Writing is one of the parts of language that secondary mathematicians are still developing. For some students, ESL/ELL for example, what they know about mathematics may exceed their ability to communicate it through the written word. For that reason, pictures, diagrams, and the use of manipulatives support the students’ efforts in communicating about their mathematical experiences. Students learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for students to engage in writing about mathematics. As the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. Providing students a Mathematician's’ Notebook, if for nothing else but the development of a Glossary and a Journal, offers a place where students can record their thoughts and experiences as it chronicles their growth over time while on their mathematical journey. Students’ writing should include discussions about what they did or how they thought, why they thought or did what they did. Strategy names and correct mathematical language need to be included as appropriate. Students’ writing should make sense and be complete. This will develop over time for secondary mathematicians as they have more opportunities to write about their experiences. The following four learning station/center ideas can be first discussed in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent learning center. Facilitation notes are provided below for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. Most of the masters have been made so they can be easily used in The Mathematician’s Notebook.

Writing is one of the parts of language that secondary mathematicians are still developing. For some students, ESL/ELL for example, what they know about mathematics may exceed their ability to communicate it through the written word. For that reason, pictures, diagrams, and the use of manipulatives support the students’ efforts in communicating about their mathematical experiences. Students learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for students to engage in writing about mathematics. As the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. Providing students a Mathematicians’ Notebook, if for nothing else but the development of a Glossary and a Journal, offers a place where students can record their thoughts and experiences as it chronicles their growth over time while on their mathematical journey. Students’ writing should include discussions about what they did or how they thought, why they thought or did what they did. Strategy names and correct mathematical language need to be included as appropriate. Students’ writing should make sense and be complete. This will develop over time for secondary mathematicians as they have more opportunities to write about their experiences. The following four learning station/center ideas can be first discussed in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent learning center. Facilitation notes are provided below for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. Most of the masters have been made so they can be easily used in The Mathematician’s Notebook.

Writing is one of the parts of language that young mathematicians are developing along with their reading, talking, and listening skills. For many students what they know about mathematics may exceed their ability to communicate it through the written word. Children learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for young children to engage in writing about mathematics. For the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. The following four learning station/center ideas can be first discussed in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent learning center. Facilitation notes are provided below for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. Most of the masters have been made so they can be easily used in The Mathematician’s Notebook.

Writing is one of the parts of language that young mathematicians are developing along with their reading, talking, and listening skills. For many students what they know about mathematics may exceed their ability to communicate it through the written word. Children learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for young children to engage in writing about mathematics. For the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. The following four learning station/center ideas can be first discussed in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent learning center. Facilitation notes are provided below for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. Most of the masters have been made so they can be easily used in The Mathematician’s Notebook.

Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only.

Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only.

Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only.

Working toward functional fluency is a major goal of secondary mathematicians. As students progress through the six levels of Modular Math: Functions they will have opportunities to develop the definition for a function as well as to work with and understand the notation and symbolic representations for various functions. Technology will be incorporated as they investigate both linear functions and quadratic functions. Verbal, one-to-one, onto, and diagrammatic representations of functions will be studied as well as composition. Modular Mathematics is an alternative for students and teachers who would like something different or something additional to support the building of function fluency in secondary mathematicians. This is not your usual collection of notes, thoughts, writing assignments or activities. A student journal template is provided as well as a concept exploration graphic organizer. There are six levels in the unit. Level 1: Introduction, Level 2: Graphs, Level 3: Verbal Descriptions; Linear Functions, Level 4: One-to-One Functions; Onto Functions, Level 5: Composition of Functions, and Level 6: Quadratics. This resource is good for students with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Rooster's Off to See the World by Eric Carle, is a beloved children’s book. Not only does the story engage children it can also serve as a foundation for many mathematical investigations for primary mathematicians. The natural progression from counting and making comparisons is to composing and decomposing numbers. The earlier experiences with sets and the relationships between numbers laid the foundation for young mathematicians to learn about operating with numbers. Using operations to make sense of situations in their world or to describe events in their world helps young children build an understanding for the need for operations. The discovery of some basic properties, such as the commutative property of addition, also allow students to build strategies for working with progressively larger numbers as they move from kindergarten through second grade. Primary mathematicians first model “put together” and “take apart” situations using concrete objects, drawings, etc. These concepts are then expanded to composing and decomposing numbers additively. A connection to students’ prior work with building sets is important as students are developing fluencies with their addition and subtractions facts. Children need many opportunities to experience these situations. Incorporating a familiar story allows children to practice these mathematical ideas in a contextual setting. To effectively facilitate these activities, be sure to cover the common addition and subtraction situations found in Table 1, CCSSM, page 88. Questions are provided that can be used during the development of the activity to determine the desired focus of the lesson. It is very important that young mathematicians understand that numbers are quantities represented by numerals, pictures, numerals, etc. Materials are listed for each of the activities. The 25 pages include both black line masters as well as color masters have been provided. Suggestions for preparing the materials have been noted as well to facilitate making classroom sets for long term use.

