What's the problem?

Problem solving is a key component to student growth and understanding in math.  As teachers, we want to find times to allow our students to engage in rich problem-solving activities with their peers.  This helps to develop math vocabulary, reasoning, and perseverance.

Below, I have listed some story problems which might work well in your classroom.  Unlike the 3 Act Tasks that I have spoken to many of you about, these problems tend to be more open ended and focused on persevering through the problem. I find perseverance to be an area for development for many of our students.

I know we often feel that we are under the gun to get through our EM4 curriculum, but I think we could maybe still find some times in our learning to build these in.  Students should work in small heterogeneous groups to solve these problems.  

Maybe... 

• you can choose to have it be a piece of your workshop?  
• it will fit in on a day right before or after a long weekend or break?
• it could be part of a day when you are reviewing for a test or going over the results of one?
• it could be an opening or closing activity?
• it could be done on a Friday as a break from the regular routine?

Please let me know if you would be interested in collaborating to implement more problem-solving like these into your classroom.  I would be happy to help or lead your class for a day while giving one of these a go.

These come from two websites that I depend on quite a bit--youcubed.org and nrich.maths.org.  You can find printable pages and explanations for you and your students at these sites. I have identified them by grade level, but many of them could work in other grades, so feel free to check as many out as you wish!

Kindergarten:  https://www.youcubed.org/task/ice-cream-scoop/

1st Grade:   https://www.youcubed.org/task/leo-the-rabbit/

2nd Grade:  http://nrich.maths.org/7506/note

3rd Grade:  https://www.youcubed.org/task/squares-upon-squares/

4th Grade:  http://nrich.maths.org/1150/note

5th Grade:  http://nrich.maths.org/31

Please consider sharing this post with a friend!

Finding Mistakes=Learning

Do your students like to find mistakes in your work?  Mine often did!  This Notebook document is full of real-world images that contain mathematical errors.  

Starting your workshop with one of these every now and then would be a great way to get your students engaged and relating math to the world around them.  It should also teach them to look closely and analyze prices that they encounter; not to just be lured in by the SALE sign.

You might take this a step further and challenge your students to bring in mistakes that they find out and about town.

Download the Notebook file here:
What's wrong with this photo?

I also used mistakes in class for all of my students to grow.  I presented math problems and then asked the students to find my mistake.  They had to identify my mistake, write a quick explanation, and then resolve the problem to get the correct answer.  This document contains pages that I used with my 3rd graders, but other grades might be able to use a few of these.  Hopefully, it will give you some ideas to create for your own classroom.  

Download the PDF here:
What's My Mistake?

Finally, please note that I changed the address of this blog.  It is located in my email signature, but should be easier to remember now, too.

Valentines Fact Game

I saw something like this online, and I decided to create a similar one.  It is a Powerpoint game that you can use to help your students practice their math facts. I have created a version for students to play independently and another one for them to play as teams.

Download the Powerpoint and the Bingo Cards.  The Powerpoint is set to advance to the next slide after 4 seconds.  The team version uses the same Bingo Cards but the slides are in a different order and there are slides inserted to tell the students when to change players.

I think it will be a fun way for them to practice their facts.  Students are expected to be fluent (efficient, flexible, accurate, automatic) in addition and subtraction facts up to 10 by the end of 1st grade. 3rd grade students should be fluent in multiplication and division facts within 100 by the end of the year.

VALENTINE BINGO CARDS Addition 1-10

VALENTINE BINGO POWERPOINT  Addition 1-10

VALENTINE TEAM BINGO POWERPOINT  Addition 1-10

VALENTINE BINGO CARDS  Subtraction 1-10

VALENTINE BINGO POWERPOINT Subtraction 1-10

VALENTINE TEAM BINGO POWERPOINT Subtraction 1-10

VALENTINE BINGO CARDS Multiplication within 100

VALENTINE MULTIPLICATION BINGO POWERPOINT  Multiplication within 100

VALENTINE TEAM MULTIPLICATION BINGO POWERPOINT Multiplication within 100

VALENTINE BINGO CARDS   Division within 100

VALENTINE BINGO POWERPOINT  Division within 100

VALENTINE TEAM BINGO POWERPOINT Division within 100

Please let me know if you have any problems accessing or using these Powerpoints.

