Graph Paper Interactive Notebook in Math Class – MS Sunday Funday

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Last year I transitioned from regular notebooks to spiral bound graph paper notebooks.  I LOVE graph paper notebooks for two main reasons.  First and foremost, I never have to pass out graph paper.   We make many tables, charts, and graphs in my class so having their notebook BE graph paper is just divine.  Additionally, I teach 6th grade and many of them still have giant handwriting and/or their work is all over the place.  With the graph paper notebooks, I can strongly encourage them to put one number in each square.  This helps in almost every mathematical procedure that they do.  Numbers are small, neat, and all lined up.  Beautiful.

 I also do a modified version of the INB (Interactive Notebook).  I didn’t do very well with the Left Hand Page OR the Table of Contents last year, but thanks to Megan I am motivated and planning to be much better this year!

Most teachers like to use the composition books for the Interactive Notebook.  They DO have these graph paper composition notebooks!  But, I would have to buy them all myself and have the students reimburse me.  My parents have a hard enough time finding the graph spiral bound notebooks and I don’t want to stress them out further.  Whatever you do, don’t let them use the notebooks with the glued in pages (not the composition books).  The pages of the notebooks with the glued in pages start falling out, in mass, after about 2 weeks of use.  This is a nightmare.

Notebook Tips:

  • You will probably need one notebook per semester.
  • It usually takes us about 30 minutes to set up the notebook initially.
  • Have extra blank notebooks on hand it you want to set them up any day in week 1.  Someone is not going to have theirs yet.  You just give them one of your new, blank ones, email the parent a reminder, and then collect theirs as an extra when they bring it in.  You can use this one next semester.
  • Use Foldables or half sheets for their notes whenever possible so you don’t have to trim every worksheet you give them.  That gets very old, very fast.
  • Modeling is the key when doing a math class notebook with younger students.  I have 6th and 7th grade, so I made a Powerpoint that shows how to set up the notebook step by step.

Read more Middle School Math Sunday Funday Posts!

#msSunFun

Google Spreadsheet and the Wiki for Assigning Homework

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I used to keep a plan book.  It was ok.  But, I never actually wrote my plans in it bc those squares were too small.  I just wrote down the lesson title and the homework assignment.   As I got busy, I would often forget to write things down it in.  Especially when I made changes in assignments.  The plan book was one more thing to keep up with and drag back and forth to school every day.  The idea was to use the plan book for the next year as a guide.  But I did not refer to it as often as I should have (only about once a unit) because then I would have to take TWO plan books (one for last year and this year) home every night.

Now, I’m all electronic when I plan.  I made a Google Spreadsheet that lists the date, lesson, homework, and any important links the students will need.  I love this way of giving homework, because then students can easily find the links I want them to access.

I then embedded it into my class wiki.  I only embed one week at a time so my students won’t get confused when looking at the whole document.  (It is blank right now because I still haven’t planned week 1 for this year yet – ACK!)

At the bottom, I provide a “6th Math Archives Page” link so absent students can refer back to the previous week(s).

To make things easier for me when updating and going to a new week, I have two separate tabs in the GDoc spreadsheet.   One is the current week and the other is the archive page.

I put the current week’s assignments into the 6th and 7th tabs.  These are the tabs that I had embedded into the class wiki.  6th 2011 is the entire year and it is what I use for the archives.  I start a new tab for each year (you can see the 6th 2010 and the 7th 2010 from two years ago).  This way I have a record of multiple years of plans and homework all in one place.

Read about other teacher’s Favorite Fridays here!

We Have a Logo for MS Math Sunday Funday!

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#msSunFun

Thanks so very much to Kimberly Howard, @MrsHowardMath, for creating this very cool logo AND the code to make it into a button.  Just copy this and paste the logo onto your blog post.  You will have the cool logo AND it will link readers back to the main MS Sunday Funday page.  AWESOME!

This week’s blog topic is “Student Math Class Notebooks“.  You can submit at any time.  Please use the Google Form below to submit instead of emailing or tweeting me the information.  It will make compiling the links much, much easier for me (thanks again to the wonderful Jeremy Loukas, @jloukas, for help with this!) AND prevent me from leaving anyone out.

To submit a blog, fill out the form below or click on this link (if you don’t see the form).  

Discovering Negative Numbers

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Today I had a three hour Math Boot Camp where I reviewed basics and exposed new to our school students to math topics that our current students have already been taught.  I do not expect them to grasp these topics in one day.  But, it is great exposure for them and I get to see where they are mathematically so I can more accurately plan for these students this fall.  Again, this is exposure, not a full blown lesson.

