Math Intervention - Division

Do you ever spend hours scouring the internet looking for a resource that matches your vision?? I did that this year with math interventions. I had an image in my mind of what I wanted to use and honestly was hoping someone had already created something similar... but no luck!

So, that means I created it myself!

I was looking for simple, quick, easy-to-use lessons for a math intervention. I only had about 20 minutes with the small group. I created the lessons using the Engage-Teach-Practice-Closure routine.

Engage - this part of the lesson either reviews the strategy from the previous day or it gave students a problem or question to think about in order to set up the teach part of the lesson

Teach - this part of the lesson the teacher is explicitly teaching students how to use the focus strategy, it allows the teacher to model how to solve 1-2 problems (I Do) and then asks students solve 1-2 problems with the teacher to practice (We Do)

Practice - this part of the lesson gives students 2 problems to complete on their own while the teacher monitors and corrects any mistakes

Closure - this part of the lesson allows the teacher to go over the practice problems, remind students of the strategy used during this lesson, and lets them know what strategy is coming next

Up first is my division intervention. There are 14 lessons that starts off with the basics of relating division to multiplication and equal sharing and progresses all the way to using partial quotients with 3-digit by 2-digit numbers.

The lessons are designed so that you can start wherever your students' needs fall, but the lessons do build off of each other. For example, partial quotients starts off with 2-digit by 1-digit problems, then goes to 3-digit by 1-digit, and then 3-digit by 2-digit problems.

Each lesson includes the easy to follow lesson plan, a student page for students to use as they follow along with the lesson, and an answer key. The student page has 6 problems, 2 problems from the teacher model, 2 problems for the We Do section, and 2 independent practice problems.

Click the link to get your copy!

 

Back to School Math Activities

Here are some math activities to do the first week of school that allow students to get to know each other by working together and you to get to know your students through observation and conferring.

Set up your math classroom community through teaching math norms. I use the math norms that we used when I taught in Maryland. They come from the SFUSD and can be found here.

image from SFUSD

Each day I do a different activity to help students practice that norm. Some of the activities include:

• Use tangrams to complete different challenges (there are plenty online for all age levels for free!)
• make sure to have a discussion afterwards about the challenges and how it feels when we make mistakes or when math gets frustrating and what students can do when this happens
• this is also a time to discuss expectations for math tools

• Introduce math/number talks to get students talking about each other's thinking (here are some examples to get started)
• use this time to set up routines and expectations for math/number talks and discuss stems students can use to agree/disagree, add on, or explain
• here is a resource of sentence stems students can put on their desk or math notebook

• Use an activity from Building Thinking Classrooms to get students working together and show off their problem solving abilities
• This is also a great time for the teacher to model the asking questions norm and have students practice asking questions as well

• Give students a task that allows them to model using multiple representations. This will look different depending on the grade level and your curriculum as this is a great time to kick off your first unit with some review
• At my current school where I teach 4th grade, we have students use 36 tiles and ask them to design rectangles that use all 36 tiles. Students can attempt to make a connection to multiplication and arrays from grade 3.
• You could also give students a word problem and tell them that they can solve it using any strategy they would like and then have students share

• The last thing I do during the first week of school to get to know my students is a math screener. I use this on the day I introduce that math norm that answers are important, but they are not the math.
• I explain to students that if they don't show me their thinking using math then I can't help if they make an error.

• I also use the first week of school to introduce math games. I choose a topic that students should already be familiar with so that we can focus on practicing the expectations for math games. This is a great time to again practice routines for getting materials and cleaning up

Fractions of the Week

Fractions come and go throughout our pacing guide in our 5th grade curriculum, so I created this simple Google Slides presentation that I use every couple of weeks to keep fractions fresh in my students' brains.

You could choose to have students pick 2 fractions or you could pick the 2 fractions for them.

Each day of the week the students have a different task to complete with the 2 fractions. There are so many different ways you could use this. For example, you could assign it Monday and say that it is due Friday and the students could complete it on their own time. You could use it as a warm-up every day of the week.

This could also be changed to focus on whatever it is you are focusing on with fractions. For example, if you haven't taught adding and subtracting fractions yet, you could just customize it to fit what your students have learned.

The way that I have set mine up is the following:

Monday - model the 2 fractions

Tuesday - compare the 2 fractions

Wednesday - find 3 equivalent fractions for each one

Thursday - add the 2 fractions

Friday - subtract the 2 fractions

I have included some basic fraction strips that could be used, but if students pick their own fractions and use a different denominator they won't be able to use that virtual tool.

