Thursday Tool School: iPad Apps for Kids- Ten Frame Mania

Title: Ten Frame Mania by Greg Tang

Description: Ten Frame Mania is a great app for young mathematicians! Reminiscent of the old Pac Man game, students must represent numbers traveling through a maze on a ten frame before the number gets to the end of the maze. As the students master each level, more tools are unlocked, the mazes change, and the numbers move faster.  

Advantages: At first glance, the game seems very simple; however, after students have had an opportunity to successfully play the game past the first round or two, they will unlock tools to fill the tens frame in groups of five. This is where the real thinking happens. Some students will begin to see that they can obtain the correct amount in the ten frame by filling it with groups of five objects using the filling tool and subtracting the unnecessary objects. See the picture to the right. (The filling tool is to the right of the ten frame below the maze.) 

Disadvantages: After playing the first three levels, the only real disadvantage I see is that students could potentially "luck up" and illustrate the ten frame correctly. For example, a student is trying to make three but is accidentally planning to show four. Once the third object is present, the attempt is counted as correct. It may be more beneficial to have players press a button in order to submit their answer. (I know that is really knit-picky; the game is pretty awesome as is!)  

Cost: At the time of this post, this app was 100% free!

Note: A web version of this game can be found at http://gregtangmath.com/games. 

Check out the app here!

Transformation Tuesday: Rock Star Reviews- Four Corners

The last Rock Star Review that I want to share is a strategy that I have shared before. However, today, I want to share how the same strategy can be used to prepare students for a big assessment. The strategy is called Four Corners. (You can see the most recent post I wrote about it here.)

Here's how it works:

1. Choose a multiple choice problem to present to the class based on a concept with which the students have struggled. I typically choose problems from recent formative assessments where a low percentage of the students responded correctly. The best questions to use are the ones where the distractors represent common computational or conceptual errors. 

2. Divide students into four equal-sized groups. (Need a quick tool, try the desk tags to the right. Group students by number. Grab a copy of them here.)

3. Once students arrive at their designated corner, present the question and answer choices. Then assign each group to an answer choice. 

4. Groups then complete the following: 

a. Answer the question and agree on the correct response.  

b. If their assigned answer choice is the correct answer: 
- Determine places where other students may take the wrong path while solving the problem. 
- Decide how to coach other students to avoid these mistakes. 
- Prepare at least two incorrect paths and coaching tips for each.

c. If their assigned answer choice is not the correct answer: 
- Determine why the answer choice is incorrect.
- Decide how a student could be guided back to the correct solution path. 
- Prepare at least one coaching tip for each. 

5. Have groups share their findings with the class as a whole. Allow students to ask and answer questions as needed. 

6. Validate the correct answer and add any additional information or tips the students may need to be more successful with the assessment item in the future. 

As a variation, you can accomplish the same goal using "characters" to represent the answer choices. This is always kind of fun because students will call the characters by name instead of the using the multiple choice letters. (Note: Make the activity even more engaging by using the names of teachers from your team.) See the example below. 

Free Resource Alert: The visual I used above is available here. To use it with your students, insert the picture into a PowerPoint slide. Then insert a text box with the responses you want to highlight in the white spaces.  

Solve It! Friday- Task #26

Here's how Solve It! Friday works:
1. Each Friday morning (at 12:00 AM Central Time), I will post one problem-solving task. Note: In some cases, I may post more than one version of the task to reach a wider variety of grades. 
2. Before the next Friday, use the task with your students. 
3. Have students solve the problems individually or with a group. 
4. Individual students or student groups create posters using numbers, pictures, and words to illustrate the solutions. Note: The blank backs of old book covers make great poster paper! 
5. Either via a math talk session or a gallery walk, be sure to have students share their responses with other students. 

I would love to see your students' responses and showcase them on social media. Please post your students' responses to Twitter using the hashtag #RMTSolveIt(week number). For privacy, please be sure that students' names and other identifying information is located on the back of the poster. Be sure to check out other classes' solutions using the same hashtag to filter the Twitter results. 

I look forward to seeing your students' work! Thanks for sharing! 

Solution: The real beauty of this task is in the process. Please emphasize that with your students. It may take some time to solve this problem. Validate their efforts and ask questions to move them in a different direction if needed. For your convenience, I have provided the solution below:

#RMTSolveItWeek26: The correct order is as follows: Bears, Frog, Gardening Kids, Bugs, Rabbits

Thursday Tool School: iPad Apps for Kids- Wings by Motion Math

Title: Wings by Motion Math

Description: Wings is a multiplication game where players compare two amounts and fly through the larger quantity. While the game may seem very simplistic and best suited for younger students, this game is appropriate for a variety of age and ability levels as the quantities are represented as numerical products, arrays, or multiplication facts. There are multiple levels of both play and difficulty, including pre-multiplication, basic multiplication, and advanced multiplication. See the picture below. 

