IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Reid and Andrew playing ten frame war during Math Workshop.

Over the past two weeks we have been exploring different materials that we can use in Math Workshop.  Today, we used the ten frame.  It all started this morning when the kids came to morning meeting.  There was a giant ten frame on the floor with masking tape. (A ten frame is basically two rows of rectangles that form a grid.)  The kids were very curious about this and asked what it was.  I responded with, “I’m not sure, what do you think it is?”  Reid thought it might have something to do with math and Jermaine thought it had to do with the number ten.  When I said we would come back to it at during Math Workshop the kids acted like it was the end of the world.  They really wanted to know!

When we returned to it this afternoon, we had a wonderful conversation about the giant ten frame on the floor.  I challenged the kids to see how they could use them as mathematicians.  Together we came up with counting, sorting, and helping with problems.  Finally, to end our ten frame exploration we learned about the game ten frame war. The kids got a chance to play with partners.  Check out some of the pictures to see how they did!

Melina and Shayla playing ten frame war.

Maxwell and Wyatt playing ten frame war.

Today during Math Workshop, we talked, for the second day, about how to use drawings to help us solve math problems. We practiced a story problem together on the dry erase board.

“Kynden went to the fair and rode on 7 rides,” I said. Aidan helped by drawing seven circles on the board.

Then I said, “Later, Kynden rode 4 more rides. How many rides did she ride all together.” Aidan drew four more circles and then counted the whole group. “She rode eleven!” Aidan exclaimed.

I then sent students out to go solve a new story problem independently. I fully expected them to solve it the same way we had practiced together…by drawing circles or some other shape.

Many students did choose this strategy. However, Aaliyah decided to solve the problem with a number line. Due to the uniqueness and effectivness of her strategy, I had Aaliyah come up and share at the end of the workshop.

Aaliyah draws her number line on the dry erase board for the whole class to see.

The students were completely engaged as she shared how to use her number line. And I was thrilled! As a teacher, it is one of my greatest joys to have students’ learning come from the learning of another student. I find that to be much more authentic and meaningful for the class, than if I teach a lesson on it myself. If I were to bet, I’d say that we will have quite a few students trying to solve tomorrow’s math problems with a number line!

This week, we have started our gift wall. We had a conversation on Monday about gifts. What is gift that you might unwrap and open on your birthday? And what is the other kind of gift? The kind of gift you can’t open but can still give to others.

As a class, we began thinking about some of these gifts: friendship, helpfulness, leadership. Throughout the past couple of days, I have been taking pictures of students when I see them offering a gift to those around them. We then label this gift and put the word and the photo up on our gift wall.

Thus far, we have talked about the gift of helpfulness and the gift of teamwork.

It is my hope, that in the coming weeks and months, this wall will become covered with photos of children sharing their gifts with their friends and peers!

Celisha and Jackson show us the gift of teamwork, when they worked together to put the natural materials away.

Joseph is writing down his skateboard story after he built it out of blocks.

Today, in Story Workshop, we added blank books as one of the choices for the kids to use.  As a class we talked about how they could create their stories using materials and then write down the story or how they could create a little and then write a little.  The goal with introducing the blank books later was for the kids to see how powerful the materials can be alone and how they can help add to the original stories.  It was great to see how many of the students chose to write while they were creating!  They wanted to remember their story!

Story Workshop is something that I am really excited about this year as a teacher.  In the past, we have has Writer’s Workshop for our writing.  While the two workshops are very similar, in my opinion, Story Workshop allows for even more creativity.  The kids are able to use manipulatives and materials to act out, paint, sculpt, or even draw before they put the story all together.  In the past, they were limited to paper, and writing materials such as crayons, pencils, pens, and markers.  With Story Workshop, they are going to be able to use clay, collage, blocks, natural materials, watercolors, oil pastels, and even more!     These materials can help the kids add more details to their stories! It adds a deeper level to their creations.  It is almost as if they are creating their first “draft” when they are using the manipulatives.  I am looking forward to seeing where Story Workshop takes us this year!