School may be out for the summer, but in between catching up on sleep, organizing the neglected household projects, and squeezing in as much family time as possible, I like to get a head start on planning for the next school year!
Summer To-Do List
For me, this is the time I love creating a new activity or updating a previously used project. There is no pressure to finish for tomorrow… and no need to stress if I get stuck. To help maximize my summer work efficiency, I create a summer to-do list at the beginning of each school year. Then, throughout the year, I add items that I want to create or adjust for the next school year to this list. This gives me the opportunity to work on these projects when I can sit on the patio, sip coffee, and let the creativity flow.
The first item on my list to improve is an introduction activity I have used at the beginning of the last two school years. This fun, simple task allows me to get to know my new kiddos while also getting an insight into their mathematical knowledge and understanding of basic facts and numerical expressions. Previously, I called this student project “Math About Me.” This is the template I used:
It’s not too bad, right? However, after exploring a few different layouts provided within one of my favorite middle school math groups on Facebook, I decided to adjust the name of the activity to “Can You Figure Out (Student Name)” to make it sound more alluring and mysterious to my students. My classes the last few years have thoroughly enjoyed solving mysteries and puzzles. I plan to turn this into a partner activity to incorporate teamwork and communication skills in addition to getting to know one of their peers.
Let’s Revamp This Activity
Previously, I had students complete this activity individually during class and then we would share a few expressions to solve together as a whole class. Transitioning to partner work will allow students to share more of their hard work, get to know another peer on a deeper level, and provide them with more time DOING math in a fun way. It will also give me an opportunity to work more closely with smaller groups of students as I get to know their interests, strengths, and levels of mathematical confidence.
Another note that I wrote in my reflection is that students needed a place to write their answer on the template. This will allow me to check their expressions as well as make it easier to work with partners. Inserting a fold line at the bottom of the design ensures that partners cannot see answers at the beginning. Here is the revamped layout:
Step-by-Step Implementation
So, how do I plan on using this activity this upcoming year? First, I will print a worksheet for each student on colorful paper. I will project my own completed activity on my SMARTboard so that students have an example of what the final product will look like, as well as my expectations. This will also allow students to get a refresher on basic facts and order of operation rules as they solve the expressions to get to know their teacher. I suggest using a range of difficulty levels when creating your own expressions so that students feel that they can be successful with this activity no matter their skill set. This also offers a range of topics you can quickly review as a class (operations, fractions, exponents, parentheses).
I included little drawings in each box for a few reasons. 1- Drawing is NOT my strong suit. I like to show my students that it is ok to not be great at something. We all have our strengths (and areas in which we don’t feel confident)! 2- Students who finish early can decorate their paper. Here is my example:
Can You Figure Out Mrs. O?
Finally, I will pair students with a partner to figure each other out.
For the final discussion, students can share expressions they found the most challenging or problems they might have missed initially, as well as the expressions which they had the most confidence in solving. This also allows students to get to know more facts about other peers.
Grab your FREE TEMPLATE!
I hope you and your students enjoy this activity as much as my classes have the last few years! I always love watching the wheels turn while a student is trying to come up with an expression that will stump his classmate. It also allows students to work at their readiness level and that’s another aspect that makes this activity great! It is low risk for all students! Have fun getting to know more about your new group of kiddos!