Advantages: This is a very simple game, but it's a great way to reinforce early multiplication skills. Besides the variety of levels of play and difficulty, the best feature of the app is the way the multiplication problems are represented. After the first few games, the multiplication problems are presented in two different forms, i.e. a product and an array, a product and a multiplication fact, or an array and a multiplication fact. See the picture below. The game becomes more challenging as the student moves through the levels. Additionally, with the full package, students can customize their bird's colors and increase the forms of multiplication included. 

This image shows the representations used to  represent the multiplication problems. 

Disadvantages: The biggest disadvantage is the lack of learning tutorials when students make a mistake. With the free version, when a mistake is made, the bird get pushed down and the representations switch places to allow the student a second try. If the student continues to respond incorrectly, the game flashes the word "More" above the larger quantity. 

Cost: The free version appears to include several levels of play, or islands, for the pre-multiplication, basic multiplication, and advanced multiplication levels of the game. Additional levels of play, or islands, range from $2.99 to $3.99. A full package is available for $6.99.   

Check out the app here!

Transformation Tuesday: Rock Star Reviews- The Amazing Review

Today's Rock Star Review is my absolute favorite and the ultimate station rotation! (Check out my Getting Started with Math Stations series here.) This review strategy is called The Amazing Review: The 5th Grade Edition. It's an 18-station review of the 5th grade content and skills patterned after the idea behind CBS's Amazing Race. The pictures below illustrate the information that I shared with the two-student teams before the start of the review. Enjoy!

The roadblocks were computer activities from IXL Math. Students left their trail, completed the activity from IXL Math, and received a stamp when the point total had been obtained. 

The detour activity was to walk the massive coordinate plane that I constructed in the hallway. One team member read the directions and the other person walked the path. If the team ended on the right spot, they earned a stamp!

The travelors' log included all station directions, as well as, a few practice assessment items that corresponded with each skill. This allowed the students to connect the station activity to the assessment questions. 

The menu activity included additional review activities that were not included in the stations. Not all of the students had the opportunity to complete the menu. It was designed for the fast finishers. 

Sound Off!- How do you review for big assessments? 

Happy Spring Break!

Hello Routty Math Teacher Community!

It's Spring Break (for me at least)! Whether you've already enjoyed some restful time off, you're enjoying some right now, or it is yet to come, I hope you accomplish(ed) lots and enjoy(ed) the well deserved time off. I'll be back next week with more new content. It's a fast and furious sprint to the finish line!

Solve It! Friday- Task #25

Here's how Solve It! Friday works:
1. Each Friday morning (at 12:00 AM Central Time), I will post one problem-solving task. Note: In some cases, I may post more than one version of the task to reach a wider variety of grades. 
2. Before the next Friday, use the task with your students. 
3. Have students solve the problems individually or with a group. 
4. Individual students or student groups create posters using numbers, pictures, and words to illustrate the solutions. Note: The blank backs of old book covers make great poster paper! 
5. Either via a math talk session or a gallery walk, be sure to have students share their responses with other students. 

I would love to see your students' responses and showcase them on social media. Please post your students' responses to Twitter using the hashtag #RMTSolveIt(week number). For privacy, please be sure that students' names and other identifying information is located on the back of the poster. Be sure to check out other classes' solutions using the same hashtag to filter the Twitter results. 

I look forward to seeing your students' work! Thanks for sharing! 

Solution: The real beauty of this task is in the process. Please emphasize that with your students. It may take some time to solve this problem. Validate their efforts and ask questions to move them in a different direction if needed. For your convenience, I have provided the solution below:

#RMTSolveItWeek25: The green polka-dotted egg is 2 units and the clover egg is 3 units. 

Thursday Tool School: iPad Apps for Kids- Zoom by Motion Math

Title: Zoom by Motion Math

Description: Zoom is a fun and interactive app that gives students the opportunity to explore the number line. Beginning with simple whole numbers, student progress to numbers 1 - 1,000, negative numbers, and decimals. In addition, as the numbers change in magnitude, the animals representing the numbers change too. For example, basic counting numbers are represented with frogs, but the thousands are represented with dinosaurs. In the same way, the decimals are represented with hornets, ants, and amoebas. 

Advantages: The best aspect of this game is the zooming feature. With it, students really get to "see" how our number system works. The "zoom" part refers to the students' ability to zoom into a range, such as 10 - 20 in order to place the number 19 on the number line. This helps students "see" that even when numbers are not represented on a number line, they are still there between the anchor values. Students can "zoom" out or "zoom" in making the number line very interactive and engaging.

Disadvantages: The only real disadvantage I can see is that students progress through the number lines based on what they are able to successfully complete. Therefore, an older student who has experience with smaller numbers would have to complete all of the whole number focused number lines in order to get to the negative numbers or decimals. On the other hand, a younger student may not get to use the app much before reaching frustration; however, this situation provides a great opportunity for further exploration. 

