I love to challenge kids to look at math from a different perspective. Third graders took some time in December to do just that. We explored different origins of numbers through different culture's number systems - specifically the ancient Egyptian and Chinese systems. At the same time, we explored the origins of our own numbers and number system from its Hindu-Arabic roots. Through this work, we were really looking at the ideas of place value (how a number in our system has value based on its position,)of using 0 (as a place holder,) and of how efficient our number system (it certainly takes less time to write!) We played games trying out a base-3 system (which by the way, requires a lot more trading than a base-10 system!) We tried writing numbers in Egyptian (and found out that drawing is maybe not everyone's strong point - especially a kneeling pharaoh with arms outstretched if you have to write 1,000,000!) Chinese numbers took some time to write but we found out it has some similarities to our system too (it is a base-10 system that relies on value for symbols based on placement within a number.) While we only spent a few days of class on these concepts, I think the students have a better appreciation for the evolution of math and how lucky they are not be drawing multiple frogs and fingers to add in math class!
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I try to mix things up a bit in class to engage the students in lessons that involve more than just a worksheet of practicing skills. I want them to learn math but I also want them to learn to LOVE math. Worksheets are certainly necessary but not every day. Before we left for holiday break, the 4th grade math students were working on a unit on decimals. Adding and subtracting decimals is a necessary skill for 4th graders to master. So we decided to have some fun with that. Here's how... Question that is like a mini-game of Jeopardy. The teacher poses the answer, and the students pose the questions. In 4th grade, that meant kids were creating addition and subtraction with decimal problems after I gave them the answer (which for example, was 24.5.) Then we swapped sticky notes and students had to check each other's work. The errors that the "checkers" found, we put on the whiteboard and analyzed the problem. Students were challenged to share ways to fix the error to make it fit our answer. Another fun way we worked on this standard was to work with a partner, a calculator and a small whiteboard. Students had cards that presented a problem to solve. The whiteboard partner did it with their marker while the other partner solved it on the calculator. The whiteboard partner got a point if they solved it correctly (as checked by the calculator.) If not, the calculator partner got the point. Students took turns with the calculator and continued practicing. A little friendly competition is a great motivator! Math learning is certainly about repetition and practice, but who said it couldn't be done in a fun This year brings a change to Werner's gifted programming to include screening all 2nd graders for being creatively gifted students. Since I have a small group of students that were tested last spring and identified as having a creativity ID, I now have had the awesome responsibility for helping them learn what it means to be creativity and begin helping them grow that gift. I mentioned in a previous post one of our first activities was to look at what it means to be creative in order to open their minds to the creativity that lies in all parts of life (sciences, mathematics, arts, music, and much more!) We also explored where creativity comes from.
Another element of being creative is what in education we call fluency and flexibility of ideas. Fluency and flexibility are the terms within creativity that means being able to generate a variety of ideas, especially ideas that are "outside the box." One activity I did with the third graders this year was 5 pipe cleaners in 5 minutes. The students were given literally that in addition to a piece of paper to brainstorm all the things you could make out of pipe cleaners. We saw glasses, letters, numbers, people, flowers, and more. some kids were able to generate 5 intricate ideas while others generated 20 quick ones. There were no rules - just a chance to challenge them to use a standard object for non-standard fun. (See the photo gallery for more evidence of 3rd grader's creativity.) Have a kid at your house that is creative? Try this same idea or one of these other suggestions: - go on a nature walk and look for things shaped like letters or like animals - paint with anything other than a brush (plastic toys, spoons, pinecones, fruit, veggies, sponges...) - build with toothpicks and marshmallows -try writing whole sentences with words that all start with the same letter - do household chores with the opposite hand than you are use to - play Pictionary but sculpt the words from play dough instead of drawing - cut out random pictures and parts from magazines to collage a new monster (then turn off the lights and tell a scary story about the monster!) Below is a copy of the rubric we use to score student work based on creativity. This can help you understand what we hope to see in a project where a child has maximized their creativity: As much as possible, I like to give kids a chance to put their math skills to work within the context of a project. This gives them a chance to work on the application of their knowledge and learn to budget their time to complete a longer-term assignment. At the end of last semester, 5th grade was given the task to create the largest enclosure possible for an animal at our newly created zoo. Given restrictions of fencing materials (basically being told the perimeter,) students had to use their math calculations to create the largest space for their animal as well as do research on their animal to make recommendations on what to include into that habitat. As an added challenge, they had to use their art skills to draw their animal and math skills to create a scaled replica of their proposed enclosure. Each student had to present to our "zoo committee" for final approval. Check out some of their hard work in the pictures here and see all of their creativity in the photo section of the website. |
Tracey BeanWerner Elementary Archives
May 2018
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