Week 25- States of Matter, The Ultimate Puzzle, & Math Small Groups

This week in science we have been studying states of matter. This song is one of my favorites when I teach this. It is also one of those songs that gets stuck in your head once you hear it.


I also did a demonstration of the movement of particles in hot and cold water. We added food coloring and the students observed to see what happened and they discussed why there was a difference.

We learned all of our brain dumps for customary measurement this week too. Check out this video I made that explains how to use the brain dumps to convert measurement. 

I've changed up the way I'm teaching math. After reviewing some test scores I decided to try teaching all my math lessons in small groups. I divided the students into 3 groups and I have 3 things for the groups to rotate through. I start with a quick mini lesson and we check any homework we had the night before.

The first rotation is time with teacher. This is where I review skills and introduce the new skill we are focusing on that day. 

Our school just got access to all the exemplars for math. Samples can be found here. These are complex word problems that won't be solved in a 15 minute rotation. The students solve the problem, label their work, write an explanation, and draw any charts or pictures they used to solve the problem. I allowed the students to work together this week to solve their problem. 

The 3rd rotation is Calendar & Math Games. We have been calendar math all year and in this poster the group can choose one piece of the calendar to complete. After that, they are able to play the math games I've left in this area. This week I introduced them to The Ultimate Puzzle. 

I'm pretty sure this puzzle was a hit with a lot of my students. When they solve a 3x3 or 4x4 puzzle I take a picture of them and their solution. My plan is to create a poster of solutions. Here are just a few from this week. 

I have 3 of the same puzzle so to keep the pieces from being mixed up I put colored stickers on each set. This helps keep the pieces with the correct puzzle and prevents them from being mixed up because it does make a difference. 

Are you familiar with Learn Zillion? I love this site! This is a great way for my students to review a concept in a group without me. I created the poster so they can scan the QR code to go to the website. I then provide them with a quick code and they are able to access the video I want them to watch. I've been using several things in math class to have them review. Here are a few of them:

Math Journal Prompts and Essential Questions- We start some days with math journal prompts. I love these because it incorporates writing into math.

Common Core Math Worksheets- I love these because they are a quick way to assess my students and make sure they understand.

Common Core Math Outside the Box 5th Grade- Another quick assessment!

Math Exit Slips 5th Grade- I add a snapshot of the exit slip on my slides for the day. I have my students write their answer on a sticky note and post it on the Show What You Know Board. This is a quick way for me to check to see who needs to review the standard.

I'm still working to find what works best for our groups but I think it went pretty well this week. I also love sitting at the table with every student. It helps me see the errors they are making and connect with each of them.

Want a copy of the signs I made for my math rotations? Click here to access my dropbox file.

STUDENTS: Do you like the way we did math this week? Why or why not?