Agile Mind Alignment with NEW 8-Step Calendar

Click here for a PDF of the Alignment

Click here for a PDF of the updated 8-Step Calendar for Math

Updated alignment to go with the updated calendar.

Friday Funny

How to do a Close Read

Here are some resources on How to do a Close Read.

• Here is a PDF of information found here. 

• Here is a 2 minute and 47 second video about Close Reading. Part 1 (found on the same site.) 

• Here is the 3 minute Part 2 video - Describes what a Close Read looks like in a classroom.

• Here is a video (4 minutes and 22 seconds) that has an example of a Close Read. 

• Another example (10 minute and 46 second) of a 6th Grade Social Studies Close Read.

Site of the Week

Inside Mathematics is a great resource for supplementing Agile Mind. It offers "Problems of the Month" for all grades. Not a "skill and drill" site, but a place where perseverance and precision are required. (CC SMP #'s 1 and 6)

Math Fun

 Try This...

1. Take the 1st 3 digits of your (any) phone number (not including the area code)
2.  Multiply by 80
3. Add 1
4. Multiply by 250
5. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number (again)
7. Subtract 250
8. Divide the answer by 2

Did you come up with your phone number?

Try this with your students! Algebra Teachers: Have them show you why it works!

Answer: You took the original number and multiplied it by 80, then added 1 and multiplied the result by 250. In essence, you have multiplied the original number by 20,000 and added 250 to it. Then you add the last 4 digits twice. So your sum at this point is the first 3 numbers times 10,000 and doubled, the last 4 digits doubled, and an extra 250. all you need to do is take out the extra 250, then halve the number. Since the first 3 digits are still multiplied by 10,000, they end up in front, and the last 4 digits are in the final 4 place values.

Success Time - Ratios

More ideas for week 3 (Bar Models and Tables lessons) (Click here for PDF)

Keep in mind that our standard is 6.1.6, "Use models to represent ratios"

Fractions are another model that represents ratios. And clocks are a great way to represent fractions!

 

Reading and Benchmark Info

Click here for a WORD document about Guided Reading. (Courtesy of Laura Swain)

Click here for a PDF of a Guide to your Benchmark Toolkit Materials.

Friday Funny

Posts found on Facebook:

• Lazy people fact #61578246538: You were too lazy to read that number.

• People say that 60 is the new 40. The cop who pulled me over this morning disagreed!

• When food falls to the floor, all the little germs scream, "Let's get it!" while the Mama germ says, "No, we must wait 5 seconds."

• "I" before "E" except after "Old MacDonald had a farm."

• I used to wonder what it would be like to know what other people were thinking. Now that I have Facebook, I am over it!

• I have learned so much from my mistakes, I am thinking about making a few more.

• To whoever invented zero, thanks for nothing!

Lexile Conversion Chart

Link to PDF.

Here is a PDF copy of another Reading Level Correlation Chart from Laura Swain.

Site of the Week

ACS 3-5 Reading Coach has put together a "WIKI Space" with some good resources for reading teachers. I am sure that some of this instructional information applies beyond the 6th grade as well.

Here is a PDF with instructions on how to access the site!

Here is just some of the information you can access on this site.

Thinking Through Multiplication and Division

Here is a video from a 3rd grade class regarding the teaching of Multiplication and Division. One of the reasons I would include this on a site for Middle School is that many of our students are weak in in this area. While facts practice is important, so is an understanding of what multiplication and division is. Looking for patterns, developing strategies (such as decomposing), and building their mathematical sense and confidence are elements that are helpful to include when teaching math to any grade.

Just for Fun

Here is a puzzle I found on the internet. I showed it to my sixth-grade son, and he solved it faster than I did! So no peeking (or googling, or binging, etc.).

If you need a clue, check the first comment. And as it said on the site I found this, "Think openly!"

Friday Funny - Taylor Mali

Standards of Mathematical Practice - Posters

Thanks to Laura Swain for sharing.

Not only is this something that could be posted in the classroom, but little mini-lessons could be built around these principals as well. Both teachers and students need to be aware of these practices and put them into use as we move more and more to Common Core standards.

Click on the example below to link to a PDF of the entire set of posters.

 

 



 

Success Plans

Some of the teachers and paras who do not regularly teach math were asking for some more direction regarding instruction for Success Time. I have taken my lesson plans for the first week of Success Time and have added some additional instructional information to make them easier to follow.

Update 9/12/13: I have adjusted the PDF file to correct a couple of typos in the worksheet and also to lower the numbers used in the problems. In giving instruction, I felt that using the larger numbers interfered with the students ability to understand desired learning goal.

Standard 6.1.6: "Use Models to Represent Ratios"

Link to PDF of lesson plans for 1st week of Success Time. These could easily be used for week 2 plans for someone who has not covered the material in this manner.

Hope you find this helpful!

Website of the Week - Khan Academy

3 Reasons to find out more about Khan Academy...

• Tons of instructional videos. Use them in the classroom, watch them yourself, get your students signed up and they can watch them at home.

• Practice pages for students to work on their skills. Also gives helps and hints when they are struggling with something.

•  It's free, and free is good!

Here is a review from PC Mag.com (Click on pic to see full review)

Standards of Mathematical Practice

If you are not already familiar with the Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practice (SMP), you should be. This is what should drive our instruction, as we seek for a deeper understanding of mathematics in our students.

The Math SMP's are very closely related to the Ten Principle of Thinking Math.

Thinking Math began in the spring of 1987! So these principles are not something brand new.

More information will come as we look at each pair of the SMP's in the future.

(PDF's of each sheet are available by clicking on the picture. I highly recommend printing the SMP's and posting them in the classroom.)

Problems without Figures

I ran across this sheet in my Thinking Math materials from last year. The idea is to promote a mathematical understanding without looking at finding a specific answer. In other words, students must show a process for answering rather than an answer to a problem. Here is the sheet...

(Click on sheet for a PDF file)

A similar sheet could be used for developing an understanding of rates and ratios.

Link to PDF of Ratio Problems without Figures.

Link to Word Document of Ratio Problems without Figures.

This would be a great Success Time activity that could be done on multiple days!

Site of the Week

If you are not a subscriber to the "Teaching Channel," I hope you will consider it. It is a great resource with tons of information on a variety of topics. This is especially important as we transition to Common Core.

Here is a video addressing reading complex text and higher order questions for Grades 6 through 8.

Friday Funny

This helps show the value of a well-rounded vocabulary... (0:36 to 0:56 second mark)

Topic 2 - Review (6th Grade)

Here is a review based on the quiz questions for Topic 2. There is a slight "hiccup" around the 23 minute mark, where the audio is gone, but you can still pause the video and show the diagram to explain that rate is a function of both hours and dollars.

So the lesson I have learned here is break down the video into parts so that an error at the end does not require a complete restart!

Agile Mind T2-CR3

Solution to Constructed Response 3, Topic 2

Creative ways to teach vocabulary

From The Teaching Channel. (Click on the pic)

Here is another short one dealing from a Science teacher.

This is an activity using analogies from a Middle School teacher. Includes Smart Board file and worksheets.

Using Tables to Solve Rate and Ratio Problems

Here is about a 9 minute clip (created using the Educreations free app) helping students solve rate and ratio problems using tables.



 Also, here is a link to Rate as a Function of Slope.