Can You Level the Towers?

Activities algebra Algebra 1 Average data analysis Don Steward Dry Erase Pockets lessons Mean Measures of Central Tendency printable

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.

Electron Magnets

Bohr Models Electrons lessons magnets Physical Science SMART Board

Electron Magnets

Today I convey a super quick post service for you.  It's been sitting inward my drafts folder for MONTHS.  I decided it was fourth dimension to either post service it or delete it!  

My sis gave me a set of colored, round down magnets (affiliate link) for my classroom.  I wasn't precisely certain what I was going to purpose them for at the time, but they came inward SUPER-handy when nosotros were making Bohr models of atoms inward physical science.  

This happened to coincide amongst my nearly calendar month long sense of having no projector in addition to thus no SMARTboard inward my classroom.  Let's only country that magnets brand awesome electrons!    

Maybe this is 1 of those ideas that every other scientific discipline instructor has already figured out.  But, I was pretty proud of myself for coming upwards amongst this idea!  

Mean, Median, Mode, as well as Range Notes for Interactive Notebooks

graphic organizer interactive notebook lessons Mean Measures of Central Tendency Median Mode printable Range

Mean, Median, Mode, as well as Range Notes for Interactive Notebooks

You may convey caught a sneak peek of these notes over finding mean, median, mode, together with make inwards my blog post service well-nigh creating pockets for your interactive notebooks.

When my Algebra i students constitute out that our adjacent unit of measurement was starting out amongst a review of finding mean, median, mode, together with range, they promptly informed me that nosotros didn't remove to review it because they've been learning well-nigh it since the 5th grade.  Given how frequently I convey had students reference these notes, I volition nation that I create recollect they needed the review!

Our notes for mean, median, mode, together with make were placed inwards a nifty pocket.  Some students chose non to brand a steal together with instead stapled the pages together at the overstep together with glued inwards the bottom sheet.  I told them that they could seat them inwards their notebook using whichever method they preferred.

Notes for Finding Mode:

Notes for Finding Median:

Notes for Finding Mean:

I had my students create a Don Steward activeness to conk them thinking well-nigh hateful earlier nosotros started these.  Of course, the puzzle didn't elevate the give-and-take hateful anywhere on it.  You tin read to a greater extent than well-nigh this puzzle here.

Notes for Finding Range:

Files are uploaded here.

Building Rube Goldberg Machines

Activities Energy Hands-On Activity lessons Physical Science Projects Rube Goldberg Machines Student Work

Building Rube Goldberg Machines

As business office of our unit of measurement on liberate energy inwards physical science, I had my students construct Rube Goldberg machines.  

I never did figure out how to stimulate got genuinely expert pictures of their creations.  :(  But, I desire to postal service these pictures of what my students did come upward up amongst to remind me of how things went for adjacent fourth dimension I laid upward out to produce this project.  

I wishing I would stimulate got required my students to pass to a greater extent than fourth dimension inwards the planning too brainstorming stage earlier they started genuinely edifice their Rube Goldberg machines.  Many groups would construct i pace of their machine, exam it, too and then crusade to figure out what unopen to other pace should be.  Then, they would halt when they got tired of adding additional steps.  I intend they would stimulate got improve results past times starting amongst a comprehensive plan.  

Skyscraper Puzzles

Activities Complex Instruction Designing Groupwork Hands-On Activity lessons Linking Cubes Logic Puzzles Puzzles Spatial Reasoning

Skyscraper Puzzles

In February, blog post nearly a new-to-me logic puzzle called Skyscrapers.  As shortly every bit I read the post, I *knew* I needed to purpose this puzzle inwards my classroom.  I fifty-fifty sent my husband a link, gushing nearly how amazing these puzzles were!    

The puzzles from the brainbashers.com website weren't quite the correct size to purpose amongst my linking cubes (affiliate link), together with hence I didn't purpose the puzzle amongst my students correct away.  

