Can You Level the Towers?

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Can You Level the Towers?

Recently, I've been trying to notice a agency to organize many of the amazing resources I've flora online hence I tin role them to a greater extent than easily inwards the future.  Don Steward's blog is an absolute treasure trove of activities as well as interesting problems for whatever mathematics classroom.  A few weeks ago, I went through every unmarried 1 of his weblog posts as well as took greenback of all of the activities that aligned alongside my Algebra 1 standards.  There were Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 LOT of them!  

One of the activities that caught my oculus was called "Equal Sharing."  Students are given a gear upward of towers as well as asked to brand all of the towers possess got the same height.  You must maintain the same issue of towers.  The only affair you lot tin alter is the organization of the blocks.  

I took Don's activeness canvass that featured 10 problems, stuck it inwards a publisher file, enlarged it to fit on 11" x 17" paper, as well as added a championship alongside a cute font.  I printed the puzzle on unopen to 11" x 17" cardstock (affiliate link) that is amazing for creating activities that tin easily locomote worked on past times multiple students at the same time.  It also makes pretty awesome posters!     

Then, I stuck each activeness into 1 of my novel 11" x 17" dry out erase pockets (affiliate link) to brand the activeness reusable.

I allowed students to locomote on this activeness inwards groups of ii or 3.  A few of my students chose to locomote alone.  The bulk of students were inwards pairs.

I didn't give them many details earlier I permit them loose.  I instructed them that their challenge was to rearrange the blocks hence that each tower was the same height.  They had to terminate alongside the same issue of towers that they started with.

Even though I told students earlier nosotros started that they had to terminate upward alongside the same issue of towers that they started with, I silent flora myself answering that enquiry over as well as over as well as over.

It was interesting to sentinel students examine to convince their partners that they had a superior strategy equally I circulated.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few minutes into the activity, I saw students changing upward their strategy.  At the outset of the problems, the students were mark out boxes as well as moving them 1 at a time.  This worked, but students shortly flora it tedious.  Instead, the students started counting all of the boxes inwards all of the towers.

I stopped past times a grouping merely afterwards they reached the determination that in that place were 28 blocks inwards the towers.  With a perplexed hold back on my face, I asked them why that data was useful.  The grouping informed me that because they knew how many towers they needed to terminate upward alongside that they could accept the issue of blocks as well as merely split past times the issue of towers.

I exercise possess got to acknowledge that non all of my groups made this realization.  Some were enough happy to maintain using the same method that worked over as well as over as well as over.

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When my students got to enquiry 6, they began to choke confused.  Really confused.

My students who were rearranging the blocks 1 at a fourth dimension flora themselves left alongside 4 extra blocks as well as 8 towers.  How does that work?

Some groups decided to cutting the 4 blocks inwards one-half as well as distribute 1 one-half block to each tower.  The groups that were adding upward the blocks as well as dividing past times the towers seemed to possess got less problem alongside this problem.  Many groups, however, got frustrated as well as gave upward when the employment didn't locomote out evenly.

After the groups had fourth dimension to effort MOST of the problems, I began a course of written report discussion.  I asked the groups to portion their strategies.  One educatee inwards each course of written report would select upward the fact that they had flora a shortcut.  They hence proceeded to push clitoris how they had added upward all the blocks as well as divided past times the issue of towers.

After they finished explaining, I asked them what mathematical concept matched upward alongside what they had merely done.  It was hence exciting to encounter their eyes lite upward equally they realized they had merely flora the mean!

I promise that my students walked away from this lesson alongside a meliorate agreement of what the hateful is instead of merely knowing the steps to choke far at the mean.

Thanks Don Steward for this awesome activity!

I possess got uploaded my eleven x 17 sized file of Don's activeness here.

Dry Erase Workmat for Finding Five Number Summary, IQR, in addition to Outliers

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Dry Erase Workmat for Finding Five Number Summary, IQR, in addition to Outliers

My Algebra 1 students are inwards the midst of our next-to-last unit of measurement of the year: information analysis.  This is my showtime twelvemonth of teaching Algebra 1 where my students do non conduct keep to conduct keep an end-of-instruction examination inwards Algebra 1.  This way that I don't conduct keep to rush through concepts inwards club to conduct keep plenty fourth dimension to review for a essay inwards Apr fifty-fifty though schoolhouse doesn't exit until May.  Usually, our unit of measurement on information analysis is super-short equally a result.  

