Modernizing the Math Block (K-5)
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Teaching in 2025 is very different than it was teaching in 2005. So many things have changed, and how we approach teaching and learning mathematics must also change. Today, our students need different skill sets that focus on critical thinking, sense-making, and reasoning. Learn little changes you can make to your math block to help today’s students learn how to think and act like a mathematician.
- Steve Wyborney's Subitizing Slides develops subitizing skills and number sense, geared for grades K-2--https://stevewyborney.com/2018/09/100-subitizing-slides-10-challenge-patterns/
- Steve Wyborney's Splat develops number sense, subitzing skills, and mental math strategies for all grade levels--https://stevewyborney.com/2017/02/splat/
- Steve Wyborney's Esti-Mystery develops number sense, estimating skills, reasoning, mathematical vocabulary and mental math strategies for all grade levels-- https://stevewyborney.com/2022/10/170-new-esti-mysteries/
- Math Talk Pictures gathered from Kristin & Emily to use to develop math discourse, great for all grade levels (be sure to check back frequently for updates!)--Math Talk Pictures
- National Geographic is a great resource for pictures to use during math talk, great for all grade levels--https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography
- Which One Doesn't Belong develops justification and reasoning skills, great for all grade levels--https://wodb.ca/
- Would You Rather asks students to choose a path and justify it with math, great for all grade levels--https://www.wouldyourathermath.com/
- Open Middle Resources provides activities and resources for students to justify their thinking, great for math enrichment because it generally requires a higher depth of knowledge--https://www.openmiddle.com/
- Slow Reveal Graphs are a great way to incorporate Data Anaylsis all year long. The “Slow Reveal Graph” instructional routine promotes cross-curricular sensemaking about data. As more and more of the graph is revealed, students refine their interpretation and construct meaning, often in surprising ways.-- https://slowrevealgraphs.com/
- Thinking Tasks are problem solving tasks that your students tackle in groups to problem solve and work through their thinking. The thinking tasks listed below are from teachers around the US and the author of Building Thinking Classrooms, Peter Liljedahl.
- Non-Curricular
- Curricular
- Building Thinking Classroom tasks
- Solve Me Mobiles are a great way for students to work on Algebra skills in the middle school grades without working through the procedural steps. Getting students to work on these together and explain their thinking sets students up to think and act like a mathematician.-- https://solveme.edc.org/Mobiles.html
- Two Truths and a Lie is a game kids have been playing orally for years. It's only now been turned into a math activity to promote mathematical reasoning and constucting viable arguments.
- Marcy Cook Puzzles: https://marcycookmath.com/complete-list-of-tiling-tasks-2/
- Station Set Up Matrices: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HZNedu9-ZGrL-Lda7mfo6JKyhefebdP3d2tucoFmKMU/copy
This session includes the following documents:
- 2023_Learning_Walk_Tool_Template_OH_ESC__1_.pdf
- Effective_Questioning.pdf
- EstiMystery_Thinking_Board.pdf
- EstiMystery_Thinking_Boards_BW.pdf
- Student_Sentence_Stems_Option_1.pdf
- Student_Sentence_Stems_Option_2.pdf
- WODB_Workmat.pdf