Math Tag!

 This game is morphing nicely. The two Teacher's Assistants, Ayden and Caden led Morning Meeting. Their activity was a game we have played called Math Tag. We picked a factor to use and when you are tagged you freeze in the multiplication or division sign. To be freed another classmate runs up and gives you an equation. Once solved, everyone runs again. We circled up and chose 3 or 4 new "Its" and then run like the wind!!

In the circle we talked about doubling numbers. It was really cool to notice the patterns in that particular factor group. Good Educational Fun because it allows the kids to reflect on their accuracy with simple math facts.

Math is a verb!!!

Problem solving and getting kids to think is really what the whole school day is about. Though we break it into subjects and time slots, the process is all about doing those two things. It just so happens that math is often thought about as only procedures. It's like knowing the alphabet and being able to make words, but never putting words into anything more complex than a few sentences.
 Words are the things we recognize as the symbols for oral and written communication. In this same way, the symbols in the language of math communicate ideas and the ideas get more and more complex. And that is because the problems become more complex.

The idea is to remember that the real mathematical purpose behind symbols is to communicate tangible concepts (or intangible concepts as the math become theoretical).

For adults, think of how signs on the road are a part of driving. Driving is complicated by many variables and reasons, tasks, and material. Signs are essential, but more needs to be known to drive.




The pictures in this post were from last week as the kids moved through timed stations with an unknown dividend/product and to figure out the multiples. It was a way to assess their strategies. By the 3rd move, the partners were able to find the factors or non factors for the mound of "gold nuggets." They had 10 minutes per station. On Tuesday, we went over the numbers and wondered about the process. And, that just knowing the math facts is essential, and a tool.

Are there remainders, what does that mean?

This week using their thinking in solving real word problems has been hard and interesting. 4th graders are really learning that thinking is problem solving and the first step is figuring out the problem and what to solve for, whether you are doing some math thinking, writing a narrative, or driving a car. (These are just a few of the metaphors that are probably popping into your mind.)

How do you want to group? Why?

Prime or not? Why?

 
 Using any type of manipulative to make a number have real value is key.

 Cooperation of how to figure out the process was a large part of this activity. Checking and keeping record. Counting by multiples, noticing patterns and having a game atmosphere because of a time limit kept it lighthearted. There were no creepers though. Next time. :)

 If students were counting by ones, I stepped in to remind them to use a more efficient method. Often, the students rely on what is comfortable--just like us--so getting thinking to move is the support I provide.

Friday night and into late Saturday this past weekend, I got to do some great Professional Development in CDA working with other math teachers throughout the region. We work on what we attend to when working with students, crafting questions for interpretation, and helping to respond to needs. The goal is to have kids think deeply by helping them develop their number sense to apply, analyze, and communicate their thinking. We dissect video footage of kids doing math. It is fascinating and  a time of great reflection for what I get to do each day!

 Every pair was matched by how easily they worked together. These partners also share where they are as math thinkers. By partnering the kids in this way, this time, was to allow them to learn together and not have one person lead while the other listened. Participation is key to individual growth. When kids work cooperatively and then have time to go back over the work, as we did, they create connections and make analytical leaps in their problem solving and content knowledge.

Focused and Fun, Engaged and Interactive, Supportive and Logical Thinking

After reading 5 stories about Home...now it's time to write

The  three writing assignments will have different levels. The first one is a Personal Narrative  about Home-- the students started brainstorming yesterday in their Writers' Workshop notebooks. Then each one wanted to put an idea up on the board because it builds inclusion, inspires ideas, and helps the writing become much more focused and detailed. Today, the class will work through another activity to grow their one focus by breaking into sensory and anecdotal snippets.

Brainstorming about the theme of HOME was at first hard because the idea is so much inside them that they haven't ever thought about how to find it or explain it. Once specific examples are described today, each writing will be unique and interesting, personal and reflective.





 People set the tone. Animals are definitely a large part of the idea because the kids spend time one on one with them.

 

Companions of love

         Sights and sounds

The Web Graphic Organizer of the 4th grade brainstorm session--only 15 minutes--great start!

Annabelle has won 2nd place in the school district wide MLKJr. Art Contest!

             The Latah County Human Rights Task Force sponsors an essay and art contest for the whole school district and this year Annabelle won 2nd place for students in grades 3-5. The theme was around inclusion and diversity with the prompt to teach about The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 24th Amendment to make Poll Taxes against the law.
              The students learned about the era through music, did see the full speech that MLK, Jr. gave in Washington and discussed the importance of voting. We thought about the words in the Pledge of Allegiance--liberty and justice for all-- and how each day we must work to do that. They saw photos of President Johnson signing the bill into law with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr as his side.