This year, I conduct keep plenty of fourth dimension to genuinely prepare my students' science at reading information displays together with creating their ain information displays.  Today, I desire to portion an action I created to give my students do alongside finding the v number summary together with IQR of a laid upward of data.  Students together with therefore used this information to cheque for together with position outliers.  

I started past times creating a workmat template inwards Publisher.  I purpose Publisher to do most all of the resources I postal service on my blog.  

I titled it "Identifying Outliers Practice," but it also gave my students do alongside finding the v number summary together with IQR.  Not certain what I could championship it to include those equally well...

I printed this workmat on 11 x 17 cardstock (affiliate link) that I slid into 1 of my 11 x 17 dry out erase pockets (affiliate link).  I conduct keep a laid upward of smaller, 8.5 x xi dry out erase pockets (affiliate link), too.  But, I prefer the 11 x 17 size (affiliate link) for partner work.      

I also created a laid upward of information value cards (1-36) that jibe just into the information laid upward boxes on the operate mat. 

Each laid upward was cutting apart together with placed inwards a tiny bucket from Dollar Tree. 

These stacked upward real nicely betwixt classes!

Like many activities I create, I ended upward modifying the action throughout the 24-hour interval to improve it together with become far to a greater extent than effective.  Originally, I had planned for each couple of students to curl a 12-sided move past times (from this set of polyhedra dice from EAI Education - affiliate link) to decide how many information values they should delineate from their bucket before starting.   

My idea behind having them curl a move past times was that I wanted them to larn used to how to bargain alongside quartiles when in that location are an fifty-fifty number of values together with an strange number of values.  

But, together with therefore my students were ending upward alongside information sets of 3, together with the information do only wasn't rigorous enough. 

For my afternoon classes, I did away alongside the die together with had each couple of students delineate 12 information values from their buckets.  This ended upward working soooo much better!  

As students worked, I circulated the room together with checked for errors.  In the motion-picture demonstrate above, the IQR should genuinely live 18.5.

As pairs finished, they would heighten their hands to conduct keep their calculations spot-checked.

One of the issues I didn't foresee alongside this action was that the bulk of students did non respect whatsoever outliers inwards their data.

It ended upward beingness okay because afterwards I cheque each pair's work, I would challenge them to do their ain information laid upward that had outliers.

This ended upward beingness the perfect extension activity!

I dear how much collaboration I tin terminate come across alongside my students inwards these pictures!

There are a few changes I would similar to brand inwards the time to come to this activity.

After students delineate their information values together with before they laid about doing whatsoever calculations, I would similar to conduct keep my students brand a prediction re: outliers.

Then, afterwards they complete all of their calculations, I would similar them to write a judgement explaining why or why non the information contains outliers.  My students genuinely struggled alongside writing a judgement to justify their outliers on their quizzes.  Need to start practicing that earlier!  

Additionally, I would similar to do a laid upward of "challenge cards" for students to operate through.  For example, each bill of fare would state them how many cards to select from the bucket.  Students mightiness randomly choice cards, or they mightiness choice specific cards to effort together with orbit a specific thing.

The file for this action has been uploaded here.

How Far Can YOU Climb? - An Activity past times Frank Tapson

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How Far Can YOU Climb? - An Activity past times Frank Tapson

Last week, I ran across an activeness yesteryear Frank Tapson called "How Far Can YOU Climb?" (page 34).  

The premise of the puzzle is quite simple.  Form the longest chain possible yesteryear moving horizontally or vertically from ane number to an increasing number.  

Here are Frank Tapson's instructions: 

Source: http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/trol/trolqd.pdf

I printed off a cast set, as well as nosotros slid them into our handy dry erase pockets (affiliate link).  I firmly believe that every classroom inward the globe could create goodness from a ready of these dry out erase pockets!  I've establish that the cheapest agency to purchase them is to lodge them equally "shop ticket holders" (affiliate link).  They're the exact same production equally the pockets marketed toward teachers - only cheaper!  

My students got actually into this activity!  As students finished their outset chains, they called out the scores to the class.  When person realized their score was higher/lower than their peers, at that spot were corresponding shouts of excitement as well as frustration.

I intend this is a plumbing fixtures draw of piece of work for practicing work solving strategies alongside students.  Some students would erase their path as well as get down over alone from scratch if they messed up.  Other students would only dorsum upwardly a few steps as well as examination if continuing their path inward some other administration would number inward a larger score.

