I can guarantee that if you walk into any elementary classroom, you will see a Word Wall. When I was a classroom teacher, it was the expectation to have a Word Wall up and accessible for students. But, how was it supposed to look? How would the students use it? The answer to those questions were vague, so, of course, the Word Wall was present, but not part of classroom instruction.
It became my mission to create a Word Wall that had purpose so that the students would use it. I wanted to make my Word Wall interactive.
Differences between Traditional and Interactive Word Walls
An interactive word wall includes graphics, visuals and real life objects (realia) to represent words. It is beneficial for all students, including English Learners, because they are able to relate pictures and objects with words to create meaning.
Created by Students
Ben Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” When a Word Wall is interactive and student created, it serves a purpose. Students will become more fluent with academic vocabulary because they are helping to create it. Invite students to bring things from home. You’ll even find that students will do this without you even asking!
Here is an example of a 4th grade student who brought a Slinky for the vocabulary word Expanded Form.
Supporting Our English Learners
Interactive Math Word Walls are very helpful for English Learners. Since Math is taught in English and requires reading skills, students often struggle through word problems due to their lack of academic vocabulary knowledge. Offer your students the chance to work with graphics, visuals and real life objects in order to master vocabulary. If there aren’t enough items for each student, use manipulatives on the overhead or posted throughout the classroom, and demonstrate the vocabulary in front of the students. This will also help students understand multiple meaning words. Encourage your students to explain their meanings in their first language to each other.
So…I have my Interactive Word Wall Up. Now What?
Just think of things for the students to do with the cards. The idea is for students to interact with the words in some way. Have students resort the word wall words. Have them pull a word that they will illustrate and then return to the wall. Have students pull two or more words at random and then explain the connection between the words. Have students identify which words are hard/easy for them to learn. Use the words to play popular games like Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Hangman, and Bingo.
Provide sentence stems for the students to use when accessing the words.
On his website, Jason Reynolds writes, “Here’s what I plan to do. Not write boring books.” Unfortunately, many students just don’t enjoy reading anymore. Why is that? There could be many reasons: lack of books to choose from, too easy or difficult, and quality. Another reason is that the books are not piquing students’ interests. Books that can truly capture a day in the life of middle school students are remarkable. It is not an easy thing to do, but Jason Reynolds does a superb job in Look Both Ways. His unique style of writing and masterful storytelling leaves the student wanting to read more from him.
Look Both Ways is told through ten blocks, or chapters – each offering a different character’s perspective of their walk on the way home from Latimer Middle School. The blocks, or chapters, are shorter and can be read in any order. The fact that the characters walk home from school offers a sense of autonomy and is relatable. They will also notice that the story lines cleverly cross, with characters intersecting paths on the walk home. In a time where representation matters, Look Both Ways, does not disappoint. Readers will quickly be able to relate to a character if they are shy, the jock, picked on, a girl, a boy, or dealing with hard times. They are given just enough detail and will be able to come to their own conclusions. Jason Reynold’s truly understands what young readers want.
Key Takeaways:
For Teachers: Jason Reynold’s Look Both Ways gives teachers an opportunity to use more diverse characters and authors in their classroom instruction. It offers many teachers a glimpse into a world that they may not necessarily be familiar with. The best way to reach all students is by building relationships with them. Teachers need to meet students on their “turf.” Look Both Ways creates a talking point for teachers to have with their students. In return, student success will increase as well as student/teacher relationships.
For Students (Central Themes or Main Ideas): It has been said that Jason Reynold’s himself was not an avid reader when he was in middle school. Once students hear of this, they can easily see themselves as similar to Jason. Thus, they are more likely to read this book, many of his other books, and, perhaps, be inspired to write! In addition, the many diverse characters in the book offer students varying points of view surrounding a common theme that they are familiar with. They will easily be able to connect to what they are reading, and their comprehension of the literature will be enhanced.
