Sunday 29 September 2013

Maths Linky - 29th September

What's the Time Mr Wolf?

It seems appropriate, given our Wednesday unit of work was one on time, to revist a classic children's game - What's the Time Mr Wolf?
Although this game is mainly just for fun (not that there is anything wrong with that!) it does reinforce the mathematical language of time. And with a bit of prompting from us... can even take it a little further.
 
How to play:
  • Move outside to a large playing area and select the first 'Mr Wolf'
  • Mr Wolf stands with his/her back to the other children, a good distance away
  • The group calls out "What's the time Mr Wolf?"
  • Mr Wolf turns around and replies with a time, for example "It's 2 o'clock" and turns back around
  • The group then takes 2 steps forward and asks again "What's the time Mr Wolf?"
  • Mr Wolf chooses a new time for example "It's 7 o'clock" and the group take 7 steps forward
  • The group is attempting to reach Mr Wolf without getting caught. When Mr Wolf senses members of the group getting close, instead of calling out a time, he/she calls out "It's DINNER TIME!" and turns and chases the group
  • Mr Wolf tries to catch a member of the group before they cross back over the starting line - if he/she is successfull - this person then becomes the new Mr Wolf
Variation:
Use a set of time cards (using appropriate measures of time for the yar level you are working with), students must read the time and when they turn around - show the card to the group. Mr Wolf can still call "It's DINNER TIME!" at any stage.
 

 Join us for our Sunday night Math Linky.

Have you got a game you would like to share?


Rules

1. Post a game

2. Copy our button and link back to here with your post

3. Add your button to the linky below - so we can check out your post


 
 
 

Wednesday 25 September 2013

How time flies when we are having fun!

School holidays have arrived for students, teachers and staff in Victoria, Australia and it seems as though this past term has flown by. As an adult, time seems to rush by and events come and go quickly. As a child, I remember time seemed to last forever and special events took an eternity to arrive!
Time can be one of those difficult concepts for our students to grasp. This week we are publishing a unit of work for Year 1 and 2 students, to hopefully set them on a journey towards understanding and telling the time.
 
This unit of work "Time is Ticking" includes a range of tasks that students can self-select or teachers can direct students to - based on their individual needs. The planner allows you to move through tasks at a pace that suits you and your class. You will find a range of tasks and games included:
  • Make a Sand Timer
  • Shadow Sticks
  • Kelly's Day
  • Stop the Clock!
  • Dominoes
  • Snap
  • Extension task: TV Guide
  • Assessment for both Year 1 (o'clock & half hour) and Year 2 (o'clock, half hour, quarter past & quarter to)
We encourage each teacher to make the most of each opportunity throughout the day to refer to the time and clocks  in your classroom and discuss the length of events during the day.
(Research suggests that having both an analogue and digital clock side-by-side gives students the best chance to grow their understanding of time.)
 
    Happy holidays to all of our friends and colleagues. We look forward to the term ahead and exploring more of the amazing world of Maths... iSURF style! 
     

Sunday 22 September 2013

Maths Linky - 22nd Sep

Cross the River

 
Cross the River is a great game for developing fluency in just about any area of maths! This game is particularly suitable for students in Year Prep - 2 but could be extended to Year 3/4 by using more complex language/topics. Cross the River can be played by the whole class or in small groups.
 
Write the subject matter to be practised onto cards (this could be numbers, fractions, shapes, days of the week, months, multiplication questions... the list is endless!). Lay these cards out in a winding pattern on the floor, these form the stepping stones needed to safely cross the river. Place some material/paper at the end of the 'river' to make an island (this is the destination for students).
The aim of the game is to move from stepping stone to stepping stone by correctly saying what is on each one as you step on it - ensuring you arriving safely at the island. If you get one wrong, you fall into the river and start again. As this game is designed to build fluency and confidence - ensure students know the majority of the answers to each stepping stone. Only introduce a few new stepping stones at a time.
As an extension - you can time students and encourage them to beat their previous times.
 
Join us for our Sunday night Math linky

Have you got a game you would like to share?

Rules

1. Post a game

2. Copy our button and link back to here with your post

3. Add your button to the linky below - so we can check out your post


 
 
 
 

Tuesday 17 September 2013

iSURF(c) Posters for Proficiencies



This has been a labour of love.
We feel so strongly about teaching through the Proficiency Statements.
 
We believe that the setting individual goals are also important for success.
 
There are 36 pages in this pack.
iSURF©  Posters are designed to be displayed in your classroom and used as a reference point for staff and students.
The posters are an easy way to identify and refer to a focus for your mathematics lesson and track your use of each of the four proficiencies.
iSURF© posters use key words to represent each of the four proficiencies, while the proficiency cards provide the language necessary to build the developmental aspects of mathematics (Based on Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) materials).
Copy onto colour and laminate them
 



 

Sunday 15 September 2013

Math Linkup - 15th Sep

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Games in our classroom don't have to be extravagant - just learning based.
This one I cannot take credit for and I just love the simplicity of it.
 
