Art In Math: Picture Pie

So I'm still trying to use this blog as the place to share the real stuff I did in my real classroom with my real students.

Today's topic:  Art in Math:  Fractions

Several areas of math lend themselves well to art.  The first two that pop into my mind are geometry and fractions.

Now for the problem. . . when do you have the time to do this cool stuff?

My best response is that every single day I make decisions to shorten or sacrifice part of some sort of learning for some other sort of learning.  The pragmatist in me says, do it as a station on a day when you do a variety of different thematic activities.  I've done that a lot with Fridays with Everyday Math, and it's worked very well.  {A Practice Page, A Game, and Creative Activity}

Now for Picture Pie!  {I have used this very successfully with both 2nd grade and 4th grade.  The difference was 4th graders used compasses to construct their circles, and I had already punched out all the circles for 2nd grade.}

Picture Pie by Ed Emberley cuts circles into halves, quarters, and eighths to make all sorts of plants, animals, patterns, and scenes.  It is soooo COOL and totally worth a look!  {I think it could also be a fully integrated math, art, and writing activity if given the time.}

So here is what I did with 2nd graders:

1.  Everyone starts with one circle in their hands and scissors.  We fold and cut in 1/2.  Then we take one half and cut into fourths.  Then we take one fourth and cut into eighths.  We identify the math fractions terms, too.

2.  Then I give them a couple minutes to make anything using any parts of the circle they want.  It is surprising what kids are starting to see already!

3.  Then I reveal the book.  I'm walking around and enthusiastically pointing out how the butterfly is just 4 fourths and so on. { I'm a HUGE believer in teacher enthusiasm!}

4.  I pass out to each team a few idea pages and a load of different colored circles.  Each person has a small black or white piece of construction paper (4 1/2 x 6 inches)  I have plenty of extras because some people make lots of stuff and some just make a few.

5.  I let them work, and I only try to intervene when a child is doing nothing or appears frustrated/overwhelmed.  Below was a fairly standard amount of work a second grader could do in about 20-25 minutes.

Circle Time, Part 2: Everyday Math

I love to run my teaching groups in circles.  There is something powerful about everyone facing everyone and sitting next to each other.  This year I'm trying to teach most of my Everyday Math lessons in 2 groups.

Here is how it works or at least how I hope it works:

1.  I have 2 groups--Group Amazing and Group Brilliant (A and B)  They are mostly ability groupings--but I don't have a perfect science on that.

2.  We usually check homework or do time drills or review vocab or do the Math Message whole group for the first 15 min. (Notice I said or, or, or.  I don't try to do more than 1, or if I'm lucky 2 of those things.)

3.  Then I meet with Group Amazing--they require more time.  I run through the main teaching part of the lesson.

4.  While working with Group A, Group B is doing their seat job (usually Math Boxes, but sometimes other practice tasks) for 15 - 20 min. and then a Game for 10 min.

5.  Then we switch.  Sometimes Group A is finishing up at their seats or together while I get started with group B.

6.  With many lessons, Group B catches on quickly enough that they support each other after the first 10 - 15 min.  I often have 5 minutes to field questions from the seat work in Group A.

7.  I'm super fortunate this year because a tutor comes in 3 days a week to support Group A members at their seat.

I teach a lot from a little white board.  It works well when we are in a circle.  Kids are very motivated, and it's much harder to zone out because everyone can see if you're working.  The time always flies by.  I feel like I have less control, but the students have lots more opportunity for independence, self control, and support from peers.

Do you use groups for Math, especially Everyday Math?  What works for you?

Hosting A Family Night

I find that family involvement is very valuable component to a successful school year.  These events don’t have to be fancy or have lots of bells and whistles.  Usually I try to get buy in from kids, and then the rest is easy.

I just had my first family event of the year.  It was called Multiplication Madness.  It was one hour of basic fact games and activities.  Doesn’t that sound like just more homework?  But kids will beg parents to return to school for just a little incentive like door prizes or snacks.

I had about one third of my students attend.  I also had a few siblings. 

Here are the steps I recommend for planning and hosting a successful family involvement event:

1. Choose a theme or focus.  Keep it very positive and upbeat.  Some themes I’ve chosen in the past include math games,  homework success, out of this world reading, etc.  I try to choose something that is well suited to my students and timely to what we are learning.
2. Promote it with kids.  Really talk it up.  This time I said I had multiplication games that they had not seen yet, they would be able to use the Smartboard to play the games of their choice, and there would be door prizes.
3. Have the students promote the event and invite adults.  I copied the basic info of the night--what, where, when--on half a sheet of paper turned landscape.  The students folded that in and decorated the front to make an invitation to give to the adult of their choice.  In the past I’ve had grandparents, aunts, adult siblings, and babysitters attend.
4. Continue to promote with parents.  I sent an email out to my parent list.
5. Gather the materials you need, but keep it simple.  I went to a dollar store to buy door prizes.  I try to relate these to the theme.  If we are doing reading, I give away books.  If we are doing homework help, I make little homework boxes.  This time I had an assortment of calculators, bendable rulers, compasses, mechanical pencils, and fancy erasers.
6. Put together a page or a packet that the grownups can take away with hints, ideas, and resources related to the topic.
7. I try to spend little time talking, and set up activities for kids and adults to do together.  For Multiplication Madness we had time drills (kids vs. adults), 2 computers with online games, wipe off practice boards, a game to make and take home, various decks of flash cards, EM game--Multiplication Baseball.  
8. I try to mingle, encourage, and respond to questions.
9. I did the drawing for door prizes about 30 minutes in.  It worked out for everyone to get a prize.  Cost of prizes:  about $8  I do NOT always do prizes, but I usually try to for the first event of the year.
10.   Ask kids to help clean up.  The adults will follow.

