9-14-09

Problems: Barn Yard Animals K-1, Lizards and Beetles 2-4

Strategies:

Direct Model- some drew the creatures and even added legs..they direct representation of the problem.

Guess and Check, Trial and Error-  found that they needed reminders to check answers or recheck if th

ey have all the facts

Manipulatives- cubes were used at all levels, even some 3rd and 4th grade students

Derived Facts- some did representation using circles and tree diagrams

Algorithm- 4 /54

               students wanted ways 'to do'the problem

               if no easy way some gave up

Recording Sheets-  teachers found that using a # for each student was the easiest way to  document strategies

Assessments- teachers used the 'Number of the Week" activities to access student achievement and needs.  they looked at samples and used ideas from the students

Sharing out time- some teachers are spending extra time and doing some 1:1 since new to students, also did some partner share.

                             Teachers used scratch pads/ math notebooks and true and false statements in their class sharing

Questions from Team:

     1. Can we share strategies with other members of the grade level team?  ( many teachers are asking to try the 'number of the week")

     2. In regard to number choices on the problems posed..is it ok for the teachers to direct the choices for specific students or groups? ( some students wanted to do them all, found that students needed to have it modeled how to insert the different number choices into the problem, good idea to have the student use the same number choices but have to show a different strategy).

     3. Reviewed the common language in defining or naming the math symbols.( '=' use the words, 'same as')

FAVORITE INSIGHT:

          When the student could not figure out how to get the right number of creatures to get 36 legs.  He drew the creatures and had 36 legs but was short one creature so he drew one more lizard and wrote 'dead' beside it...so correct number of creatures but did not need to count his legs since he was dead.   CREATIVE????