeljeOctober 24, 2015 at 12:55 PM

    Ugh, we rationed paper a few years ago :( My high school kids actually like all of this "little kid" stuff. I think they are just happy for the break from worksheet overload. The task cards and games are a great way to save paper for sure!

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