Snapshot: 6C Subtracting Integers

Negative number - Positive Number

The students in 6C are grappling with how to subtract integers. This is a challenging lesson for sixth graders because it requires a depth of understanding of what it means to subtract and how negative numbers can impact that concept. 

Class was divided into groups to work on understanding a specific subset of integer subtraction problems. They were given manipulative ands and two different tools to help them work through what is happening in each subset of problems. They were asked to summarize their work on a poster and then required to "teach" the rest of the class how to think about their type of problem. Everyone had to be versed in their type of problem and able to communicate their understanding of the material. 

I like this activity because it requires the students to make sense of something they have not been taught formally. They have to struggle to put together information they already know and apply it in a new way. I like to challenge their thinking and make sure they are able to see when conclusions they make are logical and when they make sense only because they want it to make sense. I enjoy hearing students work to explain their thinking to their peers. Listening to students find ways to make sense of the material in different ways because the way they are explaining it is not making sense to their classmate. I love it when students challenge each other's thinking in respectful ways. All of the dialogue and communication is priceless. More learning happened in one period than most of a normal week!

This is just the beginning of their journey with subtracting integers. They walk away from these presentations with a sense of accomplishment. The next step is to see if they can apply what they have learned when the problems are not so nicely grouped together and isolated. What happens when they encounter the problems in the "wild" or mixed up with other problems? That is the first real test of their understand. 

Positive number - Positive number

Negative number - Negative Number

Positive number - Negative number

Special Cases

Snapshot: 6C Coordinate Planes

In sixth grade, we have entered the world of integers!  We have doubled out numerical world by adding all of the negative integers to our known world of positive numbers. We discussed and explored the reason we need negative number and how we use them in our everyday lives. We reviewed how a four quadrant coordinate plane worked. The class enjoyed assignments where they had to plot points to reveal an image.  We took that one step further and the class was asked to create a coordinate plane assignment for a peer to complete. They will give each other feedback on the clarity and success of their assignment. Here are the images that the students created. 

Event: Love Math! A Math Festival For Girls

The Proof School in San Francisco is holding a Math Festival for Girls called" Love Math!" It should be a great event. Here is the description from their website.

A math festival especially for girls builds community.

Come experience hands-on, collaborative activities that inspire a love for math, all for girls in grades 4 through 8 and their families.
Our math festival for girls aims to create a community by encouraging cooperative problem-solving. With mathematical art to make, fun-filled logic puzzles to solve, and ice cream combinatorics to discover, this event will be unlike most (or any!) math you've ever seen.
You'll also be able to bring home the fun. We'll have some of our favorite books, puzzles, and more for you to take home.

Special thanks to Art of Problem Solving and Beast Academy for their support!   

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Love Math! 

A FESTIVAL FOR GIRLS

Saturday, December 3  |  10am-12pm

555 Post Street, San Francisco 94102

To sign up, go to:

Love Math! A Math Festival For Girls

T-Stat in Disguise

A sampling of the many disguises that T-Stat has embodied over the last couple of weeks.

Snapshot: 8A Equations of Lines

Much of the fall was spent working with various forms of a line. The class saw different representations of lines: tables, graphs, equations, and word problems. In this activity, the class was split into groups and they had to match a table with an equation, a graph, and a story problem. They are working to understand the relationship between these representations and know when each type is useful. There was lots of great discussion and testing of understanding as the activity progressed. 

Next, we are getting ready to solve systems of linear equations!

Introduction

I wanted to introduce you to our newest friend in A203. This is T-Stat. Currently, he/she resides on our whiteboard. In an attempt to embrace the quirks of the classroom, I have given T-Stat space and character.  Students are invited to add personality and flare to T-Stat. We will post any interesting iterations of our friend T-Stat for all to enjoy!

Snapshot: 7B Rational Numbers

Today, we reviewed our understanding the categories of real numbers. We discussed inclusion and exclusion of different types of numbers at different points in the framework. We used an analogy about which numbers have access to different categories. For example, natural numbers have the all-access pass and fit into all categories of rational numbers. We expanded our conversation to irrational numbers, imaginary numbers and complex numbers. There was lots of curiosity and questions, but many students ended up "with their brain full!"