.Math Morning Work

I've had alot of questions about math morning work.Please think about your purpose and intent. You do not want to have to spend 30 minutes going over morning work and probably even then most students will not get it and then you are continually frustrated.

 Here are a few suggestions and thoughts:

1. Think about the tasks your students have been engaging in during Classroom Routine and Ten Minute Math. Repeat these/create extensions of them.
2.What about the tasks during the lesson? Could you have students continue the next morning recording in their journals.
3. Just remember that the rich tasks your students have been doing are more powerful than any worksheet or  rote problems on the board. They also show much more mathematical  understanding.
4. Math Analogies:
http://www.criticalthinking.com/series/085/index_p.jsp

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Sample(s): (REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY)Table of Contents |  1 | 2  |  Print

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5. Look ahead at the lesson...is there anything that you could front load with?
6. How about..."yesterday boys and girls we played Capture 5...record in your journal one strategy you used." Or...grade 5..."create a number puzzle for...."

Share some of your ideas please.

First Investigations Lesson Grade 5

So...how did your first lesson go? See what Ms. Allen and her team from Belmont Central said...

Email # 1:

Good morning,

I just taught my first Investigations lesson.  It was ROCKIN'.  The kids loved it and I loved it.  Yay!  Now...it took me an hour and 45 minutes, but I'm sure we will move faster once WE get used to this new program. 

Leah

Email # 2:

Our grade level was super nervous about beginning this new math program.  We downloaded the SMART lessons from Pearson's website and used our PLC time to practice the entire first lesson (TWICE!! haha). This enabled us to feel totally comfortable with what we were teaching. 

At lunch, the teachers on our grade level seemed to have the same consensus, it's fun!  Our only concern was the amount of time it took.  We're worried we won't be able to keep up with the curriculum guide. 

Students loved finding different equations for problems and sharing how they "got" the answer with neighbors.  It was great to see students come up with the vocabulary word on their own without me even saying it first. I did notice my lower leveled children had a hard time discussing, but they did seem to listen to their peers.  I just don't want them to fall through the crack...

This week we are simply using the Investigation Planner outlined in front of Unit 1.  We used the planner as our guide but the biggest help for us was practicing the lesson.

I hope this helps.

Leah

And listen to what Ms. Simmons said from Carr...

 I know I am being a "Teacher Geek" but I was sooooooo excited after doing Math today!!!!!!! I got so excited by one of my students thinking today, I literally fell out on the floor in front of them (Yes I know I'm crazy).  They looked down at me and said "Are You alright?". I proceeded to tell the student who literally knocked me over with their deep mathematical thinking, that I was sooo excited for them.  At first, the class wanted to tell me that...this is hard..I can't do this....HELP US. I responded by saying " I'm not helping just yet...it's ok to struggle...talk to your shoulder buddies.  IT WORKED! To give you a little background info., I am looping with the class of fourth graders I had last year.  I was amazed by my struggling student (who scored a 2 on the math test last year) that totally understood "Square numbers" today and told me (when I asked her in front of the entire class to give me a number that made a perfect square) 2,500. She explained that a 50 by 50 array made a square number. I think I'm going to like Math Investigations :-)

From Principal Edwards at Costner...

Good Morning!!

We have had a great start!! I wanted to share with you some of the wonderful things I have seen and heard about Math Investigations!!

• While observing 4 different classrooms - 2nd, 3rd, and 5th - ALL students were actively engaged in math! I loved their "math talk"!! There was excitement in the air!!
• Teacher says - "I was so worried about releasing control. After my first lesson, I can't wait to teach another one."
• Teacher says - "My husband and I have been playing the games. We had trouble working out some of the problems. I was amazed at how my students were able to "think" to solve the problems faster than me."

From Grade 5 Carr Teacher...

Hey

As promised I will tell you what happened on our first day of math in one story...

My EC students are the only 2 people in the whole class that understood and answered and taught the others one of the challenging questions in the classwork number puzzle pages.  It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall I need to work on my flow but the students were engaged and interested the whole time.  I am loving Investigations!!

Patti

Grade 4 Unit 1 Lesson Plans

How are you doing with writing lesson plans for Investigations? Thanks, Jenna Gerringer and Jessica Hunnicutt for sharing! Let me know if this helps you.


https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8bPW3E7iXpDeE8xcm5RcWxENEU

Second Grade CCSS Checklist from Allison Wells

Many of you requested Allison's checklist. I put it on our site. Here is the link! Thanks for sharing Allison!!
https://sites.google.com/a/gaston.k12.nc.us/gcsk5/common-core/math-common-core/second-grade-resources

3-5 Investigations TL Conference

Great session! Check out the responses and questions. Look for my next blog entry to address some of them.

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/LTE3ODYxMjY5NTI

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/MjE0NTE3ODI3OA

9 Ways the Common Core will change classroom practice

Principal Bruise shared this article regarding concerns with the Common Core. The author is concerned that teachers think the mathematics standards are pretty much the same as their current standards. What do you think?

K-2 Math Small Groups TL Conference

Great session today.  Please respond to the polls and let us know what you learned and share with us a resource you use in your math instruction.

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/MTYwOTAzMjIwOAPoll 1

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/ODQxOTU2MDY5Poll 2