Measurement

Anchor Charts: 

Student notebook entries:

 Today's Number:

This was a Pinterest find.  We adapted it to fit our third grade needs. :) Students work on Today's Number whenever they finish work at a station early.  They do this in the back of their math notebook.

When introducing Today's Number, we modeled how we wanted the students to write the answer to each Today's Number in their math notebook.  We thought it would be helpful to glue in a word form sheet so students could refer to it for #1. Spell it.  We also only introduced a few of the problems since we had not learned how to multiply and estimate. 

As students knew more skills, we turned over the rest of the problems.  Then we made the numbers larger.  Here is one student's work in her notebook.  This makes such an easy and beneficial sponge or anchor activity. 

Time, Money, +, -

Here are a few anchor charts from the past few weeks:

We loved our time unit this week! One of the great resources provided by Everyday Math is the Game book.  This week we used three games: Match Time, Time Concentration, and Prize Time.  Prize Time involves assigning each student a time on their desk.  If they come to you at their assigned time, then they can get a prize.  What a cool way to motivate them to learn time! 

We loved teaching Change from $5.00 after subtraction this year.  It went so smoothly.  We saw huge growth at the end of the week, with 24/27 students scoring proficient on the exit slip!

Math Notebook Entries:

Each student has a math notebook that we add to on Mondays during whole-class instruction.  This is when we make our anchor charts (as seen above). Students copy down their version of the class anchor chart in their notebook.  We both like the organization that the Table of Contents provides. 

We created a blank template for the printable mini- Frayer Model charts for the weeks that the headings change.

But then some weeks it just takes less time for the students to write if we provide the headings...

Estimation, Math Notebooks, and Anchor Charts

This week we are teaching estimation by rounding to the nearest 10 and to the nearest 100, CCSS 3.NBT.1.  

On Monday, we created this anchor chart with our classes:

We also watched Brainpop!'s Rounding video and stopped before the Rounding Decimals part.

Students copied the anchor chart into their notebook onto their Frayer model anchor chart:

We also felt that it would help students to have a hundred chart with rounding tips, so they glued this chart from Super Teacher Worksheets into their notebook for this week, too.

Switching Groups Mid-Week

For the first time since starting math workshop, we changed our four math groups mid-week this week. We noticed certain students in the lowest group grasping estimation quicker than students in the low-medium group.  Based on yesterday's closure activity and in-class observations at the teacher station, we swapped some students between the red (lowest) and yellow (low-medium) groups.  For example, Johnny was in the red group but was catching on quicker than Suzy in the yellow group, so we switched the two.  Today, Suzy received more support during teacher station because her peers were at the same instructional level. This change emphasized to us how important ongoing assessment and closure are to driving instructional decisions. This is truly differentiated instruction.

Another Math Workshop Board

Anchor charts from the year so far...

Join us next week for a Q & A with a guest blogger, a fourth grade teacher starting math workshop this year! :) 

--Tabitha & Chloe

From State Standards to Common Core

WE'RE ALIVE!! :) We survived summer AND the beginning of the year!

We have received many emails asking how we planned on transitioning from GLEs (Missouri's grade level expectations) to the Common Core, all while keeping math workshop.

So this is what we did...

We first analyzed the Missouri GLEs to see which Common Core standards aligned. 

We then pulled out our year-long calendar for math workshop from last year:

Adapted from Joanna Clark

First, we rearranged the calendar based on last year's experiences.  For example, it made more sense to teach mental math strategies for adding and subtracting before teaching 3-digit addition and subtraction. 

Then we went through and checked off any GLEs that were exactly aligned with Common Core.  We tweaked others that were similar but not exactly aligned.  For example, a GLE was that students would tell time to the nearest 5 minutes, but now CCSS (Common Core State Standards) requires third graders to tell time to the nearest 1 minute.  

The CCSS that were left over and not aligned with GLEs, we stuck those in where they made sense.

We then took out GLEs that were no longer required under CCSS and kept them in mind in case our calendar would permit time to teach them. 

Once all CCSS were plugged in, we decided on a few GLEs that we still felt are necessary skills for 3rd graders, so we kept them.

THEN...after all of that, with the weeks of school left, we plugged in the GLEs that are not aligned with CCSS.

Another change that we made to this year's year-long math calendar was to include the specific CCSS code and/or GLE code beside each skill, so that we could refer back to the exact language of the standard.  We also changed the Date column to weeks.  This way, we won't have to change the dates each year.  Finally, we noted short weeks with a "s/w" so that we would plan accordingly.

Here is a snapshot of what our current calendar is with Common Core:

Adapted form Joanna Clark

We are also fortunate that our district adopted the revised Everyday Math Common Core edition this year.  We still pull lessons as they relate to the CCSS for third grade. :) EM is aligned to CCSS, but for multiple grade levels--since it is a spiral curriculum.

--Chloe & Tabitha



Anchor Charts Continued

Happy Thursday! So sorry that we haven't posted in a while! We are a week away from state testing, so we are staying busy with meetings and reviewing previously taught skills.

Here are a few anchor charts that we have not yes posted:

Have a great weekend! We'll be back more after the MAP test :)

--Chloe and Tabitha

Geometry Fun!

Happy Friday! :)

We just wrapped up our geometry unit this week so we thought we would post what we've been doing!

Here are the anchor charts from the last two weeks:

Some highlights from our week studying coordinate grid:

 



Students plot ordered pairs of well-known characters,teachers, administrators, and sports teams



During teacher station, students plotted ordered pairs on their slates.

Some highlights from our week studying symmetry and congruence:

During one of our independent stations, students completed a tiered activity.  The objective was the same:  All students will compare and contrast lines of symmetry in the alphabet.  Students were given cardstock letters (cut from a dye cut) to manipulate.



High and High-Medium groups completed a Venn Diagram to sort capital letters by vertical and/or horizontal lines of symmetry.



The Low-Medium group sorted capital letters by how many lines of symmetry each letter has.

The Low group simply determined whether or not a letter had a line of symmetry.  Then they drew the line of symmetry.

Have a great 3 day weekend! :)

3-D Shapes

It's Friday! :)

We just wrapped up a fun week in geometry.  Students identified and described attributes of 3-dimensional shapes (i.e. vertices, faces, edges, bases).  Here are some of the things we did this week.



We created an anchor chart describing 3-D figures on Monday during a whole-class lesson.  At the same time, students filled out their flip books.  This is when we discussed vocabulary such as edges, bases, faces, and vertices.

   

During the week, students participated at the teacher station by

interacting with the Smart Board.  Students identified and counted vertices, edges, bases, and faces. 

  

Here is one of the flip books created during whole-class instruction on Monday.



Students pasted pictures of each 3-D figure in their book.  Then they wrote the attributes for each figure as we filled out our class anchor chart.



Before we filled out the rest of the flip book, we discussed and wrote down important vocabulary words and definitions on the back of our books.



During Independent station, students chose 2 or 3 shapes to compare and contrast using a Venn Diagram.  They referred to their flip books as necessary.







At the Game station, students created riddles for their partners to solve.  Students could use their flip books to describe shapes or to figure out the answer to the riddle. 





Here, a student in one of the high groups, completes a triple Venn diagram.  She refers to the shapes on her desk. 

Have a great weekend!

--Tabitha & Chloe