What's Your Math Problem!?! Book Study Chapter 6

I am linking up with
                                                     Jennifer Smith-Sloane from 4mulaFun
                                                     Meg Anderson  from Fourth Grade Studio
                                                    Jamie Riggs from MissMathDork
                                                    and Jennifer Findley from Teaching to Inspire 5th Grade

for this book study on What's Your Math Problem!?!



 If you missed my previous posts you can find them here:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 6 - Advanced Thinking Strategies

This chapter focuses on four new thinking strategies:

Solve a Simpler Problem - This is one of my favorite strategies that I have used in my classroom for years.  I tell my students to plug in smaller numbers to see if they can figure out how to solve a problem.  The author also addresses a second form of this strategy by beginning with a simpler case of the problem.  The example they give is:

Find the sum of the first 50 odd numbers.

The author suggests first finding the sum of the first 2 odd numbers, and then moving on to the sum of the first 3 odd numbers and so on.  You would keep track and see if a pattern appears.

Account for All Possibilities- In real world situations and problems, we often find that there may be more than one possible solution.  The key part of this strategy is systematically accounting for all possibilities. 

Work Backwards -In this type of a strategy, the student starts with the answer and works their way backwards.  This might be a strategy to teach using multiple choice questions.  If you worked backwards, would that particular answer work?

Change Your Point of View- This is one of the more complicated strategies to use, because it involves stepping away from the problem and trying to solve it a different way.  I think in the classroom it might be helpful to teach students how to use this strategy by seeing examples of how other students solved a problem differently.  You could ask, could anyone else use so and so's strategy in another way?

To Do (Before The First Day of School) Linky

Sometimes I think I have a bit of adult ADHD - I have a million ideas swirling in my head, then I start on one project and another idea pops in my head.  But... I also love crossing things off to do lists, so, I decided to link up with Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies to keep on track and accountable.  I also find things on other people's list that I forgot which helps a ton!

Classroom Décor:
1. Pack up and move rooms (I am looping to 4th grade with my class)
2. Clean and rearrange furniture in new room
3. Finish New Daily 5 Signs and I-Charts to match new theme
4. Print out and laminate New Daily 5 Signs and I-Charts
5.  Print out and laminate Whole Brain Teaching Signs
6. Create, print out and laminate Scoreboard with new theme
7. Decorate

Lesson Planning/Paperwork:
1. Type up new procedures to teach
2. Labels for Interactive Notebooks
3. Re-do Intro Letter, behavior letter, and Star Homework form
4. Copy morning work for first month
5. Print out library labels
6. Library basket
7. First week lesson plans
8. Finish unit plans for math and ELA
9. Finish unit plans for science and social studies
10. Get Large Paper bags for student supplies
11. Make copies of student supply lists (2 per student - 1 to send home, 1 to keep track)
12. Print, copy, and prep student planners
13. Create, print out, and laminate learning scales for 4th grade
14. Sharpen pencils

Friday Freebies for Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers has a ton of great freebies - more and more are added each day.  Here are just a few that I've run into lately:

 

Independent Reading Logs from Mallory over at A Teacher's Highlight Reel. She is a newer blogger and seller at TpT - but I think we can expect some great things from her if these freebies are any indication!

 

 

Since I am moving up to 4th grade next year, I have been on the hunt for 4th grade specific items, and these task cards are perfect.

 

I am also loving these adorable Writing Process Posters.

 

 

Speaking of freebies - the clip art above comes from MyCuteGraphics which has tons of free clip art for those clip art addicts (like me) out there.

 

Have you found any great freebies recently?

 

Also.. I am linking up with Christina at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge for:

 

 

In this linky, we find awesome feedback given from a buyer of one of our TpT products that we found really meaningful or that made us smile. 

 

My awesome feedback that I found was on My Can We Get a Class Pet Unit.

 

Here is what she had to say:

 

 

As part of the linky, she gets a free item of her choice from my store!

 

What's Your Math Problem!?! Book Study Chapter 5

I am linking up with
                                                     Jennifer Smith-Sloane from 4mulaFun
                                                     Meg Anderson  from Fourth Grade Studio
                                                    Jamie Riggs from MissMathDork
                                                    and Jennifer Findley from Teaching to Inspire 5th Grade

for this book study on What's Your Math Problem!?!



