A whole-group mathematical exploration of equivalence. This resource creates space for learners to manipulate, justify, and solve equations using a basic understanding of the following properties of mathematics, each of which is introduced within its own prompt so that they can learn the process of logically reasoning through each situation. Learners are encouraged to bring ideas forward within the conversation and prove or disprove each other’s theories about the balanced equations they can create from this model. This activity is used best to push learners toward deep, critical thought about number reasoning and equivalence - skills they can start building as early as grade 3 or 4 on up through Algebra. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: -> 7 balance bender explorations -> Step-by-step instructions for you on how to lead learners into deep, critical thought about mathematics -> Possible hints and breakthroughs for several of the prompts are included -> Plenty of possibility for extension, deeper discussion or lesson ideas -> An assignable Easel activity STORY A lot of my work this school year has led me to really pushing learners outside the usual confines of the worksheet-based industrial model of education. More than ever, I am learning how to really push my students to see beyond the obvious – making observations, developing generalizations, and justifying their theories. Learning inside my classroom has moved from something I give learners to something that my learners explore and discover for themselves. This and my other pattern exploration activities are examples of things I used this year to elicit that deep thought. IMPLEMENTATION This resource provides sharable whole-group prompts with plenty of opportunity for learners to explore together. It gives clear instructions for how to set up a conversation about the mathematics in play in the balanced situations. Learners will use the given balanced equations to find other equivalencies for each shape. Once they do so, they will be able to complete the comparisons below the givens based on the understood, relative value of each shape. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS Possible extensions are included in the file! There is always more discussion or exploration that can be done when we are drawing conclusions about equations and algebraic representations. MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES Besides this resource, you may require: -> Computer and internet access

A whole-group mathematical exploration into the geometric concepts of triangles, quadrilaterals, interior angles, and sums of interior angles. The discovery lesson in this product operates under one premise: that math is not simply a set of rules learners are assimilated to follow but rather an intricate and infinite world of possibility that they can be guided to interpret on their own. Set aside your understandings about how math is supposed to be taught, learned and structured, and open your mind to a whole different kind of math lesson. One where discovery is the goal and the learners are fully responsible for it. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: -> A 3-task lesson which allows learners to discover ideas about the properties of triangles, quadrilaterals and polygons as well as their interior angles -> A detailed breakdown of what happens in each task based on what becomes the student’s responsibility and what is left for the teacher to manage -> Possible discoveries that learners can make along with key transferable ideas they’ll use throughout their future geometry explorations -> Plenty of possibility for extension, deeper discussion or lesson ideas STORY I’ve spent many years reading through textbooks and adapting the content to fit the learners I had sitting in my classroom. The rigid structure the most textbook lessons would often frustrate me as the beautiful and interconnected world of mathematics was boiled down to minute facts to be memorized, repeated and regurgitated in a specific standards-defined order. Over time, I’ve realized that a more authentic learning experience centers around learners exploring mathematical phenomenon and discovering the deeper truths for themselves. And that got me thinking, could an entire curriculum be crafted around this idea that the content could be discovered rather than memorized? And thus, our journey toward REdiscovering mathematics was born. IMPLEMENTATION This resource provides a three-task lesson with two extra pages of teacher information for implementing an organic, collaborative, exploratory lesson in geometry. As such, there are many possibilities for implementation. The tasks should be explored in the order they are given, but should not be pushed to be completed in a single sitting. Allowing learners time to make theories about the mathematics is key to the success of the lesson. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS While this lesson does not cover all ideas specifically related to triangles, quadrilaterals or angles, it does give a great jumping off point and is suggested as the start of any inquiry into geometry at this level. Supplement this discovery lesson with problems and other ideas from your school’s curriculum. MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES Besides this resource, you may require: -> Plenty of time and space to explore these ideas -> Computer and Internet access

A in-depth mathematical exploration of 110 Greek or Latin roots in the English language over eleven weeks. This resource creates space for etymology to be explored and played with by learners in themed weekly units. Over time, learners will learn to hone this skill and unlock a new world of discovering and analyzing our language. This activity is used best in tandem with your regular mathematics curriculum to learn and apply the vocabulary in a relevant context. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: –> 11 weeks of Greek and Latin Roots (110 total math-related roots) to study –> 11 weekly quizzes applying the roots in a variety of vocabulary contexts –> Printable sorting activity using all the roots and common word endings –> 3 cumulative sets of review activities (for units 1-4, 5-7 & 8-10) –> 3 cumulative sets of unit review quizzes (for units 1-4, 5-7 & 8-10) STORY In my first year as a math teacher, I worked specifically with the Reading and Language Arts teams to come up with a way that I could concentrate on vocabulary acquisition in math class without dedicating a large amount of time. We also wanted to place a specific focus on mathematics vocabulary acquisition for our English Language Learners. IMPLEMENTATION This resource gives you 110 Greek and Latin roots which influence how we use the English language today (related specifically to math). Start each week introducing learners to a new set of themed roots, then as the week goes on, give them chances to use those roots in context or time to study them. By Friday, learners will be prepared for a quiz applying their knowledge. Every couple of weeks, implement a “review” week with included daily activities for remembering and practicing the last 3 or 4 weeks of roots. Then, by Friday of the review week, the learners will be prepared for another quiz. These roots can be found in thousands of words in our modern day language and help learners with spelling, acquiring new vocabulary, and deciphering the definitions of new words. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS There are so many extensions to using these roots once your learners have been exposed to even just a couple sets of them. These roots automatically start creeping into the classroom’s everyday language and new vocabulary words and the learners will begin noticing. MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES Besides this resource, you may require: –> Some practice together looking at what these quizzes are like or developing activities for studying and using the roots

