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Welcome to my math blog! The purpose of this blog is to help you stay informed about our learning and experiences that have taken place during our math class. I have also included links your child (and you) may want to use in order to supplement math learning in 5th grade.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Catch Up Day

Bell Ringer:

Image result for xtra math images


www.xtramath.org


Catch Up:

There are about 20 students who will be heading off campus to go bowling and play putt-putt as a reward for achieving an AR goal in reading.  For those of us left, we are playing catch up.


I have a new students who needs to complete the Think Through Math Benchmark.  I have two students who need to complete their MSTAR assessment.  I have about 10 students who need to finish their Geometric Sewing.  We began an Earth Day Mystery Picture on Friday that students will complete.  We also have SMART goals to meet on Khan Academy and Think Through Math.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

STEAM: Geometric Sewing (final day)

Bell Ringer:

Image result for xtra math images
www.xtramath.org

Lesson Frame:

Lesson:



Today we sewed!

Line designs form a basis for mathematical understanding of geometric shapes and relationships of points, segments, and angles. Each of the line segments is really a tangent for each of the curves being formed. But because of what we focus on, we often see the curves. For example, some of the curves that can be created are circles, parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas, spirals, and some lesser known curves called cardioids, limacons, and deltoids. Yet in each case they were created with angles of different sizes, regular and irregular polygons, and a lot of segments and points.

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/math/stringart/ 


As students complete their sewing project, they spend the remainder of time on Think Through Math or Khan Academy.

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STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!  (http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

MSTAR End of Year Assessment

Bell Ringer:  XtraMath


Lesson Frame:




Lesson:

Today, my students were asked to complete the MStar Universal Screener.

Overview (from https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/estarmstar )



The Elementary School Students in Texas: Algebra Ready (ESTAR) and Middle-School Students in Texas: Algebra Ready (MSTAR) Universal Screeners (US) are an online formative assessment system administered to students in grades 2–4 (ESTAR) and grades 5–8 (MSTAR).
The purpose of the ESTAR/MSTAR US are to help guide instructional decisions in relation to students’ readiness for algebra. The results, which are reported using the Response to Intervention tiers, can be used to help teachers determine if students are on track or at risk for meeting curricular expectations in algebra and for algebra readiness. Results also help teachers determine the intensity of the instructional support students need if they have been identified as at risk for not meeting curricular expectations in algebra and for algebra readiness. Teachers are able to monitor students’ risk status by administering comparable forms of the ESTAR/MSTAR US in fall, winter, and early spring.
The ESTAR/MSTAR Diagnostic Assessments (DA) are administered only to students identified through the ESTAR/MSTAR US as struggling with algebra-readiness knowledge and skills. The DA are used to identity why students are struggling with algebra-related core instruction and to provide information that can be used to plan supplemental instruction.
The ESTAR/MSTAR US and DA can be accessed at https://www.estarmstar.org/login.
Districts that would like to administer the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screener and Diagnostic Assessments must create unique district administrator accounts as well as teacher and student accounts.  For questions about accounts and general assistance related to the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screener or Diagnostic Assessments, please contact mathtx@esc13.net.
Getting Started
Download the Universal Screener FAQ

This assessment should be able to show me the growth my students have had since the beginning of the school year.  This information, along with the Think Through Math benchmarks, and the Math STAAR results, will help me determine appropriate placement for my kids in Junior High.





Once students have completed the Universal Screener, I had them get onto either Think Through Math or Khan Academy.  We still have goals to meet!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

STEAM: Geometric Sewing (Day 3)

Bell Ringer:


Image result for xtra math images
www.xtramath.org

Lesson Frame:

Lesson:



Today we sewed!

Line designs form a basis for mathematical understanding of geometric shapes and relationships of points, segments, and angles. Each of the line segments is really a tangent for each of the curves being formed. But because of what we focus on, we often see the curves. For example, some of the curves that can be created are circles, parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas, spirals, and some lesser known curves called cardioids, limacons, and deltoids. Yet in each case they were created with angles of different sizes, regular and irregular polygons, and a lot of segments and points.

