I was in the shower (sorry if TMI:)) ready to bang my head against the wall over the struggles I was having teaching the distributive property to my class. I tried everything I could think of and it was boring the kids to tears. Suddenly it hit me!
I ran down the stairs and quickly dumped all my thoughts down on paper! I even told my husband that he couldn’t talk until I finished thinking.
The Array Bakery went so well in my class! I created 7 centers that the students could rotate through. These centers could easily be mixed and matched to meet any teacher’s needs. I included:
•Bakery Stories (Multiplication/Division story problems)
•Pie Fact Triangles (mult/division)
•Bakery Fact Spin (multiplication facts)
•Distributive Baking Pans
•Commutative Sheet Cakes
•You’re the Baker (food center: optional)
-Version A: Distributive Cake
-Version B: Array Cake
•Bakery Array Craft
I promise this is LOW PREP! I included directions sheets to post at each center (2 different sizes) so that your students can be responsible for their success. Each center includes color materials and black & white student recording sheets. I laminated the cards in order to make them last a little longer (but it is not required).
Each direction sheet allows you to check off the amount you want students to do (more or fewer problems depending on time constraints). This helps to tailor the activites to what you need.
These activities can be used as centers, rotations, independent work, and even as part of a room transformation! I just grabbed things I had laying around my kitcher! It was amazing how excited they got just by using a few table cloths and putting the cards in some measuring cups.
I hope you get a chance to check it out! You can take a closer look here in my TpT Store.
~Heather Johnson 33
