A discovery discussion to have with your students...

Hey there!  It's Jamie from MissMathDork!  It feel like it's been ages since I chatted with you last!  Recently in my 5th grade resource class we were going to play Multiplication War (like normal card War, but the first student to multiply the two numbers together and say the correct answer gets the cards).... but then one of my students asked what "those things" were... Yes, she referred to a deck of cards as "those things".... *shock*, *awe*, *slightly agape mouth*.... 

At that point, I did what any good teacher would do... I threw the written lesson plans out the window and we "discovered" what a deck of cards was.  This was an interesting discovery lesson because I wouldn't let the kids touch the deck.  I know that sounds weird, but the answers to the questions would have been *too* easy had I let them touch them.  Sooooo..... we worked on our math talk, and our group talk, and how to use our words.  What occurred was an AWESOME discussion!

First, I spread the cards out and asked them what they observed from the deck.  They noticed two colors but didn't see the 4 suits at first. Before I let the discussion get too far, I had them estimate how many cards were in the deck.

98....24....64....52....24....64....16....

Okay so ONE of my SEVEN kiddos has an idea of what is in a deck....

 After the digression, someone noticed their were four different "pictures" on the cards.  I asked him to elaborate and he was able to talk about the diamonds and the hearts but didn't know what the name for spades or clubs was.  We had a quick discussion about the vocabulary.  Then I asked if they thought each suit had the same number of cards.  Most of the kids said no... a few said yes.  So, we split them into the four suits. 

Before we were able to talk about how many cards were in each suit, we looked at one suit specifically. I laid out all of the clubs so that the students could start making observations about what made up one suit.  

 

One of the students said the cards looked the same from both sides of the table.  Others disagreed.  So.... I took out the phone.  

<--- This is what the card looked like "right side up" 

<---This is what the card looked like "wrong side up"

Nope... they weren't convinced.  Apparently they thought I used some sort of phone trickery to make the pictures looks the same..... So...... enter, the HAND MODEL!

We picked a different card and looked at it from both vies again.  J's thumb was up for the first view and down for the second view.  This time the kiddos were convinced that the cards were symmetrical on either side.  We did have a conversation about how that ONLY worked for EVEN numbers and the FACE cards, I just forgot to take a pic of the ODD card (oops!) 

 Next someone noticed that "the numbers could be put in order" - YES, NOW we are getting there!  They were okay with placing 2 through 10 but weren't sure what to do with the face cards.

So, they made an educated guess - the overwhelming response was alphabetically! So I placed the cards how they suggested. 

 After some more discussion we talked about "the royal family" and what the order of hierarchy should be.  They finally decided that it should be Jack, Queen, and King.  Ace was still confusing so I told them that Ace could be a 1 or a 13 depending on what game you were playing.  

Then I revisited whether all 4 suits had the same number of cards.  Still disagreement.... so, we laid out two of the suits.  Someone actually gasped "they're the same!".  It was getting really hard not to laugh at them :)   

After we made the connection that two of the sets were the same, I sorted all 4 suits and asked them to think about how many cards were in ONE suit.  They reached for the set to lay them back out and I stopped them.  I had them try to visualize what cards we had laying on the table before.  Within a few moments we were able to decipher that there were 13 cards in one suit (2 through 10 and four face cards) from memory!

 Then I tasked them with figuring out how many cards were included in ALL four suits. After a few moments, I had the students tell me how many they thought were in a deck now....

26....52....52....52....52....52....52....

Some kiddos used repeated addition.... others multiplied.... one was still stuck on just looking at two suits....

Regardless, it would have been VERY easy to tell the kids that a deck of cards had four suits, and those four suits totaled 52 cards.  Instead, we took the time discover what the deck of cards entailed.  While some would say that this was a wasted 30 minute resource time, I would disagree.  Students without prior background knowledge need the chance to form their own scaffolding.  This 30 minutes gave the kiddos a chance to interact with the cards, make observations, and problem solve.  Imagine how much better they will do with probability KNOWING the make-up of a deck!  