Click here to get your copy of the presentation!

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Twitter: @apotter730

Primary Math Activities

As you all know by now, my daughter has an extremely long break during the day. She absolutely loves math and it is something that she can do on her own. So I decided to put my primary hat on and create some digital math activities that she can do on her own.

I have 5 activities created so far...

Counting Objects:

In this activity, there are two parts. Part 1, students count the amount of objects in the jar, then drag and drop the numbers on the side to the box. Part 2, there is a number in the box, and the students drag the objects into the jar to model that number.

More or Less:

In this activity, students drag the alligator so that his mouth is facing the jar that has more objects.

Adding with Ten Frames:

In this activity, there are two parts. Part 1, students drag and drop the numbers on the side to create the addition equation modeled with the red and yellow counters. Part 2, students are given an equation and they have to drag and drop the red and yellow counters to model the equation.

Counting by 2's:

This activity can be used two ways. Students can be view the activity in Present mode. They then click on the number that would come next when counting by 2's. This is self-correcting, so if they choose the wrong answer, it will take them to a page that says oops, try again. You will not be able to see what they click on, so this would be given as an independent math center task. There is also an option for students to drag the red circle to cover the correct number. In this format, they can turn it into the teacher to be scored.

Counting Using a Hundred Chart:

This activity allows students to practice counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's. They drag the circle to cover the number that would come next. They can then see a visual and practice counting aloud.

I had fun making these since I teach 5th grade. I definitely see more in my future! Stay tuned.

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Instagram: @mrspotterstyle

Twitter: @apotter730

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Math Anchor Charts

I have received some great feedback on my 5th grade and 2nd grade math anchor charts, so I thought I would work on the other grades.

My daughter is in kindergarten so I started with K and 1st grade next. I figured it would help me understand what she will be learning in school. I will admit, after teaching 5th grade for 5 years straight, it is HARD to look at the standards in the primary grades, try to understand what exactly they are required to do, and then create an anchor chart that covers the required content while being kid-friendly and age appropriate.

I will be completely honest, any feedback would be greatly appreciated. If I am missing a strategy for addition and subtraction that is used in primary grades let me know and I can add it.

Here are some images from my 1st grade charts:

     

     

Grab your free copy of the 1st grade charts here!

Here are some images from my Kindergarten charts:

    

    

Grab your free copy of the Kindergarten charts here!

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Instagram: @mrspotterstyle

Twitter: @apotter730

"I'm Done, Now What Do I Do?"

This question never goes away. 

Whether you are in the school building teaching or teaching virtually, the question, I'm done, now what do I do seems to get asked at least once per class period. When teaching in the school building, I always have bins or things set up for the students to do either independently or with a partner when they have finished their work.

Now that I am teaching virtually, I realized that I need to have something set up for the students to do when they have finished their work. Originally, I would tell them that they could just log off the live session and work on any assignments that they may need to complete in any of their classes. But now that our state is mandating the students be live with us for a certain amount of time, I wanted to give them a choice of things that they could do while still staying in the live session.

The first thing that they must do is check Google Classroom and make sure that there are no assignments that need to be completed. Because I only teach them math, I am only requiring they check their math assignments so that I am not getting questions asked about other content areas that I may not know the answers to. I am learning that many of the students are not finishing their assignments, or maybe they are finishing them, but just not turning them in on Google Classroom. So I thought if I give them some other things that they could look forward to when they have finished their work, then maybe it will motivate them to do their work or turn it in.

My county uses an intervention program called Dreambox. So that will always be one of their choices of things to do when they are done.

Math Blaster is a website with many online math games for different grade levels. I have it linked to the 5th grade activities. However, this is a box that I may change throughout the year. There may be times that I link to a specific math game. Here are some other math games online that students love to play:

• https://www.mathplayground.com/math-games.html
• https://www.mathgames.com/math-games.htm
• https://mrnussbaum.com/games/math-games
• https://www.coolmathgames.com/
• https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/

Epic is an online platform full of books. While I will encourage them to read a math book every now and then, I also just enjoy promoting a love for reading. Check with your county, because many school districts purchase licenses for some type of online book platform. The local libraries often give access to their online resources for the public school students as well.

