Ways I use dice in my classroom

Sarah H. recently posted a photo of some items she got from a colleague, mostly large foam dice.  She asked how she can use the dice in her trig class.  I thought that was a great question and I decided to write about several ways I use dice in my class.

1. Teaching probability.  Duh.

2. Using this game board.  I can turn a set of questions into a deck of cards and students can play the game.  Everyone in the group does the problem individually, they discuss as a group, anyone with a correct answer rolls.  I'm always amazed at how much more willing kids are to do the same work when I disguise it as a game.  There are 4 versions of the board in this file: with or without directions and either in color or black and white. 



3. Assign meaning to each side of the die by typing up a key.  Students roll the dice and do the associated action.  Examples: operations on polynomials (add, subtract, multiply, divide, classify, factor, etc), trig functions (sin, cos, tan, sec, csc, cot). Here's one I used for quadratic functions that uses 6- and 12-sided dice (though you can easily change it so as not to need 12-sided dice).  Thanks to my best friend for a donation of cool dice from her Dungeons and Dragons days. 


4. This one is still not classroom-tested, so proceed carefully.  I tested it at home and I think it's a green light.  Mailing labels (like Avery 5160) are able to stick to the foam dice I bought at Dollar Tree and also unstick neatly.  That means I could write questions, equations, terms, etc. and print them on labels to stick to the dice.  At the end of the activity, I can remove the labels (possibly stick them back on the sheet for next year) and reuse the dice for a later activity.

5. As a French teacher, I've made a class set of subject pronoun dice by taking a Sharpie to some foam dice.  These big dice (roughly 2.5") are in two-packs at Dollar Tree.  I've seen red, blue, black, and yellow.

Do you use dice in your classroom?  How?

Mathematically yours,
Miss B

Headbands (Hedbandz) for the classroom

...on a Friday!
 
It's kind of funny to me that "Hedbandz" ever became a game that people pay for since I remember playing it years ago with a Post-it stuck to each player's forehead.  I suppose the lack of set-up time and ability to reuse the cards gives it some worth.

If you're not familiar with the game, each player has a mystery card that they're trying to guess by asking the other players yes/no questions.  You win by guessing your card correctly with the least number of questions. 

If you look around the internet, there are plenty of teachers who are using this game in their classrooms.  Mary,  Jennifer, and Sam have high school math versions.  For the past couple of months, ever since we played the real version at youth group, I've been looking for something to inexpensively replicate the reusable headbands.  I knew I could use strips of construction paper, but they would have to be replaced each time we played the game.  I thought about stretchy elastic headbands but thought they might be really uncomfortable.  I almost got cheap sunglasses and put Velcro dots on the bridges but decided I didn't want to have to Velcro each set of cards, nor did I want to invest $30 for this game.  I kept cruising Dollar Tree for ideas.  Yesterday, I happened upon 3 packs of foam visors. 

This has to be the simplest #Made4Math ever.  Take a visor, add a paper clip and a card, and you're good to go!  $10 for a class set is within my budget.  Totally dorky?  Yes, and I think that's probably part of the charm.  If the students wear them like visors are supposed the be worn, the taller students are going to have to tilt their heads down so the shorter students can see the cards.  Better is to wear the visors upside down (think "tiara") and the cards will be almost vertical. Similar visors are on Amazon here. 

A silly mock-up, but you get the idea.

I know I'll use this for several topics in math and in French.  Two sets of cards are in the document below, one for graphing linear equations and one for vocabulary related to functions and equations. 



How could you use this game with your students?

Mathematically yours,
Miss B

Guess Who- Linear Functions

I was hopping around the MTBoS this afternoon and I happened to reread a post by Sarah from several months ago in which she listed some thrift store/garage sale finds she was planning to use in her classroom. Among those finds was a Guess Who? board game which reminded me that I had purchased the same thing a long time ago and hadn't yet remade it into a math game.  

