When I was growing up, my grandparents lived close to Pasadena, California.  For years, they went to the the Rose Parade. It was always, always, my favorite thing to do on New Year's Day.  The floats were beautiful and amazingly creative. The weather was always warm and sunny, and the people were so fun.

This year, I was stuck in cloudy Michigan watching the parade on TV.  But, as I watched, my brain started turning... There is a lot of MATH going on here! Like how many flowers / seeds you need to cover a square inch of space. Or much it costs to create a float. Or the cost per square inch of a float. Or how many flowers you would need to order to cover your float...  Then I wondered: "How can I use this in my classes?"

{Remember my previous post about student engagement? My goal was more authentic tasks!}

While the task I created isn't totally authentic, it does link to something in real life {the Rose Parade}, and gave an artistic outlet for my students.

During the mini lesson, I showed a couple of videos to give students background on my all-time favorite parade:

Then, students worked on the following task in the Explore zone. We gave them two rotations to complete the task:

We used the "answer keys" from the coordinate grid graphing pictures at worksheets.com to give students an outline for an image.  Students colored the image and then counted the number of squares for each color.  For partial squares, we had students estimate which partial squares they could put together to create a whole square.  Click on any of the activity images to download the worksheet {for FREE!!}

There are a few ways you could differentiate this for your class -- you could change the decimal numbers in the Materials Price Sheet and make them whole dollars. You could also have students count partial squares as a decimal / fraction.  How can you see yourself using this in your classroom?

Makin' it real,
Christi

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

I was skimming through Twitter this weekend when I came across this fun post from @mraspinall . It was an emoji exit ticket! How fun!

We decided to use it after our lesson on division. In 5th grade, we have the lowest group of students. They still struggle with basic math concepts, which means that before we do multi-digit division, we have to go back and solidify what division actually means.

We took a whole class period to introduce and play Roll and Divide. I love, love, love this game for so many reasons:

• It works with division vocabulary
• It gives a hands-on experience with what each part of division means
• It gives a clear picture of what the remainder is
• Students can discover patterns and connections from their work with the game
• It can be used as a Play with Someone game or as an individual Explore activity​
• You can play by figuring out how many groups, or how many in each group (an important distinction, yet important to understand that division can be used for either one)

We will be using this as our Explore zone next week.

After students spent the class period playing the game, we had them fill out the emoji exit ticket. The class loved it, and so did we!

Here are some examples of what we learned from the exit ticket:

​Some students remained confused -- good to know for a small group or a conference!

Some students changed how they felt from the beginning of the lesson to the end (makes a teacher feel good):

This student clearly made a smart partner choice:

Some students benefitted from having a hands-on learning experience:

Click on the image to download a blank copy of the emoji exit ticket, so you can try it in your classroom!

Stayin' cool like the kids,
Christi

It's that time of year again, when I put everything back together again and figure out the new year.  At the end of each year, my district requires that everything be put away in cabinets and walls be stripped bare.  So, at the beginning of the year my ZONES area looks like this . . . . 

Yeah.  It's kinda sad.  
But over the next few months, it will be filled back in.  The walls will have the expectations for each of the ZONES and important math strategies we use in 1st grade.  The shelves will be filled with all of the activities for each ZONE.  It ends up being a lot of work each year, but it's also great because I get to reinvent and improve the look and functionality of my ZONES area.  I have a feeling this will be the best year yet!

As I move into the year, I will post my organization system and how my students move through the ZONES.  For now, I thought I would approach the question of "What exactly are 1st graders doing at each ZONE?" 

Many activities in 1st grade need to be repetitive, to build a concrete understanding of mathematical concepts.  This also makes life easy on me, because I can have a few really solid activities that the students work on for 2-3 weeks (dependent also on the unit of study).  Some activities will stay the same for the whole year.

• Z: Memorize - I am blessed with Reflex math and iPads.  If you are not similarly blessed, there are other great math fluency sites (ie. Xtra Math) that work wonderfully.  I also used flash cards in the past, which some students chose over technology.
  
• O: On Your Own - On You Own is always extra practice of a skill the students already have.  They should not be so challenged or stumped that they are unable to do it independently.  The goal is to improve problem solving, perseverance, confidence and solid understanding.  For example, as we learn different simple addition strategies, I have practice addition pages that correspond.  (ie. Touch Point Math - touch point math practice pages.)  We also work through number of the day pages whole group, during whole group instruction, and the students complete them again independently.
• N: Notebook - At the beginning of the year, we start simple and the students work on number sense.  I have them roll a die and color different number combinations that make up that number.  Or they choose a certain number of colored counters and do the same.  Great practice and easily independent!  Later in the year, I have the students pull a flash card or roll a die.  They must complete 3 things for this later notebook activity. 1. Write the equation.   2. Draw a math sketch.  3.  Explain how you solved the problem (look for patterns, tricks or strategies to use).
• E: Explore - In Explore, students should be exploring concepts and discovering ways to work and solve the problem.  At the beginning of the year, I have the students work with Tangrams and manipulate pattern blocks to make them fit.  Our curriculum does not spend a lot of time on shapes, and I find this is a great way to build understandings throughout the year.  Later on, I have them create a Tangram using the pattern blocks and list what shapes they used and how many.
• S; Play with Someone - This is my favorite ZONE.  I love games and so do my students.  I have my games organized by concept (number sense, addition plus 1, plus 2, odd and even, etc.  Students then have a certain number of games to choose from for a few weeks.

Again, these are just some of the examples of what I do.  I promise more as the year moves on and more with the layout of my day on my next blog post.  Stay tuned! :)

-Meghan