Illuminations – A Website for Learning Math
An Interactive NCTM Resource Providing Activities for K-12 Students
Jul 28, 2008
This website is provides online resources which are based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards for teaching and learning activities for all K-12 students. The activities on this website are designed for use by teachers, parents, students, and home schools. The website provides interactive math resources in the areas of standards, lessons, activities, and weblinks.
Interactive Math Categories
The activities are for elementary school, middle school, and high school on the website focus on four main categories:
Standards – standards based activities are used for supporting teaching and learning math. The standards are presented in grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Math topics or concept areas for the 72 activities in this category cover topics in:
- Numbers and Operations – the development of number sense and basic arithmetic skills.
- Algebra – relationships among quantities, symbols, modeling of phenomena, and study of change.
- Geometry – the study of spatial sense.
- Measurement – assignment of numerical values to describe objects.
- Data Analysis and Probability – students learn to make connections in mathematics with other school subjects and their everyday life experiences.
Activities – these are interactive web-based activities which cover the same topic areas and are grade bands listed above. A brief list of examples include:
- Fire – simulates the spread of a forest fire using probability.
- Circle Grapher – allows students to create a customized circle graph with their own data or use provided data.
- Cubes – students determine the volume of a box by using cubes.
Lessons – provides teachers of math with 501 pre-developed lessons for grade bands and math topics listed above, which include:
- Learning Objectives – specific learning objectives of the lesson.
- Materials Needed – description of materials teacher supplies and supporting worksheets to download and print out.
- Instructional Plan – step-by-step process for teaching the lesson.
- Questions for Students – sample questions to ask students regarding the lesson’s objectives.
- Assessment Options – sample assessments teachers can use or they can use their own.
- Extension Activities – activities to challenge the faster students in the class.
- Teacher Reflection – how well did the lesson work and what improvements need to be made, if any.
- Standards and Expectations – specific NCTM standards addressed in the lesson.
Weblinks – provides 724 interactive online math websites and lesson plans for teaching and learning math using the grade bands and topics listed above. A brief list of examples include:
- Rent A Car – this activity uses a real-world situation to illustrate linear functions.
- Number Cruncher – uses a function machine for developing an understanding of addition, subtraction, and multiplication operations.
- Flight Path -- students are tasked with determining the shortest routes for airplanes between cities.
Teaching and Learning Math Resources
This website’s resources for teaching math are an excellent addition to any teacher’s or home school parent’s strategies and techniques. The website supports learning math by:
- Providing resources for students to prepare them to meet the 21st Century math skills they need to be fluent in to be successful in life.
- Providing web-based resources to support the teaching strategies and techniques used by teachers and home school parents.
The NCTM Illuminations website is focused on the national math standards, which every school district uses as a model for local standards and standardized tests use as a basis for question development. An additional website, An Interactive K-12 Math Website provides online resources to support interactive math activities to the Illuminations website.