Guess Who? was a staple in my house when I was a child and I can remember toting it to many a babysitting gig, too.  It was perfect as a two-player game since I was an only child and just had to find one other person to play. I always wanted to be Maria because she looked the most like me, even with the funny green beret, and I learned a lot about probability by calculating the best questions to ask in order to eliminate about half of the people at a time.  

Sorry for doubling up on Made4Math this week, but I couldn't bear to wait for next Monday to write my post after making this beauty!  

Here's what my $3 at Goodwill and several hours of my evening got me:

Truth be told, the red one's not done yet.  :)

The family that owned this game before me must have been a tiny bit compulsive. ;) They had glued the character cards to the yellow flippers. I pried each one loose and then slid my card in along with the character card. The back of the flippers show the question mark design of the Guess Who cards and I was able to use cheap paper instead of thick card stock.

If you want to make your own set on another topic, just measure the cards and make a table with cells that size. I found these cards were 1 1/8" wide and 1 3/8" tall, but be sure to check if you have a different model of the game. The one I had as a kid had much larger cards.  Before I had this game board, I made a paper version using file folders for linear inequalities in my first year of teaching and it has been a classroom staple.  I made it all by hand, so I might not be able to blog it for a while.

I'm sharing the files I made below. Included are directions for how your students could play this game even without the game board. After all, this is cute, but who is going to buy a class set, right? I figure I'll make this one cute, draw a couple of kids names to play with this set, and let the rest of the kids play the modified way.  Now that I know I can modify them, I'll pick up another set or two if I see them at Goodwill again because I'd like to make one for quadratic functions for my Algebra class.  





This game ties in nicely to a couple of 8th grade standards:

• CCSS.Math.Content.8.F.A.2 Compare properties of two functions each represented in a different way (algebraically, graphically, numerically in tables, or by verbal descriptions). For example, given a linear function represented by a table of values and a linear function represented by an algebraic expression, determine which function has the greater rate of change.
• CCSS.Math.Content.8.F.B.4 Construct a function to model a linear relationship between two quantities. Determine the rate of change  and initial value of the function from a description of a relationship or from two (x, y) values, including reading these from a table or from a graph. Interpret the rate of change and initial value of a linear function in terms of the situation it models, and in terms of its graph or a table of values.

How have you repurposed games in your classroom?

Mathematically yours, 

Miss B

Sharing a Math Game

I'm not sure this is my favorite math game, but it's one I don't think I've seen online before (though I could be wrong about that).  I made it about three years ago and I've used it once or twice a year since then.  The theme today on The Teacher's Chair is to share our best games, so here you go! 

Materials:

• One game board per pair of students
• One game token per student
• One deck of question cards per pair
• Scrap paper or whiteboards with markers
• Optional: laminate the game boards or place them in page protectors/Smart Pal Sleeves

Put students in pairs and give them some question cards.  Divide the answers into two easy-to-discern categories.  Try to have close to equal amounts of each of the types of answers.  Some ideas:

• Positive and negative
• Greater than a given number and less than that number (make sure the number itself isn't an answer)
• Congruent or not (geometry SAS, SSS, etc)
• Increasing or decreasing on a given interval
• Function or not

The students take turns doing a problem and explaining their reasoning to their partner.  When both partners agree with the answer, the player who drew the card moves his marker up or down based on the key you established with the class.   The key here is that there is collaboration and mathematical discourse which is what makes this game work for me.  It is also adaptable to almost any content and certainly any grade level.  It's also pretty quick, so it would work well even if you have a short class period. 

Here's the game board. 



Mathematically yours,
Miss B

Problem Master and Mountain Climber

My Facebook status this evening sums it up: "That was the kind of awesome day of teaching that will get me through until Christmas."

Have you ever had a day like mine when the lesson goes seamlessly (or nearly so), the kids enjoy what they're doing, you enjoy what you're doing, behavior problems are non-existent, and the learning conversations are rich.  

The best compliment I got from a kid today, "You know, Miss B, this is the highest class but we do the most fun stuff." ("highest class" = most advanced class offered to 8th grade)

So, what caused this awesome day?  Two new activities.  

