Blog 8

April 25, 2007



Today I worked with two students on a math lesson. The students had several math equations written in a book. Each page had a folded page. The students had to tell me what number was being subtracted in the equation. After they told me, then they stamped flowers on the folded side of the page. Then they had to tell me what number subtracted would equal the number that was first in the equation. Then they stamped that amount above the equation. After they finished that, they turn the folded page over to give the amount of subtracted number based on the flowers stamped above the equation. For example, if the equation read 4-1=, the student would stamp l flower on the folded page. Above the equation, they would stamp 3 flowers. When they flipped the page only 3 stamped flowers would be visible. They would then write the number 3 after the equals sign.
The teacher played a game with the students. The game was what’s the rule? The teacher had a box divided in half horizontally and a T chart next to that. The teacher put a number inside of the box and a number outside of the box. The students have to figure out how the teacher got from the number inside of the box to the number outside of the box. On one side of the T chart was the word in and on the other side of the T chart was out. She wrote the number inside of the box on the in side and the number outside of the box on the out side of the box.
After the students came back from library, the teacher asked the students how flower seeds get around. After the teacher read the story, the students found out whether they were right and then had to answer how seeds get to become trees or flowers. If they answered correctly, they could line up for recess.