Ratio and Proportional Reasoning

I cannot believe how hard it is to keep up with blogging.  We have been in a curriculum review process this school year and it has made my school life busier than I could have ever imagined.  The good news is that we are meeting today to choose a curriculum and then we can finally move forward in the planning phase.

About a month ago I was home for a day with a sick boy.  I ended up spending the day doing laundry and working on planning some activities on Ratio and Proportional Reasoning aligned to the common core.

Great resource book!

I have been reading the book Ratios, Proportions, & Proportional Reasoning Grades 6-8 for a few weeks in order to better understand the depth of what is expected with the new CCSS in math.  I have also been spending time going through the Progressions for the CCSS in math, draft for 6-7 Ratios and Proportional Relationships. I have found this document to be a wealth of information for this particular CC Domain.

My binder for Ratios and Proportional Reasoning

You can check out my previous post on Learning Stations for Ratios and Proportional Reasoning.  I highly recommend the book featured in that post for some great CC aligned learning station activities.  For those of you who follow me on Pinterest I think I will be adding a board on Ratio and Proportional Reasoning so I can pin specific activities for this CC domain.  In this previous post I shared a Ratio and Proportional Reasoning Foldabe I did with students.

March School TO DO List

Month of March School TO DO List:

To Do: 
1)  Assemble CC teacher binders by domains  (√)

2)  Choose and complete at least ONE Pinterest inspired project (√)     

3)  Make Core Plus 4^th Quarter class lists  (√)

4)  Plan Core Plus Activities-Enrichment/Intervention  (√)

5)  2011/2012 Budget-turn in receipts  (√)

To Lesson Plan:

1)  Geometry (7th grade PLC work)  (√)

2)  Statistics and Probability  (7th grade PLC work)  (√)

3)  Blend CC with our MathThematics Modules (√)

To Organize:

1)  Space and shelves behind teacher desk (#1 Priority!)  (in progress)

2)  Organize papers in crates  (√)

3)  Declutter five boxes    

4)  Paper Clutter 

To Create:

1)  Open a teacher online store and post at least one item (baby steps)

2)  Dum-dum sucker tree

3)  Daily Review warm-ups

4)  Fun Activities-minute to win it?

To Assess:

1)  Exit slips

2)  Pre-assessments for differentiation

3)  Standards based CC assessments

To Grow Professionally:

1)  Continue to read professional books (Guided Math)

2)  Take Co-teaching class  (√)

3)  Continue with liaison responsibilities  (√)

Learning Stations-Ratios and Proportional Reasoning

Any of my loyal blog followers know that doing Learning Stations has been a major goal of mine all year.  I finally jumped in with my kids and did it.  I started out with a system that I felt was manageable for me and I have to say the kids and I all loved it.

This is the resource book I have been using for the learning stations, Mathematics Station Activities for Common Core State Standards, Grade 7.  They have books for 6th and 8th grade too.  For this first time and management purposes, the students worked with their collaborative table groups.  Instead of having the kids moving all over the room, I moved about.  If they needed to switch stations I got the papers and other material they needed.  I also conferenced with each individual group as they completed a learning station.  After all groups completed all stations, we had a whole class discussion.

There were four different learning stations for Set 1 and those materials are pictured below.  I made two sets of each manipulative because I have six groups in my room and I wanted to make sure no groups were waiting around for materials.  It worked out fine.  One of the stations only needed a calculator to solve problems.

Materials laid out on the front table.

Station 3 needed marbles but I used my colored cubes instead.

This station used algebra tiles.

I had to make some cards for this station.

A picture of my computer screen.  These are the discussion questions that the students had to work on while working on the stations.  After all groups completed all stations we had a group discussion using the questions listed above.

This is how we managed knowing what stations the groups had completed.  This was projected on the SMARTBoard and then groups would mark off each station as it was completed.  This was a lifesaver for me to be able to do a quick visual scan of the progress groups were making.

I was so pleased with how everything went with the learning stations and the students were very motivated.  This book was an excellent resource if you want to try out learning stations in your classroom.  There are a wide variety of stations covering all five domains of the Common Core.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Currently March

I am linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade for the Currently March linky party.  Stop over and meet some new teachers!

Two Foldables-Ratio, Rate, and Proportion and Measures of Central Tendency

Life has been crazy busy lately as always, but I am so proud of myself today!  I left school at 4 PM, stopped at the grocery store for a few items on my way home from school with my oldest, and then came home and made a delish dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, italian garlic flat beans, salad, and french bread.  I also helped my middle with his homework.  In other words I was able to do my most important job, and that's being a mom!  I brought nothing home from school with me so I can take a mental break from all the Common Core research I do (well I will probably spend some time on Pinterest tonight).

I had PT conferences last Thursday and they went really really well.  I do love my students this year.  I have one class that makes me smile every single day (even on the crazy days), because so many of them come in every single day excited and happy and looking forward to my math class and they say hi to me and ask how my day is going.  It's crazy, but true and I just love them for that.  As busy, and challenging at times, as it's been it has been a good year.

I found an amazing resource for some middle school math foldables here.  We used two of the foldables in class a few weeks ago and I have to say the kids loved them and they were a great study resource for the quiz we had covering ratios and rates as well as stem-and-leaf plots (with measures of central tendency).

Measures of Central Tendency Foldable

The back of the foldable with a Stem-and-Leaf Plot added to match what we were doing

Inside, following my color scheme LOL!

Ratio/Rate/Proportion Foldable

I have been really stressing lately about a major shift our instructional delivery method for math at the middle school next year.  This afternoon I met with my principal and the director of instruction, two ladies that I admire and greatly respect, and I have to say I am feeling much better about everything.  I am really excited for the innovative approach we are going to be taking next year.  It will be tons of work, but so exciting and I feel much calmer about the process after spending some time this afternoon chatting with both ladies.

I have been finding some amazing CCSS resources for middle school math (with links to take you to other levels), so be sure to check out my Pinterest boards via the link above.  Hope you are having a great Monday.  It feels good to be wearing my mommy hat for the evening!