The two boxes on the right will be the boxes that I change throughout the school year depending on the topic we are currently learning about in the classroom. The KenKen puzzles is something we did in class during the first week of school, so I wanted to give the kids who like puzzles something to choose from. The place value riddles is an activity I used in my classroom when we were in the school building, so I just created a virtual version for students to complete. Below are some great websites to check out for math activities that could be used in the classroom:

• https://jenniferfindley.com/category/math/
• https://jillianstarrteaching.com/category/math/
• https://games4gains.com/pages/freebies
• https://teachingwithamountainview.com/category/math/

What types of activities are you using for your students to do virtually when they finish their assignments before others?

https://sites.google.com/view/amberpotter/home

Instagram: @mrspotterstyle

Twitter: @apotter730

2nd Grade Math Anchor Charts

By special request you are getting a bonus post this week!!

I just completed my 2nd grade math anchor charts to share with you all.

I have to be honest, I have been teaching 5th grade too long... it was a challenge to put on my primary hat and make sure that the anchor charts were accessible to 2nd graders.

Click on any image above to get your free copy!

As always, please let me know if I left something out or if there is an additional strategy or topic you would like to see added!

Digital Math Games

Now that we know that we will be starting off the new school year in a virtual format, I am starting to look at our math curriculum to see what activities I can make digital.

I have attempted to make a few of the games in our first unit using Google Slides so that the students can try to play them with each other.

Powers of 10 Yahtzee

Students will need a copy of the document so that they have editing rights. You can choose to have students work on the same presentation so that they can show their work on the same slide, or choose to have them have their own presentations and they can do 2 rounds of the game on one slide.

I have made enough slides for 3 rounds (or 6 if they are working on their own presentation), but you can always add more by going to the last slide and clicking on Slide then Duplicate.

I give students information on how to type an exponent using the keyboard shortcut, but I am also thinking of including a version with text boxes in case they have issues with the exponent.

There is an example on slide 3.

Multiplication Judo

Students will need a copy of the document so that they have editing rights. You can choose to have students work on the same presentation so that they can show their work on the same slide, or choose to have them have their own presentations and they can do 2 rounds of the game on one slide.

I have made enough slides for 6 rounds (or 3 rounds if they are sharing a presentation), but you can always add more by going to the last slide and clicking on Slide then Duplicate.

There is an example on slide 3.

Both of these games are adapted from our math curriculum, which was adapted from the SFUSD grade 5 curriculum.

5th Grade Math Anchor Charts

I have put together a Google presentation with all of the anchor charts I use in my 5th grade math classroom.

In the classroom I would use these for interactive notebooks, print out on colorful paper and display in the classroom, or use them to make "anchor charts to-go". The great thing about these anchor charts is that they can easily be printed in different sizes. They are formatted to fit 1 on a normal 8.5 by 11 inch paper. However, you can easily change the size by going to File and selecting Print Settings. Where it says 1 slide per page, when you click it gives you a drop down of options. I would choose Handout - 2 or 4 slides per page. If you go any smaller it will be too difficult to read the charts. You can also toggle the size by changing the layout from landscape to portrait.

If you are doing distance learning, you can easily copy and paste a slide from this presentation into another presentation. I am probably going to create interactive notebooks for my students to use digitally (I foresee a future blog post coming), so I plan to copy and paste these anchor charts as we cover the topics.

A side note about anchor charts...

Usually I like to create my anchor charts with my students in the classroom. However, with distance learning this is going to be a bit more challenging. I prefer to explore a topic and allow the students try to figure out how to solve something before just showing them step-by-step how to do it. I would not recommend just showing your students these anchor charts to have them use to solve a problem. In my experience, they need to be explained and taught how to solve a specific problem first and then the anchor chart is used as a reference for future attempts at solving problems.

As mentioned this presentation focuses on 5th grade math standards (maybe if I have time I will try to work on lower grades). I keep my anchor charts basic because as I said I usually like to print them on bright, colorful paper.

The charts included are:

• Multiplication (algorithm, area model, and partial products)
• Division (algorithm, area model, and partial quotients)
• Place Value
• Powers of 10
• Multiplying by Powers of 10
• Dividing by Powers of 10
• Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing Decimals
• Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing Fractions
• Volume (counting cubes and formula)
• Coordinate Grids
• Order of Operations
• Quadrilateral Hierarchy

23 charts total!

Click on any of the images above to get your free copy!

