Category Archives: Spady Blog

Probability

normal_dice2

What is the probability of rolling of sum of 7 when rolling 2 dice?

One of my favorite things to do is take a math concept I used to teach my middle school students and see how various younger age groups handle it.  More often than not, the instruction can be adjusted so that even the youngest students can learn what some might think is a difficult concept.  One of those concepts is probability.

I created a “Dice Experiment” worksheet and conducted it with students in grades 1-6.  Kids often associate experiments with science, so it was fun to do a math experiment.  We rolled the dice 36 times and recorded the sum.  With some groups I gave pairs of students the dice to roll on their own.  With other groups, we collected the data as a class.

I loved telling kids that I used to teach this concept to middle school kids.  Their faces lit up because they knew they were learning “big kid” math.  🙂

Here is a screenshot of the the experiment worksheet.

Screen Shot 2014-11-13 at 9.32.08 PM          Screen Shot 2014-11-13 at 9.32.17 PM

With all age groups, we talked about the parts of an experiment and how it’s important to keep track of data.  We also talked about tables and charts and how they keep information organized and easy to read.  We also talked about patterns and how they’re easier to see when the data is organized.  We made lots of predictions and of course, talked about probability.  Below you will find a link to a blank copy of the experiment along with an answer key.  Feel free to use it and/or tweak it.

Please leave a comment and tell me how you teach probability.  Or, give an example of how probability is used in everyday life.

Dice Experiment

Answer Sheet

Dice image taken from http://www.pdclipart.org

Rhyme Out

It’s rhyme time with a triple twist!

Rhyme Out is a game where you listen to three consecutive clues and the answers all rhyme!  For example…here are the clues:

A lamp cover

The sharp end of a knife

A twisted hair style

Remember, the answers all rhyme.  Think you’ve got it?  Did you say shade, blade and braid?  If you did, way to go!

4th graders at Swanson and Westgate made up their own Rhyme Outs using Explain Everything and Pic Collage on the iPads.  Check these out!  Leave a comment if you know the answers.

 

Explain Everything

Although I like to recommend free apps, Explain Everything is one that I feel is well worth the money.  At $2.99, it allows students to explain their thinking as they are completing a variety of tasks.  As a former math teacher, I was good at having students complete problems on paper, but I didn’t have them EXPLAIN what they were doing.  Explain Everything is the perfect app to check for understanding as kids explain a process.

In the Fraction-Decimal-Percent Video, students are describing one method for converting a fraction to a decimal and percent.

FracDecPer Video

 

I also had my 1st graders use Explain Everything.  They typed a few rhyming words, made a sentence and then illustrated it.

 

 

What are some ideas you have for using Explain Everything?  Leave a comment!

 

The Chemistry of Cookies

Just when you thought science couldn’t get any more exciting!

cookies

This TEDEd video by Stephanie Warren explains basic chemistry principles through the process of baking cookies – from how the dough spreads out to how the oven temperatures kill salmonella.  Grab a glass of milk and a couple cookies and dive in to the science of cooking!

When you’re finished watching the video, complete the questions on the Google Form.

Video Link: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-chemistry-of-cookies-stephanie-warren

cookie picture taken from pdclipart.org

 

Worldmapper

Screenshot 2014-04-01 11.41.02Worldmapper is a collection of world maps based on various subjects from meat imports to cholera deaths to absolute poverty.  As a young student, I remember looking up statistics about countries in various books.  However, without access to technology, much of this information was meaningless to me and it was difficult to make connections.  Today’s students have access to tools like Worldmapper and Google Earth, which brings the information to a whole new level!

I recently worked with some 4th graders and showed them various maps on Worldmapper.  After looking at each map, I had them write down a question about the map.  This led to some interesting discussions and connections.  Below are just a few of the maps we explored and the questions students wrote.  Check out Worldmapper and leave a comment about a map you found interesting!

Map # 1 Meat Imports: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=50

  • How do they choose the shape of the countries?

