Solve It! Friday- Task #31

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:

#RMTSolveItWeek31: Top Shelf- In order from left to right is spoons, popsicle sticks, marbles, and cotton balls. Bottom Shelf- In order from left to right is plastic forceps, balloons, balloons, and toothpicks.   

Thursday Tool School: Measurement Tools- Clock Angles

Frame from Creative Clips by Krista Wallden

Today's activity is super simple but adds a little variety to your basic angle classification/ measurement lesson. The activity emphasizes the use of Judy Clocks, those cute little geared clocks that you don't find much use for except during your time unit. "Clock Angles" requires students to use the hands on a Judy Clock, or other geared clock, to determine the angle formed by the hands. After students have experience classifying the angles, students use protractors to measure them. 

Specifically, this activity addresses the following Common Core State Standard for Mathematics: 

• 4.G.A.1- Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.
• 4.MD.C.6- Measure angles in whole-number degrees using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified measure.

The biggest challenge students have with this activity is that they misrepresent time on the clock. For example, when asked to show 12:15, many students represent it as a right angle; however, with a geared clock, students will notice that the hour hand is just past the 12, making it an acute angle. See the example to the right. 

This activity not only emphasizes representing clock time correctly but identifying angles as well. The picture below shows the activity sheet for this lesson. In Part I, students classify the angles as either acute, right, obtuse, or straight. In Part II, students use a geared clock to represent the time and then classify the angle. 

Freebie Alert! Click here for a free download of this resource. 

To extend the activity, students can create the clock times in Part II on a blank clock face and then measure them with a protractor to verify their answers. See the picture below for an example. 

Sound Off! How else do you use Judy Clocks or other time manipulatives in the classroom? How do you teach your angle standards?

Transformation Tuesday: Engaging Vocabulary Strategies- Vocabulary Dominoes

Today's strategy is one that I mentioned during September's Transformation Tuesday series about Engaging Assessment Strategies. (See the original post here.) While I originally described this strategy as an assessment tool, the critical thinking skills students display as they become successful with this task is amazing. Like the previous two strategies, this strategy requires students to make connections between words in order to connect them in the game space. See the illustration below for an example.  

Frame by Catherine S from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Borders-1983569

Here's how it works:

1. Group students in groups of three. Assign students to be Student 1, 2, or 3. Note: This activity works best with at least 16 dominoes for a group of three. 

2. Students spread out the face-down cards.

3. Each student takes 4 dominoes. Place the remaining cards in a face-down stack.

4. Student 1 turns over one of the remaining cards to use as the starter domino.

5. In turn, each student tries to connect one of the words on his/her domino to an end. If no connection is made, the student takes a card from the extra pile and tries to make a connection. If no connection can be made, the turn is lost. 

6. The first student to place all of his/her dominoes is the winner. 

Free Resource Alert: Download an editable copy of the "Vocabulary Dominoes" here. 

To use: Insert the image into a word document. Just add a text box with each word you want to add and place it in the center of each half of the domino. 

Sound Off! How do you review and reinforce vocabulary with your students?

Solve It! Friday- Task #30

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:

#RMTSolveItWeek30: Christina will see only 6 caterpillars on the 14th Monday. 

Thursday Tool School: Measurement Tools- Measuring Length

Last week, I had an amazing opportunity to present with my Baylor professor, Dr. Sandra Cooper, at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference in San Francisco. The focus of our presentation was the three big ideas of measurement: units, partitioning, and zero point.                                                                                                                                                                                    On the heels of our presentation, today's activity provides practice for measuring length with a emphases on zero point. The point where a ruler originates is called the zero point. This is the place where measurement begins. When an object is placed at the end of a ruler, finding its length is generally easy for many students. However, students often struggle to identify this point when a ruler is broken or when the object to be measured is not placed at the end of the ruler.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    To help students understand the concept of zero point, the activity below requires students to locate the zero point and measure the distance from the zero point to the end point for each object. To increase the rigor of this task, the zero point of each ruler is not zero. This way, students are forced to count the number of units that span the object and ignore the numbers displayed on the ruler. 

