Addition and Subtraction Game

The game I created involves students drawing number cards out of a brown bag and adding them.

Directions:

1. Collect recording sheet (1 for each partner)
2. Roll dice: whoever has the largest number goes first
3. Pick two cards out of the brown bag.
4. Write the two numbers on the recording sheet in an addition equation and solve
5. You may use drawings (space on recording sheet), mental math, or cubes to find the answer
6. Partner needs to make sure the answer is correct
7. If answered correctly, roll dice and move that many spaces on game board.
8. Next person picks cards and complete the steps

There are two sets of number cards 0-12 in the bag. Student may get two cards that equal more than 20. I feel this is okay because they have manipulatives to use as support to solve their questions. Student are held accountable by writing their equation and answers on the recording sheet.

I played the game to generate 30 addition equations. My equations are

11+12, 0+2, 8+2, 9+7, 10+6, 11+4, 12+7, 5+4, 9+8, 12+8, 8+5, 10+2, 9+6, 12+-, 6+7, 11+7, 4+0, 11+1, 9+4, 8+5, 9+2, 5+0, 12+2, 12+7, 7+8, 6+5, 6+6, 7+5, 8+7, 11+12

The most frequent are: 15, 13, 12

The least frequent are: 2, 10, 9, 4, 5

Analysis of Mathematics Curriculum: Part 2

The curriculum gives ideas for interventions and extensions for some of the activities. There are teacher notes on a few pages throughout the teacher handbook describing why students might need more help on a certain part of the lesson. This curriculum really meets the students that are hands on learners. Almost every lesson in Unit 4 has students using manipulatives.  Students are using cubes to show there understanding of counting, using pennies to make ten with a partner, and using tiles to show different ways to represent a number.

The curriculum relates to “Math Wars” because there are some traditional lessons and some not so traditional. I have talked to a lot of teachers about this curriculum and have heard A LOT of different opinions. Some teachers really like following the lessons from day one until the end. Other teachers feel they have to skip through because the task aren’t high enough for their students. Also, it is being forced on teachers to used because it cost so much and their county bought it.

MY Ideal Math Curriculum:

• would align with the standards I am teaching
• have materials for my low, average, and high students for centers
• give low and high cognitive math task ( I believe both are important)
• have games for students to play to help them better understand the concepts being taught
• some worksheets, for students to be able to write down their thoughts
• NO textbook, students are not learning by reading through a book and doing only the even numbers
• technology resources that align with the concepts
• manipulatives, manipulatives, manipulatives!
• list of additional resources of teachers to use for their learning and student learning
• real-world connections
• problem solving activities
• same ways of working problems will be used through all grade levels
• developmentally appropriate!

This curriculum is most suitable to support mathematics teaching and learning because it will meet every students need. Students will learning strategies in kindergarten that will help them for the rest of their life. This curriculum will start out with the basics in kindergarten. Most people say the Common Core does not let kindergartens be kindergartens. But, this curriculum will change that. There will be different activities that teach the standards but teach them in a way every student can learn. Teachers will not have to constantly search for interventions because they will already be found for them. This curriculum will allow teachers to teach math the way their students need to be taught.

The Skeleton Tower

1. Note the figure above. It is made of cubes that form stair steps. The center of the tower is 6 cubes high. On all four sides of the top tower are stair steps that extend from the center.
2. How many cubes are needed to build a tower like this, but that is 3 cubes high? 15 cubes
3. How many cubes are needed to build a tower like this, but that is 4 cubes high? 28 cubes
4. How many cubes are needed to build a tower like this, but that is 5 cubes high? 45 cubes
5. How would you calculate the number of cubes needed for a tower N cubes high?
6. How do the answers in parts 1-5 help you?

I am a very visual learner. For this task, I decided to draw out the towers for each questions (if only I was an artist).  🙂  Sometimes I wonder if I have to draw out everything because I’m always asking my students too. When I started drawing the cubes I realized there was a row of cubes in the middle you couldn’t see. Which makes me glad I drew them out or I would have got all the answers wrong. (This proves the reason I ask my kiddos to draw a picture to find their answers.)  After I drew each tower, I knew I could add up all the cubes or simply multiply the stair steps together and add the hidden cubes.

3 cubes: 3*4+3=15 cubes, 4 cubes: 6*4+4=28 cubes, 5 cubes: 10*4+5=45 cubes.

Now question 5 stopped me. I have never been good at coming up with a formula. I’ve been staring at my paper for quite some time.

K-5 Establishing Baselines For Student Success in Mathematics

Each teacher at my school was able to select a PTEC workshop to go to during this school year. After we go to the workshop we have to returned to our grade level and present. I, of course, picked the workshop dealing with math. Math has always been a subjected I loved through my schooling and as I have been teaching. Mathematics is part of my Masters program as well.

The workshop started out with us writing the beliefs of teaching and learning from the points of view of media, parents, community, teachers, and administration. After everyone has written one of each we seen that almost everything was negative. The view point with the most positive comments was the teachers. Anyone surprised? Next, we completed out our teacher believe survey.( Teaching and Learning Beliefs Survey)

We discussed how the Principles to Actions Mathematics Teaching Practices and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice are linked. (Comparison of Math Practices and Teaching Practices) We noticed that the Principles to Action should be what the teachers are doing while the Common Core should be what the students are doing.

Then we looked at Low Cognitive Demand Task and High Cognitive Demand Task. I had already completed this in my first Masters class. I enjoyed completing it again and being able to talk with other teachers about each task.

We spent the rest of the day looking at all eight of the Practice to Actions Mathematics Teaching Practices. We received the book Principles to Actions Ensuring Mathematical Success for All from NCTM. From the parts of the book that we looked at during the workshop I am excited to read more.

After the had looked at the 8 practices we looked at different tasked and discussed where the each practice took place.

There is only one part of the workshop I wished was changed. All of the tasked were for 3-5. There was not much mention of Kindergarten anywhere during the workshop. Since I have to report back to my team, I do not feel like I can give them specific information on Kindergarten.

If you have not been to the Mathematics Wiki you need to go! http:maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/home