A huge goal for me is to get the students talking to each other about math. We all know that with middle schoolers this can be a HUGE challenge. The Kagan Cooperative Learning books have been a huge help in creating activities that get kids to talk. One of my favorites is called Showdown and involves using dry erase boards. Every kid get a board and a marker. In groups of three to five, give students a set of problems to work. It works best if they have the problems on cards in a ziplock bag. One person draws out the card. Each student works the problem on their own board and turns the board face down when they are finished. The "Showdown Master" calls out "SHOWDOWN!" when everyone has their boards flipped over. The students then show their boards to each other and work together to correct any mistakes. This activity really gets the students talk about the math.
If anyone has other activities, I'm always looking for something new. THANKS!
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I like the way this activity keeps all the students engaged, yet keeps cooperative learning intact. The structure of a variety of questions works well for DI based on ability levels. I will be using this one!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. It can motivate students who do not like to raise their hands. Also, if a student can spot a problem in someone else's work, it shows their understanding of the content.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea. In my class I have remediation groups at least two to three times each week. These groups are data driven where students are grouped according to their performance on Unit tests and Quarter tests. I hand out questions and activites to each group and they have to discuss the activities and solve the problems given. I move around to each group and work with them as needed. It can be difficult at times, however this helps with targeted students. At the end of the activity they have to complete a quiz which I use to determine how much they have accomplished.
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