With a simple string and cards, students play Guess My Number and build their vocabulary and number sense.
Combining Like Terms
6th grade learns to combine like terms
12 Ways to Get 11
As I have said countless times in previous posts, my 6th graders have been math buddies with a kindergarten class. The other kinder teacher and I spend numerous hours trying to create and plan different activities for both classes to do. One of the books I came across on Twitter was 12 Ways to Get 11 by Eve Merriam. …
Create your own clothesline
For the past few months, I’ve been completely sidelined with another project that required my full attention and writing skills. Luckily, the project is finished and now it’s the waiting game. SO my apologies for my disappearance. However, I have a few blog posts that I’m going to catch up on in the next few weeks. As most of you …
Making sense of conversions
My son, Jared, is in 6th grade. He has told me he thinks it’s “cool” that I’m teaching 6th grade too. According to him, we have stuff to talk about. I can finally help him with his homework. (Really? Like I’ve never been able to help you with any of your other homework?!? What the what?!?!?). Of course I left …
Mills, Bills, and Trill
The first week of school lesson plans usually consist of getting-to-know-you type activities. In planning, I figured it would be a great time for exploring in math. I hemmed and hawed about it. At first I thought I’d do a 3 act lesson. They are always exciting and engaging, but I couldn’t think or find one that these kids hadn’t …
Welcome to Acosta Academy
Welcome back to a whole new school year! I’ve spent the whole summer steadily preparing for my new assignment and it’s one that I’m embracing. Here is it…the night before my first day at a new school, new routines, new students, new colleagues—actually, they aren’t that new to me. I’m supposed to be trying to rest up and review …
Kinder clothesline with 6th grade
Some of my 6th graders went back to kindergarten. They didn’t know it and we didn’t tell them till the end of the activity. The teachers and I just wanted to do it out of sheer curiosity. And it turned out to be a curiosity that was worth exploring. Let me back up a bit. Just last week, I …
New Routines for 6th grade
In my district, there are several 6th grade teams at three separate elementary schools. They are an anomaly in that they are invited to secondary professional developments & textbook trainings with other middle school teachers, but yet they are their own special group. It’s not easy to have secondary expectations, all the while being at a site with kindergarteners passing …