Recommended Strategies for use with this book to achieve Education Justice or Classroom Equity: Begin by asking your students, “How can you change the world?” Empowering the students in your classroom is an integral part of creating a classroom that celebrates equity. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds is book that can be used as a way for students to understand the many directions that their lives many take. Not only do they need to look both ways. They can look right in front of themselves and on down the road to answer this question. This is a wonderful time to encourage discourse amongst the students. The question can serve as a guiding theme for the class as the school year progresses. Have students choose a character from the book that they relate to and create a slide show depicting their similarities and differences. An extension could be to have your student identify their character’s main problem and relate how they would have solved it differently or rewrite the ending of a chapter.
Reflection:
Up until a month and a half ago, I was not familiar with Jason Reynolds or his books. My son, Noah, read one of his books from the Ghost series last year in sixth grade English. With the “new normal” of virtual learning, I was looking for ways to get my son to read more. Like most kids his age, he would rather be on his cell phone! I ran across Kwame Alexander’s post on Instagram about his “live” read aloud of The Crossover. I knew that Noah had read it this year, so I suggested that we follow along with Kwame using my personal copy of the book. Evidently, each week a new author would be reading “live.” The next week was Jacqueline Woodson reading Brown Girl Dreaming. Luckily, I also had a copy of this book! Noah and I were really enjoying reading along with the authors. They would stop during the reading and discuss why they chose to write a line a certain way. It was quite intimate, and we felt special learning these new things. When Jacqueline announced the next week’s author and book, Jason Reynold’s Look Both Ways, I immediately went to Amazon and made a purchase!
On Monday morning at 10:30, Jason Reynolds appeared before us. I learned something very special about Look Both Ways. The chapters do NOT have to be read in order. You can skip around any way that you’d like because each chapter occurs on the same day at Latimer Middle School. It just has different characters. What is unique about the characters is that they cross paths with each other in the different chapters. Noah and I thoroughly enjoyed the read aloud and the stories that Jason told. For example, his favorite chapter is The Low Cuts. He also mentioned that we may have noticed that he changed some of the words as he read aloud. This was a reminder that authors are always revising – even after they’ve published. When our week with Jason Reynolds was over, I ordered the Ghost series so that Noah and I could continue reading together. I was just thankful that I had found books that would peak my son’s interest, and that we could do this meaningful work together.
One concept that has consistently proven to be a challenge for students is Data Analysis – especially in the upper grades, third through fifth. I used to be puzzled as to why, but now it is quite clear. It all comes back to math processes and procedures that need to be ingrained in ALL problem solving.
I am an Instructional Specialist in Texas and our standards, the TEKS, have Process Standards that are consistent, from K-5.
They state:
Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to:
(D) communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate
(E) create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas
(F) analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas
Similarly, the Common Core have Mathematical Practices that are consistent, K-5.
They state:
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and proficiencies” with longstanding importance in mathematics education.
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP4 Model with mathematics.
So, despite where you live and teach, your state has similar expectations for data analysis. You may be thinking, “I’m aware of these types of standards, but what does that have to do with why our students are not successful with data?” Don’t worry. The responsibility does not fall on your shoulders alone. Data is taught in all grade levels and builds upon the prior years’ knowledge. It’s important to create a strong foundation. Utilizing PLC (Professional Learning Community) time, both horizontally with your team and vertically with other grade levels, to plan would be useful and valuable.
Co-Create Criteria
My current district has been implementing Jan Chappuis’ Seven Strategies ofAssessment for Learning where K-12 classroom teachers are given an incisive look at seven practical strategies structured around three essential questions – Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
On this journey, we are teaching the students to self-assess. “With this strategy, we transfer ownership of learning to the student” (Chappuis, 2015, pg.12). There are three steps in this process.
The first step involves students setting and using criteria as evidence for their learning.Often times, rubrics and checklists fall in this step. The key factor about rubrics and checklists is that they are not meaningful unless the student has helped to create them.