The first activity was for my Algebra I class.  We have been studying probability for several weeks and it's been slow going.  Many of my students are struggling readers, so the questions are difficult for them to answer independently.  I decided to use an activity that I adapted from a math blog (I think it was ispeakmath but I cannot find the post now for anything and would love to give credit if anyone knows).  We'll call it Problem Master.

Problem Master Directions

1. Create one problem per student on the topic you're studying. (I used a mix of all the kinds of probability questions we're responsible for in 8th grade: simple, independent, dependent, sample space, permutations, and predictions from experimental probability.)
2. Assign each child a different problem.  Have them work out this problem (I used scrap paper for this step) and check the answer with you.  They need to understand and be able to explain how they arrived at that answer.  
3. Create a packet (or use notebook paper) with a numbered space for each problem.  I have 21 students in Algebra I, so I had 21 problems and a packet with that many spaces.  
4. The "Master" of the problem gets a copy of the question in green.  They glue it into the packet and show the work needed to solve the problem.  They also get a yellow sheet with 20 copies of their problem to give to classmates when they pair up.  You'll need to print one page with all of the questions once on green paper and then make a yellow sheet for each child with their problem duplicated enough times for everyone else in the class.
5. Each child then pairs up with another member of the class, they trade problems to solve, work independently to solve the problem, check their partner's answers, and they coach as needed.  
6. I had students grade each other with smiley faces for how much help they required.  
7. When a pair is finished, they return to a designated area to meet a new partner.  (Rarely was anyone waiting for more than 1 minute.  You could choose to have a secondary assignment for anyone waiting or call out switching times, but my kids were able to handle this bit of freedom because they could work at their own pace.) 
8. I had students carry their glue stick and scissors around with them.  We only cut out one problem each time we paired up instead of cutting them all apart at the beginning because I wanted to avoid them losing a pile of little yellow papers!  Envelopes or baggies would also work, but giving them an entire sheet limited my prep significantly and made it easy when we realized we would like to finish the activity in the next class period.  

We worked on this activity for almost an hour of our 90-minute block.  The kids were engaged the whole time and were taking their responsibility seriously.  They weren't happy that we didn't have enough time to finish and begged to get more time next class.  I'll happily oblige because they were doing an awesome job!  
---

With my morning class going so well, I worried some about the potential of my afternoon class.  After all, could I manage two new group activities in one day without pulling out my graying hairs?

This activity probably exists out there in one form or another, but I invented it last night without any direct inspiration.  It's called Mountain Climber. 

My students were very complimentary of my artwork.  Bless them for loving my scribbles!  Coming soon, there will be a picture of the poster we used to track our progress in the "game."  For now, just picture a crude half-mountain drawn on poster paper.  Starting at the bottom and going up the side, there are labels reading "level 1,"  "level 2," all the way to "level 10" and the groups all have a little mountain climber clip art icon colored a different color that they move up the poster.  

Mountain Climber Directions

1. Each group is assigned a different colored marker.  My grouping scheme is discussed here.  I used groups of 3. 
2. Create a variety of problems/tasks related to the topic you're working on and level them from easiest to hardest.  Put each problem on a separate page (half page, etc) and make enough copies for the number of groups you'll have.  I chose to make 10 problems, but this can be adapted to the difficulty level of the topic and the amount of time you have. 
3. Students provide notebook paper.  Pass out one record sheet per group and one copy of the level 1 problem to each team. 
4. Students work in their groups to solve the problem.   Group roles are recorder (writes on record sheet discussed below), messenger (delivers paper for corrections), and scorekeeper (keeps track of group progress).  
5. As the students work on a problem and reach a consensus, the recorder fills in the record sheet, the messenger brings it to the teacher for checking, and the scorekeeper moves the mountain climber up a level when they get a problem correct. Give them the next level of problem when they get a correct answer.
6. I emphasize accuracy over speed in this exercise.  You can see there are three columns on the right of the record sheet.  The first time the group gives me their paper, they get 3 points for a correct answer.  Each subsequent time, they earn less points.  This is a good motivator to help them reach a consensus before bringing me the paper!   The team with the highest point total at the end is declared the winner.  I do not care who finishes the 10 problems first.  

