Modeling Adding Integers with Algebra Tiles Free Google Drive Resource

 Virtual. Learning. 

Remote. Learning.

Distance. Learning.

Online. Learning.

Whatever your district calls it--this isn't easy. Not that I expected it to be. But this is just so much harder than I thought. There are so many decision to be made as new circumstances come up. I worry that our online learners aren't getting what they need. I worry about our in-class learners. I worry about my math teams and the stress they are under. I am constantly worrying. 

Hopefully in a year we can all look back on this time glad that school is filled with students talking, laughing, not on the computer all day long, etc. 

We've been working on our integer operations lessons. I filmed a video today with my favorite lesson that really needs students talking to work! I was just sitting at my desk talking to myself about the excitement that is integer operations <--that is not sarcasm. 

I love algebra tiles so much. When I first learned out them 7 years ago, I loved them. Where were these when I learned algebra, where all my math problems began!

If you aren't using algebra tiles or colored counters to teach integer operations--start now. 

This assignment has students model simple addition expressions, create zero pairs, and simplify the expression. 

Click here to copy the activity into your Google Drive. 

Using Integer Vocabulary to Get Students to Talk in Math | Free Resource

I don't like just introducing new concepts in math without talking about real-world implications. When introducing integers, we start with talking about vocabulary that show positive and negative situations. 

On the day you introduce integers, display this slide to your class and ask them to pick one word with their group that means positive and one that mean negative. 

Having your students talk in math class is important. Not just to explain math, but to build skills of sharing ideas in respectful ways with their classmates. This is a low floor questions where most students will be able to find at least 1 word that they can explain as positive or negative. It is also important for ELLs to practice their academic vocabulary with their peers. 

Talking in math class doesn't always have to be about explaining how to solve a problem. This is still math talk! It will also help students be able to connect math class to outside the classroom. 

You could even extend this to a writing activity and have students write what about the words their groups talked about. 

Click here to add this resource to your Google Drive.

Rational Numbers Song

This song has been stuck in my head. When my students learn how to classify numbers, we listen to this song at least once a day. It is a simple song with lyrics that students are easy to remember.

I dare you to listen to it 15 times in a week and not have it stuck in your head!

Posts I Love--Part 7

I love reading math blogs. I like reading what math teachers try in their classroom and reading their reflection on how it went.

Here is a collection of blog posts I love!

Fraction Ordering Activities from Math Fireworks-- The students will be practicing ordering rational numbers this week.This activity from Math Fireworks only talks about fractions, but I would like to expand it to include decimals and percents. I like the ideas of having students share their reasoning and discuss mistakes with each other.

I found this game which is a very basic but necessary beginning practice for graphing in all four quadrants. Stock the Shelves

I Speak Math shared this game. I will have it as a small group station to practice integer operations and absolute value. All I'll need is a deck of cards.

Finally, I love this activity about volume over at No. 2 Pencils.  She poses the question "How many starburst can fill our classroom?" and students go about measuring and formulating plans to figure out the answer. Definitely a thing I want to try.

Hopefully you are inspired to try something new!

Positive and Negative Situations Vocabulary

This week we started classifying numbers and I introduced integers and the concept of positive and negative numbers.

We started by looking at a thermometer and a table with temperatures decreasing and asking the students what the temperature would be if the decreasing temperatures went below zero. 

This would also be a great time to ask students where they have seen/heard about negative numbers so they connect this new knowledge with what they already know. 

Then I gave students words to sort into negative, positive or zero. Afterwards we I asked students to give me examples of they words belonged into each category. 

It would be "easy" to just skip over this vocabulary as we went into integer operations and word problems. However, I have several LEP students in my classes and just assuming they know these words will make things more difficult in the future. 

This sort is available in the Real World Integer Situation Product on TeachersPayTeachers. 

Integer-nary

Integer-nary!

I finally did this for my class. I read about it here and here .

I really liked it and I loved watching them do it. They had some great conversations about what models to use to represent integer operations and it helped me see where they need more help.

I  made cards with various integer problems on it like -5+3 and 4*-2 and they had to model the expression and their partner had to write the expression that matched it.

I think this could also work with algebraic expressions and equations--and that will be my next station to try with my students. 

