Factoring FUN!

I'm going to expand this post later but wanted to share the couple of factoring resources I made for this week.  As of 1/29/18 these are all a=1.  I'm going to be out 3 days this week so I am taking factoring slow.

As of 1/30/18, I have two more resources below. 

On the Clue Activity, there are 3 versions of the 'crime' but all the same problems and numbers.  I just mixed up the suspects, weapons and rooms.

This card template was adapted from this Karen Cookie Jar Post.  A just added the answers.  It was also an older version of word so the formatting is a little wonky but prints on our printers correctly.  I recommend you print a Word copy first to check.  The PDF should be fine.

I Heart Factoring creates a picture when matched with the correct trinomial.... guess what the picture is?!?!

Get these resources for FREE here! 

Another factoring Activity for Algebra 1... A Mystery Picture!  I included a student WS to make sure they factor and do not multiply.  As they find the answers, that tells them to color that letter a certain color.  And at the end they have a snazzy picture!

1/10/18 - A new Clue Activity for Solving Quadratics by Factoring.  I made it specific to my students and school but it is easily editable for your classes.  My students loved the first version and get really excited when they see their names in problems.  There are 3 versions of the 'crime' but all the same problems and numbers.  I just mixed up the suspects, crimes and locations.

Get these resources for FREE here! Or clicking on the pictures of each activity.

For answer keys, please email camfan54@att.net from an official teacher school or professional account that I can verify. I have had a number of students and generic email accounts request keys. I don't want to ruin the integrity of an assignment for any of you. Thank you and hope you understand.

As always, please let me know if you see any mistakes or corrections and if you create anything you'd like to share!

Thanks!
Lisa

Making Math OZO-some!

Last year I participated in a WeTeach_CS grant in Texas.  It was to help prepare for taking the Teacher Certification test for teaching computer science.  I love learning new things and being a teacher, I'm a life long learner.  Through this grant, which is currently being offered throughout the state of Texas (Google to see if there is one near you!)  It is completely free and not only helps prepare you, it also provides resources for you to take back to your classroom regardless of what you teach!

We built a laptop to use for coding!

We learned to code on our new TINspires!

It was such an incredible and rewarding experience!  But how did this make math OZO-some you ask?  Through this grant, I discovered a little robot called an Ozobot.  A what o-bot?  Check out the Youtube intro video here:

And where do I see the value of coding in the math classroom?  Well, the minute I started to code all those basic order of operations principles came into play.  What else?  You had to be precise and accurate and follow directions!  Say what?  Follow directions and order of operations?  Well.... while your students might be well heeled in these practices, I find it a much needed constant 'refresher' for my students.

I loved that the kids made the connection on the first day of using the Ozobots.  When we discussed the significance of the robots in the classroom, the one student who loudly exclaimed '.... oh, oh, ohhh.... order of operations!' made it all worth it. I was ecstatic.  This is exactly how I worked coding into my math classroom.  This was just a beginning but I was able to do something that my students will always be able to connect to the most fundamental life skill for success in anything... order of operations and following directions.

The Ozobot website has premade lessons and activities for your students as well.  I used this one to start with the students.  I showed the video above then followed up with the following 2.

So how do you get an Ozobot?  I did a DonorsChoose.org classroom project.  I promoted the heck out of it because I wanted this for my students.  The first week they will even match your donations.  Here is my project so you can see the specifics.  Click on the picture to follow the link.

Those of you unfamiliar with DonorsChoose.org should definitely look into it.  It is completely FREE for teachers and I found it to be a very easy grant writing process.  I feel passionately about my students and with DonorsChoose I can express that passion effectively.  I was lucky to have this project funded and blessed beyond belief for the value it gave my students in not only math processes but a whole new world of coding for some of them!

I plan to do more with them and below are pictures of our first days.  These graduate from simple coding into loops and what if and logic statements for my hardcore coders.  They are wonderful for learning to code.  

 I love when kids get so into it they put it on social media 💓💓

They decided to build a great course.

I highly recommend you look into the WeTeach_CS grants if you can.  It was so rewarding for both for me and my students.  If you are in the Houston area and would like to check out my classroom set of Ozobots let me know.  I'd love to help you see the coding in math!

What does a nosey pepper do?

Prepare to laugh.  Uproariously.  OK... maybe not but my students sure seem to eye roll a lot when I do one of these.  Pretty sure that they are laughing with me.  OK... maybe a little sure.  OK... maybe it's just me but this is one of my favorite things to do with my kids and they love them.