The kids were very excited to play Mountain Climber.  I teach a competitive group in Intermediate Algebra, so they all wanted to be fastest.  Some groups started to realize that they needed to slow down and read the questions carefully so they could get their points.  I had one instance of a team that tried to "divide and conquer" on a problem.  I marked an X in their first box for that problem, and they went back to helping and coaching each other as I'd asked.  Despite that one very minor incident, the activity went well and the kids again begged me to let them finish next class. 

My students want to do math problems.  That's my definition of winning! 

Mathematically yours, 
Miss B

Measures of Central Tendency Cootie Catcher or Fortune Teller

First, a PSA: Tomorrow is the first day of school!  Hooray!

Back to your regular programming...

I've seen some academic uses of the so called "cootie catcher" or "fortune teller" and I decided to make one for my kids to use this week as we review measures of central tendency in Algebra I.

Here's the basic template I made in Word.  If you want the file, please just leave me a comment and I'll be happy to share   download the PDF from Google Docs.  Obviously, you could just have your kids fold a plain one and write things on it.  I don't know my clientele yet, so I'm doing most of the work for them this time. 

The four corner squares are labeled mean, median, mode, and range.  These are the measures of central tendency and variation that my students should have mastered in 7th grade.  Generally, they come in pretty well prepared on this topic, with some of them mixing up the "m" words.

I filled in everything but the solutions and definitions for them.  There are 8 data sets given and there are places for the kids to write in the mean, median, mode, and range for each of the sets.  My plan is for them to work in partners to "play the game" and collaborate on finding the answers for each data set, only recording their work if they both agree.  They can then take this home as a study guide/review game.   The colors on the words are just pretty.  The colors around the data sets and answers are there to keep the kids from getting switched around. 

Again, you can download the blank template here if you missed the link above!  If you'd like the filled in copy (in my lovely handwriting, sorry), you can get it from my updated post.

How do you make review activities fun and unique to keep kids motivated?

What to do about "I'm done!"

We all have experienced the joys trials of teaching a group of students who work at very different paces.  There are those children who must be encouraged, coaxed, and refocused so that their work gets finished.  There are the kids on the opposite end of the spectrum who, it seems, have finished the worksheet before their classmates have even managed to get started.  What to do with the children who finish early? 

Obviously, you want to ensure that they're producing their best work and not rushing through an assignment simply to be finished.  I had one child who was such a pro at finishing everything quickly that I always saved my classroom chores for him (passing out papers, sorting things, taking a note to a classroom, etc).  It helped him to have something physical to do because he was very prone to getting into trouble and pestering other children within seconds of being finished his work. 

Other than classroom chores and the overused, "read your free reading book," there weren't many options in my classroom for early finishers.  I decided that this was the year I needed to make it happen! 

I'm going a totally different route with my Early Finisher choices.  I'm putting together brain teasers, puzzles, pentominoes, tangrams, 24, and the like with instructions for a short activity.  It's sort of an homage to elementary school math centers.  Each center will be stored in a zippered pencil pouch that the kids will select and take back to their seats.  I think the fabric pencil pouches will hold up and be easy for the kids to use.  I put a binder ring though the zipper on each pouch so it's easy to hang.  My hope is that these stations will build logical and spatial reasoning which are applicable across many subjects.  The start-up cost for me was about $20 for the pouches ($1.50 each at the discount store in my town, probably at Dollar Tree but not worth the drive for me) because I already had the other materials.  Most of them were sitting unused because I either didn't have enough for the whole class to use at once or because they weren't strictly related to my curriculum.  This is a step in the right direction!  I hope to create enough materials so I can swap these out mid-year.  Every term would be awesome, but I don't have enough materials for that just yet. 