Well, I procrastinated long plenty that Mark Chubb did the travel for me.  He has posted PDFs on his website that incorporate ii skyscraper puzzles to a page that are the perfect size for linking cubes (affiliate link). 

I printed off the four x four puzzles inwards a packet.  Each grouping got a bundle of puzzles together with 50 linking cubes.  

Next, I instructed my students that nosotros were edifice a metropolis total of skyscrapers.  

See the numbers simply about the border of the puzzle?  These numbers tell you lot how many skyscrapers you lot tin run across from that advantage point.  

My students were VERY confused past times this at first!  How inwards the footing could it hold out possible to run across 1 skyscraper from ane side together with iii skyscrapers from the other side?  When they figured it out, their expressions were priceless!  

Once my students got over their initial confusion, they were off!

I didn't actually acquire a 2nd of remainder because my grouping afterwards grouping afterwards grouping needed their solutions checked.

After my students caught on to how the puzzle worked, they were knocking out the puzzles quite quickly.  I want I would convey printed off some of the bigger puzzles for this exact reason!

There was SO much skilful grouping travel together with conversations going on spell students were solving these puzzles.

It reminded me a lot of the activities I tried from Cohen's Designing Groupwork (affiliate link) at the initiatory of all of the schoolhouse year.

I knew this activeness was a winner when students stayed AFTER the bell rang together with hence I could cheque their latest solution.  

When my students came to degree the side past times side day, they were devastated to acquire that nosotros would non hold out doing to a greater extent than skyscraper puzzles. 

As nosotros started our activeness that day, students kept making remarks nearly how doing to a greater extent than skyscraper puzzles would hold out to a greater extent than fun.

It was together with hence fun to take away heed them part their theories nearly the best agency to translate the clues amongst their grouping mates.  It's together with hence keen to overheard a pupil say excitedly, "Wait, I convey a theory!"  

I convey successfully used these puzzles amongst students ranging from Math Concepts (a degree for ninth graders non nonetheless laid for Algebra 1) to Algebra 1 to Trigonometry.  They all loved them!

For ane of my afternoon classes, I told the students that each grouping would ask to successfully consummate ii skyscraper puzzles to have their 10 participation points for the day.  If they did to a greater extent than than this, I would laissez passer them a few extra credit points.  

I wrote this formula on the board to help students calculate the points they had earned. This led to some awesome conversations.  A grouping of students were trying to figure out how many points they would acquire if they stopped afterwards completing half dozen puzzles.  Some of the grouping members insisted that they would acquire xviii points.  Other grouping members were adamant that they would hold out getting 48 points.  It turned into a keen large give-and-take nearly club of operations!  

Practice Finding Measures of Central Tendency past times Playing Tenzi

Activities data analysis Dice Farkle Hands-On Activity interactive notebook lessons Measures of Central Tendency printable Statistics Tenzi

Practice Finding Measures of Central Tendency past times Playing Tenzi

Disclosure: This postal service contains affiliate links. 

I dearest a expert die game.  I've blogged earlier near playing Farkle alongside my students.  I don't recall I've ever gotten some to blogging near it, simply my hubby as well as I dearest playing statistics course.  This year, I decided to contain Tenzi (and a variant of the game called Splitzi) into Algebra 1's unit of measurement on Data Analysis.  

So, what is Tenzi?  

It's a die game that comes inwards a bully tube.  I received my Tenzi game for either Christmas or my birthday.  The subway scheme contains 4 sets of 10 dice.  Each laid of die is a dissimilar coloring to brand them easily differentiated.  This volition allow 4 people to play.  

Tenzi also produces a Party Pack version that volition allow vi people to play at once.  

   

One of the things I dearest most near Farkle, I discovery myself explaining as well as re-explaining as well as re-explaining again.  With Tenzi, my students are ready-to-go afterward a unmarried explanation!    