This is where the big ideas of units and partitioning come in. Students must travel from the beginning of one unit to the end of the unit to count a full unit. If a full unit cannot be made, then students must attend to how the unit is partitioned and count the subdivided unit accordingly, recording the measured length with a fractional part if need be.

                                                                                                                                

Specifically, this activity addresses the following Common Core State Standard for Mathematics: 

3.MD.B.4- Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

Freebie Alert! Click here for a free printable of this activity. 

Sound Off! What activities do you use to reinforce linear measurement concepts?

Transformation Tuesday: Engaging Vocabulary Strategies- Always, Sometimes, Never

Today's activities is one of my favorites! It's called Always, Sometimes, or Never. Like last week's strategy, it's another great way to infuse critical thinking and vocabulary. My favorite aspect of this strategy is that students must be able to support their responses in order to be successful. This provides a great opportunity for students to think like a mathematician and prove or disprove mathematical ideas with supporting evidence. 

Frame by Catherine S from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Borders-1983569

Here's how it works: 

1. Create a statement using at least two mathematical vocabulary words or terms. 

2. Have students determine whether the statement is always true, sometimes true, or never true. 

3. Have students record their response as well as an example and/or counterexample to support the claim on a whiteboard. 

4. As a class, discuss the students' responses emphasizing supporting examples or counterexamples. 

Make it Cooperative! Use this activity to create a cooperative learning task by having student pairs or small groups discuss initial responses, share examples and counterexamples, and reach a consensus. Then have student groups share their responses with the class and discuss. 

This activity can be confusing for many students. However, this is a fabulous opportunity to discuss the purpose of counterexamples. Be sure to let students know that if a counterexample can be found, the statement cannot be always true. If students can find both a counterexample and a supporting example, then the statement is sometimes true. 

Sound Off! How do you review and reinforce vocabulary with your students?

Solve It! Friday- Task #29

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:

#RMTSolveItWeek29: This problem specifically asks about the number of bears in the sampled area of the forest; however, all of the counts are provided for reference. Deer = 20, Porcupines = 10, Bears = 5

Transformation Tuesday: Engaging Vocabulary Strategies- How Are We Related?

Today's vocabulary activity is called "How Are We Related?" and reinforces the relationship between mathematical terms and vocabulary. It's a great activity to promote critical thinking as students search for the relationship between seemingly unconnected terms. It's also a great way to increase the rigor of the average definition-focused vocabulary activity because students have to truly understand the word in order to be able to connect it to another word. 

Frame by Catherine S from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Borders-1983569

Here's how it works: 

1. Pick two grade-level math vocabulary words or terms. You may want to ask students to define the words before continuing.  

2. Give students think time. 

3. Have students complete the sentence: A (An) __________ is like a (an) __________ because ___________________. They are different because _______________________. 

Here are some examples: 

a. A rectangle is like a square because they both have four sides. They are different because a square must have four equal sides and the sides on a rectangle do not have to be equal.

b. An inch is like a gallon because they are both used as units to give measurements. They are different because inches are used in linear measurement and gallons are used to measure capacity. 

c. Add is like subtract because they are both actions. They are different because to add means to join objects and to subtract means to separate objects. (This is a very general statement but should be validated. As the teacher, you can then elaborate on the uses of addition and subtraction.)  

d. A fraction is like a decimal because they are both parts of wholes. They are different because fractions are represented as a part over a whole (or set) using a horizontal  bar, or vinculum, to separate the numerator from the denominator and a decimal is represented as a number where the part is expressed by digits placed to the right of a decimal point and the whole is a power of ten. (Whew! That was a challenge!)

This activity can be challenging, so you may want to begin by choosing words where students can easily find a relationship and then gradually choose words where the relationship is harder to find. Also, be sure to validate any connection that will work, even if a student says that both terms are action words. Reward the thinking here and elaborate or correct misconceptions later. 

Sound Off! How do you review and reinforce vocabulary with your students?