I got MOST excited when ane of my students suggested nosotros should abide by the highest value on the game board as well as run backwards towards 1 since that would for sure give us the highest score possible.

The pupil who took that road eventually decided it was impossible to brand a road betwixt the lowest number on the board as well as the highest board.  I haven't played or as well as therefore alongside it plenty to know if that is indeed true.

Some students inward some other cast saw these puzzles setting on my podium, as well as they begged to accept ane alongside them.  Of course of education yous tin accept a math-y puzzle alongside you!  

As I was writing this post, I made an exciting discovery.  Remember the giant number draw poster I conduct maintain inward my classroom?



This number draw was made alongside a printable I establish online.  It turns out that file was created yesteryear Frank Tapson!  His website total of resources is a truthful treasure trove.

Blank Graphic Organizers for Solving Systems of Equations Algebrically

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Blank Graphic Organizers for Solving Systems of Equations Algebrically

For our quiz on solving systems of equations algebraically, I allow my students pick out betwixt solving yesteryear commutation together with solving yesteryear elimination.  I made only about graphic organizers for my students to follow that walked them step-by-step through the procedure of each method solution method.  You tin read to a greater extent than almost those here.

After that post, I realized that I never blogged almost how I modified these graphic organizers to brand templates for them to role on their quiz.

Substitution:

Elimination: 

My students actually appreciated having this template that they could stimulate amount out together with staple to their quiz.  I entirely had a handful of students pick out to only demo their operate on their quiz without the template.

You tin download these templates here.

These would last perfect to impress double-sided together with skid into a gear upwards of dry erase pockets (affiliate link) for students to role when solving systems of equations problems inwards class!

Here's an representative of the 2 sets of dry erase pockets I convey inwards my classroom:



The neon gear upwards at the overstep holds 8.5 x eleven inch paper.  The dark gear upwards at the bottom holds eleven x 17 inch paper.  I bought both sets off of Amazon.  They are super-cheap if yous purchase the ones sold equally "shop ticket holders" (affiliate link).

Dry Erase Work Mat for Simplifying Radicals

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Dry Erase Work Mat for Simplifying Radicals

Yesterday, I got a conduct chances to endeavor out the function mat I created for my students to role spell simplifying radicals.  I printed the function mat on posters, together with I used it to brand giant Farkle score sheets a duo of weeks ago.  

Just earlier Christmas, I purchased a railroad train of 11 x 17 dry out erase pockets (affiliate link) that lets me accept my 11 x 17 menu stock (affiliate link) together with plough it into a reusable activity.  

The function mat isn't anything fancy, but I created it inwards the hopes that it would assist my students last along their function to a greater extent than organized together with less scattered together with sloppy.  

I gave my students a dedicated house to pose their function for finding the prime factorization.  This year, I gave my students a selection betwixt using ingredient trees together with the birthday cake method for prime factorization.  I honor that most of my students prefer the ingredient tree, but the students who brand the to the lowest degree mistakes are the ones who role the birthday cake method.  

In the function box, students rewrite their radical using the prime factorization together with await for numbers together with variables they tin accept the appropriate foursquare root, cube root, etc. of.  Then, students conduct maintain a split upward box to write their finally solution.  

To assist my students out, I gave them a department at the bottom of the page that includes all of the prime numbers below 100.  This year, I gave my students a page to mucilage inwards their notebooks amongst the primes nether 100.  My students who conduct maintain had me previously asked why I hadn't given them 1 of these finally year.  I approximate they institute it useful. :) 

I also conduct maintain a prime release poster hanging on the wall that students oft reference. 

I institute a Connect iv action on Jo at Resourceaholic for giving me simply about awesome links to await through!  

We had to conduct maintain a intelligence virtually what surds are since I took this action off a Britain website.  Then, nosotros talked virtually the fact that my Australian husband also refers to them equally surds.

One nestling was then bothered yesteryear the fact that it said "surds" instead of "radicals" that he took his dry out erase marking together with changed the title!

Here's a moving painting that shows the size departure betwixt my 9" x 12" dry out erase pockets (affiliate link) together with my 11" x 17" dry out erase pockets (affiliate link).

Here are simply about pictures of my students using the dry out erase function mat to organize their function for the Connect iv game.

When I told my students to showtime cleaning up, in that place were many protests because they wanted to simply solve a few to a greater extent than problems.  I definitely telephone telephone this a winning activity!  

File for the simplifying radicals dry out erase function mat is uploaded here.