Graphing coordinates in the shower

This past year some of my students struggled to really understand how graphing looked and even though they are 5^th graders some could tell me the coordinates and even how to get there but would not plot their coordinates correctly.  So because I wanted them to have a more hands on way to practice and because I hate doing worksheets I came up with this activity.  I used a large shower curtain.  I drew a grid on it but did not label it so that I could change up the scale on them if need be.   I would then give them a word problem that they would have to create a function table and label the rule.  Then they got to the fun part.  I usually gave two x and y coordinates on stickies and would make them fill in the rest.  Then they placed happy meal toys on the coordinates and yard sticks to make the line segments. 

When I was in first we used lots of shower curtains for games like splat, hundreds number charts, and graphing.  Really the possibilities are endless! 

Create with math

So this started out as more of a project for my G.T. kids but others saw what they were doing and begged me to let them do it too.  Some of them even asked if they could take it home and do it for fun.  Math for fun!  Be still my beating heart.  So I started putting it into our math café. 

So these are the tasks I let them do.

1. Poster– Create an anchor chart type poster include any necessary steps, vocabulary, and any picture that would help connect aid to the concept.
2. Song– write the words down and have a tune with some motions. I will record you singing the song.  You can use props if you want.
3. Story- Create a story that would help connect the key steps or main ideas of the mathematical skill.
4. Graph– Create a question about the mathematical skill we are working on (it can’t be a yes or no question) then create a graph based on the information.  It can be a bar graph, pie graph, scatter plot, or stem and leaf graph.
5. Comic strip– Include main parts or steps needed to solve the mathematical skill.  Bonus point if it is funny :).
6. Test– Write five questions to match our skill.  One computation, two open ended questions and two word problems.
7. Real life example– sketch or picture of an example of a skill we have been working on in real life.   
8. Paragraph explanation of how and why this skill would be used. 
9. Blog– Write a brief summary of what we are working on in class and tell why it is important.  After you write it out we will edit and publish it.

I keep a copy of this and a grading rubric so they know how I will be grading along with a box of craft supplies and this project board so they will have some idea of what I want.

Click on the link below to get the full description and rubric.

Create with math

Candy Land

I have about 10 Candy land games floating around my room and we have zero time to just play games, sad as that is! So I decided to take those unused game boards and make new cards to go along with my content.  We were working on order of operations. To play after someone has drawn the card I have everyone in the group work out the problem so no one is just sitting around ,because we don't have time for that either! Then when everyone has solved they check their answer using the QR code. A friend of mine that didn't have access to a color printer printed these in black and white and backed them on the corresponding construction paper. This is a sample page of the fifth grade version.

 Here are the links to the full versions.

Candy Land 5^th grade- x÷+- decimals and order of operations

Candy Land 4th grade-comparingfractions

Candy Land 3rdgrade- comparing and ordering numbers 

Quick Review Games

Purpose:  To quickly review skills taught or to group students.

Flashlight tag directions

1.       Tape numbers, vocabulary words to the ceiling. 

2.    Have enough flashlights for one per team or person in a small group.  You can turn them into colored flashlights by cutting a piece of transparent binder dividers into circles and taping it over the lenses of the flashlights or you can leave them as is.  The color helps to keep track of which groups light is shining on which number

3.     Turn off the lights and call out a math fact, word problem or definition to a vocabulary word and the teams have to shine their light on the correct answer.  If you are playing with teams I have mine take turns shining the light. 

Sorry this next one didn't come out very clear!

Desk Tags

Coming from first grade I was so used to having the big bulky name tags and when I got to fifth I loved not having name tags at first but then with multiple sections of classes and having students keep their math supplies in desks it was a huge headache when we would move the desk arrangement.  I also needed a quick way to group students in small groups away from their table groups.  So I came up with these more sophisticated 5^th grade desk tags. All the shapes are different and so I can call "All the polygons line up".  Or when I need my class divided into three groups to work a problem I say "Anyone who's tax I would need to pay to Wal-mart after I purchased a new binder come over to this area".  Your imagination's the limit on this one.  

For the full version click here

Desk tags

Amazing Race

Purpose:  To review content before a test in a fast pasted, competitive way.  The students focus on one question at a time with a physical activity in-between.  There is also a checking system and computation section to each step.