Tangrams, those seven simple geometric pieces, are manipulatives that can support diverse topics with students at all levels. This dissection puzzle can offer many challenges to students. The seven tans can be manipulated into various shapes, pictures, letters, etc. Tangram shapes and puzzles support the development of various geometric topics while building spatial reasoning and problem solving. Fractions are a natural fit with tangrams as is area and linear measurement. This 31-page packet includes: literacy connections and ideas for creating tangrams as well as discussion prompts to use as students are creating a tangram; Ideas for investigating shapes and discussion prompts to use as students are investigating shapes; Ideas for using tangrams to study fractions and discussion prompts to use as students are working with fractions and tangrams; art activity suggestions and resources; and several extensions with resources. Blackline masters and sets of task cards are also included. Activities and ideas for all grade levels and for various levels to support differentiation. This resource is good for students with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Today’s teachers are pushed for time to develop the level of understanding with content as well as the levels of expertise with the Standards for Mathematical Practice in the typical mathematics classroom. Fermi problems provide an engaging platform for fostering students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, estimating, modelling, and questioning skills. And they can be implemented in such a way as not to detract from the limited class time teachers have available. Fermi problems can be embedded in daily instruction to help students develop these important skills. This model of implementation does not require a large amount of additional time to be spent but fits seamlessly into daily instruction. A power point for classroom use is provided as well as facilitation notes supporting the initial process for implementing a Fermi problem in your daily instruction. From the first journaling assignment to the final check phase students will engage in writing, posing questions that need to be answered in order to “solve” the Fermi problem, developing a model to be used in determining an answer, applying the model, and reflecting on the outcomes. Activity, PowerPoint Presentation This resource is good for students with dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 25 to engage students as you read, over 30 for students to experience Being a mathematician, and over 20 activities to provide students authentic Opportunities for writing. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all primary teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 30 to engage students AS YOU READ, over 35 for students to experience BEING A MATHEMATICIAN, and over 24 activities to provide students authentic OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all middle school teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 suggested activities with over 32 to engage students AS YOU READ, over 26 for students to experience BEING A MATHEMATICIAN, and over 24 activities to provide students authentic OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING. Activities can be adapted for large or small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all high school teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying keywords, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 35 to engage students AS YOU READ, over 29 for students to experience BEING A MATHEMATICIAN, and over 21 activities to provide students authentic OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all intermediate teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only.

See how the use of a Mathematician's Notebook can change the way you teach as well as how your students learn. The Mathematician's Notebook.... 1. Becomes a dynamic place where language, data, and logical reasoning experiences operate jointly to form meaning for the student. 2. Helps students create an organized space for demonstrating their learning process. 3. Serves as a formative instructional tool as well as a portfolio of the students' learning experiences, which provides rich documentation for their thinking.

A look at situations that are meaningful to students and that use inequalities. A look at the two concepts on which inequalities are based will be shared as well as a variety of applications using inequalities.

A variety of ideas and resources will be shared that can be used to support retention of material as well as enrichment. The resources and activities engage students during the summer break so they are ready to hit the ground running as they return to school in the fall.