We're working on measurement standards this week in 3rd - specifically grams & kilograms.  Here's some tips and tricks to get your ZONES up and running!

To start, I plan out each whole group daily lesson using Engage NY curriculum.  It has a lot going each lesson, so I condense what I can to allow ZONES time.  As I'm planning, I'm thinking of ways I can plug certain activities into each zone and create a weekly menu of the activities. 

FYI: The goal for each week is to get to 7 rotations.  I don't plan a whole group lesson on Friday to allow for ZONES catch-up/finish.  I typically have a 60 minute math block.  Some days there's time for 1 rotation, some days there's time for 2 or 3 rotations.  Students choose where they want to go using the class choice board & weekly menu - teacher initials selection chosen each day.  They aren't allowed to repeat zones on a given day.  Zones are 20 minute rotations.  All 'MUST DO' work is to be completed by Friday!

Each week I customize the MENU based on the standard focus.  To deal with early finishers, I've established a MUST do and a MAY do.  MUST do items are due Friday.  Once the work is done, they MAY choose another way to practice.

This zone typically stays the same each week - students use Reflex to build fact fluency.  There's also other options they can choose such as flashcards, or power towers.

 They MUST DO:
1. Gram/Kilogram Cut and Sort
{ P.S. I love these and have the complete bundle from Math Tech Connections.}

2. Estimation Gram/Kilogram Practice Pages
Mass-with-Grams-and-Kilograms-Worksheet
Estimating Grams & Kilograms

When completed they MAY DO:
     - practice pages (I have a mix of spiral review / multiplication practice to choose from)
     - flashcards
     - log onto Front Row

Explore is targeted at being hands-on using manipulatives, so students this week were using scales to estimate & weigh items around the classroom in kilograms and grams.

*Download your FREEBIE thanks to my amazing planning partner/ co-teacher Christi Gilbert :)

And who doesn't love a partner fun game to reinforce concepts?  Christi pulled through yet again with this gem!  I laminated it as one piece and dropped it into my game file bin!  Check!

That's a a wrap!  Onto the next week!

Bring it February!  The longest shortest month is in full swing here in beautiful Michigan.  I may count it as one of my spiritual gifts to make it through each winter here; but alas, spring break is on the horizon (48 days... if you're counting  #thankyoujesus).

We kicked off the new year with some great site visits from other Michigan schools interested in starting ZONES which got me thinking about some of the common questions we receive. 

Here's the low down on how I've made the ZONES framework successful... and work for ME in my classroom.  I think that's one of the best things about the ZONES framework is its ability to be customized FOR you and TO your student population.  Our team always laughs when we discuss things about ZONES because we find each of us utilizing it slightly differently. 

So, here goes.  Welcome to Root's Room!  P.S. We love visitors!

First things first, I use the NY Engage Curriculum.   So when I sit down to plan each week, I focus on the overall skill/standard as my starting point.  From there I think of ways to plug it into each zone. So, basically I plan for the daily lessons, as well as how I can incorporate the standard focus through each zone.  This particular week the focus was developing the concept of multiplication using groups of 4.  The way I've found best to organize this for me and my students is through the use of a menu (which I customize each week). 

Exhibit A:

The expectations have been set when we launched ZONES back in September, so all I really need to do is a quick run through each week of what each center entails.  From here the students are put in charge of their own learning, while I'm freed up to conference or pull small groups.   They make their selection of which ZONE they want to go to, and I initial their choice on their menu.  Once everyone has chosen, I set a timer for 20 minutes and ZONES is off and running!

*As a side note, my literacy is taught through this similar balanced approach, which really makes it seamless for the kids.  ZONES aligns amazingly well to the Daily 5 choice board. #winning

This is an easy one... it pretty much stays the same all year.  God bless Reflex Math.  If you haven't checked it out, it's an amazing program for fact fluency and spits out fabulous data reports for teachers, students & parents!  Students also have the option of practicing fact fluency in other ways such as flashcards (with our handy dandy ZONES MemoriZe Mat), or power towers. 

On your Own is typically a worksheet practice of some sort.  I really push the use of their Resource Journal to complete independently. 

It's organized using a shoe holder.  Each week there's pages they MUST complete, and if they accomplish them, they MAY choose another extension (typically it's more of a fun activity or spiral review pages).  If they choose not to do a MAY do (and they are done with the MUST do) they can always work with their flashcards.

This is where the writing component for math comes into play.   I've found the K-5 Teaching resources journal prompts work fabulously for targeting this skill.  Because 18 of my 27 students are English Learners, this center can have its challenges.  One way to scaffold this is through the use of sentence frames to help walk them through the steps to solve.  When we launched the Notebook zone, we spent a lot of time building the expectations and modeling.  There's a page in their Resource Journal they can always go back to if help is needed.

{ Also see: Notebook got you in Knots? }

Each student MUST solve the problem of the week.  Early finishers MAY create their own story problem, or do flashcards.

This seems to be a favorite zone... I mean, what kids don't like to play with TOOLS (if I got a dollar every time I had to say "TOOL or TOY?" in September - ha!)?

