Word Wall Idea

I'm going to be honest...I always forget to add our newly acquired vocabulary to the word wall in our room.  So, I decided to let the kids be in charge of this.  (They LOVE having something in the room that is all theirs!)

My fifth graders used their textbooks and workbooks (we have the EnVision curriculum) to find important vocabulary terms that they thought belonged on our word wall.  I have my students seated in groups of either 3 or 4, and the students worked with their group to find as many words as possible that were relevant.  This is the list they created.



We have focused a lot on writing in math over the past two years.  So, I was so happy to see my students really focusing on using correct spelling with this activity.  Before last year, they would have just written whatever on the board without a care as to how it was spelled.  The GT ELA teacher has been a god-send with these guys in regards to their spelling! 

After they finished compiling the list, we reviewed it together as a class.  We chose to omit some words and then we changed a few others (added Property to Associative and Commutative).  Then, I wrote the words from their list on index cards.  The students suggested that I add an example on each card to better help them.  They have come to rely on our word wall tremendously during their writing activities. 

I have my fifth grade class first thing in the morning, so of course when the fourth graders and third graders walked in later in the day they wanted to know when they were going to add words to the word wall too!  Makes my teacher heart happy!

Multiplication Properties Foldable

One of the big pushes with Common Core is a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and real-world application.  The properties of multiplication are relatively new to my students.  They were able to identify the examples of each property, but were not aware of the specific names of the properties.  I can remember as an elementary student I learned that any number multiplied by 1 is always that number, but we were never taught that it was called the Identify Property of Multiplication. 
 
With any new concept or situation where my students need to learn a property or rule, I like for them to make some sort of foldable.  This really appeals to your kinesthetic and visual learners.
 
Here are some photos of the foldable we made:
 

Step 1: Fold a piece of plain white paper in half hamburger style.
Step 2: Cut four equal strips on one half of the folded paper.
Step 3: Label each strip with a property.
Step 4: On the blank side of the foldable (the side not cut), students will write a definition and example for each property.  I always have them trace a line between each section so the strip and information match up.

 

 

 

 We have a Math Interactive Notebook (composition notebook) which we use to record notes, place our foldables, show our work, record reflections from lessons, etc.  Students will glue the foldable into their notebooks.  Now they can use this foldable to help them study for their upcoming test!

 

 

 

 Feel free to use this idea! 

Happy almost HUMP day!!!
Ms. H :)