The Week Ending November 4th: Another Quick Cut-and Go-Activity

Yippee! Clutter-Free Classroom's Peek in my Planbook is back!  (Thanks, CFC!)

This week flew by!  Seems like we spent a lot of time getting ready for testing, taking "bubble tests" or talking about the results of the tests!

In our quest to make practice and remediation a little more fun, we played several math games to review skills.

Here's another example of a "quick and easy" math game... Just print on cardstock, cut and play!  (In fact, several of my students often offer to cut out the cards with scissors... it turns recess into a updated version of an old-fashioned quilting bee!)

One concept that some of my students struggle with is moving between "systems."  Many of my students tend to see factions, decimals and percents as separate entities.  It seems like I am constantly reminding them, "Same amount, different way of expressing it."  I try to prompt them to look for other ways to say/write a quantity if it makes it easier (or "more comfortable") to solve problems.

For extra practice or warm-up for kids who are struggling with this concept, we play "Equivalent Concentration."  This helps the kids "see" the same amount written in different ways--and pairs can be made in different combinations.  All cards are turned face down and the kids take turns turning over two cards in an attempt to find a match. The one difference (rule-wise) between this practice and "the regular Concentration game" is that you don't get an extra turn if you get a match.  Players just take turns trying to find pairs.

It just takes a few minutes to play, but it gets students ready to convert quantities more comfortably (and more quickly) when solving word problems.   Add a stopwatch (for players who are ready) to increase the challenge!

 

I know, I know... It's hardly spectacular.  But it is just enough practice to stick!  Besides colored cardstock and my paper cutter always make my heart happy.  I have several levels, including eighths, tenths and thirds, but GoogleDocs is not always my friend, so this version is the most basic variety.  Besides, this way, my third, fourth or fifth grade friends might be able use this too!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18GlkGOUjllPPSTeNqeJeibpGtf5iBu9u5qT9yA9-5c/edit

I can make a dandy fall festival flyer with cats, pumpkins and mummies, but trying to get a "shaded one-half" graphic centered in a GoogleDocs table cell almost made me crazy.  I have SO much admiration for my BloggingColleagues who make those adorable items day after day.  Thankfully, my "big" kids are used to plain and simple materials!

I am wishing you a warm and happy November--Gotta love a month that has TWO no-school holidays!

Don't forget to link back to the party Clutter-Free Classroom's Peek in My Planbook!