Teaching the rock cycle can be fun. Even though it is a real-life process that takes millions of years to observe, there are many ways to model the rock cycle.
This lab uses chocolate, butterscotch, and white chocolate chips to model sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock formation.
5th grade science teachers in Texas need to spend some time reviewing/reteaching some 3rd and 4th grade science TEKS in addition to the 5th grade TEKS.
Science TEKS 4.8C says "Collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time."
This TEKS has been tested once in the last 4 years and it was over tides--which was dropped from the TEKS this year. It isn't enough for students to know what causes these events but they should be able to look over data and predict.
Ask students what they notice and wonder after watching the video. Do they see a pattern after watching it?
Give students a calendar with some of the moon phases filled in for the month. Have them complete the calendar based on the pattern they see.
Seasons
Use this file to assess what students remember about the different seasons. There are 24 cards. Give each student one card and they can walk around the room meeting up with their classmates. When they meet another classmate, each students will share the characteristic on their card and discuss what seasons they believe it belongs in. At this point, they can switch cards and then find another partner. At the end of the activity, create a chart and have students place their cards in the correct season.
Shadows
Students need to understand how shadows are formed (because light travels in a straight line and when light hits an object, that object may block the light) and they need to understand that shadows form a predictable pattern. You can put an object outside and predict where the shadow that object creates will be.
This activity lets students practice where the shadow is. It also doubles as an activity for 5.8C which is about Earth's rotation. Place the page with the tree in a sheet protector. Have students label the time for each of the Sun's position. Then have them draw where the tree's shadow will be with a dry erase marker at any given time.
Math and Science are so closely connected, but students never believe it. Ever tried teaching a cross-curricular lesson, only to have students say "This isn't math/science/writing class!" Middle school students start to get a glimpse of how science needs math.
In the Texas Science Standards in 6th grade, students start to calculate average speed given time and distance measurements. Here are a few resources that may help students practice calculating average speed.
ENGAGE
Start by introducing the the formula for calculating average speed by having students hop across the room or take the students outside. Mark off a predetermined distance (like 20 meters, 50 meters...) and give pairs or groups of students a timer to collect their data.
EXPLAIN
Take the Engage activity to a whole new level. Students will need to go outside for this one. Mark off a predetermined distance (50-100 meters) and have students tiptoe, speed walk, and run while they time the members of their group and then calculate their average speed.
MINI-ASSESSMENT
Students should be able to read tables and graphs to calculate average speed. This mini-assessments helps you see if students are able to do that.
We started our unit on Statistics after spring break. It is one of my favorite things to do and teach and it is not easy for students to understand. There are so many little things about that you understand once you've studied statistics for awhile. I took some pretty intense statistics classes in college, so I feel like everyone should learn everything about it--I have to remind myself that my 6th graders need to be gradually introduced to it.
So this is the foldable we created for Mean, Median, Mode, and Range--I let my students use my markers and they loved it--I'll have to pull out markers more often.
I read this book in college and it is so interesting. It's been a few years since I've read it, I might have to pull it out again.
I am really happy with how the Math ISNs are going this year. The students are taking ownership of them. I have had two students lose theirs and one student spilled water on his, but all three have wanted to redo their notebook so it has everything in it.
Most of the pages I come up with are me thinking quickly what the students will benefit the most from. I try not to make too many copies for the notebook. I asked the students one day if they just want to write stuff down in it, or do they like the construction paper and color. They like the construction paper and color. I think it is a more fun way to take notes, it is visually appealing, AND it makes the notes easier to read.
I had a good week last week, compared to last week. Things were clicking, the students were understanding and I was able to pull small groups on solving equations.
We started with these cards. I wanted the students to connect the inequality signs with real world situations, so I made this inequality matching set.
Day 1:
First Sort: I first gave students the cards without the signs. I asked them to come up with a way to sort the cards. They needed to have at least 2 groups and could have as many as they wanted. Some of the ways they sorted them.
Numbers more than 50 and less than 50 (or some other number). --These groups didn't pay attention to the situations.
Situations with more than one answer and only one answer. --I didn't expect this one and I was excited to hear it.
Situations the were positive or negative--really those that were less than or greater than.
Situations which were less than or greater than
I heard so many great conversations among my students as they sorted.
After their initial sort, we talked about the word inequality and what it means. One girl said that an inequality has more than one answer--a wonderful response.
Second Sort: After introducing them to each of the signs and learning the new less than/greater than or equal to --I asked them to resort the cards in 5 groups now. This was a little more difficult for them to distinguish when it was equal to and when it wasn't. But as I walked around I got to talk to the students about how to tell the difference by questioning them.
Day 2:
I used this foldable to sort phrases into which sign they go with. I gave the students the cards back and asked them to look through them to find a phrase like "no more than" and identify which sign it goes with.
Day 3:
We started writing the inequalities. We did some class practice and I called students to the board and the we added this page to their notebook and they practiced with their groups.
Day 4:
We started graphing inequalities. I had some examples on the board that students came up and practiced and then they finished the above page from their notebook.
I ended the week hearing students say this was so easy. Their exit tickets showed that they are understanding this. I know that when we start solving inequalities, it might be a different story though.
The students started prime factorization this week.
