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Ever since I first learned about the distributive property, I've loved it. I can't explain it, but the idea just made sense to me. The distributive property was one of the first things that I remember learning that was really conceptual and not just computational. Now, I get the chance to bring this same love of math to students everyday. Not all of my students share my love of distributive property (sadly), but I hope that through engaging activities and conceptual experiences they can start to enjoy it.

Like many of the concepts that we teach in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, distributive property is inside of other concepts. It goes with equations, and equations are the basis of so much of what we do. Usually, we have time for one lesson on distributive property. I like to "distribute" the practice throughout the year. Some kids get it the first time and other take a lot more experiences before they get it. Also, if they spend weeks or months not seeing or using the distributive property, then they have to learn it again.

Here I've curated a list of activities that I've used or that I want to use. There are a variety of activities to choose from and I'm sure you can find something to fit your needs.

Maze and Tic Tac Toe and 3 Mazes with Exponents, Negatives, and Variables

Distributive Property BINGO and Distributive Property BINGO (No Negatives)
Combo Meals to Show Distributive Property Matching Cards for Distributive Property Distributive Property with Friendship Bracelets Distributive Property Riddle Activity
Let's check them out

As we walk through these activities, you'll notice that some of the activities are for individual work and others are for the whole class. Also, the activities can work for different parts of the lesson or unit. Some activities are perfect for independent practice or math stations, others for whole group review, and some for fast finishers. Some could be great anticipatory sets to kick off a lesson, while others serve as quick checks to see what students know.

This distributive property maze and tic tac toe game is special to me because it's the first maze that I created. One of my colleagues was using a maze for distributive property, and she liked it. She told me that she wished she had another maze activity to use with her students. I looked at it and told her I would be happy to make her some more. Since then I have created and used over 100 mazes. At this point I can't even imagine my classroom without math maze activities!

This distributive property maze works really well with students because it's easy to complete. The kids like the clipart because it's just a little bit silly. And they really like trying to find their way through the mazes. Because the format is different than the traditional worksheet, I find that they lose track of how many problems they're actually solving. I use the mazes as bell work and give students immediate feedback on how they've completed the maze.

For the second part of this resource, you might think that by 7th or 8th grade they would be too old to play games like tic tac toe. They really aren't. This resource comes with two tic tac toe games in addition to the two mazes I talke about above. The tic tac toe games are a fun way for students to practice with partners. I find that it gets students using more math talk and practicing in a less intense way.

When playing this game, students really get talking using math words if you set it up right. It's important to model a tic tac toe game with them, and show them how you want them to talk about the problems and solutions, before you have them play with a partner. This would be great for math stations or for practice time.

To get students even more practice with the distributive property. I created 3 more mazes that are a bit more advanced. These three mazes include negative numbers, exponents on the variables, and more than one variable.

Want even more math mazes for free? Join the Maze of the Month Club and have exclusive, free math mazes delivered right to your inbox:

Can't wait to see you there!

My students loved doing this hands-on dice activity. Something about being about to roll dice gets them pretty excited. I use foam dice that don't make any sound. Regular dice works just as well. Students have a half sheet of paper with a graphic organizer on it. This activity gives students a lot of repetitions in a simple way. All you need is some dice, and then grab this free graphic organizer here.

To practice, students roll the dice. You can have students use different colors of dice to reinforce how the terms are different. I had students roll and place the dice into each square. Once they make their roll, students simplify the expression by using the distributive property. I used the iPad as a whiteboard for students to show write the expression and simplify it. You could also have them capture their work on paper or a white board.

This activity is great because there's little prep and you can easily use this as a fast finisher or sponge activity. Students can play by themselves or they can play with a partner. It's easy and gives a lot of repetition with distributive property.

This distributive property puzzle gives students a chance to practice distributive property and it has the added challenge of solving a puzzle. The first time that students do this type of puzzle you'll want to give a lot of directions.

Also, when getting started with a puzzle I tell students which piece goes in the middle. When I started doing that it helped them so that they didn't take so long to complete it. In addition, you can stack all of the pieces after students are done and put them in a paper clip. That means that it's ready for the next time you want to use it.

If you go on Pinterest and search for distributive property you'll come across some posters. The one that sticks in my head the most is one from Angry Birds. You can do something similar with any characters. You can have students draw pictures that illustrate the distributive property. Another way of doing this is to give them some clipart to cut out and they can create a mini-poster for distributive property in their interactive notebook. Make sure that you have the students explain why they are doing this. In order to take full advantage of using this method every student should express what is happening. These posters can be very memorable for students and help to build their background.

