Well, I've decided to change my mindset when it comes to my Made 4 Math Monday projects. Usually, I start thinking about them on Monday and don't get them finished until later in the week. I always feel bad because I'm naturally a very punctual person. I hate, hate, hate to get anywhere late. I was that student in college who felt like they were late if they got to class with only ten minutes to spare. I love getting places early. I'm the type of person who looks up on Google Maps how long it will take to get somewhere and then still leave thirty minutes or an hour early JUST IN CASE.
So, instead of feeling bad about being late for this week's Made 4 Math Monday post, I've decided that, instead, I'm just extremely early for next week's Made 4 Math Monday post.
This project was actually on my to-do list for my first year of teaching, but I never got around to it. I wanted a number line to hang on the wall of my classroom. I know that you can buy number lines at a teacher store or online that are relatively inexpensive, but I decided to make my own. After all, I take any and every opportunity to use my handy, dandy laminator. (I've had it for a year now, and it is one of my most used possessions!)
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| Printed and Laminated Number Line Pieces |
I used a pdf file that I found on a
British book publisher's website to print my number line. The file includes pages that will extend your number line from -40 to +40. However, you print only the pages you need to fit in your exact space. Since, I didn't have 25 feet of wall space to devote to an extra-large number line, I printed my number line to go from -22 to +22. I probably should have done a little trimming and made it go from a more standard -20 to +20. Oh well...
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| The left (negative) side of my number line. |
And, if you already have a number line in your classroom, this website also features a
printable pi strip that you can print that features up to the first 1000 decimal places of pi! There is also a
printable vertical thermometer scale that could possibly be utilized as a vertical number line if that is of interest to anybody. Actually, I'd just recommend that you spend a few minutes
checking out the numerous files that are available to download! If you find anything interesting or useful, leave a comment or (even better) write a blog post to share it with the world!
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| A view of (almost) the entire number line. |
I hung my number line using sticky tack above the map railing that is above my dry erase board. I really like how it turned out. The numbers are large and easy to read from across the room. I hope this will be a resource that my students will reference all year long.
If you are interested in the posters hanging on my map railing, they were downloaded from the
North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics website. Last year, I used these posters to create a
math-themed bulletin board in the back of my classroom. This year, I have different plans for that bulletin board, but I still wanted to feature these posters in my classroom.
