The Journey
Through Smath
Enabling my students to do
learn more and retain more
Why can't they do this?
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Students regularly solved complex word
problems
Very confident they could solve any
problems I found for them.
TAKS scores were always very high in the
Problem Solving section
Taught 6 years in Northeast ISD
ALL passed Obj. 6, Problem Solving
Frequently asked how this was
accomplished
No One Knew !!!!
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Students brought data from Science class for
help to work through some extension
problems
Posed 1st questions
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No one could answer
Employed problem
solving techniques
already learned
No One Knew !!!!
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Still, no one knew what to do
Much discussion about experiment & data
students gathered
Realized students had no idea what they
had done or why they had the results they
got
What Do We Do With These
Yucky Numbers?
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Organized data into table to see what was
happening in experiment
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Discussed what results meant
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Asked if results acceptable
Students said no
Numbers not in integer form
Integer form always used in math
The "Aha" Moment
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Redid entire lab, discussing all components
formulas used
o data gathered
o appropriate units used
o rounding techniques
o
The "Aha" Moment
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Confident students could problem solve
even if the numbers weren't pretty.
But students needed practice, so...
Integers Made Easy
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Next topic: introduce integers
Natural connection to science: building
atoms
Integers Made Easy
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Discussed roles of protons & electrons
atoms
Had to balance
Students understood net charge being 0
Integers Made Easy
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Used Periodic Table to choose elements
to build
Questioned difference between atomic
number and atomic weight
Good review of decimal addition and
subtraction
Students researched and presented
findings
PBL for Math, Science, LA, and
Technology
Solving Equations - Use Elements
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Next topic: solving equations
6th grade expectations - simple 1 or 2 step
equations
My expectations - equations using
distributive property
o combining like terms
o fractional coefficients
o solving for different variables
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Used models of elements and compounds
to introduce equations
Solving Equations -Used
Elements
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Students moved between science and math
vocabulary with ease
Transferred knowledge gained from building
elements & compounds to solving algebraic
formulas
Used algebraic
knowledge to
balance simple
chemical equations
Value of Integrating Scienc &
Math
What Do Pattern Blocks Have to
Do With Elements & Compounds?
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Used pattern blocks to show students
differences between compounds and
elements.
Used molecular formulas to make
compounds out of the pattern blocks.
What Do Pattern Blocks Have to
Do With Elements & Compounds?
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Taught distributive
property, an extremely
difficult topic for young
students to grasp
Students were able to
differentiate between
ways science & math
distributes
Discussed what was
actually happening to
numbers or elements
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Many thought-provoking discussions
about nomenclature of the compounds
compared to equations
Pooping Bunnies? What?
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Reviewed unit rates & speed by using wind
up bunnies that pooped jelly beans
Revisited speed & average rates of dropped
jelly beans
Used distance probes & graphed the bunny's
movements
Pooping Bunnies? What?
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Deeper understanding graphs of movements
of bunny was evident when assessed
Science Benchmark showed these students
scoring much higher than other students.
Other Topics to Explore
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Tracking weather
Growing plants
Running businesses
Constantly applying
statistics on anything
students can think of
Students almost writing
lessons we are doing
Probability next
Excited to see where
Conclusion
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I continued to teach as many science
topics as I could work to my daily topics
Students were much more willing to work
at problem solving
I found them discussing problems with
other students who were not in my classes
and showing them how to solve problems
Assessment scores improved significantly
for all of my students