This is the view students see when they begin with the tens number line. It is at Level 2. 

This is the view students see when they begin with the hundredths number line. It is at Level 15. 

Cost: While there appears to be a free "Lite" version that is available or was available at some time, for full access, the cost is $2.99.

Check out the app here!

Transformation Tuesday: Rock Star Reviews- STAAR 2000: The SuperKid Edition

Last week I started a series about reviewing for upcoming assessments, especially the big state ones. The first review that I shared was one of my favorites, called STAAR 2000. Missed the post? See it here. 

While I frequently use the STAAR 2000 review as a standalone review for the Texas state assessment, called the STAAR test, I recently added an individual accountability piece to encourage a group of students with whom I had worked with during the previous school year. These students had been performing pretty well because they had already been with me for an entire school year. Since our theme for the year was related to being SuperKids, I thought I would add an additional challenge to the class review with individual rewards. See the picture below. 

Here's how it works: 

1. Create the incentive chart. Use the one above as a guide or create your own. (Notice that I only included 15 boxes. This was around the number of days we had to prepare for the state test.)
2. Choose review questions. I typically assign 5 - 6 questions each day covering a wide-array of skills. 
3. Give students 15-20 minutes of class time to complete the work. (I use the time at the very beginning of the day before announcements and pledges.)
4. Review the answers. (I require students to show their work and use the RACE or JUSTIFY model to analyze each problem.) 
5. Students that answer all of the questions correctly color one square on their board. 
6. Prizes are awarded immediately.  

Not only were the students motivated to earn the prizes, especially the week of no homework, this system encouraged the students to try their best on every problem instead of being lax on one or two. It was a great addition to the class STAAR 2000 program!

Are you a Texas 5th grade teacher? 

If so, check out my TEKSas STAAR Masters series! Both packs are available now at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 

Sound Off!- How do you review for big assessments? 

Solve It! Friday- Task #24

Here's how Solve It! Friday works:
1. Each Friday morning (at 12:00 AM Central Time), I will post one problem-solving task. Note: In some cases, I may post more than one version of the task to reach a wider variety of grades. 
2. Before the next Friday, use the task with your students. 
3. Have students solve the problems individually or with a group. 
4. Individual students or student groups create posters using numbers, pictures, and words to illustrate the solutions. Note: The blank backs of old book covers make great poster paper! 
5. Either via a math talk session or a gallery walk, be sure to have students share their responses with other students. 

I would love to see your students' responses and showcase them on social media. Please post your students' responses to Twitter using the hashtag #RMTSolveIt(week number). For privacy, please be sure that students' names and other identifying information is located on the back of the poster. Be sure to check out other classes' solutions using the same hashtag to filter the Twitter results. 

I look forward to seeing your students' work! Thanks for sharing! 

Solution: The real beauty of this task is in the process. Please emphasize that with your students. It may take some time to solve this problem. Validate their efforts and ask questions to move them in a different direction if needed. For your convenience, I have provided the solution below:

#RMTSolveItWeek24: There are multiple solutions for this task. The solution provided is one possibility. There are at least two others. Challenge your students to verify their solution by checking their values against all of the clues and making a case for its accuracy. The values of each symbol are as follows:  Little Leprechaun = 4, Striped Clover = 2, Leprechaun Head = 1, and Polka Dot Clover = 1. 

Thursday Tool School: iPad Apps for Kids- 5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

Title: 5 Dice: Order of Operations

Description: The "5 Dice" game requires students to roll a set of five dice and create an expression that simplifies to a target number after the order of operations are applied. There are five games of play available: addition/ subtraction, multiplication/ division, all four operations, all four operations with parenthesis, and all four operations with parenthesis and exponents. The game can be played by a single player or multiple players on different devices.

Advantages: This app is both fun and challenging! Being able to choose the type of game makes the game adaptable to individual student needs. It also allows beginners to get the hang of the game before moving on and using more operations. In addition, the interface allows players to remove and replace dice and operations as needed until they get it right. The whiteboard tool provides students with a work space to record the expression and simplify it there before submitting the final expression for official checking. 

The 5 Dice Game in action.

Disadvantages: While this game is a good challenge for students, depending on whether only a few operations are available or the size of the target number is incredibly large, like 1,440, the task can be hard. This can most definitely be discouraging to some players and make them want to give up. (In this case, it might be worth it to click the home button and start again to get a different set of dice and target number.)

One final note: When you first open the app, there is an option to receive a downloadable version of the game via email. This would be great for the classroom and make a fabulous fast finisher activity. Game scores can also be sent to parents and teachers via email. Score sheets include the expression created, the target number, time elapsed to complete the task, and the date of task completion.

Cost: Free

Check out the app here!