I've found that the dollar bins are great for storing and grabbing manipulatives for this center.  At this center you want kids to use manipulatives to solve problems. 

Early finishers who complete the task get to work with any type of problem solving game.  Here are a few of our favorites:

- Head Full of Numbers (like Boggle for equations)
- Mobi (like Bananagrams with equations)
- Rush Hour Jr.
- Rush Hour
- Katamino
- Rubics Cubes
- Tangrams/ Pattern Blocks/ Pentaminoes [spacial shape games]
- Puzzles

Last but not least, there's play with Someone - another favorite.  Think of this center as utilizing a game to cement the standard focus.  Since we've been into multiplication, I found the best way to organize was with a bin and file folders.  I have different bins like this for each unit that I simply have to pull out! #winningagain

Supplies they need are right next to the bin.  If it's a new game, Mrs. Gilbert & I have lots of fun reverting back to 3rd graders to model how it's NOT played and have the kids tell us how we SHOULD play it.  #memoriesaremade

SOoooooooooooo.... clear as mud?
By the end of the week, the weekly menu looks something like this:

The key to ZONES it to remember it's a framework for the guided/balanced math teaching approach.  What works for me is to do the math lesson for the day and with the remaining math time allow the students to do ZONES.  Some days time is limited so we may only have time for one zone rotation (20 minutes), where other days we may have time for 2, or 3 rotations.  I've found for myself personally, 7 is the magic number.  Typically with that amount of rotations, students are able to accomplish weekly tasks. 

Another little tidbit is I color code chosen centers each day for tracking purposes -  as students aren't allowed to repeat a center within the same day (example: Monday I initial in red, Tuesday orange...).  It also helps me to see where they've been and what they've gotten accomplished.  Some students are able to complete a ZONE task in one rotation, while others may need to revisit (on a different day) to complete.  Early finishers who complete a ZONE can go back to do the MAY do options that particular ZONE offers.  

Friday's are known as "FINISH FRIDAYS" and they must complete and turn in the practice page, notebook, and explore work.  Depending on the week, I usually don't do any actual lesson on Fridays to allow for students to focus on completing their ZONES work. 

Here's how the data each week is tracked - it's kind of a hot mess, but it works for me.  Students turn in work as it's completed.  I'm able to document scores each night as I check it.   This also really helps with planning for small groups and remediation.

Annnnnnnnnnddddd.... for sticking with me through this crazy long post... here's your FREEBIE!  Like who wouldn't want a tracking form??  #livingthedream

Still have questions?  Drop us a note in the comment section below!

Rock on,
Kristin

Hello everyone!  I hope ZONES introduction and set up is going well for you.  If you haven't started, it's not too late!  And if you haven't started because . . . 'How in the world does this work for lower el?' . . . then hopefully this post will help you.

My math block this year is about 50 minutes long.  On Mondays, we work whole group to introduce new activities and big concepts.  The rest of the week we spend about 20-30 minutes on whole group instruction or completion of Engage New York worksheets (that the students cannot complete independently).  That leaves about 25-30 minutes for students to work in their ZONES while I work with small groups.  Within that time, I try to meet with two small groups a day.  My groups are put together by ability and understanding of our current concepts.

I have gone this year to a more student led ZONES and Daily 5 time.  We still work at the same focused tasks, but it is up to my students when they complete each activity.  I no longer assign groups or tell them when to switch to their next activity.  They know what they need to complete and mark it off as they go.  If it is not complete on Friday, than they owe me some work!  Telling students when to switch and policing behavior became my nightmare after last year . . . I am over it!  

Here is an image of my ZONES board.  It has been working really well and I am excited about the ownership and independence it is creating in my students.  It also makes my life easier because . . . well . . . less policing!

With the time that we have to work on targeted activities in ZONES, I do not need to create tons of different activities for the students. I have a few things that switch out each week and a few more that switch out after a few weeks.  Receptiveness in 1st grade is important for building those strong foundations.  One time completing something is not enough.

I hope this helps to spark some ideas.  I'll be back next month with more specifics about organization and activities!
​-Meghan

5th grade - we finally started ZONES rotations today!  Hooray!  Here is a photo of our *beautiful* choice board. All of the circles start on the space on the right-hand side before math workshop begins.  Students move their circle to their choice on the left.  We were VERY surprised with how many students chose memoriZe. Of course, no one chose Notebook (we were not surprised by this), but they will have to at some point this week!

Our students did AWESOME working in their very first ZONE choice!

This student checked his multiplication work with a calculator.  The calculator showed a different answer than the one he got.  He is carefully checking his work again, using resources from his math notebook.

This is a little over 15 minutes after we started. Look! They are all still on task and engaged. Yesssss!

For just a moment, time stood still.  We enjoyed the quiet of the classroom, the minds hard at work, and the feeling of peace in the room.  Blogger Glennon Melton terms this as a "Kairos moment" - Then there's Kairos time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.
 I am so thankful for our ZONES time, and how it has enabled us to have a few Kairos moments each day.