Just the other day I had extra time in my math lab class. They had gotten ahead of the other classes. I was trying to think of what we could do. Then, I remembered this BINGO game. My students couldn't love BINGO anymore than they do! They simplify the expressions on their whiteboards and then look for the answers on their bingo card. BINGO never flops. With that 20 minutes of bingo I got in some really good cyclical review and the kids had fun at the same time.

This game is a great way for students to practice applying the distributive property and includes negative numbers on many of the question cards. It includes 36 unique game cards as well as 30 question cards. It's great for whole class review or, as it was in my class, cyclical review.

Distributive Property BINGO has been so much fun in my class, that I created another version of the game without negative numbers. This version of the game would be great for students who are just starting to learn about distributive property, or those who just need a simple review without dealing with negative numbers.

Some students have a hard time seeing what distributive property represents. One way to show them what is happening is through combo meals, as this post from Math Equals Love explains. If they can see that in the combo meal you get a hamburger, a drink, and fries. So, if you buy 3 combo meals, what would that food order look like? Or, if you mix it up and buy a separate order of fries, how could you model what this would look like? The visual aspect of looking at distributive property this way can be very helpful for kids who still can't "see it" in their minds eye.

I found this Distributive Property Matching freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers and it has many uses. It's a collection of 18 sets of cards. Each match has an expression with distributive property and a simplified expression. Students get the cards and have to find matches. You could use this as a review activity or a partner practice activity. If 18 matches sounds like too many pairs, you could always just give each partnership half of the deck of cards.

PBS has some videos in a series called Math Club. The videos are a little silly and star a group of junior high aged kids. This video shows the distributive property through friendship bracelets. It runs about 5 minutes and gives a couple different examples of distributive property. During the video I have students write down the friendship bracelet example. After the video I ask students to make their own example like the bracelet examples. They have to come up with the idea and then make it into a distributive property expression.

On a website called mathgames.com you can find a lot of math games. The games are simple and basic. Players answer 10 questions at a time. They earn stars at the end. The simplicity in this game is refreshing. Also, there are open-ended and multiple choice questions. They do a great job of showing the distributive property in different orders.

This game comes with an accompanying worksheet. So, even if don't have the technology, you can download a good old-fashioned worksheet.

This Distributive Property Riddle Activity is a twist on a worksheet for practice. The students simplify expressions and then solve a little riddle at the same time. There are 10 expressions included and one cheesy riddle. This works well as a quick review in the middle of the year.

Try one or a couple things...

Usually, I challenge teachers to try one thing from a blog post. However, the concept of distributive property is so fundamental and the activities are so varied that I challenge you to try a couple of things from this list. Whether you're introducing students to the distributive property for the first time, or reviewing it with students so they can be successful with solving multi-step equations, you can use these activities as bell ringers, homework, or practice activities. Remember to keep dispersing practice until students complain about it being too easy!

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

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12 Distributive Property Activities That Rock - Idea Galaxy

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Ever since I first learned about the distributive property, I've loved it. I can't explain it, but the idea just made sense to me. The distributive property was one of the first things that I remember learning that was really conceptual and not just computational.

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5 easy strategies to organize your Google Classroom

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Is your Google Classroom a mess? An organizational disaster? Use these five strategies to get a handle on it!Let’s be honest. Your Google Classroom is a

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Free PowerPoint templates and Google Slides themes for presentations and more - SlidesMania

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The most original designs, completely customizable and easy to edit. Take your presentations and lessons to the next level with these amazing free templates!

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Begin the year smoothly with detailed lessons to teach essential procedures for math workshop and guided math. This includes an optional interactive notebook activity for each procedural lesson!
Get started on the right foot with these 10 math lessons to teach routines and procedures the first days of school!

This product is for teachers who are implementing math workshop and/or guided math in an upper elementary classroom. There are ten rituals and routines lessons that can be used to teach the procedures for math workshop.

There is a follow-up interactive notebook activity for each lesson! These lessons can be adapted to most math programs such as guided math or math stations. This will make a great resource as you delve into the Common Core Standards or any state standards.

This also teachers the procedures need to teach math through distance learning. Students learn how to type of Slides, how to build equations, how to share via FlipGrid, Padlet, or Jamboard, and so much more!

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First Days of Math Workshop - In Class and Distance Learning

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Begin the year smoothly with detailed lessons to teach essential procedures for math workshop and guided math. This includes an optional interactive notebook activity for each procedural lesson!Get started on the right foot with these 10 math lessons to teach routines and procedures the first days o...

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The popular tool helps teachers assess students' thought processes and provides opportunities for students to work together to solve problems.

