tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54105622056926218752024-03-19T03:47:30.392-05:00Go Figure!Where "Mathphobics" and Lovers of Math Converge!Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-34726232307708094832024-03-13T07:00:00.007-05:002024-03-15T18:27:06.497-05:00Domino Math - Using Dominoes to Problem Solve and Practice Math Concepts<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QzB5w4pjNrY/Wawk-xZTyHI/AAAAAAAAHpw/gYyzMiwCfxsmPtXlkaDroNPwDlMpIRVPACLcBGAs/s1600/Long%2BPin%2B-%2BDominoes%2B3-5.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="148" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QzB5w4pjNrY/Wawk-xZTyHI/AAAAAAAAHpw/gYyzMiwCfxsmPtXlkaDroNPwDlMpIRVPACLcBGAs/s400/Long%2BPin%2B-%2BDominoes%2B3-5.JPG" width="108" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dots-Fun-for-Everyone-15-Math-Activities-and-Three-Games-Using-Dominoes-217344?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fgofigurewithscipi.blogspot.com%2F%20&utm_campaign=September%20Blog%20Post">Dots Fun for Everyone</a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is believed dominoes evolved from dice. In fact, the numbers in a standard double-six set of dominoes represent all the rolls of two six-sided die. It is thought they originated in China around the 12th century. They have been used in a large variety of games for hundreds of years, and today, dominoes are played all over the world.<br />
<br />
Games allow children to learn a great deal concerning mathematical concepts and number relationships. Often, they are required to use critical thinking skills as well as varied math strategies to solve them. Since dominoes make a great manipulative for hands-on learning, I created a book of domino activities for grades 3-5 that are great for students who finish early or for introducing a new mathematical concept or for use at a math center. Using dominoes for a math practice center is a way to engage students while giving them a chance to review math facts.<br />
<br />
The activities and three games vary in difficulty; so, differentiated instruction is easy. The variety of pages allows you to choose the practice page that is just right for each student. This resource correlates well with the CCSS standards<i>.</i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LxwFOR8PU38/XvO60udbRTI/AAAAAAAAI0g/wTRdyulJIf4UV5e02Mvmaphhx51PyiSxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dominoes%252C%2BPrimary.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="159" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LxwFOR8PU38/XvO60udbRTI/AAAAAAAAI0g/wTRdyulJIf4UV5e02Mvmaphhx51PyiSxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Dominoes%252C%2BPrimary.JPG" width="116" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dots-Fun-13-Hands-On-Primary-Math-Activities-and-Four-Math-Games-Using-Dominoes-178364">Dots Fun</a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The activities in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dots-Fun-for-Everyone-15-Math-Activities-and-Three-Games-Using-Dominoes-217344"><b>Dots Fun for Everyone</b></a> (grades 3-5) include four digit place value, using the commutative property, problem solving, reducing proper and improper fractions and practicing multiplication and division facts. The games involve finding sums, using <, >, and = signs and ordering fractions.<br />
<br />
These domino math activities in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dots-Fun-13-Hands-On-Primary-Math-Activities-and-Four-Math-Games-Using-Dominoes-178364"><b>Dots Fun</b></a> (primary grades) include recognizing sets, place value of two and four digit numbers, creating domino worms, gathering data, using the commutative property, and practicing addition and subtraction facts. The games involve matching, finding sums, and using greater than, less than, and equal signs. For these 13 activities and four games, you may use commercial sets dominoes or copy the blackline which is provided in the resource. This resource links closely with the CCSS standards<i>.</i> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><div><br /></div>
Some of the domino activities in these two resources use games while others will extend, enhance or introduce a new math concept. Since children are curious and inquisitive, plus some may have never seen dominoes, allow time for play and exploration before beginning any instruction. This is constructive as well as a productive use of class time. If they are not given this, most children will fool around and investigate during the teaching time. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To view examples from these resources as well as a complete Table of Contents, download the preview or <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">FREE</span></b> versions available at <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products"><b>my TPT store</b></a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<!-- start InLinkz code -->
<div class="inlinkz-widget" data-uuid="1411c5f096ed4c0db24a3e8b583ef812" style="width:100%;margin:30px 0;background-color:#eceff1;border-radius:7px;text-align:center;font-size:16px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">
<div style="padding:8px;"><p style="margin-bottom:15px;">You are invited to the <strong>Inlinkz</strong> link party!</p>
<a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/1411c5f096ed4c0db24a3e8b583ef812" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="padding:5px 20px;background:#209cee;text-decoration:none;color:#efefef;border-radius:4px;">Click here to enter</a></div></div>
<span style="display: none;"><script async="true" src="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef"></script></span>
<!-- end InLinkz code -->
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-81313083953988501102024-03-06T07:00:00.005-06:002024-03-06T12:22:18.113-06:00Celebrate Pi Day which Is March 14th!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRvSyN-uSbo/WpgU0EE6j_I/AAAAAAAAH5I/lXN8J7EUR_8TKdsQtnE_R2n2tUd8--2OQCLcBGAs/s1600/Happy%2BPi%2BDay.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="228" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRvSyN-uSbo/WpgU0EE6j_I/AAAAAAAAH5I/lXN8J7EUR_8TKdsQtnE_R2n2tUd8--2OQCLcBGAs/s1600/Happy%2BPi%2BDay.PNG" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
March 14 is Pi Day because March is the third month, and with 14 as the day, we get the first three digits of pi - <b>3.14</b>! On Pi Day, nerds, geeks, and mildly interested geometry students alike come together and wear pi-themed clothing, read pi-themed books and watch pi-themed movies, all the while eating pi-themed pie. </div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFPGN-bobpI/VN5xNV_aIfI/AAAAAAAAGHo/Q9dNG-KvLUI/s1600/Pi%2Bis%2Bc%2Bdivided%2Bby%2Bd.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFPGN-bobpI/VN5xNV_aIfI/AAAAAAAAGHo/Q9dNG-KvLUI/s1600/Pi%2Bis%2Bc%2Bdivided%2Bby%2Bd.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Pi is an irrational number that approximately equals 3.14. It is the number you get if you divide the circumference of any circle by its diameter, and it's the same for all circles, no matter their size. You can estimate pi for yourself by taking some circular things like the tops of jars or round plates and measuring their diameter and their circumference. Then divide the circumference by the diameter, You should get an answer something like 3.14. It should be the same every time (unless you measured wrong). In other words, <b>π</b> is the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around its circumference<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Actually, 3.14 is only approximately equal to pi. That's because pi is an irrational number. That means that when you write pi as a decimal it goes on forever and ever, never ending. (It is infinite.) Also, no number pattern ever repeats itself.<br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9JhTVvdzlWU/VN5y17gYi-I/AAAAAAAAGH0/XYSAOSFo42U/s1600/Greek%2Band%2BEnglish%2Bletter.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9JhTVvdzlWU/VN5y17gYi-I/AAAAAAAAGH0/XYSAOSFo42U/s1600/Greek%2Band%2BEnglish%2Bletter.JPG" /></a></div>
Usually in math, we write pi with the Greek letter <b>π</b>, which is the letter "p" in Greek. You pronounce it "pie", like the pie you eat for dessert. It is called pi because <b>π</b> is the first letter of the Greek word "perimetros" or perimeter. What is interesting is that in the Greek alphabet, <b>π</b> (piwas) is the sixteenth letter; likewise, in the English alphabet, the letter "p" is also the sixteenth letter.<br />
<br />
But hold your horses! Whether you like it or not, pi is everywhere. Here are a few more places it has popped up:</div><div>
<ol>
<li>The main character in the award-winning novel (and 2012 film) <i>Life of Pi </i>nicknames himself after <b>π</b>. </li>
<li>A circular room in the Palais de la Découverte science museum in Paris is called the pi room. The room has 707 digits of pi inscribed on its wall. (The value of pi has now been calculated to more than two trillion digits.)</li>
<li>In an episode of <i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i>, Spock commands an evil computer to compute <b>π </b>to the last digit which it cannot do because, as Spock explains, <i>“The value of pi is a transcendental figure without resolution.”</i></li>
<li>Pi is the secret code in Alfred Hitchcock’s <i>Torn Curtain</i> and in <i>The Net </i>starring Sandra Bullock.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Here is more arbitrary information related to pi that I found interesting.</div>
</div>
<ol>
<li>If you were to print one billion decimal values of pi in an ordinary font, it would stretch from New York City to Kansas (where I live). </li>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbU-B-dbGbFgxzQjzxzLh8dT2zccotA3koL7yrz5q672DHvrSA3B1v0zJvAeuVCEphUGtSSrJ9EADsQCIY0qslUR8yZ6aYmz7tDm8NHXHF82hLOGy0_n_IHhMuvw9VsflVoqPYBDDAnl7uFhP_ESAQNAXQAhbj0ZJ5k-G1n0PdGzGncm6asq1m9Nj=s1500" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbU-B-dbGbFgxzQjzxzLh8dT2zccotA3koL7yrz5q672DHvrSA3B1v0zJvAeuVCEphUGtSSrJ9EADsQCIY0qslUR8yZ6aYmz7tDm8NHXHF82hLOGy0_n_IHhMuvw9VsflVoqPYBDDAnl7uFhP_ESAQNAXQAhbj0ZJ5k-G1n0PdGzGncm6asq1m9Nj=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Different-Math-Crossword-Puzzles-About-Pi-and-Circles-6564015?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Pi%20Day%20Crosswords%20on%20My%20Blog">$2.85</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>3.14 backwards looks like PIE. </li>
<li><i>"I prefer pi"</i> is a palindrome. (It reads the same backwards as forwards)</li>
<li>Albert Einstein was born on Pi Day (March 14) in 1879.</li>
</ol>
All this information about pi and circles can be found in a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><b>Pi Day Crossword</b></a>. It includes two different math crossword puzzles about Pi Day and features 20 words that have to do with pi or circles. One crossword includes a word bank which makes it easier to solve while the more challenging one does not. Even though the same vocabulary is used for each crossword, each grid is laid out differently. Answers keys for both puzzles are included.<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div>By the way, notice my "handle" of Sci<b><u><span style="color: #990000;">pi</span></u></b>. The <b><span style="color: #990000;">Sci</span></b> is for science (what my husband teaches) and the <b><span style="color: #990000;">pi</span></b> is for <b>π </b>because I teach math.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-84554345104594351202024-02-28T07:00:00.004-06:002024-02-28T07:00:00.240-06:00Even Today with Spell Check and Technology, Spelling is Important!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q__PyvjvMRs/VKXx1EMn78I/AAAAAAAAF-I/K6mfO7OMnAU/s1600/Noah%2BWebster.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q__PyvjvMRs/VKXx1EMn78I/AAAAAAAAF-I/K6mfO7OMnAU/s1600/Noah%2BWebster.JPG" width="164" /></a></div>
Noah Webster, an American lexicographer (one who compiles a dictionary) was the first person to write a dictionary of American English. It may have taken him more than 25 years to do so, but this book permanently altered the spelling of American English by offering a standardized way to spell and pronounce words. He learned 26 languages, including Anglo-Saxon and Sanskrit, in order to research the origins of our country's tongue. You may not know this, but Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions.<br />
<br />
Before his dictionary, Americans in different parts of the country spelled, pronounced and used words differently. To create uniformity, Noah used American spellings like "color" instead of the English "colour" and "music" instead " of "musick". He also added American words that didn't appear in English dictionaries like "skunk" and "squash". When he finished in 1828, Noah's dictionary contained 70,000 words. <br />
<br />
During Webster's lifetime, American schools were anything but productive. Sometimes 70 children of all ages were crammed into one-room schoolhouses with no desks, poor books, and untrained teachers. The textbooks came from England. Noah thought Americans should learn from American books so he wrote a spelling book for children. Known for generations simply as The Blue-back Speller, millions of American children learned how to uniformly spell and pronounce words. Webster also established a system of rules to govern grammar, and reading. Clearly, he understood the power of words, their definitions, and the need for precise word usage in communication. Without a common oral and written language, he felt the country would remain divided.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to today with the use of texting. Writing skills have turned into sentence fragments while spelling consists of numbers, symbols or abbreviations. These habits carry over when students are at school; consequently many really don’t know how to spell or write well. No longer can students punctuate correctly since text messages often contain run on sentences with no punctuation, In addition, with the constant use of lowercase letters, students fail to use capital letters where they should. How do I know? I teach at a community college where about 60% of our students are in remedial English which involves sentence structure, basic grammar and spelling. When assigning a written assignment, I must include how many words a good sentence contains and how many sentences are in an acceptable paragraph. Even these requirements do not guarantee a complete sentence.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hnTFTWl5yw/VKhhtexcEwI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/dsAZsoZ2eP0/s1600/Werewolf%2B-%2Bspelling.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hnTFTWl5yw/VKhhtexcEwI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/dsAZsoZ2eP0/s1600/Werewolf%2B-%2Bspelling.JPG" width="320" /></a>It seems we have moved away from standard spelling to inventive spelling (an abbreviated, expedient form); yet customary spelling has not gone out of style. It is required at school, in business, at work and in just everyday life. In addition, the correct spelling of words affects academic success. Students are frequently assessed on their skills in written language because it is considered a strong indication of their intelligence. <br />
<br />
Spelling is an indication of a number of things when a person applies for a job. When correct spelling is used, words are readable and communication is clear. This convinces a prospective employer that the job applicant has been well educated. It also tells them that they take care of detail and take pride in what they<br />
