now that I have learned a new way to do science journals, I am now looking for a new and interesting way to do math journals. any ideas or suggestions?
We used math journals in Geometry class in HS We had to do notes from the overhead and then practice problems We were graded for writting notes and having a completed notebook It was nice to be forced to write everything down because in high school that was a challenge in it self! My mentor teacher(4th grade) used them in kind of the same way but added more reflection sections
I have used math journals in my classroom for the past 2 years. Some ways I have used them include: 1. we have a math "word wall" including all math terms we use such as count, pattern, sort etc... sometimes I will give them a small slip with the math term on it and its their job to draw/write whatever to what that term means to them. 2ndly, we use them to solve the problem of the day. 3rdly i use it as a check for understanding and we will record some exploration of our math tubs in them.
We used math journals in first grade. We would do a weekly problem solving activity and a weekly estimation activity. After the kids did the activity they wrote/draw what they learned from it. I also like the idea of math terms!!
well I have never done math journals before but would like to start using them. I would like to know how some people use them in upper elementary.( grade 4)
I am going to be teaching fourth grade this fall. It will be my first teaching position. I will be using math journals. Here is my plan: 1) One section will be strictly terms. I have made posters (regular paper - large font) with the terms from each unit. I am planning on covering the definition parts and having the students write the terms in the books, then brainstorm the answers in a colored pencil - probably red or blue. Then I will give them the "book" definition that they will write in a different color. Finally I am going to have them come up with an example to explain the definition in a third color. 2) We have daily math journal writing prompts in our series, the students will close each lesson by completing these in their journals. 3) I will not be giving graded homework in math - you never know who is really doing it - so all work that is done in class will be in this notebook. We do not have workbooks. So like if we begin by working on examples they will be on the board as well as in the notebook - marked examples. Next will come group problems - marked as such. Then independent work - marked as such. I will be circulating to make sure that each student is working. After select activities I will have students turn in their journals and will either grade selected items, or give a completion grade, etc. HOWEVER for daily assessment, the next morning each student is given an assessment problem from the previous days materials to complete. This will be graded on a 1-4 rubric to assess understanding. These assessment questions are never more than two problems and I have typed them up into a seperate packet. Hope that helps, and makes since.
I'm second, but these ideas could be worked for higher grades as well:Each student has a marble or spiral notebook for math problem solving. Photocopy or make up your own problems to snip apart- one problem at a time, one page per problem to allow plenty of room for problem solving. Some strategies for solving problems include: act it out, look for key words, make an organized list, look for a pattern, use objects, draw a picture, guess and check, make a table, work backwards. You might want to make a little 'key word' chart to cut and glue inside front cover of problem solving notebook: (Add: in all, altogether, sum, ...Subtract: how many more, how many less, difference...etc) I like having kids do one problem in depth- showing their thinking with words, pictures and numbers so you can really see how they are going about solving the problem (helps on standardized test too!) The notebook itself becomes a portfolio of sorts showing the kid's progress as you work over time. I also give questions as we start a unit for kids to journal about: What is hard/easy for you about math? What is geometry? What do you know about fractions?... They can reflect on math games, statistics in the news/sports scores...
I have always wanted to do math journals but find myself in the 'workbook' rut. It takes the kids so looooonnnnngggg to write anything that I wonder how you have time. Hearing about the 1 or 2 problems makes sense. Do you use text books at all? My gut tells me that journals will be more effective than some of what I am doing. What if they don't have any idea at all about the terms?
My class has textbooks. I student taught with a program where the students did not have text books, all they had was workbooks. So this is kind of new to me, however, many moons ago when I was in school we had texts. Here is how I am dividing their program (Math Central by Houghton Mifflin): Everyday Counts (Calendar Math) in the morning talking about different elemens each day. This is an ongoing program that is GREAT! Plus then Ongoing Assessment from the prior day's lesson, this is what I typed up and will use with a rubric. I am thinking about this as kind of a bell work activity. When math actually starts, I am using the Problem of the Day as a number sense activity. A start your engines kind of thing. Quick, no more than 5 to 7 minutes. Then I am going to do a mini lesson on the skill with modeling, then an activity using the information, either a game, a partner activity or just group problem solving. Next it will turn to actual pencil on paper to support the learning, this will either be as a class or individual. The class will end with a journal prompt. Here is an example of a journal that the text gives: Write a problem that requires using the Draw A Picture strategy to solve. Then solve the problem. I am hoping that using multiple exposures in different learning stlyes will help make the information more lasting. I am also striving to make sure that the students are given real world knowledge as to why it is important and what they can do with it through performance tasks. During my student teaching some of the students thought finding the area of a rectangle was just something that they had to do, but when I gave the challenge of finding out how much carpet we would need to carpet our classroom and then figure the cost they really seemed to clue in! As far as how long it takes them to write the problems, that will be a new thing for me. However, without workbooks I am not sure how else to get around the situation. The journal part I am going to only allow five minutes for, so that will help them with timed writing activities as well that they are required in language arts testing.
In my fourth grade math journals, students usually copy or paste the problem of the day in the spiral notebook during early morning bell time. It is usually a problem that requires extending thinking or reflection. They acquire points for them just by making an honest attempt at solving the problem. Then during math class we review the problem of the day and share answers. It does make a great running record of their work to use at conference time. Students enjoy seeing the work they have accomplished and are always amazed at how much work they have actually completed at the end of a grading period. We also use the math journals doing class, at times, for small exercises or if we are trying to solve a problem together. The journal becomes a collection of their work and is much better than loose papers everywhere.
No textbooks in my class- lots of math games, manipulatives, problem solving in notebooks, hands on exploration of topics. Blackline masters for copying 'worksheets' for reinforcement of concepts.
I got the idea of how to science journals from Jaicie. If you can find her post from July 13th ---its a good one!
where? Is there a website where you are getting some of these games. I am having a hard time thinking of hands on ways to teach concepts like skip counting, double digit multiplication, division and so on.
****Double digit multiplication and division. White boards are wonderful. You say and write the problem on your white board. Students write the problem on their white board and solve. They hold up their white board so you can see it. If correct you say, "Erase" if not "Try again" you can tell when you need to do another problem and who needs help. ***White boards are great and expensive. Go to the lumber yard buy a sheet of smooth white paneling. ---called white tile board…. Our lumber yard cut it up in smaller sizes free. (about 11 by 12 inches) don't remember for sure. Or maybe your high school shop teacher will cut it for you. Next with sand paper sand around the edges just enough to take off the sharp edge. A boys top of a sock ---makes a good eraser. You need a white board, a white board marking pen and sock top for each student. ****Colored pencils are hard to see and write with. HINT: Don't sharpen colored pencils in an electric electric pencil sharpeners, they will ruin them. Maybe use colored eraseable ball point pens... ****Have students write really important things that you will need to know for state testing. Put " problem of the day" on the board each morning. They come into the class and start working on it. Heres one for the first day for upper grades. YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH 1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate. (more than once but less than 10) 2. Multiply this number by 2 (Just to be bold) 3. Add 5. (for Sunday) 4.. Multiply it by 50 5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1755.... If you haven't, add 1754 ..... 6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born. You should have a three digit number . The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week). The next two numbers are ........ YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!) THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2005) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.
There's a book: Nimble with Numbers that comes in different grade level editions that is great for math games. Also Marilyn Burns' books/website and the book "Family Math".
