Base Ten Representations

This digital version of  Base Ten Activity for Google Slides is the perfect solution for at home learning! This version can be used when students don’t have access to printables and manipulatives such as base ten blocks to learn how to represent numbers.

While using this activity, students have practice building numbers with base ten virtual manipulatives. Teachers can easily assign the activity using Google Classrooms. Students can practice on any device including ipads and tablets. To use with ipads, simply download the google slides app.

Setting Up the Base Ten Activity for Google Slides

What’s included in this Base Ten Activity for Google Slides?

There are slides for a variety of 2 digit numbers. The good news is that you can add more or delete some to fit your needs. Some students could be working on lower numbers and others on greater numbers. You can also share your screen and do it together with your students.

This activity gives students a number to build using the base ten manipulatives. They need to drag the tens and the ones to make the given number.

To get the Base Ten Representation Activity , enter your email below. Once you confirm your email, you will be prompted to get the download.

If you are already subscribed, check the Resource Library to download.

Get this resource for Ten Frames. 

The post Base Ten Activity for Google Slides appeared first on Loving Math.

Using Effective Math Talk During Small Groups

Have you ever been to one of those Professional Development sessions where they show a video of students discussing a math topic?

And you look at the teacher friend next to you with that look that says “yeah right, my kids will never be able to communicate like that” or “that’s not a real classroom with kids like mine.”

The truth is those kids in the video were not always like that. They had to be taught to talk to each other that way or ask the types of questions that make teachers’ hearts leap with joy.

But how?

By modeling over and over again, and practicing until you are completely satisfied.

But what exactly is Math Talk?

Why is Math Talk important?

It is so important that math talks are listed as one of the standards for mathematical practice in the Common Core Math Standards. This is what it says:

Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose.

Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a flaw in an argument—explain what it is.

Questions that promote Mathematical Discourse during Math Talks:

probing questions

• Can you tell us where you got that?
• How did you figure that out?
• What was the first thing your eyes saw, or your brain did?

Connecting questions (help students respond to each other’s thinking)

• Who did it another way?
• What questions do you have for them?
• Do you agree or disagree?  Why?

To download these FREE accountable talk table tents, click here

The post How to Get Students to Use Effective Math Talk During Groups appeared first on Loving Math.

In the past few years digital escape rooms have found their way into classrooms and for good reason. Many of the teachers I have spoken with are willing to use them but just don’t know how to incorporate a digital escape room into their classroom.

Escape rooms create a level of engagement and excitement like no other activity that I have used. They pack so much content and create healthy competition among peers. After all, it’s a game played in teams where they must find clues to unlock different parts of the game. When you think about it, it’s just like a video game where kids are taken on an adventure to reach a common goal.

In this blog post I’ll discuss how I set up a classroom for a digital escape room (if you have been following me you  know I don’t have my own classroom.  I am a math coach who goes into other teachers’ classrooms to provide support). All of the teachers I service are always willing to lend me their classroom and students to do a digital escape room activity.

What’s needed for a digital escape room?

• a few laptops or chrome books (since students are grouped in teams, you don’t need a device for each student). I’d say 4 to 5 groups is perfect.
• internet access (these escape rooms are mostly housed in a google site so internet is a must).
• a link to the digital escape room.

Why use a digital escape room?

• they provide a level of engagement hard to accomplish with any other activity.
• you can pack content from an entire unit into this one hour activity and students won’t complain because they are having fun.
• provides healthy competition for students.
• it allows struggling students to complete a rigorous activity and feel successful at completing a task.
• teachers don’t need hours of prepping, cutting, laminating, and putting things in folders. It takes seconds to simply email students the link or show the link on a smart board.

How to set up Digital Escape Rooms

Because of the digital nature of these math digital escape rooms, set up is a breeze. Set up pods of desks in your classroom by grouping a few desks together.

I like to have 4 to 5 students in a group. They all work using the same laptop. I also like to put some students on the carpet with a laptop or chrome book to keep groups separated.

You can play music in the background that relates to the theme of the escape room. Many teachers also display a timer. 60 minutes is typical and it lets students know they need to escape before the time is up.

What is my role as the teacher during an activity like this?

Your role is to facilitate, coach, and guide. But not to tell them the answer!