Several years ago I stumbled across the following Blog post:

It changed a lot for my students and classroom!  

Below is a brief explanation on how I do it:

Here is how I like to make a Math Worksheet into a Secret Phrase Scavenger Hunt:

I like to make it answer a corny joke although sometimes they know the joke. We occasionally have to alter the way we do the scavenger hunt by having them answer first then go do the hunt in the hallway. It varies by class. They like seeing the outcome of a joke or riddle. Pizzazz is always a great resource but sometimes I just want to use the WS I have or make a WS for a specific skill they need practice on. They also seem to find all the Pizzazz Answers online (GRRRR...) 

Doing it like this definitely adds to engagement and you can design it where they have room to work which is often my issue with pre-made puzzle sheets. I also add distractor cards of letters that are not in the answer, that way it’s easier for us to spot check as they are working.  This of course would be depending on your class!  Sometimes the distractors make it too difficult.  I tend to put them at the end of my template so I can easily separate.

The blog above likes to sometimes just make a random code or answer so it is not easily discernible.  My students seem to like the jokes and it gives them something to work toward.  I love the moans and groans when a kid inadvertently calls out the answer although we try and not have 'thunder stealers' :-) 

What I like most about these is the answers DO NOT FORM a LOOP.  That always seems to create a lot more difficulty for my students and for me helping them as well. 

First, I start with a corny joke.  Find one that has enough words or letters for each problem.  The students may know them so I always include a disclaimer about showing all their work!

The first time I actually took a 10 question assignment, drew some lines on it and made some wall cards.  After that, I created a template and it's been smooth sailing.  My absolute favorite one is the What does a nosey pepper do? unfortunately this was my first one and all jokes after are just downhill as I tell my students.  It's so cheesy though and I laugh EVERY. TIME. My students even laugh about it later on as they pass me in the halls after they have moved on to higher level maths.  It is just one and two step inequalities and could likely be used in intermediate now but my students always need a refresher.  Download for free here.   I've included both Word and PDF so you do not have to change any font formatting.  You also now have a template to create any you would like!

This is the student worksheet.

This is how the wall sheets appear.  If several classes are doing the same one, I recommend printing on different color paper to help monitor!

This one is graphing lines from Standard form.  Download here.  I only have the joke sheets in word because I edited a PDF for the WS.

Writing Systems of Linear Equations

I am always changing and adapting and will add any additional ones here in the same folder as above.  I'll try and update the blog when I do as well.


I also have a couple on Teacher Pay Teachers if you are interested. They involve Domain and Range and Functions and are quite extensive.  I have a had a great deal of positive feedback.  We actually use these as MAJOR GRADES.  They are 19 questions and I count the joke completion as 20.  On this activity we actually increased our turn in rate by 95%!

Domain and Range Function Scavenger 1

Domain and Range Function Scavenger 2

I hope you enjoy this brief post and the templates!  Please share if you create any or feel free to ask me if I have any others.  I love Pizzazz but just needed to spice it up some and allow room to work.  I'm also #thatteacher so the corny jokes only I laugh at seem to amuse the kids.  They like having that end answer and also being able to move around.

For any keys, please feel free to email me at camfan54@att.net from your school or professional account.  I've had students try and email for keys in the past but luckily their email said student! 

Thanks!
Lisa

Star Wars Systems of Equations Activity

Good Day Jedi!

This is a short post to share an activity I did and wanted to provide both versions.

Last Friday, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away outside Houston, Texas, I reached the pinnacle of my teaching career when I thought to do and created a Star Wars System of Equations from a lightsaber battle.  I am the resident teacher/Star Wars nerd of the school so how this has not occurred to me before, Understand, I do not!!

This is me Homecoming week.....

It was a little more difficult than I planned to have both lightsabers line up correctly and even at that, there could be some interpretation for Luke's on the bottom graph (it was my favorite picture so I was making it work).  Regardless, I thought it a fun and nice review of writing equations and finding solutions to systems of equations.

You may download the PDF or Word document.  I did it in PDF because I used the Star Wars font and wanted it to appear formatted correctly for you.  You may also download the Star Wars font for free here to use with the Word version.

When I did it in class, it went well and I got to use my new board tools from the Math Grant I'm in from UTMB in Galveston in collaboration with the Texas Regional Collaborative.