Now that they understand cards, we can play Multiplication War another day :)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Oh!  wait.... one last thing!  My dear friend and ATUE collaborator Meg over at The Teacher Studio is have an "ALL NEW" Giveaway. She has teamed up with around 60 TpT teacher-authors to give you some awesome free items!  Each day you can win twelve $10 shopping sprees!  Make sure to check it out!

Today is the 4/5 giveaway,

Tomorrow is the 5/6 giveaway,

AND if you hurry the 3/4 giveaway MIGHT still be open to entries!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

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Keeping Kids on Track

If I'm being honest, I'd have to say that I have a pretty challenging class this year.

In addition to the academic needs of my students, many of them have behavioral and attention needs that need to be redirected. How do I keep them on track?

Let me share some ideas that work for me.

I conference with my {LARGE} group of kids that have on task issues and teach them how to use the SLANT cue chart and "What Level Are You Working" prompt. Then I place the cuing charts on their desks for a constant resource. I can then ask students, "Are you SLANTING?" or "Remember, N = Nothing in your hands".  I also hold them accountable to rate what level they think they are working by holding up fingers. 5 fingers is actively engaged and 1 or 2 fingers mean they are off task or distracting themselves or others. I ask them, "Are your choices helping you do your best learning?"

Both these strategies have been beneficial this year and I hope you will find them useful too.

~Denise

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Guest Post Bethany Hunter: Synthesizing

When I first started teaching, I assumed a lot of things about my students. I assumed my students knew how to visualize while they read. I assumed they naturally predicted as they read. It didn't take me long, however, to realize I couldn't assume anything when I taught.

Synthesizing quickly became one of my favorite reading strategies to teach. When I introduce synthesizing I normally start off by asking my students if they have ever read a book or watched a movie where, half way through it, they just "knew" what was going to happen. Then as they continued to watch or read they changed their mind. Most of my kiddos can think of a book or movie, so we spend a few minutes talking as a class about our examples. I then create this anchor chart with my class:

Once we know what synthesizing is, it is time to practice it. I ask my students to grab two post-it-notes and I share a mentor text with them.

Here are a few of my favorite mentor texts to teach synthesizing. All of them have clear story lines that you can use to help teach your students how to synthesize.

Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie starts with a cat who shows up one day at a families home. I ask my kids to write down where they think the cat came from...as the story continues they learn this little cat has two homes.

The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg starts out with a stranger being hit by a car. I ask my students who they think the stranger is...as this story continues they are able to synthesize and infer that the stranger is Jack Frost.

 

The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting is about a little girl and her grandmother. The story makes it seem as if the grandmother is helping the granddaughter learn to read...as the story continues the children learn it is the other way around.

With all of the mentor texts, I share part of the story and have them jot down what they think on the first post-it-note. Then as I finish the story, the students jot down what they know on the second post-it-note. The students put their post-its on the anchor chart before they move to their "comfy" reading spots. Here is an example of our thinking after reading The Stranger:

To help my students stay on track when they read independently I give them a bookmark I created.

I also give my students a graphic organizer to help them record their thinking. You can pick them up by clicking here.

I have found that having my students track their thinking as they read helps them become stronger readers. It also helps me be more on-purpose as a teacher when I conference with my students. I hope these book suggestions and organizers help your students become stronger readers as well! 

Hunter's Teaching Tales Blog
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Increase Student Engagement

Recently, my administration set a goal for teachers to increase student engagement and to be more responsive in the classroom.  As the ELA Leader of our school, I held a small-group meeting to discuss what comes to mind when thinking of these two terms.  Every teacher in the group agreed that we could easily increase student engagement by using "every pupil response."  In addition, we would have quicker "responsiveness" to students if we used strategies to get students talking and participating more frequently.  By using every pupil response or EPR, teachers have a quick and easy method for collecting data and making changes to a lesson on the spot.

 

My Favorite Ways to Use EPR

 

1. White Boards- We store them in our table bins in a drawer along with a dry-erase marker in a clean sock.  I have students respond, hide, and then show their responses.  Meanwhile, I am collecting the data on a clipboard.