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Printable Number Signs

To go along with the printable alphabet from this morning, I also created printable number signs!

Just like the alphabet, these can be printed on a regular full size of paper, 2 per page, or 4 per page. Directions for printing are located on the second slide.

The clip art on the slides is from the website http://www.publicdomainfiles.com/ is free to use. When you download your copy of the presentation, you can use this website to find different clip art of images if you want to change out one of the slides.

The presentation includes numbers 1 through 20.

Click on any of the image above to get your free copy!

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Math Supports

As mentioned in my previous blog about math manipulatives. I also have these math supports that I use with my students as well.

I usually create math resource folders using the 2-pocket folders that have the prongs in the middle of them. I then put in plastic sleeves through the prongs in the middle and then put in the supports from this document, so that my students have access to them throughout the school year. 

The nice thing about putting them in plastic sleeves, is the students can write on them with dry erase markers and then erase it when they are done. This is especially helpful when using the clocks or the coordinate grids. Students can practice writing the time or finding ordered pairs and then hold them up so I can see them. 

You could also choose to print these supports out in a smaller format. There are a couple of ways you can do this. If you want to print one page of the same support, you will need to right click on the slides and click on duplicate. If you want 2 per page when you print, then you need to just duplicate them one time. If you want 4 per page, you will need to duplicate them 3 times. If you want them smaller, but don't care if they are the same support on one page, then you can just leave the slides as is. When you are ready to print, you will need to go to File in the menu bar and click on Print Settings. It defaults to 1 slide without notes. Click where it says that and a drop down menu will open. Select either Handout - 2 slides per page or 4 slides per page depending on the size that you want them. 

You can laminate these supports as well, which would also allow students to write on them with dry erase markers. If you print them in a smaller format, you can get rings to organize them and be able to easily pass them out to students.

The possibilities are endless! How do you use these types of resources/support items in your classroom? What other resources do you use that I have left out?

Click on the image below to download your copy or check out my Resources page.

Math Manipulatives (Printable and Virtual)

We still aren't quite sure what this school year is going to look like, but I can tell you that if/when we do get back in the building there will be lots of changes. One of those changes is going to be on sharing supplies and tools in the classroom.

I can tell you one of my favorite things to use in the classroom for math is manipulatives. Allowing students to use hands-on tools to help them build a deeper understanding is so important. But if we aren't able to share supplies, how in the world are we going to share math manipulatives. We would either have to disinfect/wipe them down between each small group or class or else ask the school to provide a large amount of the supplies. We all know how hard it is to get the schools to purchase anything!

I decided this summer that I am going to start working on making my own individual manipulatives for my students and I am excited to share them with you all! Side note - I teach 5th grade, so while I tried to find manipulatives that are used in the lower grades, if I forgot something please let me know and I can add it.

I found these storage organizers at Michaels.  They are priced at $41.99 regularly, but you can catch them on sale ALL the time, or use one of their amazing coupons they have every week.

The storage box holds 16 smaller containers. So I purchased 2 of them and now each of my students has their own individual container for math manipulatives. You can choose to store all of the manipulatives in the container at once, but I preferred to just put the manipulatives we will use each unit in the box. For example, when we are working on place value, I will only have the place value blocks and the place value chips in their container. I also number the containers and then assign each student a container so there is no sharing involved.

When printing the manipulatives you have a couple of different options. You can choose to print them on cardstock or print them on regular paper and laminate them. I can doing a combination of both. The items that like place value blocks that can put cut on the dotted lines I am printing on cardstock. The fraction strips and pattern blocks that I am going to cut out into the actual shape I will do on regular paper and then laminate.

In the event we will be doing distance learning or some type of hybrid learning, the manipulatives in the Google slides presentation can also be copied and pasted into an assignment where you want the students to use them. For example, if I want my students to build numbers using place value blocks while completing an assignment in Google slides, I can copy and paste multiple copies of the place value blocks into the presentation and the students can drag and drop them as needed.

There are also some great virtual manipulative websites out there that can be used with students. Two of my favorites are:

• Glencoe Math from McGraw Hill Education (this website does require flash)
• Toy Theater

The printable math manipulatives can be found on my Resource Page or by clicking on the image below.

I am going to be posting another resource soon that includes more math manipulatives/supports that can be printed out. Some of them includes things like hundred chart, multiplication table, place value chart, etc. Check back soon!