Directions (Please note this will take some time and a playground to set up and I suggest at least two adults. We played this a couple of days before the STAAR test to practice in a engaging way)  

1.       Prepare the questions.  I have provided a template for 15 tasks.  Place one question on each of the Detour, Roadblock, Fast Focus and U-turn sheets.  I did one per readiness TEK and then doubled up on TEKs that I felt would be tested more.  I placed in a page protector and then clip on a clipboard. Then I place around the playground area. 

2.       Run copies of the passport, cut into fourths and then staple together.  You could run one per group or one per person.

3.       Have your customs agent posted in one spot with a stamp of some kind, the answer key and the key to the rotation (this is on the customs instruction sheet). 

4.       Group students into small groups, 2-4 students. Start each group at a different task.

5.       When a group answers a question they report to customs to have it checked. If they get it correct they solve the computation at the bottom of the sheet to see what question to go to next.  I allowed two teams only to be working on the same question.

6.       Have your NSA agent patrolling making sure teams are working, completing tasks and assist if necessary.

7.       The teams continue till they have all the questions solved and a stamp in each of their passport question pages.  The Customs agent records who finished first, second and third.

Here is a sample of what the question sheets look like.

Sorry these pictures were when I used a more homemade version of this game.

This is the link to the document.

Amazing Race

Presented by Carrie Huber

Guess Who?

Guess Who

I found myself really needing a way to instill numeracy and geometric reasoning in kids and get them talking so I revamped my old guess who and viola!  They get to play a game instead of think-pair share for the hundredth time. Plus it makes a great center. 

Directions:

1.       Use a "guess who" game and tape pieces over the top of the board or create your own by running the provided sheet  and laminating face down on construction paper, gluing around the edges only, not on any of the numbers or shapes boxes. Then use an exact-o knife to cut through the paper portion on three sides of each of the number or shape boxes and to stand.

2.       Have each partner get a matching game and then draw a card to see who they are to become.  Then they hide their card.

3.       Each player takes turns asking one question about their number or shape. They may use the question stems provided or ask their own.  They may place any number or shape down that they know based on the questioning could not be the other player’s number or shape.

4.       They may guess at any time, but a guess that is not correct will take the players turn.

I am posting the JPEG.  If you want an editable version click below.

Guess Who Geometry

Guess Who Numbers 

Twister

I just love taking games that I already have and making new games out of them. This one is simple but gets the kids moving and solving the same types of problems that they might see on a worksheet or test prep material.  My kids loved it!

Direction:

1.       Use a twister mat and tape Ziploc bags onto each of the circles.  You can also use a shower curtain and make your own mat.

2.       Use questions off of a worksheet, workbook, or item bank questions and cut apart each question.  Write answers on the back of the question with a point value.

3.       Have the teams take turns spinning the Twister spinner and a color/limb.  Then the team must solve that question as a group.  The other team will then check the answer by flipping the card over. 

4.       Each team keeps a record of their score by counting the correct number of answers. 

5.       One team member must be on the board touching the colored dot they just spun and any previous dots unless the same limb is spun.

6.       You continue taking turns and answering question until someone falls and everyone must count up their score. 

I keep all my questions for this game in a file (below).  I use all the STAAR formatted questions I can find and copy and laminate them and just fold behind the appropriate TEKS.  Then when I need questions for twister, a small group game,  blank game board or this amazing review game, Grudgeball I just grab a bag of TEKS that my kids need work on and go.  It has made my life so much easier.

CAMT

Welcome all CAMT attendees!  For those of you non CAMT people I am going to be posting the directions to several of my games along with my two fabulous presenters Amanda Dunn and Kelley Eleuterius.  If you haven't been to CAMT (Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching) it is a mathematicians heaven.  I went last year for the first time and "Oh My Word"!  It is so much fun and there is so much learning going on!  The next couple of posts will be some of the games that I am presenting on.  I will also be posting some of the amazing things I will learn when I get back.  I can't wait!

Math Fair

After our math test we have been hard at work filling gaps and introducing skills that would have been missed because of the gaps when the new math TEKS were implemented.  In the afternoons though I had about an hour of time and I really wanted to give my students a project that would allow them to be creative while solidifying all the content we have learned this year.   So I decided to do a little math fair (which turned into a huge project).  I let them pick out a topic that the third and fourth graders would use next year.  They then had to do a mini lesson with visual (most had anchor charts or manipulative), a word problem highlighting key words and demonstrating the solution, and a game.  They loved getting to teach their skill and took so much ownership!  Here is a little taste of what we did.