Many of us will be teaching remotely this fall due to the pandemic. How can we ensure that effective mathematics instruction and deep learning will still take place?

Using Google Slides is a simple yet versatile way to teach mathematics remotely. Google automatically saves each slide deck, the toolbar is user-friendly, and the decks can be shared (and saved) by students. Giving students access to the slide deck by sharing an editor's version of the deck link is a necessary first step toward student collaboration.

Last spring, I used Google Slide decks to engage my sixth and seventh graders in intriguing and enjoyable online lessons that coincided with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' eight Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP), which promote mathematical thinking, understanding, and application:

SMP 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

SMP 2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

SMP 3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

SMP 4: Model with mathematics.

SMP 5: Use appropriate tools strategically.

SMP 6: Attend to precision.

SMP 7: Look for and make use of structure.

SMP 8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Here are five ways to teach mathematics online with Google Slides while promoting student collaboration and maintaining the integrity of effective mathematics instruction.

1. Observational Slides (SMP 3)

An observational slide may be used at any time during a lesson but is particularly useful as a warm-up to get students participating at the start of class. It can include a mathematical image and a question for students to consider. The students respond by typing a question or comment either in the chat section of your program, directly on the slide, or on the forthcoming slide.

This becomes a wonderful alternative to the "Which One Doesn't Belong?" verbal math routine. A teacher can use this as an assessment of student thought. The activity may be extended by responding to the students' comments or by asking a student to expound further on an observation or to question a comment written by a classmate. This slide design creates a level of equity within the lesson because every student has an opportunity to contribute.

2. Matching Slides (SMPs 3 and 8)

Another fun way to begin class is with a matching slide. Reimagining an activity from the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum for grade six, I designed a slide with eight percentage prompts (e.g., "30 is 10% of what?") on the left side of the slide, their movable solutions on the right, and a column in the center of the slide where students would place the solutions. I made four copies of the slide, paired up my students, and placed them into four breakout groups.

The expectations were for the students to discuss possible solutions, mentally calculate, and, if necessary, defend and decide upon the solutions. This activity required mathematical discourse between the students and collaboration, and students enjoyed the game-like discovery element.

3. Prompt Slides (SMP 3)

A teacher can place a question or fill-in-the-blank statement on a slide and invite students to post responses on that slide or the forthcoming slide. This activity creates a student-driven element in the lesson and provides a window into the thoughts of each student. Teachers can also invite students to post their own questions on the slide and encourage students to respond on another slide or verbally. Either way, this activity has the capability to change the course of a passive online-learning experience.

4. Equation Slides (SMPs 1, 2, 4, 6)

Including an expression or equation slide is an obvious option for math instruction. Students answer on forthcoming slides or in the chat section of the remote-learning program. I used an equation slide to encourage my students to mentally calculate 1 percent of whole numbers after our discussion of how to do so with multiplication and division. This was a chance for students to use their conceptual knowledge to support their procedural knowledge, practice mental calculation precision, and learn from each other as student-generated solutions appeared on the screen.

5. Game Slides (SMPs 1, 5, 6)

Game slides are versatile because they can be used as game boards or scoreboards, and they practically guarantee lively math discourse. To end a session on probability, I created a slide on which I embedded an online spinner app and a score table so that my seventh graders could keep track of the number of times they spun particular colors on the spinner. This allowed me to observe the results in real time, as it provided a record of the data my students collected. They then used that data to answer questions about the game and probability of colors, actual results, and new predictions-all on an additional slide. This eliminated the need for a worksheet or alternative means of recording data; all of my students' game results and answers to the questions were housed in the slide deck.

Using game slides is a pedagogical tool I learned from Dr. Theresa Wills, an online instruction expert at George Mason University. She regularly updates her popular YouTube channel for educators. She should be high on your list of online-learning professionals.

Google Slide lessons were new for my students, but they immediately adapted to them. Sometimes my lessons were entirely composed of collaborative slides. My students eventually were able to complete slide decks asynchronously: I assigned partners a set of slides to complete within a class deck (up to four slides) that I would later assess. I would design those lessons as 20- to 25-minute sessions to prevent student fatigue.

Although it initially seemed insurmountable, we now know that we can teach online in a way that excites students and stimulates them to learn. Want your students to perk up and speak out in your next online math session? Add a collaborative slide to your lesson, and watch them come alive.

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Using Google Slides to Make Virtual Math Classes More Engaging

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The popular tool helps teachers assess students' thought processes and provides opportunities for students to work together to solve problems. Many of us will be teaching remotely this fall due to the pandemic. How can we ensure that effective mathematics instruction and deep learning will still take place?