It is called " Sit down Sunday" and Mike who is at our school got our Preps to do this last year.
It operates likes buzz and all the children stand in a circle.
The first child starts with the first day of the week and the children take it in turns until the child who say Sunday - then you all say 'SIT DOWN SUNDAY' .
The child left standing is the winner.
 
You can play a version called "DROP DOWN DECEMBER" in the same way.
Our kids all learn the days of the week and months of the year very quickly.
 
 
Have you got a game you would like to share?
 
Rules

1. Post a game

2. Copy our button and link back to here with your post

3. Add your button to the linky below - so we can check out your post
 
 
Don't forget to check out Teaching Maths with Meaning on Monday with Alison for her Math Game Monday

 
 
 
 
 

 

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Almost done!

Usually on Wednesday night we blog about a new product we have put together. This Wednesday we wanted to have our iSURF(c) signs/posters up for you to see.
However, they are not quite finished. We haven't been able to proof read them and we are still checking that the colours are right when we post them.
 
Each proficiency
problem Solving
Understanding
Reasoning and
Fluency
 
as well as
 
individual goals
 
will have a poster - a definition and be accompanied by a set of cards.
These cards will outline what is relevant at each level and be colour coded to each proficiency.
 
You will be able to use them in any classroom - P-10.
 
Here is a sneak preview
 
 
 Watch this space!

Sunday 8 September 2013

Maths Linky #7

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Up to 100
You will need a calculator for each pair of students
 
The teacher tells the group to put a number between 0 and 10 in the calculator
Students take it in turns to add a number less then 20
The winner is the one that ends on 100
Students must tell their partner the strategy they are using to get to one hundred and be the winner
 
Variations -  go to a thousand or higher
Record your equations
 
Have you got a game you would like to share?
 
Rules

1. Post a game

2. Copy our button and link back to here with your post

3. Add your button to the linky below - so we can check out your post

 
Don't forget to check out Teaching Maths with Meaning on Monday with Alison for her Math Game Monday
 
 

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Maths Word Wall

I am such a fan of Word Walls and making connections to our learning using the right language. We need to provide the right words for our students to be articulate when discussing new learning or setting new goals or moving through tasks.
There are 63 pages
It is a motivating tool to explore definitions and embed learning.
ALPHABET CARDS - 26 pages
 
WORDS on CARDS - 33 pages
The words contained on the cards are by no means an exhaustive list of Maths words. There are extra cards for you to write on and add to this list.
Enlarge to A3 and print the A- Z pages in colour and laminate for long term use
Display in your room
Print the words on A4 and laminate
Add to the word wall as you use them in your lessons
There are blank cards to use for extra words  

Sunday 1 September 2013

Maths Linky #6

GREEDY GOATS

This post is about a great game called Greedy Goats
(also known as Greedy Pigs).
This is a whole class game that develops student's mental addition skills and thereby improves both fluency and accuracy. This game also provides great opportunities to to discuss strategies (reasoning) used for mental computation - counting on, building to 10, doubles and near double etc.
 
What you will need...
  • Students - paper and a pencil
  • Teacher - six sided dice
 How to play...
  • The class decides upon a 'Greedy Goat' number (for example... 2)
  • All students stand up (at their tables), the teacher rolls the dice & calls out the number
  • Students record the number that has been rolled (for example 5)
  • The teacher rolls again, students mentally add this number on to the first number and record the result (for example, if the teacher rolled a 3, students would now have 5, 8 recorded)
  • The teacher continues to roll the dice and students continue to add on and record their next answer (for example, 5, 8, 12, 18, 19, 22...)
  • Students can choose to sit down at any time - when they sit down they put a circle around their tally and cannot join back in that round
  • If the Greedy Goat number is rolled - any students still standing are out and their tally does not count - their total score for that round is 0
  • Play three rounds and all students add up their three final round scores - the student with the highest overall score is the winner
Variations...
  • When introducing the game - play together and teacher also records numbers for students to see
  • Stop after every 5 rolls and check what number students are up to - anyone who is not correct, is out
  • Use a dice with larger numbers (eg 20 sided dice)
  • Select two Greedy Goat numbers
  • To support students who find mental calculations difficult - allow them to use a calculator
  • Only say the number once (if students are not listening - they will miss the number and will be out)
  • Choose a starting number (for example 100) and get students to subtract from this number, rather than adding on. Students with the lowest number at the end of three rounds will be the winner
  • For extension - use dice with fractions/decimals
Join us for our Sunday night Maths linky

Rules
1. Post a game
2. Copy our button and link back to here with the post
3. Add your button to the linky below - so we can check out your post
 
 
 
Don't forget to check out Teaching Maths with Meaning on Monday with Alison for her Math Game Monday