XY Pegboards

XY Pegboards are used mainly for locating and plotting ordered pairs on a coordinate grids. They come with blue pegs and geobands (rubber bands). The pegs have a sphere on top of the peg, which allows for the geobands to go around without flying off. The x-axis and y-axis are both adjustable so you can put the origin in any location.

Skills that can be used with the XY Pegboards:

• Locating points on a coordinate grids
• Plotting points on a coordinate grids
• Reflecting points/polygons across axes
• Play Battlefield naming ordered pairs
• Absolute value
• Creating polygons on a coordinate grids

Ziploc Bags

You never realize how important Ziploc Bags are in your classroom. At the beginning of school, when I give out the School Supply List, I always put Ziploc Bags on there. Then I assign the sizes I want by last name. I request sandwich size, quart size, and gallon size. The snack size is also a good size to have.

I use them for manipulatives, learning centers, small group materials, among others. The possibilities are endless.

Small Group Rotation - Top 10 Tips

Do you do small group rotation? If not, do you want to? Here are my top 10 tips to make your small group rotation run smoothly. 
Note: I have a 4 group rotation, while others have a 3 group rotation. It's ok if you don't meet with all groups that day.

1.) Do a quick walk through. 
This should take about 15-20 minutes. Explain the rules as the students walk to each location/station. This way, the students know where they are expected to travel and how they are expected to behave during small group rotation.

2.) Transition music.
Use music to alert the students it's time to transition from one activity to the next. Once the music starts, the students clean up and transition. Once the music stops, they should be in their next location.

3.) Centers
Have center activities, task cards, and/or games for the students to do in one of the stations. The activities should be:

• Self-checking
• Something they already know how to do
• Preferably something you are currently working on in class

4.) Technology

One of my other stations is a technology station. Again, since all of my students have iPads, this is an easy feat for me. I just assign them a website, video, and/or app to do/view/play. It's important that they have the same stipulations as those in #3.

5.) Independent Work

This station is the class work that you want the students to do. The work should follow the same stipulations as in #3. Have a routine in place for submitting the assignments. Will the assignments be done in an interactive journal, worksheet, or electronic work? What will the protocol be for submitting that assignment. Make the students aware how to submit work while you are going through the walk through.

6.) Directions
What do you want the students to do while they are in each location? They should know that before you meet with any groups. Put the directions on the board or on chart paper and post it so that its visible for the entire class.

7.) No Talking
I don't allow talking while in the students are engaged in small group rotation. I want to be able to hear the group I'm working with and I want the other groups to be able to focus on their tasks.

8.) Do Not Disturb...the Teacher
The students aren't allowed to disturb me unless someone is hurt. If they have to throw away trash, sharpen a pencil, or use the restroom, they just do it. In the beginning, they will all try to go to the bathroom just to see if I will stop them, because they are not used to going without permission. When they see that I won't stop them, they will eventually stop being so eager to go. I ask them to not disturb me so that I could give most of my attention to the group with whom I am working.

9.) Struggling Students First and Always
Whenever I do small group rotation, I always meet with my struggling or low students first. Even if I don't rotate groups I try to meet with the low group while the rest of the class is doing independent work or iPad work. It's important that I try to bring them up academically. There is a big chance I can increase their student achievement if I meet with the struggling students regularly.

10.) Be Consistent
Consistency is key. When in small group rotation, the students need to know what to expect. Once you give them the directions of what they are doing in each station, they should be able to transition without any direction or without you even saying a word. I say Practice Makes Permanent. I can't say Practice Makes Perfect because if they are practicing incorrectly, then it's not perfect, is it?

Algeblocks

Eliminate student struggle with concrete understanding with Algeblocks. Provide meaning to variables, combine like terms with understanding, use an area model to represent multiplying and factoring polynomials, and solve first- and second-, and third-degree equations.

http://www.hand2mind.com/item/algeblocks-study-group-set/4879

http://www.hand2mind.com/item/algeblocks-study-group-set/4879

Problem Solving in Math - C. U. B. E. S.

Many of you have heard of the C. U. B. E. S. Strategy to help students navigate and solve word problems. It requires the students to annotate their word problems and really dive deep into what is in the word problem.

C. U. B. E. S.
C = Circle the numbers
U = Underline the question
B = Box key words
E = Eliminate what you don't need
S = Does your answer make sense? or Show your Work

I use this free artifact from Teachers Pay Teachers. I got the download from Fun in 5th Grade's page. I post it in my class and we go through each poster when solving all word problems and tasks.

Transitions

Have you ever played music in your class? Music is a great way to transition from one task to another. Transitioning can be hectic and even chaotic, if routines are not in place.

Centers/Small Group Rotation
I use music to transition the students when we're in small group rotation. Once the music plays, they know to clean up their stations and move to the next location. By the time the music stops, the students should be beginning the task in their next rotation.

Collecting Papers
Music can help with the collecting of papers too. Just let the students know to pass the papers forward or backward and you should have all papers by the time the music ends. 

Getting the Students in Line
Let the students know that it is time to line up and that they should be in a straight, quiet line by the time the music stops. 



The most important idea is to not play the entire song, only a snippet. In the beginning, you may start with 90 seconds of a song, then with more practice, the amount of time the music plays should decrease.

Poker Chips

Poker Chips are a great tool to use to teach for place value, counting, equations, combining like terms, among others. You can get them from Target or the Dollar Tree.

Place Value

Each color could represent a different place value (i.e. red = ones, white = tenths, blue = hundredths). 

Counting

Use them as counters to add, subtract, multiply or divide. To take it a step further, use them as decimals (see Place Value above).

Equations

One color could represent a variable and the other two could represent positive or negative numbers. Use an index card for the equal sign and the operation.

Example:

Blue = Variable

Red = Negative

White = Positive

 1 blue + 2 whites = 3 reds. What is the value of a blue? 5 reds

Combining Like Terms

Each color could be a term.

Blue = x

White = y

Red = Constant

Create this problem:

blue white blue white blue white red red red red white white

Then the students to put the like colors together and write an expression.

Answer: 3x + 5y + 4