The most successful way is to allow students to set their own criteria. This makes the experience more meaningful and they will be more likely to use it. It will allow them to build upon prior knowledge of graphs and will allow students to see parallels through the different types of graphs. I had the fortunate opportunity to see the co-creating process done in a 3rd grade Dual Language Math Class. The two new types of graphs for 3rd grade (in Texas) are Dot Plots and Frequency Tables. Students are already familiar with Bar Graphs and Pictographs from prior years. As you can see in the picture below, the teacher co-created criteria for the four graphs with her students. She provided an example of each and allowed the students to analyze the graphs. They were able to visibly “see” that the four graphs did indeed have many similarities. These similarities gave the students confidence in their new learning. The teacher organized the criteria the students called out by listing in the same order and then adding the criteria that was different. As you can see, this practice is quite powerful because the students are analyzing the graphs according to their attributes. They are then more likely to view these attributes long before attempting to answer a question about the graph.
I Notice/I Wonder
Ever wonder what’d they notice? A great video!
“Using noticing and wondering as a tool for getting unstuck helps students realize that it’s more than just an activity – it’s a skill that helps them throughout the problem-solving process.” – Ray, M. Powerful problem solving: Activities for sense making with the mathematical practices
Another thing that I have noticed when working on data analysis questions with students is their tendency to totally skip over the graph, chart, map, table, etc. and immediately try to answer the question. No special attention is given to analyzing the information that is given. A great activity to use when introducing the Data Analysis unit it to allow the students to take a Gallery Walk of graphs with the questions taken away. Have the students take time to Notice and write down what they notice on sticky notes of one color. On another sticky note with a different color, ask the students to write down what they still Wonder.
Here are some examples that I’ve used in past lessons:
Here are some things that you may Notice:
The scale skip counts by 50.
There are 4 categories.
Category 1 is 75, category 2 is 200, Category 3 is 125, and Category 4 is 175
Category 2 has the largest number.
Category 1 has the smallest number
Category 1 and 3 combined is 200, which the same amount as Category 2.
Here are some things you may Wonder:
I wonder if this is a graph about sports and number of fans?
I wonder what is the total amount.
I wonder what this graph could be about.
Would it make sense for this graph to be about grades for subjects?
What do you notice and wonder about the following graphs?
You can learn so much about your students…. misconceptions, prior knowledge, vocabulary, and skills! This becomes an excellent chance for mathematical discourse. Encourage your students to justify and explain their thinking on the sticky notes. Hopefully, this new skill will prove to students that they are likely to solve the answer to the question in their notice and wonder. So, when they get to the actual questions, they will be prepared.
Here is an example of an I Notice/ I Wonder from a 2nd Grade Math class:
Ways that Notice and Wonder activities can support students:
Connect their own thinking to the math they are about to do. Background Knowledge
Feel safe (there are no right answers or more important things to notice) Take Risks
Find as much math as they can in a scenario, not just the path to the answer.
If you find that your class doesn’t seem to enjoy notice and wondering it’s probably because you are doing lots of restating. Students must recognize their own ideas in their own words as they are beginning the problem solving process.
Some things to remember when using I Notice/I Wonder:
Make a public record of noticings and wonderings and keep them on display through the problem solving process. Check back on them when feeling stuck.Use notice and wondering as a way to step back when you’re stuck:
Notice and wonder about the problem text/images again. Look for new things to add to your noticing and wondering list.
Notice and wonder about your own work – read through what you’ve done so far and let your mind freely come up with noticings and wonderings.
Ask a partner to notice and wonder about your work. Just let them say what jumps out at them and what it makes them wonder.Use wonderings as a way to say the things that are in the back of your mind. Try to wonder at least five things like:
I wonder if it would help to….
I wonder if it’s worth it to try…
I wonder what would happen if…
I wonder if _______ would work …
I wonder why they wrote/drew ______ this way…
Below, I have included links to lessons that I’ve done with students using I Notice/I Wonder with Data Analysis. Enjoy!