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👓 Possibilities
https://twitter.com/HollyClarkEdu/status/1293027970714484737?s=20

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Create a new spreadsheet and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Sheets to edit Excel files. Free from Google.

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Listen to my interview with Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis, authors of The HyperDoc Handbook ( transcript):

In many classrooms, a learning cycle looks something like this: First, we write plans for a series of lessons and a final assessment. We gather materials-handouts, websites, rubrics, video clips. Then we teach the lessons one at a time, to the whole class, at the same pace, distributing materials as needed. Finally, we end with a project, test, or other assessment.

It's a very teacher-directed model, which can limit learning in a number of ways:

Students don't feel much ownership for their own learning. Instead, they depend on the teacher to tell them when and how to learn the material.

Because so much of the teacher's time is spent in direct instruction, there's little opportunity to work one-on-one with students.

Because it's up to the teacher to adjust instruction for students with varied needs and levels of readiness, differentiation becomes one more thing to do.

ENTER THE HYPERDOC

A HyperDoc is a digital document-such as a Google Doc-where all components of a learning cycle have been pulled together into one central hub. Within a single document, students are provided with hyperlinks to all of the resources they need to complete that learning cycle. Here's an example.

In the above HyperDoc, all of the bolded words are linked to outside resources. The right-hand column is set aside for students to take notes and do other kinds of thinking and planning as they work through the lesson.

One of the earliest iterations of the this type of "hub" was the WebQuest, which guided students through a lesson using all online resources. Now that Google tools like Docs and Slides have become so prevalent, teachers are using these tools to create similar lessons, choosing and mixing resources that go well beyond simple web pages. Last year, we looked at something called a playlist, which teacher Tracy Enos used to organize her language arts lessons and differentiate instruction for her students.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links; if you purchase from Amazon after going through these links, Cult of Pedagogy receives a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Meanwhile, teachers Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis were doing similar work in their own classrooms. They coined the term "HyperDoc" to describe their version of this, and in 2016, they published The HyperDoc Handbook to teach others their method for creating these lessons.

The book explains how HyperDocs work, why they have such an impact on instruction, and their model for how teachers can design HyperDocs for high-quality instruction. In the podcast episode above, I interviewed all three about their work. Here I will blend their expertise with some of my own thoughts about this exciting format.

BENEFITS OF HYPERDOCS

Fewer lectures. Teachers have been told for decades that we need to do less lecturing, to step away from being the sage on the stage and become more of a guide on the side. "I feel so bad for teachers when they hear that," Highfill says, "because they're like, 'Well, what am I supposed to do? I need to get information into their heads.'" A HyperDoc offers a solution by taking care of the direct instruction part of a lesson and offering a lot more as well.

More face-to-face interaction. A good HyperDoc runs itself, allowing students to work through it without needing you to guide them through each step. "Although it seems odd that you're putting a student in front of a device," Landis notes, "really what it's doing is freeing you up to move around and have increased face time with the students."

Flexibility. If one part of your lesson isn't working, you can just change it in the HyperDoc and the change takes effect immediately; no need to re-copy all your materials. Similarly, if each student gets their own copy of a HyperDoc, the elements can be changed on each to meet individual students' needs.

Multimodal opportunities. Because it is digital, a HyperDoc allows us to include all kinds of multimedia. "Living in this digital age, we're able to expose kids to different types of media that allows each child to access the learning or the content or the information in a way that's visually or auditorily appealing to them," Landis says. "I might be visual, and I might first study an image, then watch a video, and then I'm finally ready to tackle that article my teacher really wants me to read."

They don't know that maybe their text ... is at a different reading level," says Hilton. "Or they're able to use Privacy. If students' HyperDocs have been customized for them, no one else needs to know. "Read&Write for Google and just put headphones in, and that's just a little agreement between you and that student."

MODELS FOR BUILDING HYPERDOCS

Because HyperDocs are such adaptable tools, teachers structure them in many different ways, and you should experiment until you find a structure that works for you. Here are some options to consider:

Playlist: This model, explained in this article, follows a step-by-step sequence of activities that consist of learning activities as well as check-ins with the teacher and housekeeping tasks like setting up accounts on websites.

Self-Paced Learning: Explored in this post by math teacher Natalie McCutchen, this system lays out a path of lessons for a whole unit, along with links to review materials, pre-tests, and practice questions. Students decide how much practice they need and determine when to take the assessment for each learning goal. If they grasp the material quickly, they can test and move on.

5E Model: This first stage of this model is to Engage student interest. Next, students Explore the topic, Explain what they have learned, and Extend their learning by applying it in new situations. The last stage Evaluates student learning.