present. Let’s face it, university applications and job resumes littered with spelling errors don’t make it very far becuz badd spilleng is hrd two undrstnd wen yuu reed it.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, good spelling streamlines communication. By following the identical rules for spelling words, we can all understand the text we read. Likewise, good spelling avoids confusion. In a way spelling is similar to football. It is up to the person passing the ball to make sure the receiver actually catches it. The same goes for spelling. If you write with intent and proper spelling, the receiver of that text will understand it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As teachers and parents, we should care about the fundamental part good spelling plays in our language and everyday lives. We owe it to our students to give them the necessary skills and essential spelling tools for learning and communication so they can be successful.</div><div><br /></div>
<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Shake-Up-Three-Games-to-Practice-Use-and-Apply-New-Spelling-Words-1631249"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pG5Iom2fh2xPgku1bEdVYQwbtRG2e_eEPrJ2lE7950k-55Palv_E91RwWKWZm_D6_h5qEPrul15Q_yKtX65LaASSAHeOK9624cSNLbP7c2bSxiKdZ6QMAvZ1L_xLDHMLSh-nffJgYdjTMd6OaPLHaalGm2B5LkI2r5ak1SUh_T502S0OuUB6j9pCS6c/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%203-2-21.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Shake-Up-Three-Games-to-Practice-Use-and-Apply-New-Spelling-Words-1631249">$3.25</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spell-Down-A-No-Prep-Spelling-Game-in-Which-EVERY-Child-Has-a-Chance-to-Win-84054"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqiNtacVz2NLAspKhyphenhyphenVN3LdXU126nLVbiWglTjnuFU4i-LVvEmrG7hOam52AdcmLO4ShFEHmSXcfCqYXOLVJi7bW8t59BAVhYPp-02VVtYuyYn1VOU6GiX1aWTKX4GXyoB65FeHvUL5CH6x-JDoeMW7VYTtUEyFFrStU1m5ZCw4qfRLJEolf_UABeD0A/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%231%20%2012-14-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spell-Down-A-No-Prep-Spelling-Game-in-Which-EVERY-Child-Has-a-Chance-to-Win-84054">$1.85</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
If you liked this article and would like to purchase some useful spelling resources, check out these two games. Their purpose is to help and encourage students to practice spelling words in a non-threatening way while having fun learning to spell.<br /><br /><div><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-5044805358388360572024-02-21T07:00:00.003-06:002024-02-21T12:53:22.456-06:00Surprise! Leap Year Doesn't Occur Every Four Years<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-16EVJ5gj4r0/VrYl33ww87I/AAAAAAAAG5A/-sCg4fxDt-U/s1600/Leap%2BYear.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-16EVJ5gj4r0/VrYl33ww87I/AAAAAAAAG5A/-sCg4fxDt-U/s1600/Leap%2BYear.JPG" /></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">We live by and teach our students that there are exactly 365 days in a year. In reality, the earth turns approximately 365 <i>and a quarter</i> times (six extra hours) on its axis by the time it has completed a full year's orbit around the sun, which means that every so often the calendar has to catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since those six extra hours add up to 24 hours over the course of four years (4 × 6 = 24), our calendar includes a leap year every fourth year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(It's similar to receiving a free ice cream cone after getting your frequent buyers card stamped the fourth time.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the reason the month of February has 29 days instead of 28 for a total of 366 days in the year. (Yes, we have to wait an extra day for Christmas!)</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">This year of 2024 is a leap year, but why is the word "leap" used? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe it or not, it has to do with patterns. (All math is based on patterns!) Typically, a calendar date that is on, say, a Monday one year will fall on a Tuesday the next year; then Wednesday the year after that, and so on. However every fourth year, thanks to the extra day in February, we "leap" over Thursday and that same calendar date lands on a Friday instead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
Believe it or not, there is a mathematical formula for figuring out leap years. (Don’t you love it?) It goes like this: A leap year is any year whose date is exactly divisible by four except for those years that are divisible by 100, not 400. (No, I didn’t make this up!) So years that are evenly divided by 100 are not leap years; however, if the years are also evenly divisible by 400, they are leap years. <b>BUT</b> this is only a temporary fix! This will work for about 3,300 years, at which point we will be a day off - <b>again</b>!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNjbpYwkaCI/VrYmqo1qM9I/AAAAAAAAG5E/EugO9q2C7sU/s1600/Frogs.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNjbpYwkaCI/VrYmqo1qM9I/AAAAAAAAG5E/EugO9q2C7sU/w200-h194/Frogs.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
For example, 1600 and 2000 were leap years, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. In the same way, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2900, and 3000 will <b><u>not</u></b> be leap years, but 2400 and 2800 will be. Therefore, in a period of two thousand years, we will have 485 leap years. By this rule, the average number of days per year will be 365 + 1/4 − 1/100 + 1/400 = 365.2425, which is 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds. <br />
<br />
So why does this formula have to be so difficult? Because, in reality, the exact number of days in a solar year is slightly less than 365.25 (365.242374, to be exact), so the algorithm is designed so that a leap year is omitted every so often to account for underestimating the length of the earth's orbit. <br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Unfortunately, there's an exception to the "divide by 4" rule. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(You knew there would be). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some time, astronomers have been able to more precisely estimate the earth's orbit. In reality, that number is roughly 365.2422 days, or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, just a smidgen under the 365.25 days previously discussed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By comparing the numbers, we see that the number above is off by 26 seconds. To make up for this, a rule states there can only be 97 leap years over the span of 400 years, not 100 as you may think. [Source: U.S. Navy Astronomical Center] One way to remember the rule is this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Years that occur at the turn of centuries such as 1900 and 2000 must be evenly divisible by 400.</i></b> This is why 1900 wasn't a leap year but the year 2000 was.</span><div><br /></div><div>Still confused? Purchase a new calendar each year to keep you up-to-date! <br /><div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<script src="//static.inlinkz.com/cs2.js?v=116" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!--end InLinkz script--></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-33635647906908348042024-02-14T07:00:00.003-06:002024-02-17T13:12:45.909-06:00Ironing Coffee Filters to Make the Perfect Circle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR2d4gcPFSI/T8j8Q08kmZI/AAAAAAAABMQ/v0ryCkRy8z4/s1600/coffee+filters.bmp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR2d4gcPFSI/T8j8Q08kmZI/AAAAAAAABMQ/v0ryCkRy8z4/w200-h160/coffee+filters.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="border: currentcolor;">When I teach angles or the properties of circles, I find that most children have difficulty cutting out a true circle (even with a blackline). I have resorted to purchasing cheap coffee filters (not the cone shaped ones) and ironing them flat. You can iron several filters at one time, and once they are ironed, they form excellent ready-made circles. Here are some of the ways you can teach angles using these circles.</div><ol style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fpbNtqCNvabCnCzx-7RhnHCtTKZ7afZtlKzoXCfECiBM194Jo84J8_BNB_0rvJtRfujMWj0QtkW9s51WplXcIz9D24i9CZ117LY88OxWSRpAoKTiSpfi9-8AtItti_6PBp-4XpPputrUhQJxI5NuvsHzC0YFMItUOgZ8-oCU3OCxzhYdXR2oQ5Hveqc/s488/Coffee%20Filter%20Circle.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fpbNtqCNvabCnCzx-7RhnHCtTKZ7afZtlKzoXCfECiBM194Jo84J8_BNB_0rvJtRfujMWj0QtkW9s51WplXcIz9D24i9CZ117LY88OxWSRpAoKTiSpfi9-8AtItti_6PBp-4XpPputrUhQJxI5NuvsHzC0YFMItUOgZ8-oCU3OCxzhYdXR2oQ5Hveqc/w318-h320/Coffee%20Filter%20Circle.png" width="318" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Writing Formulas on the Coffee Filter Circle</b></td></tr></tbody></table><li>Introduce the fact that each and every circle contains 360 degrees.</li><li>Have the students fold their coffee filter in half. Discuss that this is a straight angle. Ask, “How many degrees does it contain if it is one-half of a circle?” (180 degrees)</li><li>Have the students fold the coffee filter one more time, into fourths. Talk about this angle being called a right angle and that it contains 90 degrees. Ask, "What fractional part of a circle is this?"</li><li>Have the students use this fourth of a circle to locate places in the classroom where it will fit (e.g. the corner of their desk, a corner of a book, a corner of the board).</li><li>Explain that these corners are right angles and without right angles, we would live in a crooked world. Nothing would be straight!</li><li>With older students, have them write the parts of the circle and the formulas needed for solving problems about circles on the coffee filter circle.</li></ol><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Linking Math and Literature for Older Students</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOphyphenhyphensW6l5E7X3-wdvS9h82S7fh9h3woFgMDNeOetq6xa3buy7f_GZW2yJwpkGXCMRhNzXqgO8tcJoc9cPTnSBuJprhMhVW8sWlK1jCFe9RnvujMqiVLwwxddCtgNNW-LULuVIi9igmBa6Ci2YvfxqpzXmA2zZyKQDqc-Thdx-H2jlA0088ZDBZK0t9x8/s235/Sir%20Cumference.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="211" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOphyphenhyphensW6l5E7X3-wdvS9h82S7fh9h3woFgMDNeOetq6xa3buy7f_GZW2yJwpkGXCMRhNzXqgO8tcJoc9cPTnSBuJprhMhVW8sWlK1jCFe9RnvujMqiVLwwxddCtgNNW-LULuVIi9igmBa6Ci2YvfxqpzXmA2zZyKQDqc-Thdx-H2jlA0088ZDBZK0t9x8/w180-h200/Sir%20Cumference.png" width="180" /></a></div>Read <i>Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure) by Cindy Neuschwander.</i> This is a story about a clever knight of King Arthur’s named Sir Cumference. By using ideas offered by the knight’s wife, Lady Di of Ameter, and his son, Radius, King Arthur finds the perfect shape for his table. Basic geometric vocabulary involving circles (circumference, radius, and diameter) is introduced.<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constructing-Different-Angles-Geometry-Hands-On-Math-Activities-53956"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx061xNDjFEETsCOqOkrhLEFF5YNkEYPMyAdEEVS-UIY2sfoZubjDV2wciKhjGMW1taCvXxlM9TCQ6BiuzUHbqpina26_mvzqLV5vViuDTOpOJVhFJK8EocGQKxYoUKCU-7O40NHJWvQH0oTNvGMQ6d9qehYEA_hCeAAzJ0_JdUZvKSSpXDfw1rO7ZVls/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20-%206-14-22.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constructing-Different-Angles-Geometry-Hands-On-Math-Activities-53956">$3.50</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Want more hands-on ideas for teaching angles? <span style="text-align: center;">Check out </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Angles-Geometry-Hands-On-Activities" style="text-align: center;">Angles: Hands-On Geometry Activities</a>.</b><div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!--Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61T4QGRQm0L._SL75_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-st%2CTopRight%2C8%2C-14_OU01_.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2NAp2yVv_dBngzAtbUyF8jsBDxLzzGoA-MTepX1YG0R6Uug2r3X4pSKg-OWanottbOM8mhovMW8v3dmd1sRy9CdmqWvKHq0FTKXa68gsnqN3UUeN_2NZD0J3wTvY3o8hZFKBPQLdpS9mTuTMbROGTZADdI6Hmr9pxywWqw"--></div></div>
<!-- start InLinkz code -->
<div class="inlinkz-widget" data-uuid="b22bfa8b8f8f415aadaa0b95af343351" style="width:100%;margin:30px 0;background-color:#eceff1;border-radius:7px;text-align:center;font-size:16px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">
<div style="padding:8px;"><p style="margin-bottom:15px;">You are invited to the <strong>Inlinkz</strong> link party!</p>
<a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/b22bfa8b8f8f415aadaa0b95af343351" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="padding:5px 20px;background:#209cee;text-decoration:none;color:#efefef;border-radius:4px;">Click here to enter</a></div></div>
<span style="display: none;"><script async="true" src="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef"></script></span>
<!-- end InLinkz code --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-26676525383695652092024-02-08T07:00:00.002-06:002024-02-08T07:00:00.131-06:00Pinterest and the Benefits of Using Tailwind to Increase Traffic to your Teachers Pay Teachers Store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aSgI6Mb2t0/WSRt8Rq2jvI/AAAAAAAAHio/O_AMIDfJ_2gN4EE8OxBRWH7zJrdLN213gCLcB/s1600/Tailwind%2BSymbol.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aSgI6Mb2t0/WSRt8Rq2jvI/AAAAAAAAHio/O_AMIDfJ_2gN4EE8OxBRWH7zJrdLN213gCLcB/s1600/Tailwind%2BSymbol.JPG" /></a></div>
Maybe you have heard of <b>Tailwind</b> and maybe you haven't. To set the record straight, it is <b>not</b> a wind blowing in the direction of travel of a vehicle or aircraft or a wind blowing from behind. It is a Pinterest and Instagram Marketing, Scheduling and Analytics Tool.<br />
<br />
I was first introduced to it on the Teachers Pay Teachers blog. Since I use <b><a href="https://pinterest.com/scipi/">Pinterest</a>, </b>I am always pinning new ideas, teaching strategies, Ohio State stuff (Go Buckeyes!), ideas for my college classes, etc., I decided to try using Tailwind instead of individually pinning each resource from my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products">TPT store</a> or blog. Before deciding if the paid plan was right for me, I was able to schedule up to 100 pins on Pinterest for <b><span style="color: #660000;"><u><span style="color: #cc0000;">free</span></u> </span></b>. What was nice is that there was no time limit on that free trial! It allowed me to schedule up to 100 pins on Pinterest while I could watch my analytics and the number of repins my items were receiving before deciding if the paid plan was worth the money.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I saw several benefits right away! More traffic was coming to my <a href="https://pinterest.com/scipi/"><b>Pinterest Boards</b></a> as well as to my <b><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products">Teachers Pay Teachers Store</a>. </b>I therefore decided to invest in Tailwind. I am aware that pinning everything all at once isn’t ideal; consequently, it is important to space pins out a little so I'm not overwhelming my followers. Pinterest has even suggested that too much pinning in a short time period could be viewed as “spamming”, potentially hurting my rankings in search results and feeds. With Tailwind, I have the ability to create my own posting schedule, and I can use interval pinning to space out my pins so "spamming" doesn't happen. I can set a time period between when each image that is pinned anywhere from two days to 90 days apart. Tailwind even gives me the best times and days to post.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are some ways I am currently using Tailwind:</div>
<ol>
<li>To schedule pins</li>
<li>To know when the best time to pin by using the Smart Calendar</li>
<li>To schedule multiple pins to different boards at the same time</li>
<li>To use interval pinning</li><li>To use Smartloops - They let you automatically repin the same type of content to specific boards without having to revisit them. </li>
<li>To use the Tailwind Analytics - to know which are my best pins and where my repins are going</li>
<li>To find my best pins using Pin Inspector</li><li>Create new pins from scratch using Tailwind Create - I use this all the time to take an old, outdated pin and remake it into a new pin. You just add your images, and it will create hundreds of pin designs that you can choose from and instantly schedule into your Tailwind queue. </li><li>Use Ghostwriter AI to rewrite and personalize your pin descriptions</li>