Every histrion is playing at the same fourth dimension which keeps the game fast-paced.  This agency students don't convey fourth dimension to goof off or acquire distracted!  After i of the players says "Go!" all of the players coil their 10 dice.  The goal of the game is to acquire all of your 10 die to exhibit the same number.  Players examine their die to determine what value to coil for.  Dice showing that value are laid aside.  Dice showing a dissimilar value are re-rolled until all 10 die exhibit the same number.  The firstly histrion to acquire all 10 die showing the same number yells "Tenzi!"  That ends that round.  

Even though the game's rules are super-simple, the game is withal fun as well as quite addictive!  I've played the game alongside groups ranging from my husband's describe of piece of job solid unit of measurement to a grouping of middle-aged women at a Bunco number to my students.  It's e'er sum of fun as well as laughter.  

To spice the game upwards as well as continue you lot on your toes, the makers of Tenzi convey created dissimilar variations of the game.  There is an entire page on their website dedicated to these variations. 

Here are some of them:  (Image Source) 

I decided to run the master copy Tenzi game as well as the Splitzi variant to aid my Algebra 1 students do finding the mean, median, mode, as well as arrive at of a information set.  

To aid them organize their data, I created a sail for them to gum into their interactive notebooks when nosotros were finished.  

To brand the game suitable for information collection, I had my students non solely race to attain Tenzi earlier the other people inwards their group, simply they had to count the number of rolls it took them to attain Tenzi.  Some of my students would acquire as well as therefore caught upwards inwards trying to win that they would forget to count their rolls!  

Students played 8 rounds as well as recorded the number of rolls they required to attain Tenzi each round.

Another alteration I had to brand to Tenzi to acquire far piece of job for information collection was to require every unmarried histrion to continue rolling until Tenzi was reached.  In the actual game, game play ceases afterward soul yells "Tenzi!"

After students finished playing 8 rounds, they had to discovery the mean, median, mode, as well as arrive at of their data.

Of course, my VERY competitive students had to compare their measures of key style alongside i another!

Next, I taught my students the Splitzi variant.  Instead of rolling your die until all 10 exhibit the same value, you lot must coil your die until v of your die exhibit i value as well as the other v of your die exhibit a dissimilar value.

I asked my students to predict if it would live easier or harder to attain Splitzi than Tenzi.  

My students were pretty divide on their opinions near this matter.  Some insisted Splitzi would live easier.  Others insisted it would live much harder.  I told them that nosotros would discovery who was correct past times analyzing our data. 

In the future, I would add together a writing assignment to this activity.  I would convey my students write a hypothesis earlier start to play Splitzi. 

Then, they would demand to write a paragraph describing their findings.  Students would demand to include prove for each finding.  

I won't spoil the fun as well as portion our findings.  You'll convey to play for yourself as well as discovery out!  

After doing this action alongside 3 dissimilar flat periods, I learned a few tricks as well as tips I should in all probability share.  

Put each laid of 10 die inwards a plastic cup.  These cups volition stack as well as rest semi-organized throughout the day.  Students tin forcefulness out run the loving cup to aid them coil their die if they choose.  

For large flat sizes, the audio of the die hitting desks tin forcefulness out live almost deafening.  We played Tenzi at the terminate of i flat catamenia as well as Splitzi at the start of the adjacent flat period.  To continue myself from losing my hear from the audio of the dice, I had my students play Splitzi on the floor. 

I approximate that's why the instructor I did my pupil education alongside vi years agone had foam dice!  

The makers of Tenzi convey created a deck of 77 variations of the game.  I expect forrard to using some of these variations when nosotros start our science on comparison information sets.

I desire to convey my students motion through stations that each characteristic a dissimilar version of the game.  They volition count the number of rolls needed to attain the goal.  Then, I volition convey them house a sticker on a point plot for that version.  This volition allow us easily compare the dissimilar versions of the game.  So excited to come across what nosotros discover!

The file for this Tenzi/Splitzi action is uploaded here.