Problem Solving: Analyzing a Table and Using Cuisenaire Rods
Data Analysis: I Notice/I Wonder, Part 1 and Part 2
The past five years of my professional career have been quite a journey. I stepped out of the classroom and became an Instructional Specialist for my school district. I was eager about the role, but I missed my students terribly. The relationships that were developed with them and their families have made a lasting impression on my heart and my career. I also felt an emptiness….one that left me feeling passionless and looking for my true purpose. I just didn’t know what it was…that is until a quote on Facebook caught my attention.
I was immediately inspired and wanted to know where the quote came from. It turned out it was from Chris Emdin’s book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…And the Rest of Y’all Too. Shoot! I was hooked on the title of the book alone, y’all! I quickly ordered a copy and took it on vacation with me and read it cover to cover on the long train ride from Berlin to Amsterdam. The book was literally filled with sticky notes and highlighted lines. It was gently loved over those six hours. Looking back, I realize that the words on those pages mirrored my philosophy for education and why I had been successful at the two Title 1 Schools that I had taught at. It finally gave me a name to call it – Culturally Responsive Instruction – and set me forth on a new journey. It’s a journey that I’m still currently on and want to take the time to share the many ups and downs thus far.
Year One
I came back to work quite inspired and ready to share the truth that I read in the book. I was eager to start a book study after creating a Facebook Group called Culturally Responsive Instruction. A few people bought the book, but the book study kind of fizzled out after chapter 2. Mr. Emdin’s frankness in the book wasn’t necessarily comfortable for all readers. I shared my thoughts with whoever I thought would listen, but I realized that just because I was passionate about culturally responsive instruction didn’t mean that everyone else was. In fact, it may have made some uncomfortable. One interesting thing that I also found was that many people that I did speak with truly believed that they were delivering culturally responsive instruction and weren’t necessarily open to any new changes. I was also thankful that a colleague of mine invited me to present with her on her campus about math and reaching our students of color. I must admit, I felt energized because she accepted me and wanted to include me. I just wanted the same opportunity on my own campus. I had to balance the many roles of an Instructional Specialist, and being Culturally Responsive was not as high on the list.
An opportunity finally arose for the end of the year. We were planning our 2017 summer professional development sessions and I came up with the idea to collaborate with the bilingual department and do a session of reaching our English Learners in math. Since Math is a universal language and taught in English, there is not the same support as there is in Reading. I felt that a session using Sheltered Instruction, differentiated instruction, and culturally responsive instruction for Math would be a winning combination for the teachers in the school district. After all, many teachers had English Learners in their classroom and weren’t teaching Bilingual or Dual Language Classes. Plus – Sheltered, differentiated, and culturally responsive instruction are considered best practices so all students would benefit, right? I eagerly shared emails with the information about the session with all elementary principals so that they would encourage their teachers to attend. I was so excited to share my passion with these teachers. Unfortunately, the session was titled Sheltered Math and was on the same day as a two day Stem training. Since it was titled Sheltered Math, only bilingual teachers considered coming and there were only 4 or 5 that showed up. The rest in the audience were my colleagues that were supposed to be there anyways. It was disappointing, I must say. Imagine planning for weeks ahead of time for a full day session and having a small amount of teachers attend. Unfortunately, I was only looking at the glass as half empty instead of realizing that even if I reached just 1 or 2 people, I was making a difference. One profound thing did happen though. One of my colleagues came up to me during a break and said that she noticed how much I lit up while presenting and that she could tell that this topic was right up my ally. She also remarked that she had never seen me this enthusiastic during a presentation. It was right then that I knew I had found my true calling, so thank you, Jennifer Hood!
This article is part 2 of what I hope are many articles about my time in the classroom. I don’t know where this road will take me. What I do know is that over my years in education, I have realized the purpose the students have had on ME! They have meant just as much to me as I have meant to them. The growth I have had on the professional level can be attributed to the hundreds of students that I have taught. I am forever thankful for them.