</ol><div>Even though I haven't tried these features, you can also:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Create a personalized marketing plan.</li><li>Create an email list so you can send and receive emails.</li><li>Customize your profile.</li></ol></div>
<div>
<a href="https://webmetools.com/tailwind/pricing" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kb7nogQl3Y/WSR-cIAIqGI/AAAAAAAAHi4/doN6qqTRC78AMpgHNzrT6GxYTb3nhXf4ACLcB/s200/Tailwind%2BPromo.JPG" width="200" /></a>I know this sounds like a long advertisement for Tailwind, but I am so excited about the many benefits and results of this service, I just had to share it with you, my readers. If you are interested in joining Tailwind, I have a Tailwind tribe called <b><i>Math Counts</i></b> where any teacher who teaches kindergarten through high school can post <span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>math resources</b></span> for free. Each person in the tribe adds their own pins in the queue. Once you see the pins in the queue, you can add them to your scheduled pins in Tailwind so your resources keep getting re-pinned to different boards. Tailwind has said that you do not have to be a paying member of Tailwind to be in a Tribe. Here is the link if you are interested in joining <b><i>Math Counts</i></b>. Just copy and paste it into any search engine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div><b>https://www.tailwindapp.com/tribe/join?h=eYO2Fvg6qtxnGj</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you decide to join my tribe (which costs you nothing), you will also get a free month ($15 credit) if you ever decide to join the Plus plan. Most bloggers only need Tailwind Plus, which costs $119 per year when paid annually. If you choose to pay monthly then it costs $19.99 per month, or $240 per year. <b>Note that Tailwind’s free trial lets you schedule up to 100 pins and 30 Instagram posts to test the platform before paying.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Getting started with Tailwind is easy. In the members area are five training videos that walk you through everything step-by-step and in much more detail than this blog post. There’s also an in-depth FAQ section, and if you get stuck with anything, their customer service is responsive and helpful. All I can say is that it makes running my Pinterest account much easier; I can be more strategic in my Pinterest marketing efforts plus it saves me a ton of time! I hope you will check it out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-65316468642176872702024-02-05T07:00:00.012-06:002024-02-05T10:55:56.305-06:00Valentine's Day Two Day Teachers Pay Teachers Sale<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgvl1hVPkovZVreANT7cvCjpLD49hg_oWBHVGoG0PRXWXOYtK7fVxwJ_EHdvLlp9o3sw1l65X3hCZRpnP4J9IzEPJMjTS3etuhxg0pDHhfSaMIAAKjM_5u5kvRHzJXD2_cmzyaemk148vjnihuqlatGm1Hhi3_2uTkVP0zC1ZucVN6sclFzWhcbxW/s710/Valentines%20Day%20Sale%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="710" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgvl1hVPkovZVreANT7cvCjpLD49hg_oWBHVGoG0PRXWXOYtK7fVxwJ_EHdvLlp9o3sw1l65X3hCZRpnP4J9IzEPJMjTS3etuhxg0pDHhfSaMIAAKjM_5u5kvRHzJXD2_cmzyaemk148vjnihuqlatGm1Hhi3_2uTkVP0zC1ZucVN6sclFzWhcbxW/w400-h156/Valentines%20Day%20Sale%20Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>February is the month we celebrate Valentine's Day. Getting the classroom ready, making cards, planning parties, etc. is what many teachers are doing. I am sure most of you are looking for new ideas for that special day.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.thebestofteacherentrepreneurs.net/2022/02/three-100-giveaways-of-tpt-gift.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz8iGuYUTWBGdqj5nEzKzR4aCwZ_mt9hP9Xybfytg62Xo_9Me-HxFK-DQYN8SFjjS710TqTWudHAOhIOaYiCr11ZYtx1LlmH_NeJv_yVM00xroneOX-sbqn4sXglmWC2uOU7lPrA0ZhnagWBjjR8F58i886JzboqftpsV0tAFbKPQ67LqFxs1cjRqg=w138-h200" width="138" /></a><strong><em>Teachers Pay Teachers</em></strong> wants you to be ready by having a two day sale, <b><span style="color: #990000;">February 6th and 7th</span></b>. Most TPT sellers will have the items in their stores discounted anywhere from 5% to 20%. In addition, a TPT discount of <strong>5%</strong> will be applied at checkout if you enter the special code of <strong><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">FEBSALE24</span></span></strong>. Of course, my <b><span><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products" style="color: #660000;">store</a><span style="color: #660000;">, </span><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Scipi Products</span></i><span style="color: #660000;">,</span></span></b> is no exception, and many of my resources will be discounted as well. <br /><div><div><br /></div><div>In addition, you don't even have to worry about shipping costs since the items are digital and available for download immediately after purchase. So grab that on-line shopping cart and rush on over to <strong><em>Teachers Pay Teachers</em></strong> to stock up for Valentine's Day.<br />
</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thebestofteacherentrepreneurs.net/2022/02/three-100-giveaways-of-tpt-gift.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://www.thebestofteacherentrepreneurs.net/2022/02/three-100-giveaways-of-tpt-gift.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Win one of THREE $100 GIVEAWAYS of TPT Gift Certificates. Just click on the link below for details.</div></div></div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="1fbc740192" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1fbc740192/" id="rcwidget_ydkrlbhm" rel="nofollow"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Rafflecopter Giveaway</span></b></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-80956494928749268092024-01-31T07:00:00.001-06:002024-01-31T07:00:00.128-06:00Valentine Rebus Fun - Using Rebus Puzzles to Solve "Heart" Problems<div style="text-align: right;">
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpMw1gScq7YxNzvZ-DSBiqOClUyQs83YkTLey9J4EWWMDWjtZce_7MqDCs4d2ojK-v67-bLhUIXbmrryK8PxnS4GJ4JZXg8N_TftIpYvQ2tiBx2VplDUmutN9NmsqRGU9QawMwTMyYX-3aZHF2YFDPnJ4TrHzMZ4iLecyEMpLDyqbbUSKWn5mWNKR/s589/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%2011-15-21.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpMw1gScq7YxNzvZ-DSBiqOClUyQs83YkTLey9J4EWWMDWjtZce_7MqDCs4d2ojK-v67-bLhUIXbmrryK8PxnS4GJ4JZXg8N_TftIpYvQ2tiBx2VplDUmutN9NmsqRGU9QawMwTMyYX-3aZHF2YFDPnJ4TrHzMZ4iLecyEMpLDyqbbUSKWn5mWNKR/s320/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%2011-15-21.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/26-Heart-and-Valentines-Rebus-Puzzles-for-February-Using-Logic-and-Reasoning-69690">$5.25</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Many of my students love figuring out rebus puzzles. (a visual puzzle in which words are represented by combinations of pictures and individual letters.) In a nut shell, they are essentially little pictures which cryptically represent a word, phrase, or saying. Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I decided to have some fun and create 26 rebus puzzles for the month of February.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heart-and-Valentine-Rebus-Puzzles-24-For-February-69690"><b>Hearts and Valentines</b></a> is resource that features familiar expressions that contain the word "heart". (e.g. "From the Bottom of My Heart" or "Cross My Heart") Each illustration in this 13 page resource uses a picture or symbol to represent a common word or phrase. Students must use logic and reasoning skills to solve the 26 rebuses. So that you don't have to figure out each one, the answers are included.<br />
<br />
Each day during the month of February, put up one "Heart" illustration as a student focus activity, OR, if you choose, place two or three up at one time or all of them up at the same time. Students are to figure out which Heart expression the picture represents. It can be fun, but also a very challenging Valentine's Day activity! Look at the following images and try to work out what they mean.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54E9KhIe1Ug/Wl-jmadPxQI/AAAAAAAAHxg/Itl99Qia-mcpZgvKSLIJ8tMvs8XOQ5xsgCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart%2BQuips%2B-%2Bpage%2B5.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54E9KhIe1Ug/Wl-jmadPxQI/AAAAAAAAHxg/Itl99Qia-mcpZgvKSLIJ8tMvs8XOQ5xsgCLcBGAs/s1600/Heart%2BQuips%2B-%2Bpage%2B5.PNG" /></a></div><div>
The first one is "a heart full of love." Were you able to figure it out?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The second one is a bit more challenging. The answer is "a heavy heart." Did you solve it on your own?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Challenge your students to make some of their own "heart" rebus puzzles. A few in this handout were created by middle school students who prove they can be very creative!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-35849177533703025992024-01-24T07:00:00.001-06:002024-01-24T07:00:00.145-06:00Get a FREE Ebook of February Activities<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2mi4cc8jL2M9a3C-w3GZ2mqTN7i9HNG8ukQr-_ziUDzD1rTB2g3M7zsrx6a1LgowBeJC_ABIJYvmrGVOuotlr49BLd8jIRyZNwZaD4rxcNqU0Oy6Lzg56P6BIyyICBFTrbj_dT8_HrvZ9Q6EsG7ZMFdygHd7qHYGdng0vMhxWRtsjo7QojzybEPNBe0/s353/February%20TBOTEMC%20Cover%20-%202024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2mi4cc8jL2M9a3C-w3GZ2mqTN7i9HNG8ukQr-_ziUDzD1rTB2g3M7zsrx6a1LgowBeJC_ABIJYvmrGVOuotlr49BLd8jIRyZNwZaD4rxcNqU0Oy6Lzg56P6BIyyICBFTrbj_dT8_HrvZ9Q6EsG7ZMFdygHd7qHYGdng0vMhxWRtsjo7QojzybEPNBe0/w154-h200/February%20TBOTEMC%20Cover%20-%202024.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>Add some<b> </b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Valentines-Day-Lessons-By-The-Best-of-Teacher-Entrepreneurs-MC-2024-10912343"><span style="background: white;"><b>Valentine’s Day fun</b></span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><b> </b>to your regular curriculum with these free lessons by <b><i>The
Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative</i></b>! </span>This
22-page free resource contains several diverse February activities for many
subject areas as well as for all grade levels - Preschool through High School.
Just download the free Ebook and then click on the links to the free lessons
that you may use throughout the month.
Below are four freebies to get you started. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>1) <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Activities-Color-3-Valentines-Day-Cards-for-Friends-FREE-2941003?st=9ef8785e6da5e2d5cd7b0e9fb6062d1c"><span style="color: #990000;">Valentine’s
Day Cards for Teachers – FREE Engaging Valentine’s Day Activities</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">These three
adorable cards are perfect for Valentine's Day crafts or as a fun activity in
the Writing Center. Best of all, it's </span><span style="background: white;"><b>FREE</b></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">! Get your copy of this engaging activity for center work, morning work,
or for those early finishers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>2) <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Word-Problem-of-the-Day-Valentines-Day-2024-10855802?st=c6eaf64e5d76beac2f0cd9455e95df5c"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #990000;">Free Word Problem of the Day – Valentines’ Day 2024</span></span></a></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Use these free Valentine-themed math story problems for your Word Problem of the Day leading up to Valentine’s Day. There are five word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The fifth story problem is a multi-step math word problem.</p><b>3) <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hearts-and-Valentines-A-FREE-Rebus-Problem-Solving-Activity-for-February-4281838?st=c5789a28fea56958624a1540630e50ff"><span style="color: #990000;">Hearts and Valentines – A FREE Rebus Problem Solving Activity for February</span></a></b> <br /><br />Hearts and Valentines is a FREE two page handout that features four heart rebus puzzles which represent familiar expressions that contain the word "heart". (e.g. "A Heart of Gold") Each illustration uses a picture or symbol to represent a word or phrase and requires that the students use logic and reasoning skills to solve the four rebus puzzles. <br /><br /><b>4) <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Love-Bookmarks-4289657"><span style="color: #990000;">Love Bookmarks</span></a></b><br /><br />This is a set of three bookmarks that read "More love please!" Once laminated, they are great for prizes in your classroom. Same design in three different colors: pink, red and purple.<div><br /><div>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> <br /><b><i>The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative </i></b>was established in January 2014 by Victoria Leon. It was created to help teachers who sell their resources on Teachers Pay Teachers to take their TPT stores to the next level by using the power of cross-promotion. There are several marketing strategies and marketing teams which TBOTEMC members may use to get their products to stand out amidst all of the thousands of lessons sold on Teachers Pay Teachers. Go to: <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.net/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs-marketing-cooperative-one-year-membership/">https://thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.net/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs-marketing-cooperative-one-year-membership/</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>for more information and to purchase the $50 annual membership if you are interested in becoming a member. If you do sign up, be sure to state that you heard about TBOTEMC from Scipi. <br /><br />The TBOTEMC members hope this Valentine’s Day brings all the love your heart can hold. </div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-6667218579668743752024-01-17T07:00:00.004-06:002024-01-21T14:06:48.337-06:00Completing a Glyph for Groundhog's Day, February 2, and Interpreting Data<div class="separator"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bF0DZw3YqA/WmOZd3NdLII/AAAAAAAAHyQ/bE0urKtlPMMFvv5Hon1W-0_ebi3ObbUpwCLcBGAs/s1600/Groundhogs.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="310" height="204" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bF0DZw3YqA/WmOZd3NdLII/AAAAAAAAHyQ/bE0urKtlPMMFvv5Hon1W-0_ebi3ObbUpwCLcBGAs/s320/Groundhogs.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator">On February 2nd in 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, was celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog emerges from its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather! <b>(YIKES!) </b> No shadow means an early spring. I'm hoping for the latter although our winter here in Kansas has been pretty mild.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No matter whether he sees his shadow or not, it is always fun for students to do special activities on Groundhog's Day. In my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Scipi-Science-And-Math"><b><i>Teachers Pay Teachers Store</i></b></a>, I feature a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-Glyph-With-Questions-111519?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Groundhog%20Article%20on%20Blog"><b>Groundhog Day Glyph</b></a>. Glyphs are really a form of graphing, and students need the practice. In addition, glyphs are an excellent activity for reading and following directions, and they involve problem solving, communication, and data organization. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6nZoOG7cn6Vs1T1jOz_kbHu8UuGih_6FdAmDUtr3TOmEfBmqnl29lYoKS2xt8C7kjPQ2SWJHWCIXHfKK4MrucZiIwp0pk-ugH6aM-OOvGFEQVSv_9liRgn-yitOYd294Bng83xDGos7DRWnTMmN4RaFpzbR466Y3mExLnT-_bukwJm_U9hHCa30c/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%2011-11-21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6nZoOG7cn6Vs1T1jOz_kbHu8UuGih_6FdAmDUtr3TOmEfBmqnl29lYoKS2xt8C7kjPQ2SWJHWCIXHfKK4MrucZiIwp0pk-ugH6aM-OOvGFEQVSv_9liRgn-yitOYd294Bng83xDGos7DRWnTMmN4RaFpzbR466Y3mExLnT-_bukwJm_U9hHCa30c/s320/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%2011-11-21.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-Glyph-With-Questions-111519?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Groundhog%20Article%20on%20Blog">$3.00</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>This glyph has the students coloring or gluing different items on a groundhog based on information about themselves. Students are to finish the groundhog glyph using the eight categories listed below.</div><div><br /></div><div>1) Head covering<br />2) In the Sky<br />3) Eyes<br />4) Around the Groundhog’s Neck<br />5) Flowers<br />6) Umbrella<br />7) Color the Groundhog<br />9) Name</div><div><br /></div><div>Examples of the first three categories can be viewed on the preview version of the resource. So that each student has the same groundhog to start with, a printable outline is provided on page 4 of this six page activity. This handout also contains a page where the students are asked to identify the characteristics of someone who did their own groundhog glyph. An answer key is included. Kindergarten teachers can easily adapt this activity since the instructions include pictures.<br /><br /></div>
