Using and Creating Matchbook Interactive Notebook Pages INB

 

When I first started making interactive notebook pages, I knew I didn't want them to be very complicated. After doing some online searching, I realized that the matchbook cover design would be the easiest for students to complete. They were easy to put together and took very little time.

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Draw 5: A Math Game

Got extra time on your hands before your next transition time? It never fails that I would have some extra time to fill during the day. Maybe it was the 5 minutes before we went to lunch or the 10 minutes before dismissal. I needed something to do during that time. I was introduced to this game years ago at a PD offered by my district where a Ball State professor was presenting. I don't remember what she called it at the time, but I've always called it Draw 5 with my students.

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Using Task Cards with Game Boards

When I was still teaching, I used task cards in my classroom ALL THE TIME. I would often pair the cards with a game board so that students could practice a skill that they needed remediation on or so students could review for a test. 

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How I Used My Poster and INB Sets In My Classroom

I often get asked how I used my Poster and INB sets in my classroom. This post will take you through the process that I used with my 5th and 6th graders.

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How I Organize My Math Curriculum Binders

If you have been a reader for any amount of time, you know that I love my binders!! When Indiana decided to adopt the CCSS, I started organizing my math binders to match those standards. There were so many CCSS resources out there, that I had no problem finding organization tools. I even did a post about several resources that could be used.

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Interior Angles of Triangles and Quadrilaterals

We started our lesson by taking down notes in our interactive foldable graphic organizer. I project the notes on the overhead screen for them to copy. I then put a printed copy of the poster on my bulletin board.

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How I Store and Organize My Task Cards

I've posted a couple of different ways that I have stored my task cards. You can find those posts  HERE and HERE. I hope this is the last time that I change things around.  I've had it like like this since the end of last school year and it seems to be working. Fingers crossed....

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3 Websites I Can't Teach Without

I'm joining the Teaching Trio's Technology Thursday linky today where they are listing 3 websites that they can't teach without.

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Loved that Lesson!: Paper Pool

I've talked about this lesson before, but wanted to bring it up again because my students love it so much.  My 6th graders are actually going to start this lesson on Monday and I can't wait to see what they come up with.

We usually spend the last week of school doing nothing but problem solving activities during our math time. One of my favorite activities to do with my 6th graders is called Paper Pool which can be found on the Illuminations website. The students would spend a whole week on this project if I let them. 

I start by going through THIS worksheet, which explains the activity.

We go through both examples so that they understand exactly what the rules are.  Usually about half of the students have trouble understanding how to draw the lines (they have to be corner to corner), so I usually have to spend time working with them. If I'm lucky, the partner they have chosen understands and can show them how to do it. Once everyone understands how the "ball" moves on the board, they try different size rectangles.

When the students see a pattern, they write the "rule" on the board (they have to have found at least 3 rectangles that fit their rule to write it on the board).  

The next day, we test the "rules".  Every group takes a different rectangle that fits the rule to test it.  If it passes the test for all rectangles tested, it goes on the proven rules list. We had approximately 25 rules when we started and it went down to only 7 after testing each one.  I then wrote down whether each number was odd or even and we narrowed our rules down even further.

If you are looking for more lessons that your students will love check out the Loved That Lesson! linky by clicking on the picture below.

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Surface Area Using Nets

One of our math standards has students finding surface area using the net of rectangular prisms.

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Graphing Unit

We start the unit by labeling the parts of a graph using the "Parts of a Graph" poster from my Graphing Posters and Interactive Foldable Graphic Organizer set.

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How I Store and Organize My Math Games

I've already posted how I organize my task cards (several times, LOL!), but I wanted to share how I organize and store my math games.  So many teachers have these drawer sets that they use for different purposes and I chose to put my math games in them.  The one on the left is from Michaels and the larger one on the right is from AC Moore.

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Foldable Friday: Area Formulas

Even though my 6th graders get to use a formula sheet for their state test, I still wanted them to have a reference to put in their notebooks. We created this interactive foldable graphic organizer to write the formulas for the area of a rectangle, parallelogram, triangle and trapezoid.

You can see in this one where they included the different ways you might see a triangle labeled. 

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Fraction, Decimal and Percent Conversion INB

Our fraction, decimal, percent unit is probably one of the hardest we do all year. One aspect of it is converting between the three. This interactive foldable graphic organizer is a way that the students can organize the rules for converting.

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Foldable Friday: Integers

The biggest problem students seem to have with integer operations is remembering the rules. I have my students create this interactive foldable graphic organizer to help them remember.

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Data Analysis INB Page

When introducing this unit, I introduce the vocabulary by using this INB and the cards so that students can manipulate the numbers.

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Problem Solving

We usually spend the last week of school doing nothing but problem solving activities during our math time. One of my favorite activities to do with my 6th graders is called Paper Pool which can be found on the Illuminations website. The students would spend a whole week on this project if I let them. 

I start by going through THIS worksheet, which explains the activity.

We go through both examples so that they understand exactly what the rules are.  Usually about half of the students have trouble understanding how to draw the lines (they have to be corner to corner), so I usually have to spend time working with them. If I'm lucky, the partner they have chosen understands and can show them how to do it. Once everyone understands how the "ball" moves on the board, they try different size rectangles.

When the students see a pattern, they write the "rule" on the board (they have to have found at least 3 rectangles that fit their rule to write it on the board).  

The next day, we test the "rules".  Every group takes a different rectangle that fits the rule to test it.  If it passes the test for all rectangles tested, it goes on the proven rules list. We had approximately 25 rules when we started and it went down to only 7 after testing each one.  I then wrote down whether each number was odd or even and we narrowed our rules down even further.

I do the "Crossing the River" problem with my 5th graders which came from Fostering Algebraic Thinking by Mark Driscoll (new on Amazon for $19.99 or used for $12.78). I did find the activity on-line HERE. The book is geared for 6-10 grade, but we used it in a class I took that was filled with elementary teachers.  We were able to easily adapt most of the problems.

The goal of the activity is to get 2 children and 8 adults across the river with only one boat. The rules for crossing are the following: one adult, one child or 2 children in a boat. You can NOT have one child and one adult in the boat at the same time. The students have to figure out the least amount to trips it takes to get across the river. Eventually they figure out an equation to figure out how many trips for any number of children and adults.

What are some of your favorite problem solving activities to do with your students?  I'm always looking for new activities and would love for you to share you favorites with us.

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How I Display and Store My Standards Posters

I fell in LOVE with THIS pin last summer and just had to do it in my classroom. Since we have to display our standards, this was the perfect solution.  The black background is a sheet from Walmart that I cut up and taped to the filing cabinets.  The border is MagnaBorders from Learning Resources. I put magnets on the back of the posters and they work wonderfully!

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How I Organize My Math Materials

One of the things I seem to collect in my classroom was math materials. I've taught that subject the longest so it makes sense.

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How to Set Up Your Math Interactive Notebook

I started using math notebooks in 2010. I wanted one place for my students to keep all of their notes and work so that they could use it as a reference whenever they needed it. It evolved over time into what I am sharing with you today.

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