 

2. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Sideways, Thumbs Down- When I need to know quickly where students are with the lesson, I use this method of EPR.  If there are more thumbs down or sideways than up, I know it is time to change the direction of my lesson.

 

3. Pinch Cards- I keep pinch cards laminated and in desktop bins at my table groups.  When I need a response, students pick these up and pinch the correct answer.  These are great for multiple choice questions!  Instead of copying worksheets, ask the questions and have students use the pinch cards. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

 

4. Consensogram- Use colored dots on a consensogram to determine where students are with their understanding.  I do not use this simply at the beginning and end of a lesson but throughout the entire time we are learning!  It helps me to see which strategies are working and which need to be adjusted.

 

5. Connecting Cubes- Students have red, yellow, and green connecting cubes at their tables to use to demonstrate understanding.  A red cube on their desk means they need help.  A yellow one means they are confused.  A green cube means they are good to go!  This helps me assess who needs my help immediately and who is comfortable working independently.

 

There are so many more ways to use EPR, but these are just a few of my faves!  If you are like me, you don't have a ton of time on your hands to make things so I thought I would give you a few pinch cards to get you started!  I hope you enjoy!  How do you use EPR in your classroom?  I'd love to hear some tips!

 

Click on the pic below to get your pinch cards!

 

 

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Rethinking Literature Circle Roles

I love literature circles, but by Grade 8 my students have done the traditional roles so many times that they start to groan if I mention literature circles. So this year I am veering away from the traditional roles and having them just meet to discuss the books they are reading once a week for four weeks.

How does this work?

I had 5 copies of 7 different book titles. Books were put on display on my whiteboard ledge for a few days to generate student interest and buzz. A few days later, copies of the books were dispersed amongst the class for students to dig deeper into the novel to see if it was a good fit for them.

I allowed students to choose their novels and their group members. For their first time discussing books, I wanted them to be comfortable with the people in their groups. In the future, I will create the groups based on reading level, interests, etc.

Students will be required to fill out the graphic organizer below prior to attending a book discussion, but that is the only paper item I will collect.

I created a simple graphic organizer where they can write down their thoughts as they read their novel, but nothing else paper wise will be handed in. I will rotate through the groups each day to listen in on their discussions and add prompts if needed.

My goal for these book discussion groups is to give students more ownership of their book discussions. Students need to be more prepared for the level of rich discussion that takes place in a high school English classroom, which is not as structured as traditional literature circle rolls.

I am not saying that I won’t go back to the previously established rolls, but we need a break from them for a few months. I am a huge fan of literature circle roles for students in the younger grades that the need the structure they provide so that students can be gradually released to running their own “lit circles” in the middle school years.

You can find the free "book thoughts" graphic organizer on Teachers Pay Teachers by just clicking on the above photo.

I also have my students work on monthly book report assignments, but during months where we have novel discussion groups or literature circles I do not assign an additional book to read.

What do my students do for their monthly book reports?

I assign a different genre for each month, and students can select any appropriate novel to read that meets their reading level. Each month the assignment changes, but works on a three month rotation: 4 R's - writing assignment, Choice Board - creative assignment , Sell This Book - present the novel to the class. 


To get more details about my "Spice Up Your Book Reports" reading program click on the photo below.

How do you use literature circles in your classroom? 

How do you encourage students to enjoy  what they read? 

I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Until next month,

 

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Pop-Up Flash Card Viewer - My Clever Little Fox Idea!

Hi there! It's Blair from One Lesson at a Time, and I'm here to bring you an idea for your interactive notebooks!

Ok....this is probably going to come out wrong. But do you ever have one of those moments where you have an idea and think to yourself,

"WOW. I AM BEING REALLY CLEVER RIGHT NOW. I AM A CLEVER LITTLE FOX. WATCH OUT WORLD, THERE'S A CLEVER LITTLE FOX IN TOWN."

I swear, I don't usually spend a lot of time announcing to the internet that I am having a clever little fox moment. But THIS, my friends, was one of those moments.

