Fall Math and Writing Activities

Whenever we can use something that students are excited about to teach our lessons, everything seems to be easier. Try using some fall math and writing activities to build on your students’ excitement about all the fun things that go on in the fall. And if you’re looking for fall crafts, check out this link.

Ideas for fun fall math and writing activities

Math Activities

Graphing Fall Leaves – take your students outside to look for signs of fall. While you’re outside gather up fallen leaves of as many different colors as you can find. Place the leaves in small baskets for your students. (Alternatively, you could also place them in one large basket and put the basket in your math center.) Have students pick 10 leaves from the basket and then graph the colors of the leaves in a bar graph/histogram. Ask them to make some conclusions about their results, such as the least color found or the color found the most.

What’s fall without pumpkins? Try these math activities using this fun fall fruit.

Pumpkin Predictions – use 3 pumpkins of different weights. Ask students to predict what each one weighs using “heaviest, middle weight, lightest.” Help them to come up with a data table to record the weights. Now weigh the pumpkins. How close were their predictions?
Now you can use those same 3 pumpkins to see if there’s a relationship between size and weight. Measure the circumference of the pumpkins. Then take their weight. Is there a correlation? Have students draw conclusions about the relationship between weight and circumference.
Here’s an activity using popcorn. Provide students with samples of 4 types of popcorn. You could use bagged popcorn from a store, corn popped in oil on the stove, microwave popcorn and air-popped popcorn. Label them as Sample A, Sample B, etc. so students don’t know which is which. Then conduct a survey of your class to see which kind each student likes best. You can then graph the class data by sample type. Reveal the sample types after the graph is done.

Writing and Literacy Activities

It wouldn’t be fall without apples.

Read stories about Johnny Appleseed. Students can write a letter to him to thank him for his hard work spreading apple seeds, ask him some interview questions, or comment on his life and accomplishments.

Of course, fall also means being thankful. Most cultures have some sort of gratitude holiday or festival this time of year. Why not let your kids make a list of all the things they are grateful for?

You can bring a little science into your literacy activities by reading stories about animals hibernating and getting ready for fall. Then have your students write a story with the prompt ‘If I were an animal getting ready for fall …”.

Try one of these books:

A Collection of Math and Literacy Activities

Image of a fall signs with text "Fun Activities for Fabulous Fall"

This Fall Unit is packed full of fun literacy and math activities for the fall season. Students will review and consolidate a range of ELA and math skills, as well as learn about the life-cycle of a pumpkin.

A bonus PowerPoint show: ‘Signs of Fall’ and fun game: ‘Spotlight on Fall Signs’ have been added for discussion: 34 slides in total.

CONTENT

1. FALL PUZZLES