Smart Ways to Use the SMARTboard in Math Lessons

Smartboards can be used in the classroom with your math lessons or for simple math examples and activities. The tools, pictures and multimedia resources can be incorporated into simple lessons or used with regular daily routines. The educator resources provided with the SMARTboard notebook software have many usable math tools in the mathematics folder.

1. Using the SMARTboard writing tools

Use the different colored pens to write out math questions. Then select the equation or question and use the “recognize text” feature to convert it to typewritten numbers. The teacher will love how easy it is to convert their printing to text. This feature can be used to write out patterns of similar questions and have the students complete the series or pattern.

Use the different markers such as the happy faces and stars to set up counting or addition questions for grades 1 and 2. Have students draw the correct number of happy faces to illustrate understanding of 2 add 3. They can draw a circle around the correct amounts of objects when trying to show 3 groups of 2.

Use the shapes on the tool bar to draw geometric shapes such as triangles, parallelograms and pentagons, easily. The fill tool can fill them with different colors to help children see hidden shapes. Select a shape and use the copy option to demonstrate multiplication. Show how shapes can fit together in patterns called tessellations. Choose a tessellation from the pictures to display a premade shape tessellation. Use the locking feature to keep 2 shapes

2. Using the Pictures and Backgrounds

There are notebook pages that can be used to help draw graphs and grids. The background pictures also have predrawn tables for data and tally charts.

Use pictures of coins in Candian dollars, American dollars or Euros to teach lessons on money. Have the students insert the correct amount of coins into a box to equal a nickel or dime. There are pictures of cash registers and dollar bills to help teach the concept of money.

Use the thermometer to show temperature increases and decreases. This helps teach positive and negative numbers. Use the clock face to teach about time. You can draw in your own hands on the clock. Use the shape pictures to teach geometry.There is a shapes background page and shapes on the toolbar such as arrows, stars and diamonds.

The parts of a tangram are provided. The tangram puzzle pieces can be used to create certain shapes. Use the protractors to teach about measuring angles. There is a 360 degree and a 180 degree protractor included. There are many pictures to aid math concepts.