This is important.

Escape rooms are challenging and students love this!

They get really excited when they finally discover a clue! Don’t steal that joy by helping them too much.

Because sometimes they veer way off, I like to provide my students with two clue cards.

They can simply be two index cards that they get to use when they are stuck and need a little help.

This is not to be used to get the answer but rather to provide guidance when they are way off. Since they only get two, most groups tend to use them wisely and in many instances they don’t use them at all.

Collect the cards as they use them.

These videos are from this Single Digit Digital Escape Room. This was a third grade classroom and it took teams between 60 and 90 minutes.

What’s holding you back from trying out a math digital escape room?

I have a few math escape rooms for a variety of grade levels and skills.

Math Escape Rooms

The post How I Use Digital Escape Rooms in the Classroom appeared first on Loving Math.

Have you ever been to a Professional Development session where you sit and listen the whole time?

I have… and it wasn’t pretty.

Sitting there listening to a speaker without a chance to get up and interact with others is plain old boring. I usually end up pulling out my phone and scrolling through all kinds of sites just to keep my sanity.

Our students feel the same way. As much as they love you and want to listen, they are not able to concentrate and listen for long periods of time. Student engagement is key to avoid negative behaviors and get kids excited about learning.

One of the best ways to get kids energized and refocused is to get them out of their seats. I love using strategies to get them talking and walking. It works and they always ask for more.

But most importantly it increases student engagement  100 percent!

You can use these strategies in any content area and to pretty much review any skill.

When I taught third and fourth grades I promised myself I would get kids out of their seats at least 3 times a day. They loved it and engagement skyrocketed every time.

Here is a list of strategies  and games I love to use in my classroom to increase student engagement:

STAND UP, HAND UP,  PAIR UP

This one can be used to answer questions you pose after a reading or math lesson, to go over questions on a worksheet or to go over homework.

How does it work?

QUIZ QUIZ TRADE

This one is great for review prior to a test. You need to create questions on cards. you need the same number of cards as you have students. Task cards are great for this. The answers need to be on the back of the card so students can check their peer.

How does it work?

TRASHKETBALL

Trashketball Games

This game is great to review any skill in any content. I have used this game countless times and the kids love it. It’s highly competitive and great to play in teams. I create a slide show with the questions I want the students to answer. This could be a math review, questions based on a reading passage, or science questions based on a topic.

How does it work?

• Break the class up into teams. The number of teams is up to you. I recommend 4 to 6 students in a team

• Provide each student with a recording sheet  or you can give them dry erase boards to show their work.

• Set the trash can up in front of the classroom. Also set up different levels to take shots from, a one, two, and three point line.

• Project the slides on a smart board or using a projector and set a time for students to solve. It could be any number of minutes you feel your students need to solve.

• Each student solves the problem independently and then consults with their team members to agree on an answer.

• When time is up, call a member of each team to come up and show you their answer. If correct the team scores a point. They also get a chance to score bonus points

• For the bonus points, they get to shoot a soft ball into the trash can. They can score 1, 2, or 3 points depending how far from the can they stand ( Set up shooting point lines in advance

SCAVENGER HUNTS

Oh how I love scavenger hunts. they are pretty easy to set up and again they work for any topic. I love to use them to review math skills. You can set up a set of questions on pieces of paper, one question per paper. You then will have the answer to that question on top of a different paper with a different question and so on. Basically the answer to each question is on a different sheet, which the students need to find to complete that question.

Long Division Scavenger Hunt

How does it work?

➟Tape questions to the walls around your room or hang from the ceiling (spread out).

➟Break up class into the same number of groups as questions. If 10 questions, then 10 groups.

➟Hand each student a copy of a recording sheet.

➟Place each pair or group of students at any of the stations.

Each stations sheet has a code, which students will enter on their recording sheet as they answer each question. This is to keep track of the problems they have solved.

➟Students work with partners to solve the problem on the paper and record it on their sheet. Then, they look for the answer they just recorded until they find it. Once they find it, they solve the problem on that sheet and so on until all stations have been visited.

➟If they cannot locate their answer, that means they made a mistake.

➟Students will end up where they started from

The post 5 Effective Strategies to Increase Student Engagement appeared first on Loving Math.