I am also wearing my Darth Vader necklace and bracelet to get in the spirit.  I couldn't do Vader because I couldn't blast the Imperial March through the halls since we had state retesting today :-(

After I tweeted this I had a couple other related items shared.  One was a Game of
Thrones Systems from Mariève Gagné.  The link for the Word version is here and the PDF here.

The other contribution was done in Desmos by Mme Garg.  She did a New Hope Desmos style with sliders and height referenced for Obi-wan:

You may access it here.

Thank you both for the additional activities for us to use.  I love new ideas and sharing and am thankful you both did as well.  I'm already brainstorming other ways to use this idea too!

And by the end of the day... I present Harry Potter Systems of Equations!  

You will need to be liberal with your accuracy here but it was super hard to find pictures of multiple wands.  One point is also not exact and they will need to use the calculator.  This is a skill we teach so I added it in.  If you do not like it, just change the axis to be the solution.  You may download the PDF here and the Word document here.  I also used a Harry Potter font which you can download free here to keep formatting.

And another.... General Grievous and all 4 of his Lightsabers!

These points are NOT exact and require the use of the calculator to determine the solution.  Both PDF and Word versions are available for download here.  For formatting in the Word documents, you will need to download the Star Wars Font from the link above.

Get my new Star Wars Systems Activity for free here!

For any keys, please feel free to email me at camfan54@att.net from your school or professional account.  I've had students try and email for keys in the past but luckily their email said student! 

Hope you enjoy the activities my fellow Jedis (or Siths depending on how you roll)!

Thanks,

Lisa

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Ahoy Mateys!!! It's a Systems of Equations Treasure Hunt with an Escape Room Feel!

Well... Earlier in the month I posted about my beginnings of an Escape Room with an Escape Box!  Within that I  posted about the systems mapping activity that I used with it that was inspired by a Twitter Post by @AnkerMath.  Here I will post a detailed explanation with editable files for you to use with your school maps.

Thanks Ms. Anker!!!

I emailed and received a map of the school that we give our parents and guests so it a nice clean copy.

It was a PDF so I used the Snipping Tool on my computer.  This is the GREATEST COMPUTER TOOL EVER!  If you are not familiar with it, do a search on your windows computer and pin it to your desktop toolbar.  It's Icon looks like this:

I 'snipped' different parts of the map and made 7 different maps to place a coordinate plane over.  You could do just one map of the whole school but I wanted to make their points in general directions and I wanted them all different so they could not just copy.  I pasted the map in a word document.  **You want to layer it behind the text**

I also created a table to paste over it for the coordinate grid.  These files are in word and available here.  You will want to download the Austies Bost Envelopes Font here so that you do not have to change any formatting in word.  I included the PDF so you can see what mine looked like. They are both vertical and horizontal so you can make it fit you map as desired.  

Then I found locations I could use that were accessible but not easily seen from the long hallway... didn't want them just seeing it from afar.  I did two systems problems on each map.  I did them already in y=mx+b as well.  You can adjust difficulty and do standard form of course but I wanted all kids to be able to do it.  At first, I thought it would only be like a warm-up and then we'd do notes.  TIME ALERT:  I know everything always takes longer than planned but this took the WHOLE PERIOD!  Just an FYI.

Every X was the same color too and just showed the X.  But of course, they could just go to any X right?  No WAY~!!  So every X had the flip answer to make sure they found the correct one.

Once they found their X, they had to take pictures and post them on Twitter or Instagram tagging the class account.  I did not allow SnapChat.  They could do themselves or just the maps and spots.  This is all specific in their instructions.

I demonstrated my expectations after they all received their maps.  I made them complete their maps before they left my class.  

Here- I'd like to take a moment of this blog post to discuss the social media expectation.  The day before the treasure hunt I posted for the class that they needed a Twitter or Instagram to complete this activity.  This led to some of the best real life discussions I've ever had with students.  I explained our district mission statement and core values and felt that the social media fit right in with this.  We discussed the expectation of privacy and how their accounts could influence their futures so if they had something on there they didn't want me to see..... that was probably something they wouldn't want a potential employer to see.  It was very well discussed among my students throughout the day.  WOW!  I'll leave it there.  

Here are some of their posts:

It was great!  After this, they them came back to me and received a hint card with a numeral that was part of a 3 number combination bike lock like below.  I got these at Dollar Tree.  