 If you missed my previous posts you can find them here:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 5 - Visualizing Strategies

This chapter focus on the following four visualizing strategies:

• Make a Model
• Draw a Picture or Diagram
• Act it out
• Make or Use a Graph

I think these strategies are pretty self-explanatory, so I'm not going to go too in depth with the descriptions of each. 

I definitely use the first two strategies in class all of the time.  If my kiddos are not understanding, I will pull out blocks or other manipulatives to give them a model.  I also tell them to draw out problems, especially multiplication and division problems.  The two strategies that I don't use very often are acting it out or making or using a graph. 

Have you used these two strategies in your class?  Any advice on implementing them in mine?

Staples Shopping - Deals, Coupons, and Reward a Classroom Program!

Last night in between my Body Pump Class and picking Tyler up from baseball practice I was able to hit Staples for their fabulous penny deals! I grabbed 2 of each of the items above along with a giant package (15) of paper towels that were on clearance for $5, and a few composition notebooks that I plan on using as teacher models for my interactive notebooks (they were 50 cents each).

While I was there, I  was drooling over the Arc notebook system.  Actually I did a little more than drooling, I actually pulled out a notebook and all of the accessories I would want with it and added it to my cart.  And then... I walked down the aisle a little bit and put them back.  This week has been super expensive with All Stars travel and my 20th reunion is this weekend, so you know I had to get a new dress, shoes, and of course hair style and mani and pedi. So... the guilt won and I put them back.

Well, when I rang up my items - this amazing coupon popped out.

40% off of the Arc notebook and 25% off the accessories!  Woo hoo!  Thank goodness the guilt kicked in because now I can get them cheaper!  I don't know if it is set to come out when you purchase the dollar deals or not because they are trying to target teachers, but, if you get the penny deals, you may want to check it out.

The other great thing about the receipt that I wanted to share was at the bottom it mentioned the new Reward a Classroom program!

Parents can get a portion of their purchases from Staples donated back to your classroom!  They are saving money on school supplies, and a portion of the purchases goes back to classroom supplies. Brilliant! 

I registered today, and I figured I would share the news!

Saturday Snapshots

I am linking up with Run! Miss Nelson's got the camera! for Saturday Snapshots. It is about capturing, documenting, and preserving all that is important to us.

Here are a few pictures that I want to remember from this week:

 

Tyler played in the All Stars tournament this week - his team got second place.  The picture above is him getting his trophy, and the picture below is his whole team with their trophies.

 

We were exhausted from this week of baseball, driving, and getting up early!  I snapped this cute pic of Tyler and Luke sleeping on the way home.

 

I got this picture via text from one of the teachers that I worked with a few weeks ago when I worked on common assessments for our district.  Our district uses Marzano scales, and I want to adapt what she used, but I deleted the picture I originally got from her.  She was ever so kind to send me a new one! :)

 

 

 

And... last but not least, the beautiful rainbow that I woke up to after a night of storms.

 

 

 

What memories did you make this week?

Five For Friday and A Blog Hop

It is Friday again - which means time for Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Here are a few random things from my week:

 

A bunch of the teachers in my school district have been obsessed with Shakeology, and since I've been working on losing some weight, I decided to give it a try.  My package arrived this week.  I also ordered some Body Pump videos for the days that I am too busy to go to class.  I will keep you posted on the results.

 

 

 

We finally got a chance to sneak in some movie time as a family.  We went to see Monsters' University.  We loved it!

 

 

 

 

I told you about heading out for Tyler's All-Stars tournament last week.  So far they have gone undefeated!  They are playing the championship game tomorrow morning, and if they win, they will be heading to Las Vegas for the State Championships!  We are so proud of them!

 

 

 

We celebrated the 4th of July by watching our town's parade and firework display!  Here is a cute shot of the boys during the parade.

 

 

And... last but not least, we finally got a reprieve from the heat with a torrential rainstorm!  The boys had a blast jumping on the trampoline during the storm.

 

And... unless you live under a rock, you have heard that Google reader is no more :(  I have made the switch to Bloglovin' - and I am loving it!  A ton of other bloggers have also made the switch and are getting together for a blog hop started by Teachingisagift, and Teacher without a class! Visit their blogs if you would like to join in, and be sure to link up below to keep it collaborative!