I find that I over plan, and that less is usually more.  I reap great rewards from these sorts of events.  {They really pay off when I need to share difficult information of any sort.)  

Some people ask this:  Don’t the same people always show up?  Isn’t it the ones who don’t need it who attend?

My response:  In this day and age the parents who are really parenting their kids need to be encouraged and supported.  At the very least those people are getting the message to keep doing what they are doing.  {There is almost always one kid or adult who attends that really surprises me.  I think my job is to offer it not control the results.)

I wish I could find a job where I got to do this all the time!  It’s like being an educational party planner!

What sort of events do you do with your students and their adults?

Everyday Math Self Check Math Boxes

Last year was the first year I had my students self check their EM Math Boxes.  {If you're not familiar with Everyday Math, each lesson has 5 - 6 boxes that practice skills from all different topics.  For example, there will be one problem each of geometry, basic facts, number stories, data,  and measurement on one page.}

Here has been my evolution of thinking:

6 years ago I would take home 76 Math Journals a couple weekends a month and give most of the weekend to check math boxes---INSANE!

The next couple years I just check the boxes linked to assessment, but I didn't like the lazy work habits I saw in some students.

I thought long and hard.  I thought about what I really wanted my students to accomplish.  I wanted them to get maximum practice and feedback for the practice.  

Last year I started having students check their own math boxes.  I create and display a key.  All the keys for the current unit go into a clear pocket.  Students use red pen to make all corrections.

Of course there are a few cheaters, but most students thrive in the low pressure approach to practice.

I do check occasionally for effort, but I'm able to invest more energy in the lessons and what extra support kids need.

What's working for you about the way you teach math?

Everyday Math Vocab Tip

Every year I struggle with my students really learning AND USING new vocabulary--especially in math.  In previous years I've made a variety of word walls and posters.  This year I'm trying a twist on words on rings.  Students bring in a set of index cards, and this year we've already started putting them to good use.

I'm calling them "Math Code Cards."  The reason for this is that it's rare to meet a 4th grade boy who doesn't like cheat code books.  We've already started calling them "Code Crackers."

At this point in the year I'm writing everything out on the board and students are just copying it.  Eventually it will become more independent.  It is taking a good amount of time, but I feel like it's a good use of time.  I believe this because on our first "Friday quiz"  many students asked if they could use their Code Crackers!

What have you started new this year that you like?

Everyday Math Game Organization

For 5 years now I've tried to figure out how to store my Everyday Math games. I took lots of other people's ideas because they sounded smart and organized, but in the end none of them worked for me. This year I finally has a system that works fairly well for me and my students.

I got lots of the magazine boxes at IKEA. They're plain white. I just write the name of the game, and then I put the game sheets in that box. For some games I have laminated copies of the game sheets or boards. I also place the plain old copied papers in there. Next to the magazine boxes I have lots of little boxes with a pair of dice, a deck of math game cards, and beans for counters.

How do I know the system is working? Kids rarely interrupt me in my small teaching group to ask for directions!

What organizational tips do you have?

Everyday Math Daily Schedule That Works For Me

I have finally found it! (I believe the Hallelujiah Chorus should be playing in the background here.) I have found a daily schedule for Everyday Math that is really working for me and 24 4th graders.

If you are a teacher then you hear all the time that you should be differentiated more for you students. It will never be enough, but I do try. Last year I divided my class into 3 groups for math and tried to do three 25 minute rotations with a 10 min. introduction at the beginning and a 5 minute wrap up at the end. So basically I tried to teach the main lesson 3 times quickly everyday. It did NOT work!

This summer it just came to me. . . I would teach the main lesson to every one and then meet with 3 groups based on what they needed next for about 15 minutes each. My first group is the one that needs the most direction--they usually get a good 20 minutes with me. Often we are doing "independent" parts of the lesson together. I am also redirecting and refocusing that groups the most. At the same time group Group 2 is playing one of the games or doing a practice activity--sometimes just fact triangles. Group 3, the students who most benefit from struggling through to come up with good mathematical thinking are at their seats doing the independent part of the lesson and Math Boxes. This is the place where students also check their Math Boxes independently. (Above you can see how simple the Math Box check station is on the front of a cupboard.) I meet with them last and usually have the shortest time with them, and sometimes they are getting enrichment or an extra difficult challenge.

This is not a perfect system, but the majority of kids are benefiting more than any other way I've taught Everyday Math. I have to be creative with time. Math Lesson and Rotation 1 are at the same time block, but the other 2 Rotations are at completely different times of the day. We do NOT do Rotations every day--usually 4 days a week. Sometimes we have Math Lab Days (like Science Lab days) where we practice, investigate, and catch up.

I'd love to hear from other teachers how Everyday Math is working in your classroom.