HyperDoc Model: The HyperDoc Handbook authors have developed a model that has some components of the 5Es above, but with some additions and adjustments. This template explains all 7 stages. One important component of this model is the first step, Explore. Highfill explains the value of this stage: "Kids are exploring and coming up with ideas and answers about a concept on their own, and it's engaging them from the beginning, instead of passively listening to a teacher explain something." During this time, while students explore, the teacher is actively gathering information: "I listen to my students," Highfill says, "I'm studying them and hearing to what level are they understanding a concept. I have the ability to pull a small group. I can work with my language learners during that time. The whole time I'm doing formative assessment in the classroom, which will then really be my basis for the next part of the lesson."

Agenda: This model, borrowed from the kind of planning done at a typical Montessori school, provides each student with a planner listing out their assignments for the week. Students decide how they want to use their class time each day, but are expected to complete all goals by the end of the week. Although these are traditionally done on paper, they could easily be converted to a HyperDoc format.

OTHER USES FOR HYPERDOCS

Building an extended lesson or unit is one of the most instructionally robust ways to use HyperDocs, but they can also be used for:

substitute teacher plans

video or podcast playlists

learning centers or stations

student-made HyperDocs

parent resources

departmental-, team-or grade-level HyperDocs to gather and share resources among teachers

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Start with a template.
Rather than build your first HyperDoc from scratch, you might find more success by starting with a pre-made template, like the ones available for free on HyperDocs.co. You could also start with a completely finished HyperDoc that someone else created for their own classroom and modify it for your own use.

Build in participation, collaboration, and multimedia.
One risk inherent in HyperDocs is that they could simply become online worksheets, replicating the kind of work students could just as easily do on paper. Take advantage of this medium by including ways for students to participate actively, collaborate with others, and learn from a variety of media: video, interactive posters like ThingLinks, podcasts, online flashcards, and so on.

Offer choice...
HyperDocs are designed to allow students to work at different speeds and navigate learning in a way that works best for them. So when you can, offer choices: Give students options for the kind and quantity of materials they need to learn the material, how they will practice and apply it, and how they will demonstrate their learning.

...but don't "kitchen sink" it.
If you stuff your HyperDoc with every possible resource on a topic ("everything but the kitchen sink"), you'll overwhelm students. Choose resources thoughtfully.

Give students HyperDocs training.
Even if your students have used HyperDocs in other classes, your design probably has its own unique qualities, so take the time to demonstrate how it should be used. And within the HyperDoc itself, provide clear directions for its use.

So if you create a HyperDoc," says Hilton, "in the header or footer, say Collaborate with other teachers.
You do not need to do this alone! Thousands of teachers are sharing and collaborating on the HyperDocs.co site and using the #hyperdocs hashtag on Twitter. And be sure to give credit to the person who created the original: " Created by, and maybe link to your Twitter handle or your email, for yourself, and then if you make a copy of someone's, we encourage you to give that person credit by saying Inspired by or Remixed HyperDoc originally created by, just because we want an inclusive, appreciative sharing community."

Don't feel like you have to create a HyperDoc for every lesson.
"That's not something that any teacher should feel pressured to do," says Landis, "and it's not really realistic. We don't want teachers doing any one thing all the time, because then it becomes redundant for our kids."

HyperDocs Resources: How to Learn More

Book: The HyperDocs Handbook

Website: HyperDocs.co: The online hub for Landis, Hilton, and Highfill's work on HyperDocs. It contains helpful blog posts and the Teachers Give Teachers system where participants share their own HyperDocs with one another. To browse and borrow other teachers' HyperDocs, all you need to do is register.
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How HyperDocs Can Transform Your Teaching

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HyperDocs make room for more interactive, personalized, and student-directed learning. Let's look at how they work.

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The HyperDocs Toolbox: 20 engaging example activities

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HyperDocs provide an engaging, student-centered framework for classroom lessons. Looking for ideas to fill those HyperDocs up? Check out these example activities.

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This Virtual Calming Room is a place for students and families to find tools and strategies for managing emotions and feelings. We are here to support you!

Northshore School District counselors want you to know that your feelings are valid, no matter what they are. You might feel scared, confused, overwhelmed, angry, alone, grateful, or completely calm. Your feelings are normal; the situation is not. Don't forget to take care of yourself and the ones you love.
Disclaimer: The following links are purely for educational purposes and are not intended as psychological interventions or as a substitute for psychological treatment. If you are in need of psychological help you should seek the consultation of a licensed mental health professional.

