Climb the Factor Tree

The hot days of summer are still with us for a few more weeks.  Trees offer us some shade from the scorching sun and oppressive heat.  Believe it or not trees are used in school too.  In math class factor trees are helpful to use when teaching students about factors.  I like the clarity of starting with a number and breaking it down branch by branch.  Factor Trees are visual diagrams that allow students to see each factor of a whole number.      

I can see how making a factor tree on a smart board during a lesson would be good, so would practicing with a fun Factor Tree Game.  I thought it was very easy and a quick way to practice finding the prime factors.  I liked how the game gave multiple opportunities to practice with many numbers.   

Songs also teach students many concepts.  I found this song on youtube that was inspiring and explained the concept well.  Thank you Tom Petty for the original song Runnin' Down a Dream.  Rock out to this song about factor trees!