A daily whole-group classroom system for assisting students with opportunities to develop their number reasoning, automaticity, and conceptual understanding of the four operations. This resource offers four types of 30-minute-a-day thought exercises specifically created to target problem solving and math reasoning skills. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: –> How-to Guide for Classroom Implementation –> 24 Weeks of Thought Exercises –> Opportunities to customize and add additional weeks –> Each week contains 4 different thought exercises –> Each thought exercise contains 30 minutes of partner and / or whole group activities –> Tips for teachers to implement this program STORY I attended a week-long mathematics professional development this last summer that opened my eyes to the importance of teaching number reasoning and reinforcing a conceptual understanding of mathematics in a world typically devoted to a get-to-the-standard-algorithm style of instruction or pedagogy based on non-conceptual shortcuts. I jumped in head first this year devoting thirty minutes of my daily teaching time to implementing this system, and I have seen fantastic results. Students are already understanding the fundamentals of multiplication and some fraction work and we haven’t officially taught multiplication or division yet this year. IMPLEMENTATION This resource gives you 24 weeks of intro-to-the-math-block thought exercises which bridge the gap from the addition and subtraction to multiplication and division. Set up the 30-minute exercises for the same time each day and allow learners the opportunity to lead deep discussions about the mathematics at play. Keep in mind this is a supplemental system for your regular math curriculum and works best if used consistently and in tandem with a regular math lesson. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS All of the concepts included here naturally flow into your regular math lesson or can act as stand alone ideas depending on the day and student conversation. MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES Besides this resource, you may require: –> Printed hundreds charts (printable included)

A weekly whole-group classroom system for centers with opportunities to experience the grade 5 math topics using writing, hands-on manipulatives, small group work, independent tasks, and technology. This resource extends your students’ understanding by devoting 75 minutes a week to math rotations that will stretch their thinking and further develop their problem solving skills. This structure is used best in tandem with your regular mathematics curriculum to learn and apply the concepts in a being learned each week. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: –> 29 weeks of center rotations (5 fifteen-minute rotations per week) –> Guide to implementing the centers STORY Warm ups, writing prompts, partner work, note taking, and textbook problems are not enough to keep up a learner’s interest and full capabilities for learning in the math classroom. I decided my first year to implement a weekly rotation for math centers modeled after the “Daily 5” strategy used in language arts. Students go through 5 fifteen-minute rotations using a variety of tools to explore the current unit or topic we are working through as a class. This structure gives students something to look forward to (we always do it on Wednesdays) and also provides extra time for focused group work that goes beyond the pages of a textbook or my abilities to teach the entire class at once. Set up these rotations as a weekly structure in your class and wait for your students to wish it was centers day! IMPLEMENTATION This resource gives you 29 weeks of math rotations which explore everything from area and perimeter to fractions to decimals to financial literacy. Set up the 75-minute rotations for the same day each week according to the concepts being learned in your usual curriculum. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS There are so many extensions to the activities, vocabulary questions, and games found in these 29 weeks of centers. MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES Besides this resource, you may require: –> Manipulatives like base ten blocks, centimeter cubes, fraction tiles, decimal tiles or paper versions of these –> Whiteboards and Markers –> Technology with access to internet (I like to use our classroom’s smart board but you can choose to structure the technology rotation around individual laptops instead) –> A teacher account to an online, interactive math game website like Splash Learn or Legends of Learning

This 4-week unit plan will give you a great framework for a unit in discovering the secrets and science of Space. Using these resources, you’ll debunk a few misconceptions about the cause of seasons, moon phases, distances between and sizes of planets, and the levels of our atmosphere. This unit plan offers multiple lessons involving great technological resources for conceptualizing the ideas. Inside this .zip file you will find a Read Me.pdf that will guide you through the 4 weeks of the unit. See the “What’s included” section below for the details. This is an all-inclusive unit plan! Although this was designed and implemented in a sixth grade classroom, it can be easily modified to fit a fifth grade or seventh grade classroom as well. WHAT’S INCLUDED This resource contains: –> A planning & pacing guide –> Four comprehensive, technology-integrated activities –> A group research project & presentation –> Group rubric and peer evaluation rubric for the project –> A simple assessment (for use as a pretest) –> A in-depth assessment (for use as a summative) –> Reteaching resources for all 6 major topics of the unit –> Answer keys and teacher implementation info included for each rubric STORY I originally developed this unit plan to address a variety of concepts surrounding the wonder and science of Space. I weaved in situations where practice with the scientific method could be included as well. IMPLEMENTATION This unit plan contains a guide for a suggested path through the scientific content. In addition, each activity or project has a teacher forward detailing options for how to implement the activity in any classroom. There are also resources for effectively reteaching concepts from the unit. From start to finish, this plan has four weeks of science learning in your classroom covered. POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS The reteaching materials included in this file are a great, multi-day possibility for extending learning and curiosity. MATERIALS/PRE-REQS Besides this resource, you may require: –> Computers with internet access –> Meter or yard stick –> Construction, butcher, or printer paper for one activity –> Wooden skewers or stakes for one outdoor activity