You all know this kind of kid. Eyes that twinkle. The sly smile. A precision sharp fade. Polo shirt tucked into baggy jeans. Jordans…definitely the J’s! This young man was definitely hip on the fashion tip. He appeared on my classroom roster on the third day of school at Tomas Rivera Elementary School in August of 2012. It was my first year at Rivera and I had no clue who he was. My class? They totally did. I could immediately tell that he was special. I mean, he exuded a type of confidence that was foreign to most 5th grade boys. He had that certain type of swagger that called others to him. Definite street smarts and a charm that would make your grandmother smile.
I could tell that I was in for a ride! It was made known to me that if he started any trouble, he would be returned back to his home campus. He had been granted a transfer to attend Tomas Rivera with the understanding that if there were any issues, he’d be out of there. Can you imagine how I felt hearing that? It was the first thing that I learned about him after initially welcoming him into my classroom! I was expecting him to mess up, so I wanted to nitpick on the smallest things. But, darn it! He was just so lovable that he soon had me wrapped around his fifth grade finger!
I found out a few things about him initially. He had strong multiplication fact fluency and generally liked math. That was a good thing because I was the Math teacher as well! He always had something to say though, and not necessarily at the most opportune time. He enjoyed being the jokester, the comedian of the class, and the one that could hold a conversation for all of the students. He loved that attention and it sometimes conflicted with the expectations that I had for my classroom.This took some getting used to, but like I said, he was so charming that it didn’t take me long. Instead of fighting it, I began to embrace those qualities that he possessed. Just because I was not used to involving my students in my instruction didn’t mean that it would not be successful. You see, one of the main issues that teachers have is this “fight or flight” mode. Once they are made to feel uncomfortable, red flags appear. This happens when our students learn or react to situations in ways that we are not used to. Then come the office referrals or Special Education referrals. Maybe teachers should feel uncomfortable so that our students feel comfortable.
As the year progressed, I began to realize what a great young man he was. My instruction changed by having less teacher talk and more student talk. Our classroom family developed a discourse when it came to math. Students learned to politely agree and disagree, reason, and add on to others’ thinking. He took to this type of learning. It fit him. He began to blossom.
How? Well….here are a few special stories I’d like to share:
October 2012 was the first year of Rivera’s Vocabulary Parade. Students were asked to choose a word and dress up representing that word. I can’t actually remember what word he chose, but I do remember that he dressed out in his football uniform. He informed me that his plans after high school would be to play in the NFL. I pointed out that it was always good to have a back-up plan, but he wasn’t hearing it. Fast forward to the end of the year…..for Career Day the students were asked to dress up as their profession. He came to school dressed in a suit. He wanted to be a businessman like Mr. Elam, my husband. He realized that he could be so much more once he put his mind to it, persevered, and had a thirst for learning. He began to meet the expectations that I had set for him. What a difference a few months can make when you pour into a student with every fiber of your being!
On one particular day, he wasn’t in school. I wasn’t alarmed about his absence. There was not a major test that day or field trip to be taken. All I knew was that he was absent. His presence was missed. He was the life of the classroom, after all. By the time my conference period had rolled around, I noticed a voicemail on my phone. When I checked it, I found the voicemail was from his mother. She explained that she was calling on behalf of her son who was SO worried and upset about missing school because they had gone out of town unexpectedly. I was so very touched by this voicemail. It was at this moment that I began to realize the relationship that had developed between us.
2012 was the inaugural year of Tomas Rivera’s 5th Grade Talent Show and the 5th graders were giddy with excitement. The 5th grade team held try-outs for the big day. Unbeknownst to me, an outgoing member of my homeroom had a hidden talent…..DRUMMING! I remember he set a bucket down in front of him and used two pencils. The next few minutes we were blown away by the rhythmic percussion that became etched in our minds. Where was this coming from? Needless to say, he made the cut. On the day of the talent show, we had a little surprise for him. Our choir teacher made some arrangements and had an actual drum set donated for his special performance! He blew the crowd away with his talent and energy. And that smile….he was cheesin’!