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/math/stringart/ 


As students complete their sewing project, they spend the remainder of time on Think Through Math.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!  (http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

Monday, April 23, 2018

SMART Goal: Khan Academy

Bell Ringer:
Image result for xtra math images




Lesson Frame:



Lesson:

First, students completed today's Countdown to STAAR 5.8.6.
When they finished, they continued working towards their Khan Academy SMART goal. 
At this point, I have only 3 students per class who have not achieved 30 skills.  Most students are working towards the t-shirt and banquet.  MY goal is to have 100% attend the banquet, so we will be working with Khan pretty regularly.

Close:


Students got onto Classroom and described what they worked on today on Khan Academy.  

Friday, April 20, 2018

STEAM: Geometric Sewing (Day 2)

Bell Ringer:

Image result for xtra math images
www.xtramath.org

Lesson Frame:

Lesson:



Today we sewed!

Line designs form a basis for mathematical understanding of geometric shapes and relationships of points, segments, and angles. Each of the line segments is really a tangent for each of the curves being formed. But because of what we focus on, we often see the curves. For example, some of the curves that can be created are circles, parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas, spirals, and some lesser known curves called cardioids, limacons, and deltoids. Yet in each case they were created with angles of different sizes, regular and irregular polygons, and a lot of segments and points.
http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/math/stringart/ 


STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!  (http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

Thursday, April 19, 2018

SMART Goal: Khan Academy

Bell Ringer:

Image result for xtramath


Lesson Frame:



Lesson:

First, students completed today's Countdown to STAAR 5.8.4.

When they finished, they continued working towards their Khan Academy SMART goal. 

At this point, I have only 3 students per class who have not achieved 30 skills.  Most students are working towards the t-shirt and banquet.  MY goal is to have 100% attend the banquet, so we will be working with Khan pretty regularly.

Close:

Students got onto Classroom and described what they worked on today on Khan Academy.  

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

STEAM: Geometric Sewing (Line Designs)



Every year after taking our Math STAAR test, I like to give my kids a little mathematical art therapy!  It begins with the Kaleidoscopic Octagon, which emphasizes rotational and reflectional symmetry.  Then, we move into geometric sewing.  Basically, this is line design with string.  

Line designs form a basis for mathematical understanding of geometric shapes and relationships of points, segments, and angles. Each of the line segments is really a tangent for each of the curves being formed. But because of what we focus on, we often see the curves. For example, some of the curves that can be created are circles, parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas, spirals, and some lesser known curves called cardioids, limacons, and deltoids. Yet in each case they were created with angles of different sizes, regular and irregular polygons, and a lot of segments and points.
http://www.teachersnetwork.org/dcs/math/stringart/ 



Today, we began by preparing our sewing surface.  I gave each student an 8"x 8" piece of tagboard.  I also gave them each a pattern from a book that is no longer in print titled "String Art...10 Basic Designs."  In fact, it is from so long ago the patterns were originally to be run on a ditto machine!  The patterns may be old, but the excitement is always new!

Once we have cut out the pattern and taped it onto our tagboard, I gave each student a stick pin and and old mouse pad.  This may be my students' favorite part... we put the tagboard down onto the mouse pad and use the stick pin to poke a hole into every dot on the pattern.  I have learned, after YEARS of practice, that pre-poking the holes leads to fewer injuries with needles!

Next, it was time to teach my students how to thread a needle.  There is one rule I have during this entire project... I DO NOT THREAD NEEDLES!



It takes a while to learn how to thread a needle, but I have a very cool way of teaching my students how to thread a needle that involves using tape to make an aglet.  I learned about aglets while watching Phineas and Ferb.   They even have an A-G-L-E-T Song!  



Then, we created our aglet:



Once we had our needle on our thread, the time was up! AARGH!  We sew tomorrow!

STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!  (http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/