<!-- start InLinkz code -->
<div class="inlinkz-widget" data-uuid="bc9aea6f95b54539ae833f79f545c99a" style="width:100%;margin:30px 0;background-color:#eceff1;border-radius:7px;text-align:center;font-size:16px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">
<div style="padding:8px;"><p style="margin-bottom:15px;">You are invited to the <strong>Inlinkz</strong> link party!</p>
<a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/bc9aea6f95b54539ae833f79f545c99a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="padding:5px 20px;background:#209cee;text-decoration:none;color:#efefef;border-radius:4px;">Click here to enter</a></div></div>
<span style="display: none;"><script async="true" src="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef"></script></span>
<!-- end InLinkz code -->
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-24656034423697124092024-01-10T07:00:00.004-06:002024-01-10T07:00:00.185-06:00Measuring Snow - A Winter Craft for the NOT so Crafty, Like Me!I am not a very crafty person; so, I am always looking for items that are easy to make that I can give to my grandchildren. One year, I gave them a snowman making kit that included buttons, a carrot, six rocks and two sticks. This year, I am giving them a <i>Snow Measuring Tool</i>. Not only was it fun to use, but it also helped them to practice using a ruler. Here is how you can make one!<div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZzWa2c02dcN6WpUnEcNuuSXgH4D0YKpqAOLXdkXpRRhjywknHJA1w3kyLoc5H2xHrmbEcsZudDcgE0E7u6nOjZmQ8G6mT5ABne1H3d9BbWYm3B_aryu2cREGPHyTqpOfzbEJIqcAHXTxspzAHy1xKRDsY6RY70BISPIa9bj3-Chi85_0lJ9rvqWFh=s299" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="299" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZzWa2c02dcN6WpUnEcNuuSXgH4D0YKpqAOLXdkXpRRhjywknHJA1w3kyLoc5H2xHrmbEcsZudDcgE0E7u6nOjZmQ8G6mT5ABne1H3d9BbWYm3B_aryu2cREGPHyTqpOfzbEJIqcAHXTxspzAHy1xKRDsY6RY70BISPIa9bj3-Chi85_0lJ9rvqWFh=w200-h168" width="200" /></a></div>Here is the list of supplies you will need: <br /><br /><b>1)</b> A paint stick - free at most paint stores<br /><b>2)</b> A permanent marking pen<br /><b>3)</b> Something to glue at the top of the stick (You can make it, or be like me and purchase one from a craft store.)</div><div><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqjatuInWYQ/WFw4THWtMFI/AAAAAAAAHWY/0j6fEy0tQ-Iy7Y8whP6c75Y4d0cfPDVwwCEw/s1600/Marked%2BStick%2B-%2Bcroppped.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqjatuInWYQ/WFw4THWtMFI/AAAAAAAAHWY/0j6fEy0tQ-Iy7Y8whP6c75Y4d0cfPDVwwCEw/s320/Marked%2BStick%2B-%2Bcroppped.JPG" width="105" /></a>First, using a ruler, mark off every inch along the paint stick. I was able to make nine marks. (Notice I used the plain side of the paint stick and not the side with all of the advertising.) Now write the inches beside each corresponding mark.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QEq0V0MOVAY/WFw4UYWwexI/AAAAAAAAHWY/jV3iAmP4G0Ygf8fgZ4tiTcGiqWves6c_gCEw/s1600/Completed%2BStick%2B-%2Bcropped.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QEq0V0MOVAY/WFw4UYWwexI/AAAAAAAAHWY/jV3iAmP4G0Ygf8fgZ4tiTcGiqWves6c_gCEw/s320/Completed%2BStick%2B-%2Bcropped.JPG" width="121" /></a>When that is completed, glue the item you have chosen at the top of the stick. I really wanted to use a snowflake, but my local craft store didn't have any; so, I settled on using one of Santa's reindeer. Which one, I'm not sure since it didn't come with a name.(Hint: My husband used Gorilla Glue so the reindeer wouldn't fall off.)<br />
<br />
When it snows, venture outside and stick the <i>Snow Measuring Tool</i> into the snow and read the number of inches that have fallen. If it isn't exactly on an inch mark, then have your child estimate using fractional parts.<br />
<br />
While you are measuring the snow, think about this saying: <i>"Ten inches of snow equals one inch of rain."</i> I am sure you have heard that claim as it is a commonly shared belief that seems to be repeated every time it snows a few feet. But, is the saying true? The immediate answer is: <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">S</span><span style="color: #990000;">ometimes</span></i></b>.<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-957jQ4K8M_s/WFw7te_h5JI/AAAAAAAAHWg/zC3FzxDojLs7WwoYrd571V89Jamvh89pACLcB/s1600/Snowflakes.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-957jQ4K8M_s/WFw7te_h5JI/AAAAAAAAHWg/zC3FzxDojLs7WwoYrd571V89Jamvh89pACLcB/s16000/Snowflakes.JPG" /></a><br />
When the temperature is around 30 degrees, one inch of liquid precipitation (rain) would fall as 10 inches of snow, presuming the storm is all snow. But, the amount of moisture in each snowflake differs depending on the temperature which in turn changes the snow to rain ratio.<br />
<br />
For example, if a big January snowstorm occurred with colder temperatures (such as 25 degrees), the snow ratio would be closer to 15 inches of snow to one inch of rain. In fact, weathermen take this into account when forecasting how much snow a location will receive. There have been storms with snow closer to 20 degrees, moving the snow ratio closer to 20 to one. And, when it's warmer, say 35-40 degrees, the ratio moves to 5" of snow to 1" of rain.<br />
<br />
So, after your children measure the snow in your yard with their <i>Snow </i><i>Measuring Tool</i>, try converting the inches of snow into inches of rain based on the 10":1" ratio. By doing so, you may become your neighborhood's weather forecaster or even better, a first rate mathematician!</div><div><br /><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8QRjrCoi68/YYhG1Y07WhI/AAAAAAAAJa4/DrpfFM1wJxgNoGqgM_o7b6ymTOk2_VcogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Tailwid%2BCreated%2BCover%2B%2B9-28-21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8QRjrCoi68/YYhG1Y07WhI/AAAAAAAAJa4/DrpfFM1wJxgNoGqgM_o7b6ymTOk2_VcogCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/Tailwid%2BCreated%2BCover%2B%2B9-28-21.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Snowman-Glyph-Gather-Data-Answer-Questions-Follow-Directions-110982">$3.00</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Your children might enjoy this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Snowman-Glyph-Gather-Data-Answer-Questions-Follow-Directions-110982"><b>snowman glyph</b></a>. It's is an excellent winter activity for reading and following directions, and requires problem solving, communication, and data organization.<br /></div></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-26251150916487015862024-01-03T07:00:00.017-06:002024-01-03T07:00:00.163-06:00"SNOW" Much to Learn About Snow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZB_m4eg74ierpxvV9SvTGCHMHVXYuZJV269d5qtVVGdtE4b_4b47ISaYoI4sV9HlQXlWnrCnNFlWTRkFAZOqpr-marmXmcYzFZ7IPSX3nfKtt13C0-Oc7-ws9EVaE3U07UPjMmI0B0K-Ka6MhyphenhyphenIQeARHV1Vx106SuVjvqY1eVfUSYb7hYJvupf5eVG6U/s1024/Snowflake.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZB_m4eg74ierpxvV9SvTGCHMHVXYuZJV269d5qtVVGdtE4b_4b47ISaYoI4sV9HlQXlWnrCnNFlWTRkFAZOqpr-marmXmcYzFZ7IPSX3nfKtt13C0-Oc7-ws9EVaE3U07UPjMmI0B0K-Ka6MhyphenhyphenIQeARHV1Vx106SuVjvqY1eVfUSYb7hYJvupf5eVG6U/w200-h200/Snowflake.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />Snow is much more than white, wet and cold. There are many unusual facts about snow that make it unique and one of the more complex types of precipitation.<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Although snow appears white because of the countless tiny surfaces of each snowflake crystal reflecting most the wavelengths of light, snowflakes are actually colorless. Snow may take on other colors thanks to particulates (microscopic solids or liquid droplets) in the air or even from different strains of algae.</li><li>Many places around the world hold certain world records pertaining to snow. The most snow to fall in a 24-hour period occurred in 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado. It received 76 inches of snow. That's over six feet!</li><li>Snowflakes come in many different shapes, and their sizes are determined by how many ice crystals connect together.</li><li>The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in the state of Montana. The snowflakes were 15 inches in diameter.</li><li>The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour.</li><li>Snow that has been compacted after multiple melting and refreezing cycles is know as snow pack.</li><li>A snow storm describes a heavy snowfall that results in several inches of snowfall. A blizzard is classified as a snow storm combined with wind, which obscures visibility.</li><li>Snow can be heavy or light depending on its water content.</li><li>An avalanche occurs when snow that has accumulated on a mountain is disturbed by a thermal or physical impact, which causes the snow to rush downhill in a large mass. Preceding an avalanche is a phenomenon known as an avalanche wind caused by the approaching avalanche itself, which adds to it destructive potential.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lRfkYvrqdSfhRykVMjbLFaVHg8okUxeXYXkTRRP1ulvFiUcGKJz9hlk4YcCukfhibxDo4NMcuG6KUbhb5Etxtt11UOAe-uzkmaRg7qvDKi4Oe7HCJNZ6CwIIPMAdoias58TWRwS0J6la36R3TSFnC0ZqaWhX1fAeNGihtQOXuEGUiQnFpyJ04moz1kw/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%2011-6-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lRfkYvrqdSfhRykVMjbLFaVHg8okUxeXYXkTRRP1ulvFiUcGKJz9hlk4YcCukfhibxDo4NMcuG6KUbhb5Etxtt11UOAe-uzkmaRg7qvDKi4Oe7HCJNZ6CwIIPMAdoias58TWRwS0J6la36R3TSFnC0ZqaWhX1fAeNGihtQOXuEGUiQnFpyJ04moz1kw/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%2011-6-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>If you find these snow facts interesting, try working a crossword where all of the words begin with the word "snow." This <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Different-Winter-Crossword-Puzzles-Featuring-25-Words-that-Begin-with-Snow-6444605">FREE resource</a> includes two winter crossword puzzles; each with 25 words that all begin with “snow.” One crossword includes a word bank which makes it easier to solve while the more challenging one does not. Even though the same vocabulary is used for each crossword, each grid is laid out differently. Answers keys for both puzzles are included. Click under the title page to download your free copy.</div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-45154761404166435842023-12-13T07:00:00.049-06:002023-12-13T07:00:00.143-06:00Get a Free E-book for the Holiday Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yyCEdh7NHy9dCkgdkGZXk0NyifFt5N3UJehNUgMn49ntGknA-LgGa3H0JBJev0yEI5wy2NwiCsSFiPUiqd27TtG45tGlP9e0Qw0DqOiG1TBS3XMVzY6AeA3qAHSYhzy8xexhA_gRpzCvjoEGRWu4scc0IsHxfp23fdpWmxXupSGuFo4YjVyorfI4MNs/s316/Winter%20TBOTEMC%20Cover%20-%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="255" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yyCEdh7NHy9dCkgdkGZXk0NyifFt5N3UJehNUgMn49ntGknA-LgGa3H0JBJev0yEI5wy2NwiCsSFiPUiqd27TtG45tGlP9e0Qw0DqOiG1TBS3XMVzY6AeA3qAHSYhzy8xexhA_gRpzCvjoEGRWu4scc0IsHxfp23fdpWmxXupSGuFo4YjVyorfI4MNs/s1600/Winter%20TBOTEMC%20Cover%20-%202023.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>Enjoy these FREE Christmas lessons in “<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Winter-Holiday-Lessons-By-The-Best-of-Teacher-Entrepreneurs-MC-2023-10538156">Free Winter Holiday Lessons By The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs - 2023.</a>” This 22 page E-book encompasses activities for kindergarten through 12th grade. All you have to do is download it! Afterwards, take time to download thousands of FREE lessons from our 38 holiday and Teacher Talk E-books, <i>The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs</i> blogs, and our TBOTEMC Facebook page.<div><br /></div><div>Here are some samples of the lessons included.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Language-and-Writing-Sequencing-Free-Sample-5022737?aref=dww0jcee">Winter Language and Writing Sequencing Free Sample</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Language-and-Writing-Sequencing-Free-Sample-5022737?aref=dww0jcee">Word Problems Set A | Free Sample</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Language-and-Writing-Sequencing-Free-Sample-5022737?aref=dww0jcee">Creative Options for Writing Assignments in Middle School Science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Language-and-Writing-Sequencing-Free-Sample-5022737?aref=dww0jcee">Math Puzzles Building Algebraic Equations Using Positive, Negative Numbers</a></li></ul>May your home be filled with warmth, love, and joy this Christmas and always. <div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span></div><div><i><br /></i></div>The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative was established in January 2014 by Victoria Leon. It was created to help teachers who sell their lessons at Teachers Pay Teachers take their TpT stores to the next level by using the power of cross-promotion. There are several marketing strategies and marketing teams which TBOTEMC members may use to get their products noticed amidst all of the thousands of lessons sold at Teachers Pay Teachers. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Language-and-Writing-Sequencing-Free-Sample-5022737?aref=dww0jcee"></a><br /><br />There are currently sixty TBOTEMC members. Some are veteran TpT sellers and others are just starting out. Click on the following link: <a href="https://thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.net/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs-marketing-cooperative-one-year-membership/">https://thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.net/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs-marketing-cooperative-one-year-membership/</a> for more information and to purchase the $50 annual membership. If you do sign up, be sure to state that you heard about TBOTEMC from <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products">Scipi</a>.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-80564222492439995852023-12-06T07:00:00.006-06:002023-12-06T07:00:00.136-06:00Using Crossword Puzzles to Study The Christmas Story as Recorded in the Bible<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0mzg1BRjMljHlrMi4mzESb81S0JL-AidBEHGhqqIYRSmXLTDMHY3b3AYw7syqjDt5jYJFo82yo-MTwRf1mWSRjtcohjs25P6B3qe4yhpXVeM8v1rDKYTWiKD_nUxpesa2Y_SrEU9CCoza713vPYIoBRlZ_MRsV_AkHEqNU0zQVjqmGrVyzof2WrEQsk/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%20%20%209-14-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0mzg1BRjMljHlrMi4mzESb81S0JL-AidBEHGhqqIYRSmXLTDMHY3b3AYw7syqjDt5jYJFo82yo-MTwRf1mWSRjtcohjs25P6B3qe4yhpXVeM8v1rDKYTWiKD_nUxpesa2Y_SrEU9CCoza713vPYIoBRlZ_MRsV_AkHEqNU0zQVjqmGrVyzof2WrEQsk/s320/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%20%20%209-14-23.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Christmas-Crossword-Puzzles-that-Feature-25-Clues-with-Bible-References-8830615?