ACC Math

In North Carolina, March means basketball.  Everyone has a “team.”   And if you’re a kid and you don’t have a team, you pretend to be a fan of your teacher’s team just so you can get in on the banter.  My coworkers and I spend the Friday of the ACC tournament doing ACC math, and the graph outside my room of favorite teams is always mounted on yellow paper and a little heavier on the Wake Forest tally than a general population survey would reflect. 

I’ve never been too good at encouraging holiday fun in my classroom.  That’s one reason I teach upper grades instead of primary grades (the older kids are a little more forgiving if you aren’t into crafts and glitter).  But if March Madness counts as a holiday, it’s hands-down my favorite.  I’ve always spearheaded the “ACC Math” push on my grade level the second week in March.  I have one coworker who isn’t from around here and she has yet to figure out what all the hysteria is about.  When I start pushing worksheets and activities with basketballs and brackets her way, she still looks at me like I’m a little bit crazy.

Maybe I am… But I’m betting some of you are too.  So for all of us who take March Madness both seriously and literally, I’ve got a new product in my TPT store.  I used actual player names and team statistics from the 2014-2015 basketball season, and I plan to update the document annually by March 1^st, so purchase now and be covered for ACC Tournament week year after year (this year it’s March 10^th-14^th). 

Start planning now because there are 60 math problems (4 for each of the 15 ACC teams) suited best for 4^th and 5^th graders in my ACC Math Task Cards.  Topics covered include multi-digit addition and subtraction, long division and multiplication (including multiplicative comparisons and multiples), measurement conversion, and rounding.  Recording sheet and answer keys are included.  

Happy March Madness and Go insert your favorite team here!!!                  (…if you don’t have one…pick fast if you live in NC!)