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Virtual Calming Room - Northshore School District

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Counselors want you to know that your feelings are valid, no matter what they are. You might feel scared, confused, overwhelmed, angry, alone, grateful, or completely calm. Your feelings are normal; the situation is not. Don't forget to take care of yourself and the ones you love.

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Meet Google Drive - One place for all your files

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Google Drive is a free way to keep your files backed up and easy to reach from any phone, tablet, or computer. Start with 15GB of Google storage - free.

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Virtual Icebreaker Ideas: Icebreaker Slide Deck! (Free Template Included)

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Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs.

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As educators face uncertainties this fall, it helps to focus on a few things that are certain. The modern classroom is more than a physical room-it's also a digital space for learning and collaboration. As I look at the fall, I'm certain that no matter what happens, my students and I will need to master our digital classroom.

One positive of distance learning is that I have gained a deeper knowledge of tools that work everywhere. The tools below are my personal favorites, ones that I recommend for everywhere learning this fall.

It isn't the tool that teaches, of course-it's us. As professionals and craftspeople of teaching in the information age, it's our responsibility to learn to use these tools in ways that promote collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and equity for all. Let's do this!

Differentiated Teaching

Having the ability to customize a formative assessment based on a student's learner profile without that being obvious to all students makes differentiation easier. In my opinion, only one tool does this. Because it is deceptively simple, it's easy to not understand the complexity of this tool.

Wizer: Wizer is a Swiss Army knife for teaching. The creators call it a "digital worksheet" tool, but that gives too much credit to paper worksheets-this is one of the best online differentiation tools out there. It allows teachers to add video, audio, and images to interactive worksheets, making them very accessible to all students.

Wizer is simple to use, and other teachers' digital worksheets are available as well. During quarantine, I interviewed the CEO, Nira Mayorchik Sheleg, and recorded a tutorial with her. I think this free tool is a must-use, although some teachers say it is targeted to younger students.

Beware of posting a test or quiz publicly as a student could easily find it before they take it if they figure out your username. That said, I think this is a fantastic tool for teaching; assessment is perhaps better left to other methods.

Other similar apps: HyperDocs from Google is similar, but it would take a plug-in like Read&Write for Google Chrome to even begin to add differentiation like there is in Wizer.

Essential Formative Assessment Tools

With face time at a premium, formative assessment is moving even more to the forefront of excellent teaching. As knowledge is forming, teachers need to review the data on student understanding so that they can make the most of face-to-face instruction time. And even when we're back in classrooms, movement around the room and paper passing should be limited, so these tools are excellent digital alternatives to many things we used to do on paper.

Video lessons and flipped learning: If a class has to meet online, watching a video together-as is done in the classroom-is pointless. However, teachers who assign videos may be concerned that students are not watching or are not engaging with the material. Edpuzzle solves this problem. With Edpuzzle, teachers can pause videos, ask both multiple-choice and open-ended questions, and prevent students from skipping ahead in the video.

To improve accessibility, teachers should use YouTube's advanced search to find videos with closed captions.

Other similar apps: PlayPosit, Vizia

In-Class and Self-Paced Presentations: Nearpod is my favorite tool for presenting in person and online because I can add quick questions, games, and more. With formative assessment tools and mini-quizzes built in, learning and teaching become fluid.

Students in class or at a distance can learn together in the same space inside Nearpod. The slides show up on the device being used by the student, whether that's a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Using their own devices helps students closely observe the slides even if they are spaced out and cannot be as close to the board as they would like, making material more accessible to everyone.

You can build a Nearpod presentation in Google Slides by using the Nearpod add-on. I recommend creating a self-paced version of each Nearpod presentation and posting it to your online classroom so students who are not in attendance can work through content at another time. You'll still be able to review their results.

Other similar apps: PearDeck

Quizzing and Review: Quizizz is a tool that lets you make flashcards, give quizzes, and review material in a game-based environment. Recent updates allow polls, subjective questions, sound files, and math problems to be put into Quizizz, but perhaps the greatest feature for teachers is the "teleport" feature: Teachers can look for other decks of cards based on the content they are creating, and use and modify other teachers' questions.

This tool uses memes, so make sure to look at those before you use them to make sure they are appropriate for your classroom-some of them may seem less funny during a pandemic, for example. A fun activity is to have the students create memes and to put them in the games. I recommend not using the timer-some students don't perform well with timers.

I also like Quizlet, which is similar to Quizizz. I use Quizlet to have students make and share their own decks of flashcards. However, I've seen many decks in Quizlet with wrong answers, and I suspect it is because so many students make decks here. The accuracy of decks has been much higher in Quizizz for me, but the classroom feature seems more powerful in Quizlet. Just double-check all answers.