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Birth%20of%20Christ%20Crossword%20Puzzle%20on%20My%20Blog"><b>$2.80</b></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We may consider the Christmas tradition of reading the Nativity story a given, but after hearing others talk, it often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of opening gifts and preparing a big meal. The Christmas Story helps children discover one of the most important stories of all time. Through this story, children come to understand the events leading up to Jesus' birth and this special miracle. It introduces children to the reason why we celebrate this special day, and shares with them the wonderful gift from God. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am aware there are numerous Christmas activities to choose from and many times, it is difficult to separate the "secular" Christmas activities from the Biblical ones. Maybe you are wondering, "What activity can I use to tell the Christmas Story in a different way?" Try using a crossword puzzle! <div><a name="_Hlk63863003"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></a></div><div>I have created two <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Christmas-Crossword-Puzzles-that-Feature-25-Clues-with-Bible-References-8830615?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Birth%20of%20Christ%20Crossword%20Puzzle%20on%20My%20Blog"><b>Bible crossword puzzles for Christmas</b></a> that are specifically designed to review and study the birth of Christ as recorded in the Bible. Both are free form crossword puzzles that feature 25 words with Scripture references. If an answer is unknown, the Bible reference provides a way to find the answer while encouraging the use of the Bible. The words included in both puzzles are <i>Bethlehem, Caesar Augustus, December, east, Egypt, Elizabeth, frankincense, Gabriel, glory, gold, Jesus, Joseph, King Herod, magi, manger, Mary, Merry Christmas, Messiah, myrrh, Nazareth, Quirinius, save, shepherds, star, and terrified.</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95_m_vPAMIuw9aeKHnjgJ_Bk5fgx0OlTOkxgIzwHb1aR8ujrdwKbO2p_FlOyzo3JmdHE5id7Yz3dEuBy60FCDDVZ6nY_Arjbf60kgld7wrBYea3kAwMUdLrVam-z7rxe_0qEeSz6na_6x5U9SE1uv9lFnQOzSEftCpRUDEPMai9N5iCW7-wqXZArz/s508/Christmas%20Crossword.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95_m_vPAMIuw9aeKHnjgJ_Bk5fgx0OlTOkxgIzwHb1aR8ujrdwKbO2p_FlOyzo3JmdHE5id7Yz3dEuBy60FCDDVZ6nY_Arjbf60kgld7wrBYea3kAwMUdLrVam-z7rxe_0qEeSz6na_6x5U9SE1uv9lFnQOzSEftCpRUDEPMai9N5iCW7-wqXZArz/s320/Christmas%20Crossword.jpg" width="251" /></a></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>One crossword includes a word bank which makes it easier to solve while the more challenging one does not. Even though the same words are used for each crossword, each grid is laid out in a different way; so, you have two distinct puzzles. Here are some ways you might use these crosswords.</div><div><ol><li>Pass them out while the children are waiting to open presents. It might change their focus!</li><li>Include the adults in the puzzle solving by giving them the crossword without the word bank.</li><li>Work with a sibling or cousin or friend to learn the characters of the Christmas story.</li><li>Use the crossword with the word bank as a review; then hand out the second puzzle to solve as a way to reflect on what facts about Christmas have been learned.</li><li>Offer a small prize to the teams or individuals that get all off the answers correct.</li></ol><div>Answers keys for both puzzles are included; so, you don't have to search them out yourself.<p></p></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-18398511471285158992023-11-29T07:00:00.041-06:002023-11-29T07:00:00.156-06:00A Go Figure Debut for an Italian Math Teacher Who is New!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio48nARgcVrn8nITUJ1r3dAPAn0yfqrqVvjT2O8Lm8Ge0HfkTKyF9L9TqUTNJPEI9NPuOhS71tTDsJlswjN6X0vcOG-cV_SWulJwiatKMIE2XAEOzg8bNK1rk60mEoVjwCRhd1N56cFy6n1Ix4BAtewoOVMT2V4cYUgW6UGfXva418pfEIBNxR2G8FmQM/s163/Enrica's%20Store%20Logo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="163" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio48nARgcVrn8nITUJ1r3dAPAn0yfqrqVvjT2O8Lm8Ge0HfkTKyF9L9TqUTNJPEI9NPuOhS71tTDsJlswjN6X0vcOG-cV_SWulJwiatKMIE2XAEOzg8bNK1rk60mEoVjwCRhd1N56cFy6n1Ix4BAtewoOVMT2V4cYUgW6UGfXva418pfEIBNxR2G8FmQM/s1600/Enrica's%20Store%20Logo.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>The first thing you should know about Enrica is that she's Italian. (I was instructed to tell you that.) She's an engineer and has been teaching middle and high school since 2002. Teaching for her is a passion that she didn't realize she had. She did it for the first time because a friend needed help, and immediately she realized that it was all she wanted to do. This year she's teaching math as usual but also physics, and she loves it. <br /><br />The thing that Enrica likes the most about teaching is when her students are engaged and happy to come to her class. This, and her passion for technology, has led her to study how to implement gamification and to create digital game-like activities. Her classroom is always a little chatty because she likes to see her students’ brains working, coming up with theories and questions. <br /><br />As pointed out earlier, Enrica is Italian. She claims to be addicted to different TV series, sci-fi mostly. She uses the excuse for watching so much TV that she needs to improve her English. Also, she loves walking, the countryside and reading (sci-fi again). She has one son, age 13, who is starting to drive her crazy! She's not sure she will survive his teenage years. (We who have been there and done that can assure her she will make it!) <br /><br />Enrica has 465 products in her store, <a href="file:///D:/Blog%20Stuff/Matemaths%20Teaching%20Resources%20%7C%20Teachers%20Pay%20Teachers">Matemaths</a>, for middle and high school math. Most of her resources are digital, pixel art or escape rooms. In the future, she's planning to add some physics items since she needs them for her classes. Thirty of her resources are free.<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nLsGq4VfDso4OvODV4IdyVn39AhMMOYE79DR8Pe6OVGatpclbVc5yJHGDw8Ad6pHZ-MXmUhkfug7eMy4CAwcL9b1Dowc9_DgOx1AU13mT9S3J9z6OzpLjRy2tyeCrxzzQaBPJoZNzOy8iwWsHUykBgvXwQMcIO_Z5Icj2VNXmzZ7LB3DfhZ86PlCgjI/s209/Enrica's%20FREE%20Item.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="207" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nLsGq4VfDso4OvODV4IdyVn39AhMMOYE79DR8Pe6OVGatpclbVc5yJHGDw8Ad6pHZ-MXmUhkfug7eMy4CAwcL9b1Dowc9_DgOx1AU13mT9S3J9z6OzpLjRy2tyeCrxzzQaBPJoZNzOy8iwWsHUykBgvXwQMcIO_Z5Icj2VNXmzZ7LB3DfhZ86PlCgjI/w198-h200/Enrica's%20FREE%20Item.jpg" width="198" /></a></div></div><div>Her featured free resource is entitled <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Digital-Resource-6th-Grade-GCF-and-LCM-Secret-Message-9429620">Math Digital Resource 6th Grade | GCF and LCM Secret Message.<br /></a><br /></div><div>It is a fun and engaging way to review LCM and GCF with your sixth graders. This digital activity challenges students to find the hidden message by solving 11 problems on least common multiple and greatest common factor. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE-sA7OM0NchGvjz-rpttXNqTASTPYi8MAyu9YI_D8GRbirbrhmEFeLZ-5NwRYJ0RZwKwJzVwnWm6A49OEQSF1P_6CRs3TzRtWxcHqGJBcZthHx2ttYQ4bgi6GjqKzS1nlXgEBtXF99MYhot9Ub8nXO7H2kF1Nn2I8aU7gq4xkeTnoX5EKrw5gvDKtvM/s206/Enrica's%20Paid%20Item.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="201" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE-sA7OM0NchGvjz-rpttXNqTASTPYi8MAyu9YI_D8GRbirbrhmEFeLZ-5NwRYJ0RZwKwJzVwnWm6A49OEQSF1P_6CRs3TzRtWxcHqGJBcZthHx2ttYQ4bgi6GjqKzS1nlXgEBtXF99MYhot9Ub8nXO7H2kF1Nn2I8aU7gq4xkeTnoX5EKrw5gvDKtvM/s1600/Enrica's%20Paid%20Item.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Activity-Digital-Resource-Escape-Room-7682229">$4.50</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Enrica’s highlighted paid resource is an escape room called <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Order-of-Operations-Activity-Digital-Resource-Escape-Room-7682229">Order of Operations Around the World Escape Room</a>. It is an exciting way to involve middle schoolers in learning how to solve expressions using the order of operations! In order to travel from one city to another, the students must solve expressions using the order of operations. There are 40 expressions: 10 without parentheses and 30 with parentheses, no exponents. A printable version of the questions is included in this resource appropriate for grades 4-6. <br /><br />Enrica also has a <a href="file:///D:/Blog%20Stuff/matemaths.com">website/blog</a> where you can read interesting articles and find more middle school math resources that might be perfect for your classroom. Take some time to check it out! <br /><br /> </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-28760525888454888502023-11-15T07:00:00.014-06:002023-11-18T16:38:17.029-06:00How to Overcome Mathphobia (a hatred of Math) and Be a Success<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0V3-xMHMuw/Xk2b8yEuNqI/AAAAAAAAIrQ/Q18p7q97_CsuO_BHgVIrjGF_Io2oJqRBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Mathphobia.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="294" height="140" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0V3-xMHMuw/Xk2b8yEuNqI/AAAAAAAAIrQ/Q18p7q97_CsuO_BHgVIrjGF_Io2oJqRBwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h140/Mathphobia.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I HATE Math!</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We are almost at the end of the fall semester at the college where I teach. (I teach Mathphobics who aren't always thrilled to be in my math class.) Last week, as the students were entering and finding seats, I was greeted with, <i>“Math is my worst enemy!”</i> I guess this particular student was waiting for an impending <b>Math Attack</b>. But then I began thinking, <i>“Should this student wait to be attacked or learn how to approach and conquer the enemy?”</i> Since winning any battle requires forethought and planning, here is a three step battle plan for Mathphobics.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b> 1)</b> <b><span style="color: #990000;">Determine why math is your enemy</span></b>. Did you have a bad experience? Were you ever made to feel stupid, foolish, or brainless? Did your parents say they didn’t like math, and it was a family heredity issue? (One of the curious characteristics about our society is that it is now socially acceptable to take pride in hating mathematics. It’s like wearing a badge of honor or is that dishonor? Who would ever admit to not being able to read or write?) Math is an essential subject and without math, not much is possible...not even telling time!<br />
<br />
<b>2)</b> <b><span style="color: #990000;">Be optimistic.</span></b> Suffering from pessimism when thinking of or doing math problems makes it impossible to enjoy math. Come to class ready to learn. At the end of class, write down one thing you learned or thought was fun. I realize math teachers are a big part of how a student views math. In fact, one of the most important factors in a student’s attitude toward mathematics is the teacher and the classroom environment. Just using lecture, discussion, and seat work does not create much interest in mathematics. You've been in that class. Go over the homework; do samples of the new homework; start the new homework. Hands-on activities, songs, visuals, graphic organizers, and connecting math to real life engage students, create forums for discussion, and make math meaningful and useful. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>3)</b> <b><span style="color: #990000;">Prove Yourself.</span></b> Take baby steps, but be consistent. Faithfully do the homework and have someone check it. Don’t miss one math class! You can’t learn if you aren't there. Join in the discussions. Think about and write down your questions and share them with your teacher or with the class. Study for an upcoming test by reviewing 15 minutes each night a week before the test. Get help through tutoring, asking your instructor, or becoming a part of a study group. Keep in mind, no one is destined for defeat!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
So don’t just sit there and wait for the dreaded <b>Math Attack</b>. Meet it head on with a three step battle plan in hand!<br /><b><span style="color: #990000;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></b><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzK2Wppz4iFClxYl50f6GzLX4TtHDb2zw2hTlSwgHx-1SAxM3P2kbDy7LjcyRjEK3LhLYQTEjY8aRxF5ec4m9obs0EdZ9dqBusw7IqPZPAwzogZGmbg2EHMP2XYjrb7WYL33XSibEOH5fB88btmLj9znF11-9Sp3FDetcrsjj6PknmVv7O3A7cuI7lAM/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%208-1-22.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzK2Wppz4iFClxYl50f6GzLX4TtHDb2zw2hTlSwgHx-1SAxM3P2kbDy7LjcyRjEK3LhLYQTEjY8aRxF5ec4m9obs0EdZ9dqBusw7IqPZPAwzogZGmbg2EHMP2XYjrb7WYL33XSibEOH5fB88btmLj9znF11-9Sp3FDetcrsjj6PknmVv7O3A7cuI7lAM/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%208-1-22.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Twenty-Study-Skills-and-Tips-to-Help-Students-Succeed-in-School-324498">FREE</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Math courses are not like other courses. To pass most other subjects, a student must read, understand, and recall the subject matter. However, to pass math, an extra step is required: a student must <b>use</b> the information they have learned to solve math problems correctly. Special math study skills are needed to help the student learn more and to get better grades. To receive 20 beneficial math study tips, just download this free resource.</div>
<!-- start InLinkz code -->
<div class="inlinkz-widget" data-uuid="53e563aa166247a6bd609e7d07fbcccd" style="width:100%;margin:30px 0;background-color:#eceff1;border-radius:7px;text-align:center;font-size:16px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">
<div style="padding:8px;"><p style="margin-bottom:15px;">You are invited to the <strong>Inlinkz</strong> link party!</p>
<a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/53e563aa166247a6bd609e7d07fbcccd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="padding:5px 20px;background:#209cee;text-decoration:none;color:#efefef;border-radius:4px;">Click here to enter</a></div></div>
<span style="display: none;"><script async="true" src="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef"></script></span>
<!-- end InLinkz code -->
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-55127636483956360822023-11-08T07:00:00.015-06:002023-11-08T07:00:00.146-06:00Glyphs Are Really A Form of Graphing - Completing a Turkey GlyphSometimes I think that teachers believe a glyph is just a fun activity, but in reality glyphs are a non-standard way of graphing a variety of
information to tell a story. It is a flexible data representation
tool that uses symbols to represent different data. Glyphs are an innovative
instrument that shows several pieces of data at once and requires a legend/key
to understand the glyph. The creation of glyphs requires problem solving,
communication as well as data organization.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
Remember Paint by Number where you had to paint in each of the numbers or letters using a key to paint with the right color? How about coloring books that were filled with color-by-number pages? Believe it or not, both of these activities were a type of glyph.<br /><br />For Thanksgiving, I have created a <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turkey-Glyph-with-Questions-Gathering-Data-and-Following-Directions-932751?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Turkey%20Glyph%20on%20My%20Blog"><b>Turkey Glyph</b></a>. Not only is it a type of graph, but it is also an excellent activity for reading and following directions.<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQtk1nH4pEZbXAZTE_fwe4A3Scblgkvg0XbjfldSc9hpGU83bShj2oiKRTZU8fWASrveE4nwxXVH10Jps9XUmuzI5NoDckkwzyQEFb_vhVgLjeb5HSgYVVwyU8XWHfHW5EkKf8XrydIHMMCD8xLubqFFXnAuZuQghYaLSjU4DzRnva907ahSvEthPWNU/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%233%20%208-28-23.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQtk1nH4pEZbXAZTE_fwe4A3Scblgkvg0XbjfldSc9hpGU83bShj2oiKRTZU8fWASrveE4nwxXVH10Jps9XUmuzI5NoDckkwzyQEFb_vhVgLjeb5HSgYVVwyU8XWHfHW5EkKf8XrydIHMMCD8xLubqFFXnAuZuQghYaLSjU4DzRnva907ahSvEthPWNU/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%233%20%208-28-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turkey-Glyph-with-Questions-Gathering-Data-and-Following-Directions-932751?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Turkey%20Glyph%20on%20My%20Blog">$3.00</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Students are to finish the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turkey-Glyph-with-Questions-Gathering-Data-and-Following-Directions-932751?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Turkey%20Glyph%20on%20My%20Blog">turkey glyph </a>using the seven categories listed below.<br /><ol>