I was unfortunately sick on Wednesday and ended up missing school that day. It was the first unplanned absence I had in 5 years. It was agonizing on Tuesday night trying to predict if I would feel better the next day. There were many cons to calling in. Mostly, the students would miss a day of new instruction. I had an emergency sub basket all ready with work for them, but it was just practice. Also, I would miss our class picture. In the end, the sickness won and it is good I did stay home. I ended up losing 5 pounds in one day to being sick. I was miserable.
So my prime factorization lesson seemed rushed as I was trying to make up for a lost day. But I tried to vary the activities the students did, and gave them time to talk about the math.
We started the lesson with reviewing what prime and composite numbers were. We talked about definitions, debate over which numbers were prime and composite and watched this video.
In one class, we had to talk in length about the difference between a multiple and a factor.
Then we added a page to our notebook about prime factorization that looked like this.
The tree flips down and there is another practice factor tree underneath. The students then got a practice sheet to work on with their group which we then checked.
Afterwards, I gave everyone a dry erase marker and they practiced making factor trees on their desks while I went around checking and asking questions.
Some common mistakes I saw were wanting to make the prime factorization smaller. Like taking 2x3x5 and wanting to collapse it to 6x5. We would go back to the definition of prime factorization and ask ourselves if all the numbers were prime. Also, some students just did the factor tree and thought they were done. I had to remind them that the factor tree was the process, not the actual prime factorization.
Next, I will pull students in small groups and practice so I can really who has it and who needs more help.
One station I will have next week while I pull students in small group is this Prime Factorization Match Up with QR codes. I try to have many of the stations that my students do include instant feedback. I am actually much better at grading this year than I have been in the past, but it is still not same day grading. Students need to know if they are doing it correctly. This way, they can check right away. Plus they'll have an ipad which they still think is cool.
My students have a difficult time interpreting fraction word problems. And I do not blame them. I have a difficult time interpreting fraction word problems when it involves multiplication and division.
To help them practice, we draw pictures and models.
We start our lesson with folding patty paper. The paper that is between hamburger patties. It is a square and thin. We divide the paper as it says, shade in the fractional parts in different colors, and then where the colors overlap is your answer. (I'll be recording a video showing the process later.)
This was another teacher's patty paper. I like how she identified the parts of the fractions with the sections.
For multiplying fractions, I also pull the fractions we are multiplying from word problems. I want students to connect the process with some context so it is not brand new to them.
I created this notes page that I am looking for some feedback on. I've already taught this lesson this year and combined some different elements to fit on one notebook page. I hope to use this guided math page next year, and maybe even later in the year as we review for the state test.
I have loved the notebook we are doing in class this year. I have a combination of foldables, handwritten notes, and practice. I am actually a little worried we might run out of room before the end of the year. I'm going to have to start watching my pages.
Here are some of the pages we've done over the last few weeks.
This was an idea from a co-worker. We use algebra tiles to teach integer operations and having this reminder is good for the students.
This was one of my favorite lessons of the year. It kind of came together as we went through the lesson. I am going to do another post on it later.
When I am in doubt about what I want my notes to look like in the student's ISN, I look for anchor charts.
This page was after we worked through models and then moved into the algorithm. I saw the anchor chart on Teaching with a Mountain View. And adapted it to fit what I wanted for students.
I asked students to chose two colors to take notes in (mostly a pencil and a red pen) so they could show the changes in each step they made. It looks like a lot to write down, but my students were excited to write in two colors. It's the little things.
I have gone back and forth on having a word wall in my room. I use it a few times during the year. Last year I only ever put 4 words up. I referred to those 4 words a lot, but never went past that.
There are a lot of different reasons why it doesn't get updated. I have a plan to keep it up better this year, but in the meantime I am doing this.
At the beginning of each unit we do, I have the students set up a word wall in their notebook. As we learn new vocabulary, they get a colored sheet of paper to create their word wall card.
I like the color. You could use post its or you could just have students write on this page. But this divides up the words and ideas.
We only do a few words at a time, sometimes only one. But students know when we add it to the word wall, it is important.
I'll continue to take pictures as we update each word wall.
My project for the summer has been to make an interactive math notebook for the year. When I taught science, I used it the notebook all the time and LOVED it. Last year was my first year teaching 6th grade math and I didn't really start using the notebook until November. We set it up the first week of school, but then it would be a thing we would get out every once in a while. I really missed having one consistently.
I want it to be truly interactive as well. Something students can use throughout the year to study, add to, revisit. I also want to incorporate more journaling in it.
So these are the pages I've created so far for our first unit--The Rational Number System. Use these pages as inspiration to create your own. Or you can buy individual pages or the BUNDLE at my Tpt store. (I'm having a sale from 7/29 to 7/31)
The first page will be a VENN DIAGRAM that the students will add to as they learn about the different types of numbers
Whole Number, Natural Numbers and Integers
Fractions As Division
Absolute Value and Opposite Numbers
Rational Numbers
Ice cream Cone and Ice Cream flip up and explain why each type of number can be written as a fraction
Fraction, Decimal, Percent Converting
Ordering and Comparing Rational Numbers
Coordinate Plane
I've left various pages blank to add in practice that we'll do at in small groups.
One of those pages will be for this activity made by my new co-worker. It is an awesome Rational Number Sort.