Solve It Friday- Task #28

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:

#RMTSolveItWeek28: Each part of the process took 10 minutes. Note: Consider using a visual model to help students understand this problem. First, divide 60 minutes into six equal parts, or 10 minutes each. Then, divide 50 minutes into five equal parts, or 10 minutes each. Next, divide 40 minutes into four equal parts, or 10 minutes each. Then divide 30 minutes into three equal parts, or 10 minutes each. Finally, divide 20 minutes into two equal parts, or 10 minutes each. There are 10 minutes remaining. 

Thursday Tool School: Measurement Tools- Area and Perimeter with Pentominoes

This month, Thursday Tool School will feature measurement activities. The first activity is one of my favorites and features the use of pentominoes-- five square unit two-dimensional shapes. See the image to the right for a picture of the set. Pentominoes can be used in many ways, including how they all fit together to make one large rectangle. Give that one a try! Today's activity reinforces area and perimeter concepts. 

Specifically, this activity addresses the following Common Core State Standard for Mathematics: 

3.MD.D.8- Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.

Pentominoes can be purchased at any of the major math manipulative suppliers; however, there is a link to a free reproducible set below. Looking for a real challenge? Have your students find all of the shapes that can be created using 5 square units-- there are 12 of them. 

Once students have a set of pentominoes from which to work, have them complete the activity below. 

Freebie Alert! Click here for a free printable of this activity. 

For part I, students find the perimeter of each pentomino. They are each identified by the letter their shape resembles. After students find the perimeter of each pentomino, students analyze the shapes to answer questions about their perimeters and then compare the perimeters to the fixed area. 

For part II, students create a new shape by putting two shapes together. The goal is to create a new figure with the smallest possible perimeter and the largest possible perimeter. Again, students can compare how the perimeters compare to the fixed area-- what attributes does the shape with the larger perimeter have that the smaller perimeter does not? 

The objective for both parts is to provide students with some experiences comparing the perimeter of shapes that have the same area. Students can then begin to make conjectures about what attributes shapes with smaller perimeters have when compared to shapes with larger perimeters. 

Freebie Alert! Click here for a free copy of reproducible pentominoes.

To Use: Print the shapes on cardstock and cut them out. 

Need another cool resource to reinforce area and perimeter? 

Click here to check out Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns. 

Sound Off! How do you like to teach area and perimeter concepts?

Transformation Tuesday: Engaging Vocabulary Activities- Vocabulary Swat it!

Understanding vocabulary and terms can really help students analyze and make sense of math problems; however, it is often left out of instruction because we simply do not have time to include it in meaningful ways. During the month of April, I will share my favorite vocabulary activities with you and even introduce a couple of new ones.  

Today's activity is Vocabulary Swat It! This has been my and my class' favorite way to review vocabulary for years! It's a great way to review and reinforce important vocabulary and terms. It's both engaging and fun and all of the students want to volunteer to be a swatter. 

Check out a sample Swat-it! board below!

Here's how to set it up: 
1. Use an 8.5 inch x 11 inch size paper to program a 3 x 3 array with 9 vocabulary words.  
2. Project the array onto your classroom whiteboard so that the students can reach all of the rectangles with a fly-swatter. 
3. Ask for two volunteers to come to the front of the room and stand on the left and right side of the Swat-it! board. 
4. Hand each student a fly-swatter. 
5. Read a definition. 
6. Students use the fly-swatter to swat the word that matches the definition. 
7. The first student to swat the correct word is the winner. 

Variations: If you don't have a projector and whiteboard or just want the students to work in small groups, create small group Swat It! boards on posterboard. Then, you can read the definitions to the class as a whole, allow each duo to swat the posterboard, and then discuss the correct answer. Or, you can use the Swat It! board as a station activity and have student groups of three or more rotate swatter and reader/ checker roles. 

Sound Off! How do you review and reinforce vocabulary with your students?

Solve It! Friday- Task #27

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:

#RMTSolveItWeek27: There are 5 spiders and 8 beetles.