Factors and Multiples Anchor Charts and Teaching Ideas

Factors and Multiples Anchor Charts and Teaching Ideas- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini How many of you are knee deep in fractions right now?

Last week, we started talking about factors, multiples, simplifying, equivalents, and more. Before I knew it, my student’s eyes looked a bit cross. Many of them were tripping up on the difference between a factor and a multiple. No matter how many times we repeated it, wrote it, acted it out, they couldn’t quite remember.

Then,  I remembered this fantastic anchor chart that I saw a while back about a factor ninja and multiple monster – you can see the originals HERE.

…and VOILA!!!

With a little Miss Nannini touch, I had my kids chopping up products all afternoon (with ninja sound effects of course).

They absolutely loved these ideas to help them remember the difference between the two concepts!

Here they are on our math focus wall (or door):

As a quick formative assessment, we threw out our typical paper/pencil test and created artistic posters instead. Sometimes you need to create alternative assessments, especially when your kids have spring fever, and it is conference week.

I had each student take their student number (unless they were #1 and #2…they were assigned different numbers) and list out all of the multiples and factors of their student number. They also had to give me their own definition of factors and multiples. I didn’t give them any other guidelines besides the fact that they could be as creative as they would like when decorating them.

Has my obsession with doodle borders gone to my kids now, too!?

We finished these in one math block, and it was a fun way of giving me a quick check of where they’re currently at with these concepts.

Here are a few more examples of the finished assessments:

How cute is this student’s poster?! He asked if he could “theme” his poster, with Despicable Me. Of course I couldn’t say no. I have such a creative group this year, so any chance for art is a must!

*I wanted to update those of you who purchased my March Madness Math Project. I updated all of the rounds to reflect the new tournament “lingo” this year. I also updated all of the websites to include the current brackets. Go re-download your updated version for free, or if you don’t have it go check it out HERE! It starts this WEEK!!!!

Have a great week!

24 Comments

  1. What an excellent factor and multiple lesson! I am definitely going to use your ideas!!
    Bethany
    fabandfunin4th.blogspot.com

  2. How cuuuuuuuuute! I love the Factor Ninja and Multiple Monster!! I bet the kids really love it! I love that you didn’t do a “test” assessment!! I bet they’ll remember it even better!!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

  3. We do this unit earlier in the year (Unit 1 of the Investigations curriculum), and I pinned this later in the fall for use next year. I love this formative assessment! As a random aside, like you, I’m a bit obsessed with doodle borders :) There are far worse things to be into, lol!

  4. Thanks Heather! I wish we started with fractions! It’s such a huge part of our curriculum and our pacing guides start us in fractions now. I would love to change that for next year! Thanks for your comments!

  5. Kiss that brain! Awesome idea. I am going to be pinning it. Thank you for letting us in.
    Kim
    differentiationdiving.blogspot.com

  6. Hi!
    I just came across your page while blog hopping. I love your ideas! My husband is a huge basketball fan – so I see those basketball brackets EVERY season! I never thought to make it a learning experience for the kids! GREAT IDEA! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Ashleigh
    The Creation Station

  7. Anonymous says:

    Hi! I am a final year education student in Australia and am in a grade 5 class at the moment. I absolutely love the ideas in this lesson and am planning to use some of them in my next lesson! I am looking forward to exploring your blog and other teaching ideas :)

  8. Anonymous says:

    I am a math interventionist for 5-8 grade and the students I work with always get factor and multiple mixed up. This is such a great idea and I can’t wait to introduce it to my students. What a great visual and fun way to remember which is which! Thank you for sharing the idea.

  9. Would love to be able to print out your anchor charts. They are super cute and I am not as artistic …. Love the formative assessment. My 4th graders would love this as they are still trying to understand the difference between factors and multiples/.

    1. Kristine Nannini says:

      Thanks so much for your comments, Kelli!

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  11. Love your ideas multiple and factor anchor charts!!! I made ones similar. Thank you for helping get my ideas onto paper!

  12. Loved the Factor Ninja – Chopping Up Products. Formative Assessment is too good. Will definitely use with my students. Thanks!!

    1. Kristine Nannini says:

      Thanks! I’m so glad to hear that!

  13. What fantastic ideas. Thank you for inspiring me! x

    1. Kristine Nannini says:

      Thanks so much, Parny!

  14. I liked both the charts. Now i am in 4th standerd. Now i am making the chart of factors and multiples. Thank you.

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