"Take the biggest (and the smallest) table challenge: This whole-class geometry lesson gives students a new perspective on area and perimeter. Covers Common Core practice and content standards." -- 6th Grade video example
It brings the connection of perimeter and area to life and incorporates critical thinking with a real life scenario.
K-12 FREE Opportunity:
If your students investigate bugs, use a microscope, need an authentic purpose for research, I'd like to suggest partnering with Bugscope. You get to collaborate with expert scientists to explore bugs (i.e. looking at a bug's tongue). You would do this all via the internet. It looks amazing! Below is a response from them, with an attachment.
A news-release summarizes a history of Bugscope (http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/0729sp_spore.shtml).
Bugscope allows teachers everywhere to provide students with the opportunity to become microscopists themselves-the kids propose experiments, explore insect specimens at high-magnification, and discuss what they see with our scientists-all from a regular web browser over a standard broadband internet connection.
You sign up, ask your students to find some bugs, and mail them to us. We accept your application, schedule your session, and prepare the bugs for insertion into the electron microscope. When your session time arrives, we put the bug(s) into the microscope and set it up for your classroom. Then you and your students login over the web and control the microscope. We'll be there via chat to guide you and answer the kids' questions.
If you would like to see the response from one class who have done this, read Mrs. Krebs' blog post: http://krebs.edublogs.org/2011/09/04/bugscope-session/
If you need any help with this, just let me know. If you end up taking them up on this FREE collaboration, please let me know when/where so I can drop by. This looks fascinating!
Kind regards,Tracy
What it is: ScootPad is a really neat site that recognize that no two students are alike and that they will master skills in different ways. ScootPad helps students gain mastery through gradual and thorough practice that is personalized to teach the student. This personalized practice helps build confidence in learning and keeps students moving forward at a pace that is appropriate to them. Students can expect a fun learning environment. Teachers can expect automated practice, real-time progress tracking and assessments that will help you to formulate next steps for students.
All curriculum is based on Common Core Standards, including math and English/language arts for k-5 classrooms. For students in kindergarten or first grade, there is a voice/read-aloud feature.
Learning Maths with 4KM and 4KJ
Posted by Mrs Kathleen Morris on Friday, September 21st 2012
We were recently inspired by the work of our blogging buddies in B4. These students from New Zealand made some maths videos with their teacher, Mrs McKenzie. When 4KM and 4KJ saw the videos they decided they’d like to make their own.
All of the students chose a topic that we had covered this term in our maths classes.
We came up with some tips for making a maths video that teaches the audience something.
Some of our tips were:
I
We came up with some tips for making a maths video that teaches the audience something.
Some of our tips were:
Introduce yourself
Talk about the learning focus
Define new words
Give an example
Solve your problem step-by-step
End with a tip/farewell message
Speak clearly and loudly
Use kid-friendly language
Do things slowly
how to add, subtract, and multiply decimals.
We learned that when adding or subtracting decimals, the decimal points always need to line up. When we multiply decimals, the decimal points don’t need to line up.
How are adding/subtracting decimals different from multiplying decimals?*
*When might you use addition, subtraction, or multiplication of decimals?*
If this is part of your math standards, you have a great opportunity here to have your students comment on their blog with their answers (remember, first names only, and you can use the teacher's email address)