These pouches are left over from previous students.  I purchased 12 more (not pictured) for a total of 16.

I also set up my classroom library in a much more inviting way than in years past.  I stacked some file crates sideways and used them as my bookshelves.  I placed some books related to math in a display.  I was so close to selling that pink locker storage piece because the pockets are so deep when it occurred to me that I could stuff the bottom with paper so items would sit up higher and be visible.  Duh!  My library last year, in comparison, had all of my books piled in one crate that was placed under a chair in a corner.  Not exactly inviting!  I could use some better books; most of what I have is so dated I don't even want to pick them up.  I will try to make it to a library sale this year in hopes of adding some attractive books to the collection and I'll go through my books at home to see if I have any that are age appropriate for the kiddos. 

Finally!  A classroom library with a bit of character.

Do you have any great ways to keep kids' brains active when they've finished their assignments?  Please share what works for you.

Miss B

Homeworkopoly and Parking Lot

Last Thursday, I started to get my classroom set up for the upcoming school year.  It's earlier than I've ever started that process, but I know that there will be lots of changes at school this year, so the sooner I get rolling, the smoother it should go.

On Friday, I was quite industrious, I think.  Inspired by Pinterest, I took on several projects.  The first project is dubbed Homeworkopoly.  I changed the directions and the board to suit my classroom.  My students will individually earn the right to play on Friday if they have turned in all of their homework for the week on time.  They'll roll just one die since the board is small (and I don't want to hear about taking a second turn for rolling doubles).  The potential rewards are small prizes that are inexpensive or free but are things I know my kids generally like.

Go earns $50 Cat Cash (money in our grade-level economy).  They'll earn this whenever they pass by Go, just like in real Monopoly. 
Free Reading awards kids with the opportunity to free read instead of doing the math warm-up one day.  They always whine about doing the warm-up, so this might be a good motivator to do homework.  Since I repeat the same skills all week on a warm-up, missing out on one day shouldn't detract from a child's overall learning. 
Treasure Chest is just the choice of a small prize (pencil, eraser, etc), piece of candy, or $25 Cat Cash.
Lunch Bunch will be the coveted prize for sure!  It gives kids the chance to bring two friends to eat lunch in my room.  Since lunch tables are assigned and stay the same all year, some kids never get to eat with their closest friends.
When they land on Chance, the kids can answer a math problem to earn extra Cat Cash.  I found some brain teaser flash cards at Target and I decided to use the math questions from them as most of them fall within our 7th or 8th grade state standards.  The rest are logical reasoning combined with math that could also be solved with just a little brute force. 

I'm storing all of the cards in plastic index card boxes.  I put advertising magnets on the backs (free!).  I bought magnets at Dollar Tree and put numbered stickers on them.  Each class will have a different color.  With the hope this will work, I shouldn't have to remake the pieces for next year.  They're a little bigger than I would have liked, but I'm sure we'll make it work!  I also added a small dry erase board nearby so that kids can work out their Chance problems there if they want to.  Please ignore the pink hooks.  I haven't taken them down from last year because I'm not sure the game is going to stay right here. 

 

On to project #2.  Here's our classroom "Parking Lot."   My middle schoolers can't drive yet, but they'll all be assigned a parking space.  When I need to do a quick, short exit pass, I can have the kids write their work on post-it notes and stick them to this poster.  Each kid will use their number (based off my alphabetized list, of course) so I can quickly record their scores.  To differentiate this assignment, I can give out different colored post-its and direct the children to answer a certain question based on the color of their post-it.  Then when scoring them, I can score by color.  Easy peasy!  I think it will be quick enough to score one class's answers while the next class is doing the warm-up. 

Another thing I LOVE about my craftiness is that I used two hideously old fashioned pieces of scrapbooking paper.  They're great for school but not so hot for my own crafts!    


What have you been working on this summer?  Leave me a comment and a link and let me know.  As always, if you like what you see, please become a follower!


Miss B