Coordinate System Study

Students will use this template as they continue to study the coordinate system today.

I started the year with coordinate plane standards for many reasons. First the standards are typically easily learned by all. In opposition to much of the number work we do, work that students meet with a range of interest and skill, coordinate grids is a new learning point that they are generally excited about. Therefore to it makes a good standard to start the year with since it helps me to build an invested learning community of students and teachers. Further, coordinate plane standards provide some nice opportunity for "floor to ceiling" exploration and learning this provides students with a tool they can use all year as they learn multiple concepts in math.

Last week we reviewed all the standards in this area as students learned about the reasons for the coordinate system, made coordinate grid pictures, wrote and plotted math stories, and created algebraic equations to demonstrate the relationship graphed on the coordinate plane.

There are many ways that I could choose to approach today's lesson, and I've decided to do the following. We'll review the coordinate system language as we review a Ping Pong story that we'll graph together. We'll also work together to graph the relationship when X = Y times 3. I'll use the story related to the fact that one pound of apples cost three dollars. While I don't like to teach from the front of the room too often, I think the students need this kind of review before tomorrow's coordinate system assessment. Then later in the year, I'll ask students to do what I had originally planned for today which is to write their own math story, chart the numbers, graph the points, and describe the algebraic relationship using variables and/or words.

There are many ways to teach each lesson, and it's up to the teacher to lead the path, a path that will result in best learning and engagement. Onward.

Maker Math: Volume Exploration - The Candy Box

There's been many iterations of the volume related candy box exploration, and this is one I'll use with students in the days ahead to teach and practice finding the volume of three-dimensional figures. Prior to teaching this lesson, students will study and learn to use rulers.

Story

Bon Bon Recipe and Picture Site

Angela liked to make candy. She especially enjoyed making bon bons the old fashioned way. Her candy bon bons became so popular that people started asking if they could buy them from her to sell at their shops. Angela decided to put each bon bon in an individual box, and then put 24 individual bon bons boxes in each big box. That way people could display the big box while selling each individual bon bon.

First, she designed an individual box for each bon bon. She created a net made up of squares that measured one inch on each side. That was the perfect shape for her bon bons as they fit tightly, but did not squish the candy. Angela worked with a local packaging company to find the just right paper--a kind of paper that wouldn't melt the candy and keep its shape too.

Next she wanted to make a good strong and beautiful box to fit all 24 bon bon boxes. That's where she needs your help. Follow the directions below to help Angela.

Net Maker

Math Investigation

1. Take a look at the bon bon (real or pretend (a clay version)).
2. Create the one-inch box. One-inch box net available via this website. 
3. Go to the Maker Station and choose the kinds of paper(s) and other supplies you'll use to make a box that can easily fit 24 bon bon boxes. The Maker Station for this project includes a variety of paper weights, cardboard, tape, and decorative materials. 
4. Design your box net and create the box.
5. Complete the box data sheet and try out the enrichment options listed on that sheet.

Follow-Up

• Have students bring in a number of recycled boxes. Measure and figure out the volume of those boxes.
• Make a collection of nets available for students to make, measure, and describe. 
• Practice figuring out the volume of a variety of three dimensional prisms: simple sheets,  more complex Common Core practice. and word problems.
• Show this Khan Academy volume video:

Real World Connections
Tell students that there are companies that's goal is to make just right packaging for products. There's even a packaging magazines and websites. Happi is one example. Ask students what skills they think a packaging expert would need, and how a business like that would be important. Show the videos below that tell how cardboard boxes are made:

More about Packaging and its effect on the environment. 

Packaging Design

Use Amazing Numbers in Math Class

Math class becomes a lot more interesting when you use amazing numbers.

You may easily teach math concept, knowledge, and skill by analyzing the math in current events articles and situations. Today's amazing space article is an article that will be understood much more with mathematical reasoning.

Below I'm going to collect a number of articles that provide a good stage for mathwork--articles that will lead students to use math well to understand the world around them.

Space Articles
New Planet with Three Suns

Fourteen: Creating Class Community and Introduction to Line Plots

There's always the quandary with regard to starting the school year math program. There's a temptation to jump right into the curriculum in traditional math teaching/learning ways, yet when you do that you don't build community and get to know one another well. You also don't create an invitation to math learning and teaching--a curiosity and relevance for the subject.

Therefore, I prefer to begin the year by introducing students to the main vocabulary, tools, and concepts we'll study all year long in student-friendly, engaging ways. I don't detour too much from the standards as if I do that, I don't have the time to reach the expectations set by system and state standards.

One early review and community building lesson at the start of the year is the introduction to line plots. Introducing line plots with student- and family-friendly data points leads to community building and also allows students to review/learn a math concept/skill that they can apply throughout the year as they study multiple concepts in math.

To begin this study, students and I will create a data chart that includes data about the following student information:

• letters in first name
• birthday month number
• birthday number
• favorite numbers between 0-12

Note that the information items I use at the start of the year do not include information that could create worrisome comparisons or share. Then we'll create line plots for the data. We'll display the line plots for review and discussion.

For homework students will create similar line plots to describe family members. The following day we'll likely review, share, and write about those family line plots as I introduce math writing and math talk routines and protocols.

Throughout the year, we'll revisit our line plot work as we create more and more sophisticated line plots related to measurement and fraction understanding and problem solving. 

We'll use videos like the one below to develop knowledge and also to teach students how they might access videos online via our class website and elsewhere to aid their math learning and study.