Other similar apps: Kahoot, Quizalize, Socrative, and Formative. I talk to a lot of educators who love Gimkit, which they say has some fun games. And there's Flippity, which takes content entered in Google Sheets and turns it into flashcards and games.

Personalized Learning and Review

A big problem with traditional homework from a textbook-particularly when students are in distance learning-is academic dishonesty. For many students, the temptation presented when every student has the same 10 problems is to have top students do the homework and text answers to the other students.

I in no way make excuses for this behavior, but when teachers don't take this into account, students are penalized for honesty and rewarded for dishonesty. It's better to use tools to personalize the learning experience based upon standards for the class and give each student a set of problems based on their abilities.

IXL: IXL allows teachers to assign standards in core subjects. Students are given questions and level up based upon successful or unsuccessful answers. As they advance, the problems adapt to their current level. Students are given different questions, so it becomes a much more accurate method of analyzing student abilities.

While IXL has a free app for practice, it has standards assignment and feedback for teachers in premium models (a classroom license starts at $299 per year). This tool received rave reviews at my school from many parents with one exception-the SmartScore, an algorithm that is not released to students or you. I think it's better to use the number of problems correct or time spent or another measure as a grade than a nontransparent algorithm. Be super-clear how you are assessing, but I do not recommend SmartScore as the grade. That said, IXL can help students improve their math and grammar skills. It has history and science modules too, but I have not used those.

The live classroom feature allows a teacher to give time for practice and to see which students need extra help. This can replace the students doing homework on paper as the teacher walks around the class and looks over their shoulders, something we shouldn't do as much this fall.

For younger children, I recommend checking out XtraMath, Starfall, ABC Mouse, and Freckle.

Class Conversations

Flipgrid: This year when our fifth-grade teacher, Jill Johnson, wanted to have her students present a "wax museum"-where they researched and dressed up as historical figures for presentations-she picked Flipgrid to make an awesome video. We also used it for senior "last wills" for the junior class. However, class conversations are the best use for this tool, with many classrooms joining #GridPals and connecting in conversation with other classrooms.

Equity Maps: Equity Maps is an iPad app that costs $1.99 for 20 students; it is such a powerful tool for sparking conversations that it is worth mentioning. Whether you have students in class or online, if they can't face one another it can be difficult to facilitate conversation. This tool lets the teacher track who talks. Characteristics such as gender, race, or other information can be input by the teacher, who can see data on talk time, the number of times a student talks, and patterns of who converses with each other-the teacher can see engagement by students.

This is the best tool I've ever used for promoting and assessing conversations that include everyone. With the current atmosphere of inclusiveness and equity-a long-overdue change, in my opinion-this is a must-use tool, especially as spread-out classrooms will likely make it hard to be sure everyone is included.

In my classroom, I started out using this tool without showing students the results, although I told them what I was doing. Then, I began to show it on the board and asked the class to make sure everyone was included in the conversation. Our class goal was "an equitable conversation where everyone contributes." When we completed a conversation, we discussed the patterns. If I use it in Zoom, I'll share it from my iPad to the whiteboard using the iPad connection tool.

Zoom: While most teachers have Zoom fatigue, if your school ends up in distance learning, a must-learn technique is breakout rooms. When I taught my Artificial Intelligence course online during distance learning, my students would interview experts, and then we would break out for conversations on individual aspects of the discussion. When students knew we were using breakout rooms, attendance was significantly higher. As in the physical classroom, the online classroom must be collaborative.

Other similar apps: While Google Meet doesn't have breakout rooms as a feature, there is an extension that allows you to create them. Currently, Microsoft Teams doesn't have this feature, but it is on their roadmap for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Reading

Epic: Epic was a big winner during distance learning at my school. Our media specialist took the media center online, and Epic became her virtual bookshelf and center for reading. Many parents said their students read more books than ever. With more than 40,000 books, Epic also has listening options and methods for students to share book reviews for their favorite books.

Screencasting

Screencastify: Screencastify is our teachers' favorite way to screencast. The super-tight integration with Google Classroom made it an easy win for all of us as we recorded and shared content and technology instruction this way. I also like that it's easy to put your face on the video for a personal touch at a distance.

Other similar apps: Screencast-O-Matic. WeVideo has screencasting built in as well. Windows and Mac OS machines now have screen recorders built in, as do most smartphones. Whatever tool you use, all students and teachers can benefit from screencasting.

Jamboard: This free tool is part of Google Suite but must be enabled by domain administrators. While you can combine it with other screencasting tools, think of it as a digital whiteboard that can also be collaborative. Many teachers use it as part of screencasting, but it really is in a class by itself.