One of the main topics today was the discussion of negative numbers.  Kids have such a hard time with this because they are taught so many “rules”.  Man, I hate rules kids have to memorize for math.  Today several kids even told me some of the rules they had learned, but didn’t know what they meant and could not apply them.  I actually prefer this to kids that just apply these rules because I can wipe the slate clean and start fresh with them.

I started with the idea of a negative number, showed them patterns so they could discover the answer, and then moved to a number line.  I also frequently referred back to the “concept” of a negative number often and pull finances in at every opportunity.  I mean seriously, what kid doesn’t understand simple money spending?  (As in, I want this awesome xbox game that cost $50, but I only have $30.  My Mom buys it for me and now I owe her $20, thus -20).

To introduce them to the idea of negative numbers, I asked them to represent (on a whiteboard) numbers for the scenarios that I gave them.  You received $45, 15 degrees below zero, you owe 27 dollars and 62 cents (decimals too), the depth of the titanic and the height of skydivers.  I told them they have been using negative numbers for a long time and didn’t even know it.

Then I moved on to patterns. The patterns I used were very simple and kids even laughed when we went through them.  This stuff is TOO easy and they loved that.  They got to see negative numbers come out and they were excited that they discovered the pattern.

  • 4 – 1 =
  • 4 – 2 =
  • 4 – 3 =
  • 4 – 4 =
  • 4 – 5 =
  • 4 – 6 =

After this I modeled subtraction on the number line, always bringing in parallels to money.  Then, I moved on to more patterns.

  • 4 – 2 =
  • 4 – 1 =
  • 4 – 0 =
  • 4 – (-1) =
  • 4 – (-2) =
  • 4 – (-3)=

This was a brief introduction today.  I am going to add more discovery and the need for working with numbers like -4 – 5  =  for an in-class lesson.  I didn’t hit them with multiplication and division of negative numbers as I didn’t want to confuse them.

After all of our pattern work today, one kid even said, “My IQ just doubled today.”  Did I mention how much I LOVE 6th graders?

I hate saying, “Subtraction of a negative”.  Or “minus” a negative for 4 – (-3).  What does everyone else say?  And how are you all teaching negative numbers?  I would love more ideas and discussion.

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This is perfect for all of you who are newer to blogging or even just want to get back into it. It will be amazing fun!

samjshah's avatarContinuous Everywhere but Differentiable Nowhere

An Idea!

For a few weeks now, I have had this idea bouncing around in my head. A new blogger initiation! All it involves is writing four blogposts. There will be no hazing of any kind, except for the kind where we all say how much we think you’re awesome. That’s a form of hazing, right? Like happy hazing?

It has recently come to my attention that there are about a zillion new math teacher blogs that I don’t know about. They are new and probably awesome and exciting and fresh. I also have come to find out that there are a bunch of lurkers who are reading and absorbing and loving the math teacher blogs out there, but are on the fence about blogging themselves.

For those who have taken the leap and started blogging recently: awesome!!! Welcome! Define recently however you want… 3 months, a week, half a…

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Crochet Flower Pencil Toppers & Pencil Check Out Sheet – Made4Math

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I have been wanting to make pencil toppers forever, but I’m not the crafty type anymore.  I don’t really have enough time (three kids), and I always glue my fingers together.  However, I really want to differentiate my “borrowed” pencils because they are always walking off.  I do not mind giving out pencils, and I do so freely.  But, I hate when I run out.  So, after reading @reminoodle’s Made4Math last week I knew I had to try to make the crochet flower pencil toppers.  And, after tweeting about missing pencils all week I also decided to make a “Pencil Check Out” sheet (included below).

I followed the pattern she linked to, but my flower only had three petals.  I frantically tweeted @reminoodle (several times) but she was off having a life that day and didn’t get back to me right away.  Since I’m not the patient sort, I just kept crocheting and crocheting until I had what looked more like a flower.  When the wonderful @reminoodle came back to Twitter she explained that she had trouble with the pattern as well and also had three petal flowers.  This made me feel MUCH better!

When @reminoodle asked me if I wanted her to write up her pattern, of course I said, “YES, please!”  However, that also got me thinking.  My flowers were going pretty well by now, maybe I should write a pattern too.  @reminoodle said that I could write it, but I told her that we BOTH needed to write it up.  I have never written a pattern before so mine may be confusing.   AND they will both be different because her’s have four petals and mine have five.  Plus, I just love “jinx” tweets and blogs!

I used brightly colored, variegated yarn because that is just who I am.  The flowers actually look better if you do them each in a different solid color, but I can never resist multi-colored yarn.  I used mechanical pencils because that is what I have my students use in class.  And, there is nothing worse than a student that borrows a pencil AFTER class begins and THEN has to sharpen it because of course only the broken pencils are left in the pencil bin.  Mechanical pencils also have the clip on the side that helps hold the flower in place.  I did put a dab of tacky glue on them too just to make them more permanent.