4th grade area problem

I created the following Notebook to use to present Robert Kaplinsky's Giant Sicilian problem.  It is a good real-world problem for students to try to solve.  I also like that the show makes a mistake. I would be curious to know if your students notice the mistake and can correct it.

This problem covers CCSS 4.MD.3.  Click on the pizza to download the Notebook file.  

Please feel free to share with a friend.

Problem Solving Opportunities

A critical piece of our math instruction is plenty of opportunities for problem solving. For some of us, this is a difficult shift--holding back from helping our students--instead, allowing our students opportunities to explore and think on their own or with classmates should help to strengthen their problem-solving skills.

The following activities/games are some that I found that you might be able to use with your students in Unit 5 (or maybe some other units, too).  I pulled these with 2nd grade in mind, but certainly, other grade levels might find them useful, too.

Let me know if you have any questions or are looking for other resources.  Please share with someone you think might benefit.


2nd grade:

Consecutive Numbers:  This is an investigation into consecutive numbers.

Dotty Six:  This game can be adjusted to meet the different needs of your students.

I Like...:  This interactivity would be a great group problem solving activity.  Students work to figure out the teacher's rule that s/he is using to sort the numbers.

Sums Investigation:  This is an investigation which asks students to look at the sums of two-digit numbers.  It would make a great small group activity.

Leo The Rabbit:  This story problem will have students wondering if they have found all of the solutions.

The Whopper Jar:  This Notebook file is  a 3 act task in which the students are given a situation, and they must determine the question. Students are asked to estimate and think about the problem before critical information is given to them.  They should be allowed to collaborate during and after solving to encourage rich math discussion.

Fractions, fractions, fractions

One of the most dreaded concepts by students--and some teachers, fractions is a key piece to better understanding how numbers work.

This post is to share some different resources that might help you as you plan for your fractions instruction.  I have tried to locate a variety: games, enrichment, tasks, and problem-solving.  Please let me know if there is something else you are searching for.  I will be happy to help in the quest.

Let me know if you have questions.  Please share this post with a friend who might find it useful.

E-toolkit:  Our EM ConnectEd component has a great fraction piece to it.  It is worth your time to explore all of the things it can do!  

Battleship Numberline:  Fun practice for 3rd graders on putting numbers on a number line

Slide to the Top:  This game has students place various fractions on a number line.  Can be played with fractions, decimals, or percents.

Dig It:  more practice with locating fractions on a number line.

Fraction Feud:  Students reason about numbers to make fractions bigger or smaller than each other.

Melvin's Make a Match:  a fractions matching game

Greedy Algorithm:  students work to figure out how the algorithm works

Fraction Jigsaw: jigsaw that includes practice of equivalence and addition and subtraction of fractions.

A variety of primary fraction tasks:  these are probably most appropriate for 3rd grade

Ben's game:  Good problem solving activity

Sweettart Hearts:  This 3 act task focuses on 3.NF.1 and 4.NF.4.  3 act tasks give context to problem solving and should be presented in a way which allows students to really explore the problem before solving it.  This notebook file has all of the questions, videos, and links in it.

Do the Dew:  Another 3 act task--this one involves unit fractions and simple addition.  3 act tasks give context to problem solving and should be presented in a way which allows students to really explore the problem before solving it. This notebook file has all of the questions, videos, and links in it.

The apple:  This 3 act tasks focuses on 4.NF.4.  3 act tasks give context to problem solving and should be presented in a way which allows students to really explore the problem before solving it.  This notebook file has all of the questions, videos, and links in it.

Engage New York has some good materials to supplement our Everyday Math study of fractions.  These links just take you to a grade level's page.

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Do you have any great resources to share? Please feel free to share below in the comments

Rethinking Our Instruction

This TED talk by Dan Meyer has been driving a lot of my learning and thinking lately.  While I worked hard to change my instruction to make it more meaningful for my students, I had not reached the level that he is talking about.  I wish I had.  His discussion and meaningfulness about his instruction inspires me.

I have found some resources from Graham Fletcher which are motivating me to change my instruction.  Would you like to take some steps to change the way your math class works?  Let me know!  I would love to work together for change.