<li>Draw a hat on the turkey (girl or a boy?)</li>
<li>Creating a color pattern for pets or no pets. </li>
<li>Coloring the wings based on whether or not they wear glasses. </li>
<li>Writing a Thanksgiving greeting based on how many live in their house. </li>
<li>Do you like reading or watching TV the best? </li>
<li>How they get to school. (ride or walk)</li>
<li>Pumpkins (number of letters in first name)</li>
</ol>
<div>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
At the end of the activity is a completed <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turkey-Glyph-with-Questions-Gathering-Data-and-Following-Directions-932751?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Turkey%20Glyph%20on%20My%20Blog"><b>Turkey Glyph</b> </a>which the students are to "read" and answer the questions. Reading the completed glyph and interpreting the information represented is a skill that requires deeper thinking by the student. Students must be able to analyze the information presented in visual form. A glyph such as this one is very appropriate to use in the data management strand of mathematics. If you are interested, just click under the resource cover page.</div>
<div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-61598059896372018032023-11-01T07:00:00.004-05:002023-11-01T07:00:00.136-05:00Elvis and PEMDAS - A New Way to Introduce the Order of Operations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ldt-dMZpjvQ/UXK7FgegFtI/AAAAAAAAET0/unXwP1bVceY/s1600/Elvis.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ldt-dMZpjvQ/UXK7FgegFtI/AAAAAAAAET0/unXwP1bVceY/s1600/Elvis.PNG" /></a>Any math teacher who teaches the Order of Operations is familiar with the phrase, "<strong><span style="color: #990000;">P</span>lease <span style="color: #990000;">E</span>xcuse <span style="color: #990000;">M</span>y <span style="color: #990000;">D</span>ear <span style="color: #990000;">A</span>unt <span style="color: #990000;">S</span>ally</strong>". For the life of me, I don't know who Aunt Sally is or what she has done, but apparently we are to excuse her for the offense. In my math classes, I use "<strong><span style="color: #990000;">P</span>ale <span style="color: #990000;">E</span>lvis <span style="color: #990000;">M</span>eets <span style="color: #990000;">D</span>racula <span style="color: #990000;">A</span>fter <span style="color: #990000;">S</span>chool</strong>". Of course both of these examples are mnemonics or acronyms; so, the first letter of each word stands for something. <strong>P = <span style="color: #990000;">P</span>arenthesis, E = <span style="color: #990000;">E</span>xponents, M = <span style="color: #990000;">M</span>ultiplication, D = <span style="color: #990000;">D</span>ivision, A = <span style="color: #990000;">A</span>ddition, </strong>and<strong> S = <span style="color: #990000;">S</span>ubtraction</strong>. <br />
<br />
I have always taught the Order of Operations by just listing which procedures should be done first and in the order they were to be done. But after viewing a different way on Pinterest, I have changed my approach. Here is a chart with the details and the steps to "success" listed on the right.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BlrdML3HMl0/UXFOmba0BsI/AAAAAAAAETk/Q230_4yY_TQ/s1600/PEMDAS+Chart.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BlrdML3HMl0/UXFOmba0BsI/AAAAAAAAETk/Q230_4yY_TQ/s640/PEMDAS+Chart.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Since multiplication and division as well as addition and subtraction equally rank in order, they are written side by side. What I like about this chart is that it clearly indicates to the student what they are to do and when. To sum it up:<br />
<br />When expressions have more than one operation, follow the rules for the Order of Operations:<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>First do all operations that lie inside parentheses.</li><li>Next, do any work with exponents or radicals.</li><li>Working from left to right, do all the multiplication and division.</li><li>Finally, working from left to right, do all the addition and subtraction.</li></ol><ol>
</ol>
Failure to use the Order of Operations can result in a wrong answer to a
problem. This happened to me when I taught 3rd grade. On the <strong><em>Test That Counts</em></strong>, the following problem was given.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bs7dTDoaTEY/UXVRUFZEXNI/AAAAAAAAEUE/SJ9DCfApzpk/s1600/PEMDAS+Example.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bs7dTDoaTEY/UXVRUFZEXNI/AAAAAAAAEUE/SJ9DCfApzpk/s1600/PEMDAS+Example.PNG" /></a></div>
The correct answer is <strong>11</strong> because you multiply the <strong>4 x 2</strong> and then add the <strong>3</strong>, but can you guess which answer most of my students chose? That's right - 14! From that year on, the Order of Operations became a priority in my classroom. Is it a priority in yours? Should it be?<div><br /><div><b><span style="color: #990000;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT0VsAbSLwn6JntrBiBW0AgBcctx2WcXBdsBSqeoWgcFcYFwTluUWKpyG4l2kB1EYcJR5W1AvVU6CDXFHWRieksvB96UGtRgqrcQ98f0COy4G-TKTIAHjppWMF3vOeyVVKrVG0EG19EVlIrSVamulvNFiircMVGil7mYC7UszysdIPtKZws-WLssiEYE/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%20%203-8-22.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT0VsAbSLwn6JntrBiBW0AgBcctx2WcXBdsBSqeoWgcFcYFwTluUWKpyG4l2kB1EYcJR5W1AvVU6CDXFHWRieksvB96UGtRgqrcQ98f0COy4G-TKTIAHjppWMF3vOeyVVKrVG0EG19EVlIrSVamulvNFiircMVGil7mYC7UszysdIPtKZws-WLssiEYE/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%20%203-8-22.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MATH-Algebra-Order-of-Operations-New-Approach-to-Using-and-Understanding-PEMDAS-854165">$3.75</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>I have a product in my store entitled: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MATH-Order-of-Operations-A-New-Approach-to-Using-Understanding-PEMDAS-854165?utm_source=Blog%20Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=PEMDAS%20Blog%20Post"><b>Order of Operations - PEMDAS, A New Approach</b></a>. This ten page resource includes a lesson plan outline for introducing PEMDAS, an easy to understand chart for the students, an explanation of PEMDAS for the student as well as ten practice problems. It is aligned with the fifth grade common core standard of 5.OA.1. Just click on the words under the cover page if it is something you might like.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-28538168208322712222023-10-25T07:00:00.054-05:002023-10-28T13:31:14.980-05:00"BOO" to Fractions? Recognizing Equivalent Fractions, Reducing Fractions<div class="separator"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></div></div><div><span>Here is a Halloween riddle: </span><i>Which building does Dracula like to visit in New York City? </i>Give up? It's</div><div><span> the Vampire State Building!! (Ha! Ha!) Here is another riddle. What do ghosts eat for breakfast? </span><span style="background-color: white;">Scream of Wheat and Ghost Toasties!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so what do these riddles have to do with teaching math? I have been attempting to come up with ways for my students to recognize fractional parts in lowest terms. As you know from this blog, I have used <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pattern-Sticks-A-Math-Tool-for-Skip-Counting-Reducing-Fractions">Pattern Sticks</a>, <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/My-Products/Edit/Step-1/Using-Digital-Root-and-the-Divisibility-Rules-to-Help-Reduce-Fractions">the Divisibility Rules</a>, and finding Digital Root. These are all strategies my students like and use, but to be a good mathematician requires practice - something most of my students dread doing. I can find many "drill and kill" activities, but they tend to do just that, drill those who don't need it and kill those who already know how to do it. So to drill and "thrill", I created fractional word puzzles for specific times of the year.</div><div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>The one for October is <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Fraction-Riddles-Identifying-Fractional-Parts-in-Lowest-Terms-158779"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Halloween Fraction Riddles</span></b></a>. It contains eight riddles that the students must discover by correctly identifying fractional parts of words. For instance, my first clue might be:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>The first 2/3's of WILLOW. </b>The word WILLOW contains six letters. It takes two letters to make 1/3; therefore, the first 2/3's would be the word WILL. This causes the students to group the letters (in this case 4/6), and then to reduce the fraction to lowest terms. The letters are a visual aid for those students who are still having difficulty, and I observe many actually drawing lines between the letters to create groups of two. </div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjgS6UcIgqa-LfWpHMPRhlUuGqo3K0wzKY8-RYoXHii1vZynPEMCUJywHKrr2BrpJcX-KlNX2fjIOXv2ZOw8YPG_MLcSABww057qiO-etaxoIbI4AUObPFr62Ja_n5UnevwXC2iucpi9SbbcY4ddLazHKh8woBf3NOV1buIeWSG6V9yiCJgRE15IDdpA/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%233%20%207-8-23.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjgS6UcIgqa-LfWpHMPRhlUuGqo3K0wzKY8-RYoXHii1vZynPEMCUJywHKrr2BrpJcX-KlNX2fjIOXv2ZOw8YPG_MLcSABww057qiO-etaxoIbI4AUObPFr62Ja_n5UnevwXC2iucpi9SbbcY4ddLazHKh8woBf3NOV1buIeWSG6V9yiCJgRE15IDdpA/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%233%20%207-8-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Halloween-Fraction-Riddles-Putting-Fractions-in-Lowest-Terms-Equivalency-158779?utm_source=Blog%20Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Holiday%20Fraction%20Riddles%20Blog%20Post%20-%20Boo%20to%20Fractions">$3.00</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div>At first, I thought my students would breeze through the activities, but to my surprise, they proved to be challenging as well as somewhat tricky - just perfect for a Trick or Treat holiday. Maybe this is an activity you would like to try with your intermediate or middle school students. Just click on this link: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Halloween-Fraction-Riddles-Putting-Fractions-in-Lowest-Terms-Equivalency-158779?utm_source=Blog%20Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Holiday%20Fraction%20Riddles%20Blog%20Post%20-%20Boo%20to%20Fractions"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Halloween Fraction Riddles</span></b>.</a></div></div><div><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-18607427374324325412023-10-18T07:00:00.022-05:002023-10-18T07:00:00.152-05:00A Go Figure Debut for A Canadian who is new! Plus she teaches high school science!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbESuLZqMQmRmWvlR8EUJ1I7UP_9Zf0YA6TfDGcCmTwyhvwHje3QhTfyk18WZtZwMJkUpyEF8BjRhUX7ketAT-7aQRTYOrvUJMhPDSKfNeGv5Lz7HiCRt9xfddn29artHXANMqC2Hc9YofIlquEfHwBDOB3R8Ub1wLMNDqHtEbxwJkQabZuDYZJEBLhQU/s160/Jaqueline's%20Store%20Logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="157" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbESuLZqMQmRmWvlR8EUJ1I7UP_9Zf0YA6TfDGcCmTwyhvwHje3QhTfyk18WZtZwMJkUpyEF8BjRhUX7ketAT-7aQRTYOrvUJMhPDSKfNeGv5Lz7HiCRt9xfddn29artHXANMqC2Hc9YofIlquEfHwBDOB3R8Ub1wLMNDqHtEbxwJkQabZuDYZJEBLhQU/s1600/Jaqueline's%20Store%20Logo.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>Jacqueline is from Alberta, Canada and she has been teaching high school science for six years. Like so many of us, her favorite aspect of teaching is building relationships with her students. Jacqueline says her classroom always had a relaxed vibe because she always wanted her students to feel welcome and at peace. She wanted her classroom to be a place where students felt comfortable coming at lunchtime or after school or to just hangout.<p></p>Jacqueline also loves creating resources. She was always interested in graphic design growing up and loved how she could implement that into little things like making her lesson slides and notes. This year she took a break from teaching to go back to school for a one-year graphic design program. So far, she has been loving it and is looking forward to implementing her new knowledge into her future classes and lesson creations. <br /><br /><div>In her spare time, Jacqueline enjoys kayaking, playing squash, and playing board and card games. Often her family gets together and plays games together. Jacqueline has always loved the logic and strategy element of games and she thinks that is one of the reasons she was so interested in teaching science. <br /><br />Jacqueline creates notes that she hopes students will find aesthetically pleasing and fun to fill out - things like having bubble letters and diagrams to color in. In addition, she has Google slides in <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Laf-Science">her store</a></b> that go along with the notes so teachers can project those and have students follow along. One thing that is really important to Jacqueline when teaching is making sure her students are actually understanding the information, and not just memorizing it (which she feels happens all too often in biology). She really tries to emphasize developing understanding with her notes and not merely presenting the information.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh9uYiFuNEaqz74f3VflKrJvTyePi5T3UXDHnjthEFtQFvw8xkvy8KZSUU-PW0Gb0YB1o2yy5ln04x3fmViN7mzLcrCdgJNZzFtrube5PNkLJbwHsFR0zPoFadqjv_eEYbW_MuCNLi4v5IouBw7LmE1p70h_OL8tOVcQmcli-wPmnwaf5d2hmu0m9VMM/s348/Jaqueline's%20FREE%20Item.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="348" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh9uYiFuNEaqz74f3VflKrJvTyePi5T3UXDHnjthEFtQFvw8xkvy8KZSUU-PW0Gb0YB1o2yy5ln04x3fmViN7mzLcrCdgJNZzFtrube5PNkLJbwHsFR0zPoFadqjv_eEYbW_MuCNLi4v5IouBw7LmE1p70h_OL8tOVcQmcli-wPmnwaf5d2hmu0m9VMM/w200-h199/Jaqueline's%20FREE%20Item.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Planets-of-our-Solar-System-Notes-and-Crossword-9011530">FREE</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Jacqueline currently has 72 products in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Laf-Science">her store</a>, four of which are free. Her featured FREE resource is entitled <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Planets-of-our-Solar-System-Notes-and-Crossword-9011530">Planets of our Solar System Notes and Crossword</a></b>. This nine page resource includes student notes, a teacher key, and slides for teaching. It is notes about the planets of our solar system and includes a review crossword puzzle. This resource can be used by students on Google Drive or Google Classroom. It follows the Alberta Science 9 Unit E (Space) Curriculum.</div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugMVDHdq6Bx2_VcYt4SZxR-kE1h1JSlqiaajWsMQ_qU49FsIu7t50p9hInlf5GTneiNh5PSKopxfBu_q0RRfZyhzuPpCfgw8LN7EW3_JiSTv68Q1634igU-Nh7gPdbCfG0WDN7SeG5uh0WqlfFAkEe1rO8uUoh-xsagpCd0q7gXpScUn4lCwOQPGmwC8/s196/Jaqueline's%20Paid%20Item.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="196" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugMVDHdq6Bx2_VcYt4SZxR-kE1h1JSlqiaajWsMQ_qU49FsIu7t50p9hInlf5GTneiNh5PSKopxfBu_q0RRfZyhzuPpCfgw8LN7EW3_JiSTv68Q1634igU-Nh7gPdbCfG0WDN7SeG5uh0WqlfFAkEe1rO8uUoh-xsagpCd0q7gXpScUn4lCwOQPGmwC8/s1600/Jaqueline's%20Paid%20Item.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Circuits-and-Schematics-Notes-Practice-9318285">$5.99</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div>Jacqueline's' paid resource is over electricity. It is called <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Circuits-and-Schematics-Notes-Practice-9318285">Circuits and Schematics Notes and Practice</a> </b>and includes student notes, a teacher key, and slides for teaching. The notes are about how to draw circuit schematics with a practice at the end. This resource contains 19 pages. Five are students note pages; five are key pages and nine are Google slides. It follows the Alberta Science 9 Unit D (Electricity) Curriculum.<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 149.25pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><div>If you teach junior high or high school science, you will discover some or many of Jacqueline's resources are a perfect supplement to what you are doing. Check out her store, and definitely download her <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Planets-of-our-Solar-System-Notes-and-Crossword-9011530"><b>free resource.</b></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-45280562116157883362023-10-11T07:00:00.031-05:002023-10-11T07:00:00.129-05:00October - Is It "Fall" or "Autumn"? Doing Science Investigations Using Leaves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9LQGzV0QqfxDjPpFh_fuoTHqDPz-WRbXWDl9woydPrmLqJ4Mapgn3PLjMvX0YFYg1BnTmJDoWSlHzEifnAM1DFPNadh5QsAyNs9s8tTD0vWDMNZ3CWTJ8S5PNnjkjibL58G5pfI-xwWzmeIRtM_rPgl4linbWZ54RKKP6fbzQZ5IBS8j9sShMH9g8C4/s2000/Fall%20Leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="2000" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9LQGzV0QqfxDjPpFh_fuoTHqDPz-WRbXWDl9woydPrmLqJ4Mapgn3PLjMvX0YFYg1BnTmJDoWSlHzEifnAM1DFPNadh5QsAyNs9s8tTD0vWDMNZ3CWTJ8S5PNnjkjibL58G5pfI-xwWzmeIRtM_rPgl4linbWZ54RKKP6fbzQZ5IBS8j9sShMH9g8C4/w200-h126/Fall%20Leaves.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>October has finally arrived. October means football (Ohio State, of course), cooler weather, and gorgeous leaves. (It is also the month my husband and I were married.) In October, we see the leaves turning colors, and the deciduous trees shedding their leaves.<br />