One of my final memories from his 5th grade year was the last day of the school. It had been a relaxing day filled with games, extra recess, and cleaning the classroom. Once the final bell had rung, I gave out hugs and asked for students to promise to come back and visit. The excitement filled the air for them. They were officially moving on from elementary school into middle school. Once the quiet had returned, I looked around the classroom and found that I was not alone. There he was…still standing there…the usual smile was missing. I walked over to him and enveloped him in my arms. He began to cry. He was not ready to leave me. Honestly, I was quite shocked. Here he was….a young man, so much more wise beyond his years, not ready to leave the comfort of my classroom in that 5th grade hallway. I put my arm around him and we took his last walk as a 5th grader together towards the doors that led outside of Tomas Rivera Elementary. We stopped and I reassured him that everything would be alright, that he was prepared for the future, and that I would always be there for him should he ever need me. After one last hug, he walked off. I stood there thinking to myself how incredibly lucky I was to have this moment to remember. I thought of how much I would miss him. I was so proud of the young man he’d become from the first day he entered my classroom. At that moment, I hoped that our relationship would continue.
Over the past seven years, we did keep in touch. I followed him through middle school and on into high school. Ashton is now finishing his Senior year, the Class of 2020, and boy, am I proud of him! He is currently awaiting his acceptance letter from aviation school. He aspires to be a commercial pilot. In his later years, he found his passion in the water. He went out for, and became, the only black kid on the Water polo team. Ashton was just points away from breaking Denton Ryan High School’s scoring record!
I am so happy to have played a small role in his life. I truly believe that Ashton is a student who was fortunate to have educators in his life who genuinely took the time to understand, nurture, and believe in him despite how different their lives may have been. But, I want to say this. Ashton played a very important role in my professional life. He taught me patience, understanding, how to reflect, and be meaningful. He helped me become the educator I am today. No college course or professional development session could have taught me that and I will be forever thankful for that. There are so many wonderful moments awaiting Ashton in his very bright future. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
I had a request for a video on how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. This is a skill that is introduced in 5th grade. In 4th grade, your student added and subtracted fractions with equal denominators.
Common Misconceptions:
Students may want to add fractions when the denominators are NOT alike. The need to be ALIKE.
Students add or subtract the denominators, when the denominator is supposed to STAY THE SAME.
Important Vocabulary:
Denominator – The part of the fraction that represents the amount of pieces in the whole. It is the bottom number.
Multiple – The number you land on when you skip count. It is NOT the same as multiplying.
Least Common Multiple (LCM) – Then multiple that both denominators have in common.
Creating a strong classroom culture of acceptance is integral for the success of the students and the school. One of the most personal belongings a student can possess is their name and it should be worn proudly. Many cultures celebrate both the mother and the father’s name when naming children and/or giving them their last name. However, teachers who are not familiar with this custom can possibly contribute to alienating these students, especially when they are asked to decide on one name to use in class. Another beautiful aspect about many names is that they are often unique and harder to pronounce. Many times, teachers ask students to “Americanize” their name by using a nickname or shortening it. Students often agree to do this so that they don’t stick out in the wrong type of way.
It’s said there’s a story behind every name and Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela is surely a name worthy of six such stories. Alma and How She Got Her Name is about a young girl, named Alma, who wonders why her name is so long and hardly fits on a piece of paper. When she approaches her father about her name’s length, he begins to explain its significance. Each name represents an important piece of Alma’s own history, one that she was unaware of. Alma eventually realizes this importance and proudly identifies with it. She looks forward to giving her own name, Alma, its own story.
