Geometric Solids Museum - Math Monday Blog Hop

I'm linking up with Cindy for the Math Monday Blog Hop.

As stated in Friday's post, we've been learning about geometric solids in math. To begin the lesson, I taught the class about the six basic geometric solids - cones, cylinders, cubes, rectangular prisms, pyramids and spheres. After learning the characteristics of each shape, we went on a quick "Geometric Solids Scavenger Hunt" in the classroom to find examples of each type of solid. 

When our scavenger hunt was complete, I explained that we were going to set up a classroom museum to display different types of geometric solids. Their math assignment that night was to go on a scavenger hunt at home and bring in examples of geometric solids they found around the house. You can pick up a free copy of the scavenger hunt template here.

The next morning, we all gathered around the museum. Each student had to hold up his/her geometric solid for the class and identify the shape using its correct name. (I always tell my students we have to speak like mathematicians and use proper math vocabulary.) Then, each student placed his/her geometric solid in the designated section of the museum.

My students have spent a lot of free time visiting the museum and looking at all of the different examples. I want them to understand that math is not simply done with a pencil and paper. The concepts they are learning in math can and will be used in their everyday life. Geometric solids are not just the wooden shapes we learn about in math. We find them around the classroom, in our houses and inside the places where we shop. 

Some of my students insisted that we needed to display "Do Not Touch" and "No Flash Photography" signs like the real museums. I gave them some scrap paper and they created these signs to hang up. Shhhh!! Don't tell them I took pictures and broke one of the rules! 

Heather

Let's Learn About Area

We've been learning all about area the past few days. Here's what we did during math today: 

Yesterday afternoon I used blue painter's tape to mark off some areas of the classroom. It was so fun listening to my students when they walked through the door this morning. "Miss Schneider! Why is there tape all over the floor?!" I actually overheard one student say to a friend, "I bet this has something to do with area." 

Then, the students went around to each shape and recorded the area in square units. 

Next, we practiced finding the area of various shapes on the SMARTboard. If you haven't checked out IXL yet, do yourself a favor and get over there right now! It's an online math practice program that is completely organized by grade level. Click here to find the area game we played today. 

Finally, students created their own shapes using color tiles. They carefully traced around their unique shapes and their partners had to find the area using color tiles.  

How do you teach your students about area?  

Heather 

My Week in Review & a Math Freebie!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs again. Be sure to link up and tell us about your week! 

The first two have nothing to do with teaching, but were definitely highlights of my week. 

1. I went to Napa to cheer on some friends running the Napa Marathon. The picture below (in the heart of wine country) is where we set up camp, planked, cheered and rang cowbells as people ran by. Sometimes it's more fun cheering than being the one running!

2. I watched the Grand Lighting for the new Bay Lights exhibit. The exhibit will be on display from dusk - 2:00am for the next two years. You can watch a live stream of the lights here. This picture doesn't even begin to give the view justice. 

Since this is a teaching blog, maybe I should share a few things from my week in the classroom. Here we go - 

3. We've been working really hard on expanded form and place value. We've counted with base ten blocks, written on our desks, etc. Some students were still having a bit of trouble, so I quickly created a review sheet for homework practice. You can pick up your free copy here. 

4. Do you play Around the World with your students? My students love this game. They really get into it and cheer on their classmates when they are doing well. 

Here's a quick explanation if you don't know how to play: 

Student A stands next to Student B and I call out a math fact we've learned. Whoever says the answer first gets to move on and is now paired with Student C. This keeps going for every student in the class. The biggest challenge is for a student to make it all the way around the world (classroom) by beating each classmate and saying the answer to the math facts the fastest. 

I had a student make it all the way around the world this week! The rest of the class wasn't jealous or disappointed; they were genuinely excited for him and loved the "Around the World" certificate I quickly made up after he won. 

5. We spent Friday afternoon in the computer lab on Read Write Think. As a culminating project to our Presidents' Day unit, the students worked with partners to write an acrostic poem about Abraham Lincoln or George Washington. They've written several acrostic poems this year, but this was the first time they typed them! The acrostic poem generator at readwritethink.org is excellent. You can check it out here. You can save and print the poems when they are complete. 

How was your week? 

Heather