<div>
</div>
<div><br /></div><div>Another name for fall is <i>autumn</i>, a rather strange name to me. Through research, I discovered that the word <i>autumn</i> is from the Old French autumpne, automne, which came from the Latin autumnus. Autumn has been in general use since the 1960's and means the season that follows summer and comes before winter.<br />
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
Fall is the most common usage among those in the United States; however, the word autumn is often interchanged with fall in many countries including the U.S.A. It marks the transition from summer into winter, in September if you live in the Northern Hemisphere or in March if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. It also denotes when the days are noticeably shorter and the temperatures finally start to cool off. In North America, autumn is considered to officially start with the September equinox. This year it was on September 23rd.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
With all of that said, the leaves in our neighbor's yard have already begun to fall into ours which aggravates my husband because he is the one who gets to rake them. Maybe focusing on some activities using leaves will divert his attention away from the thought of raking leaves to science investigations. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
Remember ironing leaves between wax paper? We did that in school when I was a little girl (eons and eons ago). Here is how to do it.</div>
<ol><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJRhwvUWg_U/Un1d4WzoGUI/AAAAAAAAE9Q/RJs0yyAUZ_k/s1600/Leaves+in+Waxed+Paper.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJRhwvUWg_U/Un1d4WzoGUI/AAAAAAAAE9Q/RJs0yyAUZ_k/s1600/Leaves+in+Waxed+Paper.JPG" /></a>
<li>Find different sizes and colors of leaves.</li>
<li>Tear off two sheets about the same size of waxed paper.</li>
<li>Set the iron on "dry". No water or steam here!</li>
<li>The heat level of the iron should be medium.</li>
<li>Place leaves on one piece of the waxed paper.</li>
<li>Lay the other piece on top.</li>
<li>Iron away!</li>
</ol>
<div>
You can also use this activity to identify leaves. According to my husband who knows trees, leaves and birds from his college studies, we "waxed" a maple leaf, sweet gum leaf, elm leaf, cottonwood leaf (the state tree of Kansas - they are everywhere), and two he doesn't recognize because they come from some unknown ornamental shrubs.<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8wKcuLce3TwfSH_BrwntDygXcyhA1-cjMXwqtA-og_j-XLcTbZDOYlAqwhi3k1VqNi0cU0bGjkCPCDsC_13CQy6elUHbwXkG3Sa4pmZYb3IGaan8SlPryxjcX03SAV4fg5r1lkXvxAlUG_arRzsmk3SUfpsHGYIfEYBr84T8IinXKQYiAvfZBa4e15o/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%207-17-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8wKcuLce3TwfSH_BrwntDygXcyhA1-cjMXwqtA-og_j-XLcTbZDOYlAqwhi3k1VqNi0cU0bGjkCPCDsC_13CQy6elUHbwXkG3Sa4pmZYb3IGaan8SlPryxjcX03SAV4fg5r1lkXvxAlUG_arRzsmk3SUfpsHGYIfEYBr84T8IinXKQYiAvfZBa4e15o/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%232%20%207-17-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Six-Lesson-Science-Investigation-About-Leaves-for-the-Primary-Grades-K-2-95466">$5.30</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Maybe you would like to use leaves as a science investigation in your classroom. I have one in my <b><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products">Teacher</a> </b><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/SciPi/Products"><b>Pay Teachers store </b></a>that<b> </b>is a six lesson science performance demonstration for grades K-2. The inquiry guides the primary student through the scientific method and includes: </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Exploration time</li><li>Writing a good investigative question</li><li>Making a prediction</li><li>Designing a plan</li><li>Gathering the data</li><li>Writing a conclusion based on the data. </li></ol></div><div>Be"leaf" me, your students will have fun!<br /><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-69477652479257634992023-10-04T07:00:00.003-05:002023-10-04T07:00:00.152-05:00Terrible at Factoring Trinomials (Polynomials) in Algebra? Try This Method that NEVER Fails!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfeZLYVqhkrJOJuJXlOPIZ70qVKzLWOinvDAZYgBtZKHZi5bwvqVnTA-cMJD7JEVcWWN-qXo-WTWu_oTaQKr4R8le87xem9vvc4CHWcj1Uw7FoonIWzv7SAxRzznGumTmIxREn6tW4QSx67r3tXxNejCrzoXUzNtgrU-KQngwrFwli7UGYbF3UvqUHS8/s301/Factoring%20Box.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="301" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfeZLYVqhkrJOJuJXlOPIZ70qVKzLWOinvDAZYgBtZKHZi5bwvqVnTA-cMJD7JEVcWWN-qXo-WTWu_oTaQKr4R8le87xem9vvc4CHWcj1Uw7FoonIWzv7SAxRzznGumTmIxREn6tW4QSx67r3tXxNejCrzoXUzNtgrU-KQngwrFwli7UGYbF3UvqUHS8/w200-h90/Factoring%20Box.png" width="200" /></a></div>I spent the summer months tutoring a high school girl who was getting ready to take Algebra II. She didn't do very well in Algebra I and with geometry between the two classes, she was lost. Since she is a very concrete, visual person, I knew I needed to come up with different algebraic methods so she could succeed. <div><br /></div><div>When we got to to factoring trinomials, she really needed help as most of the methods were too abstract for her. For those of you who have forgotten, a trinomial is a polynomial that has three terms. Most likely, students start learning how to factor trinomials written in the form <b><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">a<i>x</i></span><sup><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; padding: 0in;">2</span></sup><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> +
b<i>x</i> + c</span></b>. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are several different methods that can be used to factor trinomials. The first is guess and check using <i><b>ac</b></i> and grouping. Find two numbers that ADD up to b and MULTIPLY to get ac in <b><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">a<i>x</i></span><sup><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; padding: 0in;">2</span></sup><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> + b<i>x</i> + c</span></b>. The second approach is the box method. You write the equation in a two-by-two box. This method is more thoroughly explained on <i>You Tube</i>. Look up factoring trinomials using the box method. There is also the method of slide and divide which again you can look up on <i>You Tube </i>to see exactly how that works. Grouping is another method. Students need to choose which method they understand and which one works best for them. With continual practice, they will get better and faster at using it.</div><div><br />My favorite method is the one most students understand and grasp. It builds on the <b><i>ac</i></b> method, but takes it takes it one step further. It made sense to my student, and she was easily factoring trinomials after only two tutoring sessions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because it worked so well, I developed a new math resource. It is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factoring-Trinomials-Polynomials-Using-A-Simple-Math-Method-that-NEVER-Fails-10088278?utm_source=Blog%20Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Factoring%20Polynomials%20Blog%20Post%20">step-by-step guide</a> that teaches how to factor quadratic equations in a straightforward and uncomplicated way. It includes polynomials with common monomial factors, and trinomials with and without <b>1</b> as the leading coefficient. Some answers are prime. This simple method does not treat trinomials when <b><i>a</i> =1</b> differently since those problems are incorporated with <b>“when <i>a</i> is greater than 1”</b> problems.<br /><br />Following each explanation (five total) are a set of six practice problems that replicate the method introduced. You might familiarize the students with the method, then assign the problems to practice, OR you might present all four explanations, and then assign the practice problems to review. Some students will catch on rapidly and will not need to go through all of the steps while others will need more repetition and practice. Differentiate your instruction accordingly. Try working in pairs or small groups since students tend to learn from each other.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="background-color: white;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /></span></b><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdOPUG-pqTKrnOWAyAOrsydUrr-Vkfl5EOeX-Z_aGgn-be0kOARpWlDqYwlfusQie4sBT1T0CGXDYl3u9rLHglYs44q_jIjKJMFURcld2ps1AThUDN1ADnevG4zUrAiTsxauuPHrPdtq-_Svllt7j2LBZ65KZk6d4pBWV_6GSWFOAuFWyeqsnRWVfTpw/s1500/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%231%20%208-28-23.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdOPUG-pqTKrnOWAyAOrsydUrr-Vkfl5EOeX-Z_aGgn-be0kOARpWlDqYwlfusQie4sBT1T0CGXDYl3u9rLHglYs44q_jIjKJMFURcld2ps1AThUDN1ADnevG4zUrAiTsxauuPHrPdtq-_Svllt7j2LBZ65KZk6d4pBWV_6GSWFOAuFWyeqsnRWVfTpw/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Created%20Cover%20%231%20%208-28-23.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Factoring-Trinomials-Polynomials-Using-A-Simple-Math-Method-that-NEVER-Fails-10088278?utm_source=Blog%20Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Factoring%20Polynomials%20Blog%20Post%20">$5.25</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Included in this resource are the following:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A detailed explanation of this factoring method.<br /></li><li>Five variations when using this method</li><li>Five sets of practice problems – 30 in total</li><li>Two sets of review problems – 12 total</li><li>Answers Keys with the complete problem-solving process</li></ul></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-84757431494737638612023-09-27T07:00:00.001-05:002023-09-27T07:00:00.138-05:00If your students don't understand FOIL, Try Multiplying Binomials Using the Box Method<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg0f9ejWofuQqBMZhDh08CDiHBXS5NulQ8TPiSg6yodi8U74-CfyI2jZfH6erHCg3hfxZ_uFLq1gXS9_DZGKLO6MQDlLv6s9jJZvSDhUbm_jsuFakgtnZduiwZ2k5mCi3nmxxvjZYF7QKPLkZj7_4vhvMl2QOOGKUK5NpE4WhF0DLmq9cd4zUmaFq4zA/s261/College%20student%20-%20boy%20-%20needs%20help.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="252" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg0f9ejWofuQqBMZhDh08CDiHBXS5NulQ8TPiSg6yodi8U74-CfyI2jZfH6erHCg3hfxZ_uFLq1gXS9_DZGKLO6MQDlLv6s9jJZvSDhUbm_jsuFakgtnZduiwZ2k5mCi3nmxxvjZYF7QKPLkZj7_4vhvMl2QOOGKUK5NpE4WhF0DLmq9cd4zUmaFq4zA/w193-h200/College%20student%20-%20boy%20-%20needs%20help.JPG" width="193" /></a></div>I tutored a student this summer who was getting ready to take Algebra II. He is a very visual, concrete person that needs many visuals to help him to succeed in math. We worked quite a bit on multiplying two binomials.<p></p>There are three different techniques you can use for multiplying polynomials. You can use the FOIL method, Box Method and the distributive property. The best part about it is that they are all the same, and if done correctly, will render the same answer.!<div><br /></div><div>Because most math teachers start with FOIL, I<i> </i>started there. The letters FOIL stand for First, Outer, Inner, Last. First means multiply the terms which occur first in each binomial. Then Outer means multiply the outermost terms in the product. Inner is for "inside" so those two terms are multiplied—second term of the first binomial and first term of the second). Last is multiplying the last terms of each binomial.</div><div>My student could keep FOIL in his head, but couldn't quite remember what the letters represented, let alone which numbers to multiply; so, that method was quickly laid aside. </div><div><br /></div><div>I next tried the Box Method. Immediately, it made sense to him, and we were off to the races, so to speak. He continually got the right answer, and his confidence level continued to increase. Here is how the Box Method works.</div><div><br /></div><div>First, you draw a 2 x 2 box. <span style="text-align: center;">Second, write the binomials, one along the top </span><span style="text-align: center;">of the box, and </span>one binomial down the left hand side of the box. Let's assume the binomials are 2<i>x</i> + 4 and <i>x</i> + 3.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7AIZ1mEnTF9WP3SG4e2YMDHpkDPIbqzXNwRCqIkl0bne467pUhE_7RWUx8kBp8lxCNFyvZt8ZBY4P9ESgO_RjlzguJZN_ShSL1nUpqXmvHe_dmryzWvhaD2USJb_7KVicEzjMHclY-RVWHupVjbEagltRISIntTxqZD1w2rPkF5GblrYJ6MOhtEX0Bo/s259/Box%20with%20Equations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="259" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7AIZ1mEnTF9WP3SG4e2YMDHpkDPIbqzXNwRCqIkl0bne467pUhE_7RWUx8kBp8lxCNFyvZt8ZBY4P9ESgO_RjlzguJZN_ShSL1nUpqXmvHe_dmryzWvhaD2USJb_7KVicEzjMHclY-RVWHupVjbEagltRISIntTxqZD1w2rPkF5GblrYJ6MOhtEX0Bo/w200-h161/Box%20with%20Equations.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> </span><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">(2<i>x</i> + 4) </span><span style="background-color: #01ffff;">(<i>x</i> + 3)</span></b></div><br /></div><div>Now multiply the top row by <i>x</i>; that is <i>x</i> times 2<i>x</i> and <i>x</i> times +4., writing the answers in the top row of the box, each in its own square. After that, multiply everything in the top row by +3, and write those answers in the second row of the box, each in its own square.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzVKlpuRGpg_ulAO7c0HlgtyMb5No4ui2IMWF7jXn649FM5yeOg9NC6aNbD7402aLjPxHo6BPTBjkmXsZdm2td0bAlEXxg3o9LleYqKvIXF1NX8pZJRERKS7Y_tNXwixiDfQF9Zm_VqLW8Lz8TX1IjY6s10hWyFci80LPgt2Cz7X4pgXuyC2oB3RcLN0/s494/Multiplying.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="494" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzVKlpuRGpg_ulAO7c0HlgtyMb5No4ui2IMWF7jXn649FM5yeOg9NC6aNbD7402aLjPxHo6BPTBjkmXsZdm2td0bAlEXxg3o9LleYqKvIXF1NX8pZJRERKS7Y_tNXwixiDfQF9Zm_VqLW8Lz8TX1IjY6s10hWyFci80LPgt2Cz7X4pgXuyC2oB3RcLN0/w640-h354/Multiplying.jpg" width="640" /></a>Looking at the box, circle the coefficients that have an <i>x</i>. They are located on the diagonal of the box.