Key Takeaways:
For Teachers: Juana Martinez- Neal’s Caldecott Honor book, Alma and How She Got Her Name, is a perfect book for teachers to use to start a discussion in their classroom about students’ names. This will help enhance the classroom community and student belonging. Teachers will also come to realize the importance of recognizing students’ names as a badge of honor that should be celebrated, not altered.
For Students (Central Themes or Main Ideas): The experience of reading a book that affirms a student’s identity yet speaks to all students can be validating and empowering. Some students may know the story of their name, but those who don’t will become curious. It may make students think about what traits they want to be used to describe themselves, and what their story is and will be.
Recommended Strategies for use with this book to achieve Education Justice or Classroom Equity: Family stories play an important role in the primary curriculum. Use Alma and How She Got Her Name as a way to look at family structures. Work with your school librarian to provide books that reflect diverse families. Encourage your students to research their own names and family histories in order to share with the class. Let them choose one person in their family that they feel is important and interview them. Allow them to share their interviews with the class. Encourage students to create a self portrait of themselves that will be proudly displayed in the classroom with character traits adorning them. Pair students together to compare the history of their names using a Double Bubble Map. Use it to let the students talk and share or Think/ Pair/ Share about their names and the history surrounding it.
Reflection:
“Ayyy, I already told you, your name is too long! We don’t go by two names here and we don’t go by two last names. Pick a name. Maria or Edith. And as far as last names, you are Espinosa. We don’t use your mother’s last name. So, what’s it going to be?”
(excerpt taken from Rethinking Schools Blog article, What Does it Mean When Your Teacher Changes Your Name?)
I am ashamed to admit this, but in my 14-year teaching career, I have had similar discussions to the one above on more than one occasion. Was it done so with ill intent? Of course not. I was just ignorant to the fact that I was not appreciating what made some of my students so very unique. While I cannot undo the wrong, I can preach what is right by our students. Books like Alma and How She Got Her Name help me appreciate that and share with other educators. I guess the old saying applies to teachers. “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
Are you looking to do something creative with your kids because you want to lessen their screen time? How about working with them on an art activity integrated with math? Here is a fun activity that I’ve done with my students involving Tessellations. Tessellations are an arrangement of shapes closely fitted together, especially of polygons in a repeated pattern without gaps or overlapping.
Supplies:
white or manilla paper
note card
scissors
tape
markers, crayons, colored pencils or Sharpies
Directions:
We begin with a note card. Draw a simple shape along ONE side of their square. The shape should reach at least to the middle of the paper and should not touch either corner of the paper. Cut it out and slide it to the opposite side of the paper. Then using a piece of tape, they attach it (with NO overlapping).
2. Lay your tessellation piece down on the white or manilla paper (carefully lining it up on the edge). Trace the piece.
Pick up the piece and fit with what you just traced.
Repeat this for the ENTIRE page.
3. Trace the outline using a black marker or Sharpie.
4. Fill in the tessellation with complementary colors, designs, and textures.
5. Outline the finished product with a black marker or sharpie.
Tired of doing the same old thing in Math? Try a 3 Act Task with your students.
A Three-Act Task is a whole-group mathematics task consisting of three distinct parts: an engaging and perplexing Act One, an information and solution seeking Act Two, and a solution discussion and solution revealing Act Three. The concept was developed by Dan Meyer with the intent to get students thinking about math through realist situations.
We are now into Week 2 of homeschooling. I was trying to think of something new that parents/teachers could have their students work on….that was still enrichment. I thought that a 3 Act Task would be perfect.
Here is one that I created that can be used for 3rd grade through 5th grade.
Have your students create their own 3 Act Task. They will need a camera for pictures or videos and access to some sort of technology to create their presentation.
The second half of the year of 3rd grade math plays an integral role for upper level mathematics. It’s all about multiplication and division. While fact fluency and memorization is important, it is also necessary that our students understand the process of multiplication and division.
