This week during math, I have truly began to notice the kinds of mathematic activities my students are interested in. We have been working on writing multiplication sentences by using the total to divide the number into groups of a number and adding the remainder. For example, a number sentence for the total 21 would look like: 10x2+1=21. The first day, my mentor teacher asked the students to stand up and students rearranged themselves into different numbered groups, and physically looked at the remainder. Then, the class filled out a long table which had the students make many more number sentences with the same total. During my lesson today, I had students fill out a calendar for October and make number sentences according to the day. I modeled how to complete this activity and then set the students out to complete the calendar by themselves. I noticed my third grade students getting very excited about the results and wanted to complete the entire calendar. After the lesson, the students asked me if I could come up with another activity for them to take home because they liked learning about writing multiplication number sentences (and beginning division).
From this activity and interaction with my students, I have noticed they become much more interested in activities when they are related to real-world application. For example, my students may not have thought they could relate writing multiplication number sentences on a calendar for October. This allows students to understand that math is tied to all aspects of life. Not only did my students like this activity, they could see real-world connections and understand that math is a part of our lives.
Good - This is a great example of connecting the mathematical skills that you are teaching to activities that students already do in real life (e.g., keeping track of time).
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