Valentine Activities--Ways to use Matching in Math

I haven't ever done holiday themed activities in my classroom before this year. For Thanksgiving I did a turkey color by number, for Christmas I did a few others. The activities were not time wasters, or busy work--they reviewed previous skills that needed reviewing. The students liked it. It was different than normal--so I made some things for Valentine's Day. 

Coming back from Christmas break means students forget what they know. 

Integer Operations is something that they know but need reviewing. 

On our benchmark math test in December--making equivalent forms of benchmark fractions, decimals and percents was one of the lowest performing TEKS for my students. So they need some practice with this too. 

Go here for the Fraction, Decimal, Percent Matching--It is FREE right now. 

Go here for the Integer Operations Matching

I am going to use these matching activities in 3 ways. 

1. The students just match them. Turn all the heart pieces face up and find matches. 

2. Play a memory game. Turn all the heart pieces face down and find matches by turning 2 cards over at a time--I will reduce the number of cards I give the students so they aren't spending forever finding a match

3. Play go fish. Each student will get a 7 cards and then ask their group mates for matches. If they get -25+26=, then they will ask their group mates "Who has 1?

Blog Posts I Love--Part 6

Doing these blog posts help me remember the great ideas that I have read and helps me plan for how I will use them in my classroom.

1. I have wanted to set up a large number line in my classroom for a while and this blog post gave me the push. Mr Elementary Math posted about a number line that is geared towards younger elementary. To make it appropriate for my 6th graders, I will mix fractions, decimals, percents for students to place on the number line. I want to have this as a station that students can rotate into.

2. Another post from Elementary Math Coach--Math Pictionary. This is the second time I have posted about this and I am actually going to make something for a math station. Students will get an integer operation problem and will draw the algebra tiles that model that problem which their team mates will have to name.

3. The growth mindset is something I am going to talk to my students about the day we get back from winter break. This is one blog posts at Edudemic on the importance of having a growth mindset. I have a bulletin board that focuses on growing in math and I want to make sure I am talking to my students about it.

4. When my students take tests, I do not let them turn it in early. I give them a time and tell them they need to be working on the test until then. My students don't try to turn in the test early, but they will close their test and just sit there until it is time. I ask them to go back and check their work and some students will say "I already did" and others will go through and check that they did all the problems.

I experimented with one class one day and briefly looked through their tests when they said they were done and said "It's not a 100." All of the students went through and some found at least one mistake and changed their answer.

At Who's Who and Who's New,  this post explains the levels of checking your work. Something I want to share with my students. There are three levels from make sure you check that you have an answer, checking that your answer is reasonable, and solving the problem again.

Blog Posts I Love--Part 5

Another post of blog posts I love. I found some great ideas this week and want to share them with you. 

1. From Embrace the Drawing Board--The game integer-nary. It is like pictionary, but with integer equations. For example, a student might draw the equation -3+7=-4. Then on a white board, they model it and then their team has to guess what equation it is. I am doing this in my math centers as soon as we get back from Thanksgiving. The students can also move to modeling expressions like 4x+5 and algebraic equations like x+3=10. 

2. The week before Thanksgiving the students had a science benchmark. Our schedule was different for the day and I wanted to have an interesting activity for my homeroom to do afterwards. 

Enter--Hexaflexagons. At Math=Love she shares how she introduces the whole lesson. My students LOVED making these. I had instruction, but lost the copies. But most of the students were able to figure it out on their own by watching the videos linked in the blog post. I did have the template for them to cut out. 

This is one of my student's hexaflexagon. 

 

3. Counting Circles from Who is a Math Nerd?

This is a whole group activity that has students count by a certain number. Say you start counting by 10s but you start at 63. Or you count by 1 1/4, but you start at 1 1/2. It is a mental math routine and I can already imagine it being helpful to my students. We have transition time and sometimes we wait for other classes to be ready to switch. This could be a helpful activity during that time. But I would also like to make time for it in class because I would like to give the students time to have a discussion about their counting.

4. Smart Classroom Management

I just found this blog and I love it. It is a classroom management blog--which is one thing I am always trying to be better at. Good learning cannot happen if there isn't good classroom management. I feel like most good classroom management is just common sense and begins by treating students as people with needs and wants. This post is about letting students get out of their seats and establishing routines. I plan to go through this blog thoroughly.

Interactive Notebook Pages

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.