Important Vocabulary:
Arrays
Each
Per
Groups of
Product
Quotient
Multiplication
3.4(K) Solve one-step and two-step problems involving multiplication and division within 100 using strategies based on objects; pictorial models, including arrays, area models and equal groups; properties of operations; or recall of facts
Students must apply multiplication and division knowledge into problem solving situations. Students must use mathematical process standards with automaticity. This includes understanding the problem, using various skills and strategies, and choosing the most efficient strategy to solve the problem.
When you are working with your student at home, it is important to gauge where they are in the progression for multiplication and work on helping them transition to a more efficient method and model. Yes, you can still use flash cards to help with memorization, but please remember that the process of multiplication is so important. As your student is representing multiplication, the fluency will develop.
Models:
pictorial – arrays, area models, equal groups, strip diagrams
Instructional Video for Parents
Example:
Mr. Vargas has 6 days to complete his conferences. If he does 8 conferences each day, how many conferences will be completed in total?
Equal Groups
Arrays
Strip Diagram
Area Models for Multiplication
This model is the most efficient when multiplying with larger numbers like 10, 11, and 12. It involves decomposing, or breaking apart, the 2 digit factor.
Instructional Video for Parents
Division
3.5(B) Represent and solve one and two-step multiplication and division problems within 100 using arrays, strip diagrams, and equations
Students must demonstrate and represent multiplication and division situations. They must be able to take an abstract multiplication or division problem and relate it to a concrete representation of the problem
Models:
pictorial – arrays, strip diagrams
Instructional Video for Parents
Example:
Mr. Vargas made 48 cupcakes for his class. He arranged them in 6 rows. How many cupcakes were in each row?
Equal Groups
Array
Strip Diagram
Multiplication Sample Questions:
Solve one-step and two step problems involving multiplication and division within 100 using strategies based on objects, pictorial models, including arrays, area models, and equal groups; properties of operations or recall of facts
Marty counted the change in his pocket. He had 5 nickels and 6 dimes. How much money did he have in his pocket?
85 cents
80 cents
95 cents
90 cents
Trina makes 36 chocolate muffins for the bakes sale. She puts 6 muffins into each box and sells the boxes for $5 each. If she sells all the boxes, how much money does Trina make?
$35
$30
$47
$110
Keller, Ellen, and Bob shared a package of 2 dozen pencils. How many pencils did each child receive?
8
6
12
4
Maddie picks 80 apples from the trees in the orchard. She puts the apples equally into 8 baskets. She then sells each basket for $4. If Maddie sells all the baskets, how much money does she make?
$40
$14
$800
$32
Division Sample Questions:
Determine the number of objects in each group when a set of objects is partitioned into equal shares or a set of objects is shared equally
Sharing
I have 12 pencils to share equally among the three of you; how many will you each have?
There are 18 toy cars, can you share them equally between the two of you?
Share this bar of chocolate out between you. How many cubes of chocolate can you each have?
Can we share these cakes out fairly? How shall we do it?
How could we plant 15 daffodil bulbs in these five pots?
There are 16 plums. 8 children share them out equally. How many plums does each child have?
Could you share 20p equally among these four children. Explain how.
Naomi has 40 flowers. She puts them into 2 vases. How many flowers in each vase?
Tom bakes 8 cakes. He has 40 Smarties. How many Smarties can he put on each cake?
Grouping
How many cars can you make if you have 8 wheels? How many motorbikes?
How many sticks of 4 cubes can you make from a stick of 20 cubes?
How many 2cm lengths can you cut from 12cm of tape?
There are 18 apples in a box. How many bags of 3 apples can be filled?
A baker bakes 30 buns. She puts 6 buns in every box. How many boxes can she fill?
Joe spent 70p on 10p chewy bars. How many bars did he buy?
Anisha has 15 daffodil bulbs. How many pots does she need if she puts 3 bulbs in each pot?
There are 28 children here today. How many teams of four children can we make?
There are 120 marbles in a large bag. How many small bags of ten marbles can be made?
Love Teach Instruct 