The 7th team received a hint card that told them what place a number was in.  I adjusted how I gave out the cards accordingly for how many groups I sent out.  They were weaved through my previously posted 'Escape Box' Treasure Chest.  The green baskets were also purchased at Dollar Tree and the zip ties from the 99 cent Only store which is NOT $.99 ONLY anymore I might add! 

The back of the chest is connected with zip ties so they HAD to undo both bike locks to flip it open. (Lesson previously learned!)

Once inside, they had a code to find out the final treasure lock.  I put it under the tool box (student suggestion) so they could not slip it out of the green treasure box.  Both the box and lock were purchased at Dollar Tree.  I laminated the combination sheet so they could write on it with expo markers and folded it in half.

Inside the treasure box I put candy and school stuff like post-its, pencils and pens.  The kids liked even the school supplies!  

This entire class was working the locks!

It was exhausting but great!  The kids actually thanked me!!  Thanked me for a learning experience!!  Several questioned the time I put into it (as if they had an appreciation of that!!! How often does something like that happen?!?!).  That makes every minute and dollar worth it.  Everyone seemed to be working hard and it accommodated all levels.  I did this after we did notes over graphing and an assignment.

In summary:  I LOVED the results.  The kids loved the results.  The kids did work.  The kids had an experience.  And the biggest take-away....

If you loosen your corset too much.... it doesn't hold stuff right!  

Thank you,

Lisa

Show Your Math SpiRiT!!

Because it's THAT time of year....that time where as a singleton teacher, you are trying to avoid writing your Semester Final... yeah, it's that time.  So while I should be toiling away on my very FIRST Math Models Semester Final ever, I am, in actuality, creating a pennants template of course!

Let's back-up a bit (because, of course, this will help with my task avoidance) and go back to that beloved day before Thanksgiving Break.  That wonderful and 'highly productive' day before our blessed nine day break.  That day which our school does not only does as a Pep Rally Schedule where we have shortened periods but ALSO does Mix-It-Up Day where all kinds of zany things happen at lunch.  Always such a peaceful and productive day!

I needed SOMETHING for my kiddos to do!   I needed something fun but educational as many needed to finish their major take-home project.  Then an epiphany!!! Actually a moment while rummaging through all those pre-copied things I had that I didn't get to in the unit so can I use them ah-ha moment!  

I had copied (and cut) all these pennants from an old activity! Instant lesson! Check Teachers Pay Teachers for a plethora of prepared ones! 

I needed to take up some time and also replace my fabulous Turkeys and Pumpkins hanging in the hallway.  Us math folks at Clear Brook can't handle a plain hall... testing week, when it all has to come down, is miserable and dull.  

I had each kiddo take one of each 'kind' of problem.  The activity has twenty different questions 4 to a page with 4 different forms on each page.  I did hand check all problems before they hung them on the yarn I had stretched along the back cabinets.  I cut it and hung it after each class.  I also quickly learned they NEEDED some color so had the rest of the classes decorate theirs.  My kids loved it!  

Then after all the excitement of a successful day... then comes the I know it's going to be time-consuming panic that- they asked to do it again..... Ugh but also a Heck YEAH!!   So I start looking around and then proceed to spend all my money on Christmas Presents!  Ugh.  EVERY. SINGLE PENNY.  

So... here I am, an hour later, still creating this blog after spending the better part of the afternoon making a Pennant Template I can use.  It is a deal more time consuming that the quick (and much preferred) purchase on my favorite teacher resource, Teachers-Pay-Teachers.  

I know that it is not as cute or styled as the available ones are and they are much simpler than those already available but I couldn't help sharing for those of you needing something to create your own Spirit in the Math Classroom!  Or those that are in my same shameful Black Friday Shopping but can't wait for Christmas Predicament!  

You can get my few pennant resources here.  I am also a font junkie so you can download my absolutely favorite font, Janda Curly Girl here for free.  This will allow you to edit the word documents without having to make adjustments for my font formats.  I also included the PDF of an already done Standard to Slope-Intercept Pennant Activity. I am a firm believer in they can NEVER practice this skill too much or enough.  

Here is a new pennant I created on 1-22-18.  It is for multiplying binomials.  I also did a new template with pictures and a little more decor.  Get all resources here for FREE.  I have them saved in both Word and PDF if you do not want to deal with font formatting. You will again need the Janda Curly Girl Font listed above as well as KG Payhone you can get for free here.

For any keys, please feel free to email me at camfan54@att.net from your school or professional account.  I've had students try and email for keys in the past but luckily their email said student! 

Thank you!

Lisa