I also made a Pencil Check Out sheet.  It will hopefully encourage students to check out a pencil BEFORE class (note smiley face), instead of AFTER class begins (note sad face).  If I have a frequent borrower, I will now have a record and can start a conversation with the student and their advisor, or maybe even contact the parents in extreme cases.

Below is my pattern of the five petal flower and here is @reminoodles four petal flower.

Crochet Flower Pencil Topper

Base

  • Ch 7
  • 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook.
  • [Turn, ch1, 6 sc], repeat 3 times, making 3 rows.
  • Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in each sc.

 Petals

  • Turn, ch 3, 2 dc in next stitch, ch 3, sl st in same st,
  • [Sl st in next st, ch 3, 2 dc in next stitch, ch 3, sl st in same st] repeat 4 times until you have 5 petals total.
  • Cut off, leaving about 5” of  thread to stitch it together.

 Finishing – 

  • Using a crochet needle or darning needle, stitch the two side together and tie off to finish.
  • Attach to pencil and secure using Tacky glue or hot glue.

Enjoy!

MS Sunday Funday – First Day / First Week Activities

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Hi!  Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more updates!  I am @jreulbach.  🙂

Welcome to a collaboration of posts by amazing middle school math teachers!

This week’s theme is First Day / First Week Activities.  Next week, the theme will be sharing how you have your students set up their math class notebooks.  This can be interactive notebooks or traditional notebooks.

To submit a blog, click on this link.

** Brand new blogger!

First Day Wiki Quest – MS Sunday Funday

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I’m going to blog about my first day last year, although I’m not sure that this is what I’m going to do for my first day this year.  The kids loved it, but I love changing things up each year.  So, I look forward to reading all of these great posts to see what you all are doing!

As I am sure that most of you would agree, I hate going over the rules and procedures in class, but I really want my kids (and parents) to know them.  There are only 32 students in each grade and we do most of our, “Hi, My name is…” in advisory the first day, so I really don’t need to play get to know each other (or me) games.

Last year our school went one to one for the first time with middle school.  For most students, this is the first time they have ever had their own computer, and they are very eager to use it.  I use a wiki daily in all of my classes.  The students need to access it every day so it is important that they can find it as well as find their way around it.  So, I decided to have them complete a Wiki Quest in order to familiarize them with my wiki, gather information about them, and get them to read my polices and procedures.

The Wiki Quest has them:

  • Bookmark our class webpage for daily reference
  • Send me an email so they can add me to their contacts
  • Fill out a GDoc Survey
  • Check out my LiveBinder and email the link to their parents.
  • Read my polices and procedures (and copy down important info like what they need to bring to class each day and when I assign homework).

All students finished within the class period last year.  Those who finished early got to start on their first homework assignment.  The first assignment is a short cumulative review and instructions to ask their parents to read my LiveBinder.

Dry Erase Bins – My Favorite Friday

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I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted these beauties in Target’s dollar bin today!    Yes, you are seeing it right, they are DRY ERASE bins!  AND, you can write on all four sides!  Each side is a different color.

I have five tables, so I bought one for each table.  I was so tempted to buy 16, one for each student, but thought that may be overkill (or just crazy).

The possibilities for this are endless.  I had a conversation with @druinok about paint chips yesterday.  Kid can hold up a green, yellow, or red one to indicate their current level of understanding.  But, we felt bad taking paint chips from Lowes, and also doubted they would have enough for a class set!   Then, @MsKLaster then mentioned having, “Need Help” on  the side facing the teacher while the side facing them said, “Keep Working” to remind them to keep trying until the teacher gets to you.  Since I have 5 buckets, I figured this would be great for tables during group work.

What else could I do with these?

MS Math Teachers – Let’s Start Sharing #msSunFun

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Get ready for MS Sunday Fundays!  #msSunFun

I’m calling on all middle school math teachers to blog about a certain topic.  (The list of topics will be published here in advance.)  Then, I will publish the compilation of all blog posts for us to read every Sunday!  The first topic will be 1st Day / 1st Week Activities and I will post them THIS Sunday, August 5th.  Exciting!  Fill out the survey here to let me know of topics you would be interested in blogging about (or seeing).

We have no “logo” as of yet.  If you are a logo person, feel free to create something and email it to me.

If you think MS Sunday Funday is too long or the hashtag isn’t great, then I’m open to suggestions.  These are ideas that we developed together on Twitter, but I’m always open to new and better ideas, especially if they are easier to remember or more catchy!

It’s ON so BRING IT!    🙂