I'm back for another installment of my math journal Sundays. This week my oldest daughter (8 years old) "discovered" my math journal when she was looking for something in school bag, and she thought it was the coolest thing she had ever seen (proud mommy moment sidenote: on her "All About Me" poster that she brought home this week she listed ME as her favourite teacher. LOVE that girl!). I'm not sure these math journals are "the coolest things ever", but I'm sure loving them in the classroom. I've had a few students ask if they can bring them home to show their parents ... ummmmm ... YES!!!
We are halfway through our patterning and algebra unit (just finished the mid-chapter review on Friday). We finished two foldable entries this week.
This entry was for "Finding the Rule". The students are still practising how to identify the explicit pattern rule in a T-Table. For this foldable, we folded a piece of paper into thirds. On the right side "third", we cut four flaps that will open outwards (see picture below). We made four different T-table examples, and when you open the flap on the right, the students wrote the pattern rule. Some of them are getting quite quick at finding the explicit rule!
This is a view "under the flaps". They did have a little difficulty with the two step rule, but we'll get there ...
As Friday was our mid-chapter review, we did a review foldable. We reviewed the term "variable", identified the rule in a T-table, and then extended the pattern using the rule.
For this foldable, we folded our paper into fourths. We glued the top fourth to the page, so that when the book is open, we can pull the foldable out into a full page (see below).
On the top fourth we wrote a T-table pattern. Next, we described the rule in words. Next we wrote the explicit rule as an algebraic expression, and lastly we extended the T-table using the pattern rule. The students really liked this foldable - the fact that all the work was hidden until they pulled the foldable out.
Next week (near the end of our unit) I am going to do a similar foldable for their reflections (summary of learning) on the unit. They will need to record one reflection on each of the flaps, and give an example using numbers, pictures, and words. As they will be completing the reflection on their own, I'll be able to assess it.
Happy Sunday!!! I do believe the sun is wanting to peek out from behind the clouds here (it's rained ALL week) - hoping it does so we can go on a fall leaf drive and have a picnic supper. Fingers crossed!!!