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBlYF52U3Nd521T0krz5ZLrcHh9DG6XuZX5RiXYlBld_0a5abR_F2f2yo75mqYBXNuF5aIYVboN1PSGS8aZ_qZZthxBIKprP8m-Govv34aTg2zwVz8hnC1QbGVY1LTEvO17gaA51upoWACpIreoBl0041TYcZ4VNrqDCiBeHz6q6wp09eDjdgYJ-UoUQ/s499/Diagonal%20and%20Answer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="499" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBlYF52U3Nd521T0krz5ZLrcHh9DG6XuZX5RiXYlBld_0a5abR_F2f2yo75mqYBXNuF5aIYVboN1PSGS8aZ_qZZthxBIKprP8m-Govv34aTg2zwVz8hnC1QbGVY1LTEvO17gaA51upoWACpIreoBl0041TYcZ4VNrqDCiBeHz6q6wp09eDjdgYJ-UoUQ/w640-h312/Diagonal%20and%20Answer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">To find the answer, write the term in the first square on the top row, add the terms on the diagonal, and write the number in the last square on the bottom row. Voila! You have your answer!</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cPAxLgvovBgnGu2xYcxGS0r28VPqn5kcHfi3drlTDJNbEM0EasFZZNrX0XQSbdP5FzzgsXuQdNBkmxq8Tj5sBX9PChyE_TAxdHYKgLoxJKwyeqp0BmNxUGJDPHbAP4Q7BzHO4TtkeJ5pvy3CbYq7D9x6uVDHfDctz32iwKvgQGdGUBuCCqUilUlqeQg/s142/Answer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="47" data-original-width="142" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cPAxLgvovBgnGu2xYcxGS0r28VPqn5kcHfi3drlTDJNbEM0EasFZZNrX0XQSbdP5FzzgsXuQdNBkmxq8Tj5sBX9PChyE_TAxdHYKgLoxJKwyeqp0BmNxUGJDPHbAP4Q7BzHO4TtkeJ5pvy3CbYq7D9x6uVDHfDctz32iwKvgQGdGUBuCCqUilUlqeQg/w200-h66/Answer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-49686949080201130962023-09-20T07:00:00.034-05:002023-09-20T07:00:00.146-05:00A Go Figure Debut for a Special Ed Math Teacher Who's New!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu53S3CFMjldK6eWluPup9iVzjw_bTfPohZF_l7CsTyUV1bc5P7rXk-7NOzGE3hjfG8K7IcLcGztCkWKy0JvzcEomNerWtrMKQEJbOfC_M9TCohAnIIgQMqhbFE0pLlkoj4iSidzHxRiCu85EROYLoPV-ntj9IwP1hxLtn-tDNGcGnt0z1GGzNESva0yI/s147/Brooks%20Store%20Logo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="147" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu53S3CFMjldK6eWluPup9iVzjw_bTfPohZF_l7CsTyUV1bc5P7rXk-7NOzGE3hjfG8K7IcLcGztCkWKy0JvzcEomNerWtrMKQEJbOfC_M9TCohAnIIgQMqhbFE0pLlkoj4iSidzHxRiCu85EROYLoPV-ntj9IwP1hxLtn-tDNGcGnt0z1GGzNESva0yI/s1600/Brooks%20Store%20Logo.png" width="147" /></a></div><br />Meet Brooks Jones. This is Brooks’ ninth year teaching; however, education is her second career. Currently she is a middle school special education teacher, co-teaching in math and English/Language Arts classrooms in grades 6, 7 and 8. She was drawn to the classroom after working in the corporate world, doing graphic design, marketing, public relations and writing. She wanted to do something more meaningful with her days and teaching has certainly provided purpose to her life. <br /><br />She is licensed in elementary education, special education, reading specialist and high school math, but most of her years in the classroom have been spent as a special education math teacher, providing mostly inclusion services for students needing that extra boost to reach grade level standards. Many of the resources in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Brooks-Jones">her store</a> are designed to help middle and high school students understand pre-algebra and algebra concepts. She uses a lot of visuals and color-coding, which helps them remember math basics. In addition, she tries to teach the underlying concepts, not just the algorithms, because she wants students to know why we rely on certain algorithms to solve math problems. <br /><br />Brooks loves seeing students engaged and interested in math. She believes math can open doors for people, and so she tries to connect the content in the classroom with realities of daily life in order to make learning relevant for students. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that glow of new understanding unfold on the face of a smiling student. Teaching is truly a miraculous career, and she wouldn't trade it for anything. <br /><br />Last but not least, Brooks is married with three children: one is grown with two kids of his own; one just started college this fall, and one is still at home enjoying her senior year of high school. They have two cats and a dog. In addition, Brooks likes reading, knitting, playing the ukulele and singing when she isn’t working on new teaching resources! <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSMNn2uYg1y4RC3sr2PQ6C51dOycFmrXzlw2VP9vJk9uSkvyWzVRXC2u1IvGtz9zOMy8_88vCVUa4SL_AiT4O-6Ont4Lia5gvgBlrKlRgi1egleJ1mS11zgxy_IpCN4mDbBq2Ce2ZA7a1TIYmZxnj8G0RaGmY58S2BRXFsYvjiI_sg7gKbYgQu-cZ9Y4/s217/Brooks%20Freebie.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="217" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSMNn2uYg1y4RC3sr2PQ6C51dOycFmrXzlw2VP9vJk9uSkvyWzVRXC2u1IvGtz9zOMy8_88vCVUa4SL_AiT4O-6Ont4Lia5gvgBlrKlRgi1egleJ1mS11zgxy_IpCN4mDbBq2Ce2ZA7a1TIYmZxnj8G0RaGmY58S2BRXFsYvjiI_sg7gKbYgQu-cZ9Y4/w200-h194/Brooks%20Freebie.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Properties-and-Laws-of-Exponents-PosterAnchor-Chart-9044015">FREE</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Brooks-Jones">Brooks store</a> </b>contains 55 products; two of them are free. Most of her resources are math related. Her free item is entitled “<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Properties-and-Laws-of-Exponents-PosterAnchor-Chart-9044015"><b>Laws and Exponents Poster/Anchor Chart.</b></a>” Since working with exponents can be confusing, help your students master the properties and laws of exponents with this jam-packed one-page resource, which can be used as a cheat sheet, anchor chart, or classroom poster. Concepts included are the properties of multiplication, division, zero and negative exponents, as well as rational (fractional) exponents. Properties are color-coded, shown with variable symbols and explained in clear language.<div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv2mVRbotRTdhfibL5PIV3o3jLsLCdNNliReEvV5D4c5zSHHvvkYzAIophbdfVLgfxaBZYccCa-ZSZbjjCxRzwWUPPdnPs0F9Pg2aBmb_YmFy3w5rRBDXtj868pd9WtVrgDvhvPtI8939g8-qUNXSznH8kpmPuC55TXqUZpGSZFBuslOIO2BaBdXWLpU/s218/Brooks%20Paid%20Item.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="218" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv2mVRbotRTdhfibL5PIV3o3jLsLCdNNliReEvV5D4c5zSHHvvkYzAIophbdfVLgfxaBZYccCa-ZSZbjjCxRzwWUPPdnPs0F9Pg2aBmb_YmFy3w5rRBDXtj868pd9WtVrgDvhvPtI8939g8-qUNXSznH8kpmPuC55TXqUZpGSZFBuslOIO2BaBdXWLpU/w200-h193/Brooks%20Paid%20Item.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Parts-of-a-ParabolaExploring-Quadratics-BUNDLE-Guided-NotesPractice-Exercises-9158360">$4.75</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Brooks featured <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Parts-of-a-ParabolaExploring-Quadratics-BUNDLE-Guided-NotesPractice-Exercises-9158360"><b>paid resource</b></a> is a math bundle of two resources about quadratic equations. It is an introduction to quadratic functions and the relationship between their equations and graphs using guided notes and practice activities. It is great for beginning a unit on quadratic functions as part of an Algebra I class, or for reviewing concepts before moving to more advanced content in higher-level classes (Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus). By purchasing the bundle, you save 15% vs. buying these resources individually!</div><br />Brooks also has a blog called <a href="https://educatorslifeline.blogspot.com/"><b>The Educator's Lifeline</b></a>. I highly recommend that you read the May 26, 2023 post on Math Education and AI. <br /><br />As many of you know, I work with remedial math students on the college level. This year, we have more students than ever. Brooks’ resources are perfect for these struggling students in that she gives them more than just an abstract way of learning algebra. She uses visuals, color coding, etc. to help them learn and memorize. As a math teacher, I believe that is what we all should be doing; so, take time to check out <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Brooks-Jones">Brooks’ store</a>,</b> and while you are there, download one of her two freebies. <br /><br /> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5410562205692621875.post-15059660776059400512023-09-13T07:00:00.064-05:002023-09-16T08:32:12.977-05:00Algebra - Using Two-Sided Colored Beans to Add and Subtract Positive and Negative Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qI1gf_ZRjfU/XhehP_aZmMI/AAAAAAAAInc/gzSV_jVAb-QXrKzUkb-nAxg1KFmrjTkowCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Two%2BSided%2BBeans%2B-%2BActual%2BManipulative.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="188" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qI1gf_ZRjfU/XhehP_aZmMI/AAAAAAAAInc/gzSV_jVAb-QXrKzUkb-nAxg1KFmrjTkowCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Two%2BSided%2BBeans%2B-%2BActual%2BManipulative.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
When it comes to adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers, many students have great difficulty. In reality, it is a very confusing and abstract idea; so, it is important to give the students a concrete visual to assist them in seeing the solution. This idea is based on the Conceptual Development Model which is important to use when introducing new math concepts. (See the <a href="https://gofigurewithscipi.blogspot.com/2019/08/developing-and-writing-effective-lesson.html"><b>July 26, 2023</b></a><b> </b>for more details about this learning model.) As a result, when teaching the concept of adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers, what would fall into each category? <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
When using the two-sided colored beans, the <b><u>concrete stage</u></b> of the Model would be where two-sided colored beans are used as an actual manipulative that can be moved around or manipulated by the students. There are a few rules to remember when using the beans. <br />
<ol>
<li>The <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>RED</b></span> beans represent negative numbers.</li>
<li>The <b>WHITE</b> beans represent positive numbers. </li>
<li>One <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>RED</b></span> bean can eliminate one <b>WHITE</b> bean, and one <b>WHITE</b> bean can cancel out one <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>RED</b></span> bean. </li>
<li>All problems must be rewritten so that there is only one sign (+ or -) in front of each number.</li>
</ol>
<b><u>Sample Problem</u></b><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tkg3-5VeVyE/Xhi8cb_3caI/AAAAAAAAIoU/qtHHECiJpjwXDIVUtL5pO3oy0C7d2yjzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/BlogPicture%2Bof%2B-5%2B%252B%2B2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="235" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tkg3-5VeVyE/Xhi8cb_3caI/AAAAAAAAIoU/qtHHECiJpjwXDIVUtL5pO3oy0C7d2yjzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BlogPicture%2Bof%2B-5%2B%252B%2B2.jpg" width="236" /></a><br />
1) The student is given the problem <b><span style="background-color: yellow;">- 5 + 2</span>.</b><br />
<div>
<br />
2) Since <b>-5</b> is negative, the student gets out five red beans, and then two white beans because the 2 is positive.<br />
<br />
3) Since some of the beans are red and two are white, the student must match one red bean with one white bean. (I tell my students that this is barbaric because the red beans eat the white beans. They love it!)<br />
<div>
<br />
4) Because three red beans have no partner (they're left over) the answer to <b style="background-color: yellow;">– 5 + 2 = - 3</b>. (See example above.)<br />
<br />
After mastering the <b><u>concrete stage</u></b> of the Conceptual Development Model, the students would move on to the <b><u>pictorial stage</u></b>. Sketching a picture of the beans would be considered <b><u>pictorial</u></b>. Have students draw circles to represent the beans, leaving the circles that denote positive numbers white and coloring the circles that represent negative numbers red. <br />
<br />
As an example, let’s do the problem <b>3 - +5</b>. First, rewrite the problem as <b>3 - 5</b>. Now draw three white beans. Draw five more beans and color them red to represent <b>-5</b>. Match one white bean to one red bean. Two red beans are left over; therefore, the answer to <b>3 - +5 is -2</b>. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: yellow;">3 - +5 = 3 – 5 = -2 </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ExwtHsWJ3NQ/Xhi3_e4k1AI/AAAAAAAAIoA/Pw5W8IQSnHoMcTt_6ERPVqqtreShC9RCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Drawing%2Bof%2BBeans%2Bfor%2BBlog%2Bpost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="622" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ExwtHsWJ3NQ/Xhi3_e4k1AI/AAAAAAAAIoA/Pw5W8IQSnHoMcTt_6ERPVqqtreShC9RCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Drawing%2Bof%2BBeans%2Bfor%2BBlog%2Bpost.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>When students understand the <b><u>pictorial stage</u></b>, then <b><u>abstract</u></b> problems such as the ones in textbooks can be presented. (Notice, the textbook is the last place we go for an introduction.) I have found that most of my remedial college students move straight from the <b><u>concrete stage </u></b>(beans) to the <b><u>abstract stage</u></b> without any problem. Many put away the beans after two or three lessons. What works best for your students as they master this algebraic concept is something you will have to determine.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzdeh9707yl_4O8UJDAyrRLYBz-dopDG8RGEKcQpDyXJPGwJyeEck1IrerM0vvVWHxjMKrTIZwzSHC_4oqFgi6A3q8FuzMWbC2lQsRMbAJNhRy0pdrYWm6TRMxs7U6DnFDk3elsF6oqHFus10yWMYVEY1EZ2ApoiQaIfwvEveEkkIHjji14yVbaunyjo/s1500/Tailwind%20Ceated%20Cover%20%232%20%20Feb.%2022-2022.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzdeh9707yl_4O8UJDAyrRLYBz-dopDG8RGEKcQpDyXJPGwJyeEck1IrerM0vvVWHxjMKrTIZwzSHC_4oqFgi6A3q8FuzMWbC2lQsRMbAJNhRy0pdrYWm6TRMxs7U6DnFDk3elsF6oqHFus10yWMYVEY1EZ2ApoiQaIfwvEveEkkIHjji14yVbaunyjo/w133-h200/Tailwind%20Ceated%20Cover%20%232%20%20Feb.%2022-2022.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Algebra-Hands-On-Math-Activity-Adding-Subtracting-Positive-Negative-Integers-5151907">$5.35</a></b></td></tr></tbody></table>If you would like a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Using-Two-Sided-Colored-Beans-to-Teach-Positive-and-Negative-Numbers-in-Math-5151907?utm_source=Go%20Figure&utm_campaign=Two%20Sided%20Beans%20on%20Go%20Figure"><b>resource</b></a> that gradually goes through these lessons, you can purchase it on <i>Teachers Pay Teachers</i>. It introduces the algebraic concept of adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers and contains several integrated hands-on activities. They include short math lessons with step-by-step instructions on how to use the beans, visual aids and illustrations, four separate and different practice student worksheets with complete answers in addition to detailed explanations for the instructor.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<!-- start InLinkz code -->
<div class="inlinkz-widget" data-uuid="2cbac40c547d4707afcbb8f7a6375d7e" style="width:100%;margin:30px 0;background-color:#eceff1;border-radius:7px;text-align:center;font-size:16px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">
<div style="padding:8px;"><p style="margin-bottom:15px;">You are invited to the <strong>Inlinkz</strong> link party!</p>
<a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/2cbac40c547d4707afcbb8f7a6375d7e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="padding:5px 20px;background:#209cee;text-decoration:none;color:#efefef;border-radius:4px;">Click here to enter</a></div></div>
<span style="display: none;"><script async="true" src="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef"></script></span>
<!-- end InLinkz code -->
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img alt="Pin It!" style='border: none;' src="http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc390/scipiatgofigure/PinterestImage.png"/></a></div>Scipihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04540662041195568946noreply@blogger.com0