I present to you.....drum roll please.....the Pop-Up Flash Card Viewer. I'll pause while you ooh and agh. Actually, please ignore that last part - I am big-time overselling this and you won't be dazzled at all.

I came up with this idea while I was crumpling a piece of paper up - a piece of paper with a really BAD idea on it. Funny how those things work. :) The viewer and the geometry terms flashcards you see in the pictures are part of my 4th Grade Interactive Notebook Activities Pack for 4.G.1 - Lines and Angles. In the pack, I include the viewer, 2 sets of geometry flashcards, blank flashcards, and bunches of other goodies.

I'm going to use picture instructions to explain how I made it. I'll provide you with a blank template so you can make your own- but once you get the hang of it, you can definitely make them easily with plain paper.

POP-UP FLASH CARD VIEWER DIRECTIONS:

That's it! Super fun and easy! You can put any content you want on the flash cards - just match up the content on the left side with the corresponding rectangle on the right side. Slide the flashcards up and down to see different sections in the viewer. Click on the pictures of the templates below to download them free:

I hope you can use these in your classroom! If so, make sure to leave a comment and tell me what you do with them - I'd love to hear your ideas! :) One more tip - I tried using card stock, but found that regular printer paper works better if you plan to use them IN your interactive notebooks. The card stock doesn't lie flat enough. If you are just going to mount them on construction paper, you may want to use card stock. 

If you want to check out more of my interactive notebook activities, I have complete sets available for 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, and I am currently working on 4th Grade. Each standard is available individually, as part of a domain bundle, or as part of a mega-bundle of all standards. You can click the pictures below to check them out at my TpT store:

Thanks so much for stopping by All Things Upper Elementary today!

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Home/School Communication

As I sat down today to work on report cards, I couldn't help but think about the people on the receiving end of them… The families. I am always anxious this first quarter. Did I communicate clearly with them in the days, weeks, and months leading up to these report cards? Will there be surprises or pieces of information that will come as a shock to the families? I certainly hope not… But I always have that thought in the back of my mind. Have I done enough communicating about student progress?

Today I thought I would share with you a few things I do that have been well received by parents and do help me continually keep the line of communication open between home and school.  Don't get me wrong, these do not replace the emails I send or the newsletters or the half sheets of paper that I send as reminders. These are simply systems I use to make sure that there are as few misunderstandings as possible when it comes to students' progress.  I'm sure there will be nothing new to you here, but I thought it might be a good time to hear your ideas on the subject as well!

One thing I do every day is ask my students to fill out assignment notebooks and have their parent/guardian initial it.  I make it very clear to the families that this is their child's responsibility and that parents shouldn't have to hunt this down!  By doing this daily, I can send messages home and parents can send messages to me and it is all tracked nicely in the books!  This works great and is the perfect complement to our 

travel folders.

Some of you may also have seen my post this summer about travel folders and what I put into mine.  If you are interested in checking that out, 

click here to read more!

Another thing I do is make sure any assessments I do are graded in a more "Standards Based" way--that way students and parents have a clearer picture of what is going well and what needs work.  Parents are very appreciative of the more specific information and have explained that it really helps them understand the grades as they are marked on 

our report cards.

Similarly, if I give a summative assessment, I do require that a parent/guardian sign the assessment showing me that they have, indeed seen their child's progress to this point.

When work is more formative in nature, I still want to make sure parents can see it so they know what we are working on in class and so they can help out at home if needed!  All exit slips, projects, learning activities, or other graded work goes home about every 2 weeks (more often depending on our units) in a folder where I ask families to look through the work together, then sign and return the folder.

Parents often leave me comments and sometimes leave their child encouraging words as well!  It's always fun for students to go through their work before they take it home . . . they can prepare for the questions their families might have and can show them how much they have improved even since those exit slips were given.

So . . . as I dig in to report cards, I hope I have done enough to set the stage!  Hope all of you have a great week and, if you're working on report cards too, hang in there!  I'd love to hear of how YOU keep the lines of communication open with families!

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