Annabelle's drawing will be on display at the Human Rights Breakfast this Saturday. There are usually 400+ people from around the community that attend and Mayor Lambert will call all the winners up on stage to be presented with a certificate. If you would like to join in on the activities, go to the Moscow Middle School Multi Purpose Room at 9 a.m. The cost of the breakfast for adults is $8 and for kids $4. All profits go back into the schools for human rights education.

Here is an example of the art from our class. Traye did the essay which was a letter to Governor Otter. It is wonderful to be with such a conscientious group of young people who value each other and want a world where everyone is treated equally.

This 3D piece was done by Austin. 

Evaluating Math Games from App Store, then Division BINGO!

Working in partners, the students had to find 3 games, play them and give them either a thumbs up or down and explain why. On Monday, the class will share the games. Notes were kept in their math notebooks.

Explaining the game to each other and deciding if it has value.

Serious consideration about math games

                                            

Typing skills, analysis, and balancing their notebooks--they are great learners!!

 The goal is to find math games that support 4th grade math concepts for practice. It is hard to find good games that have some depth of content and fun to play. They kids noticed right off that creating games that are for lower grades is easier and there were more of these. Finding games for the intermediate group is harder because the levels are wider and the students have pretty high expectations of engagement.                                                              
          Last year when I did this with the class, the App Store had only a few games that the class really liked so it was good to see new games had been uploaded, and some that were pretty fresh and fun fueled with good content coverage.
Because the kids get to do math with Mr. Khan of Khan Academy and Ten Marks, they do know what feels right.

Each person had a chance to play the game and the talk was lively and completely focused!! 

                                             

Lots of choices; refining the search

  THE CONCENTRATION of BINGO-- Whether it is multiplication or division-- they love it. There are four students that help each round. Two call the letter and equation and two students scribe the equations so that when someone yells, 'BINGO!", the numbers can be checked.  It is fun and the class transitions so smoothly from Chromebooks to interactive game. It is also a good self assessment tool because they note how well they are keeping up with the basic facts. Doing games like this reinforces that they need to have recall of these facts-- just part of the math toolbox.

We had time for a half hour of Chromebooks and BINGO!!!

The thought bubbles above their heads you can actually see.:)

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!

Calling, Scribing, Checking, Concentrating

Math game at its simplest- and very effective -low technology still works great!

Appaloosa Horse Museum- Nez Perce People and the Adaptation of the Appaloosa- Art, Science, and Social Studies, Dec. 16, 2014

Now, they are 'old hands' at riding the public transportation system; and, Gene, one of the helpful and friendly bus drivers, loves this class and calls them the 'best behaved group of kids that ride!"  Again, we had parents meet us at the AHM at 10:00. Thank you parents for coming. The kids love sharing their learning with you.

We were met by Crystal, a Nez Perce tribal member and Museum Director and Reba, the Youth Outreach Educator. Each partner group was part of a larger group of 11 and participated in 2 different lessons. The the groups switched and were taught the other lesson.

Crystal took the kids through the culture of the 'parfleche' and the horse. These 'suitcases' of all different sizes were essential to carrying and moving personal goods and food stuff. Crystal talked about the importance of how these items were used and would be identified by members of the tribe. The kids created their own and when we returned to class, each spoke about how they decorated their parfleche to reflect what was important to them- unique identification.  This group also studies the appaloosa's traits that Crystal discussed  to reveal how the Nez Perce were masterful at breeding for more than 250 years.

Alexa took the other group through the museum describing artifacts, dates of importance, noting that the settlers of the area, and fielded numerous questions.  The kids were taken with the baby boards because it allowed the mothers to work and provide hands' free care. There was also a beautiful headdress that Alexa explained that captured their imaginations. The solemn moments thinking about how Chief Joseph made decisions and how the people traveled and fought for freedom was thought about carefully.

The museum has changed since my last visit- being updated and organized to present information in interesting displays with lots of good information on cards within the cabinets. There is just so much and then there's all the items from the Appaloosa Horse Club too. It is remarkable that the visit is free and so was the trip on bus over. All I can every say again is WOW!, we live in great community!!

Items donated by the Hatley family about homesteading and ranching

Crystal explains the 3 main traits of the 'Appaloosa'.

 Clipboards have a graphic organizer for taking down one artifact they collected facts on and for a drawing of it. The saddles were good for providing conversation about design/engineering and the classic feeling of riding a horse.

Chief Joseph "I will fight no more forever."

 

Parfleche

Beautiful bead work and weaving 

Items on loan from WSU

parfleche construcition

   

Serious about creating a distinctive parfleche identity

1877 war with US and the path to find a way to Canada.

Arriving at AHM!