Map # 2: Fruit Imports: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=42

  • To be so big, how much fruit does Europe import?

Map # 3: Vegetables Consumed: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=124

  • What is the most eaten food in china?

Map # 4 Poor Water: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=186

  • What is the disease that is mostly caught through water?

Map # 5: Cholera Cases: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=231

  • What is the usual age one gets cholera?

Map # 6: Yellow Fever: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=236

  • Where would you get a yellow fever vaccination?
  • How much does it cost and how hard would it be to get to people in Northern Africa?

Map # 7: Absolute Poverty: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=180

  • What would you most likely buy when you live on two dollars a day?

Innovators at Westgate

Third quarter was full of innovation at Westgate!  On Feb. 22, a group of students participated in the 2014 Robotics Expo at Strategic Air and Space Museum.  The students competed in various events that required problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking.  Fourth graders Alex and Caleb entered the documentation competition and earned first place for their innovative ideas.  Alex designed a customizable classroom chair and Caleb came up with an innovative way to keep his clothes organized.

Robotics  Documentation

In March, Westgate received grant funds from the Kids in Need Foundation.  We purchased nine Makey Makeys and the kids have been having a blast!  Check out the videos and pictures!

Makey Makey Video

Rock Band Makey Makey

IMG_5501 IMG_5497

Although we missed the deadline, Google hosts an annual competition called Doddle 4 Google and sixth grader Tera came up with a great design!

GoogleDoodle

First graders Abigail and Marin earned honors from the Metropolitan Reading Council for the stories they wrote about a new and unusual superhero.

SONY DSC

Great job Gators!  Continue to think creatively, be imaginative and innovative!

Math Curse

Screen Shot 2014-03-31 at 10.54.51 AM

I’ve been reading The Math Curse by John Scieska + Lane Smith to my first grade group and I continue to be amazed at what their young minds can absorb!  If you’re not familiar with the book, here is a link to a video of the book being read.  Here is another link to a condensed version of the book (more in movie form).  I have read this book to all ages and there’s really something for everyone in here…no matter what your math background.  Here are the things I worked on with the 1st graders:

Fibonacci’s Sequence:  1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…

  • I put the sequence on the board and within a minute, the first graders were able to figure out the pattern.  What are the next 3 numbers in this sequence?  What would the first 10 terms in the sequence be if Fibonacci’s sequence started with 2 fours?

Gallons-Quarts-Pints-Cups

  • The graphic below is often used to teach volume conversions.  There are 4 quarts in a gallon, 2 pints in a quart, and 2 cups in a pint.  Having this visual makes it easy to answer other conversion questions.  How many pints are in a gallon?  How many cups in a gallon?  How many quarts are in a half gallon?

Screen Shot 2014-03-31 at 11.02.21 AM

Arrays

  • Instead of 24 kids in the class, the first graders helped figure out seating arrangements for 12 kids.  They easily came up with 1 row of 12, 2 rows of 6, and so on.  That made it really easy to introduce multiplication.  We also had fun counting how many ears, fingers, eyes, etc. in the classroom.  As an extension, I asked questions like: What is the number eyes in the classroom take away the number of noses?  What is the number of fingers in the classroom plus the number of arms?

Screen Shot 2014-03-31 at 11.16.52 AM

The students’ homework is to make up an everyday math problem so we can create a book similar to The Math Curse.  Leave a comment with a math problem that you made up and it just might make it into our book!

Cool New Beef

Guest blog post by Alex

Click Here for the Talking Cow

What if you could get a hamburger without any cows being harmed in the process?
Scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands did just that.  How you ask?  They took some cow muscle stem cells and fed them until they multiplied.  Eventually there was enough to make hamburger patty.  They added some beet juice to give it color and some bread crumbs to give it texture.  Want to know how it tasted?  You’ll have to find out by reading “Meet the New Meet” by Stephen Ornes.

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/meet-new-meat?mode=topic&context=39