PLN Building

It will be more important than ever for teachers to have a personal learning network this fall. My favorites on Facebook include the Global Educator Collective and Pandemic Pedagogy, and on Twitter the #RemoteLearning hashtag has lots of interesting information. Learning quickly is going to be so important.

For example, I recently learned more about the HyFlex-hybrid flexible-model of teaching, in which some students are in the class and others are remote. Schools are finding this seems to work only when there is an assistant teacher who can monitor the remote students. This is an example of how quickly information on best practices can travel through the world if you're paying attention to the right places.

This fall the ability to learn quickly and be flexible is certain to be part of our teaching. One other thing is certain: Our students and this world need us more than ever. We must improve and redefine what online teaching looks like in this age. Let's work together and tackle this challenge together.

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Essential Apps for the Physical and Digital Classroom

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As educators face uncertainties this fall, it helps to focus on a few things that are certain. The modern classroom is more than a physical room-it's also a digital space for learning and collaboration. As I look at the fall, I'm certain that no matter what happens, my students and I will need to master our digital classroom.

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How I Cut Down on Grading Time Using Audio-Message Feedback!

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One of the great features of Google Meet is the ability to share your screen with your students or other meeting participants. This allows you to present a slideshow, navigate a website, work out a math problem, show a video, or provide any sort of instruction.

The problem is, once you share your screen to begin presenting, all you can see is, well... what you are presenting and not your students or audience anymore. This can make it difficult to stay connected to your students, assess their understanding, monitor their engagement, and take questions.

Thankfully there are several options for how you can stay connected with your students while presenting your screen. To demonstrate this I have recorded a short 7-minute video that shows 3 different ways to still see your students when you are presenting your screen in Google Meet.

Tutorial Video (7 minutes)

Here is my quick 7-minute video on 3 different ways to still see your students while you are presenting your screen in a Google Meet video conference.

Note: See all of my Google Meet help videos here:

Post by Eric Curts. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts

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3 Ways to See Your Students when Presenting in Google Meet

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One of the great features of Google Meet is the ability to share your screen with your students or other meeting participants. This allows you to present a slideshow, navigate a website, work out a math problem, show a video, or provide any sort of instruction.

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Ed Tech

As a child, I remember one specific thing I always looked forward to on days when I stayed home sick from school - The Price Is Right.

Even aching, sick to my stomach or feverish as I laid on the couch, I made sure the TV was tuned to that game show around lunch time.

I loved the unique games. (Playing Plinko was a dream of mine!) I always guessed right along with the contestants during the Showcase Showdown at the end of the game. Bob Barker was the consummate host and kept things moving.
Now, teachers can bring that experience into the classroom when students aren't home sick.
Several digital tools created for the classroom bring those exciting experiences to students with learning as the focus.

These "gameshow classroom" websites do a number of things ...

Create an electric atmosphere for answering questions.

Provide fun, interesting repetitions.

Make in-the-moment feedback possible.

We have a growing number of "gameshow classroom" options. Here are some of the ones I've found that I think are the best:

Summary

Kahoot! is the granddaddy of the game show review games, launched in August of 2013. In a standard Kahoot! game, questions are displayed to students on a projector or display. Students respond on their own devices.

Cons

The speed of a traditional Kahoot! game can make some students feel like they're left in the dust.

It's easy for students to see each other's responses and copy. (Just look at all of the screens the student in the foreground of the photo can see from his desk.)

Unique features

Ghost mode. Kahoot! remembers how each student scored on each question. When you play the game again in ghost mode, it displays former attempts as "ghosts". Students can compare their current attempt to previous attempts to see how they've progressed. (If your students have played Mario Kart or another racing video game and have raced against their personal best, they're familiar with racing against a ghost.)

The mobile app. This versatile app lets you create Kahoot! games on the fly, add pictures from your camera roll, and even host a Kahoot! game from your mobile device. Students can participate in Kahoot! challenges against classmates on their own devices.

The friendly nickname generator. Have you ever battled naughty nicknames in a Kahoot! game? The generator will let students spin to choose from three appropriate nickname options.

Alternative ways to play

The Blind Kahoot! game. It's a way to teach with Kahoot! instead of just reviewing. Throw students a tricky question at the beginning. Then use images, videos, class discussion and questions to teach it. It's scaffolding - teach a little, ask a question, repeat, repeat, repeat. Learn all about the Blind Kahoot! game in this blog post!

Summary

Quizizz takes the excitement of a gameshow-style review game and puts the whole experience in the students' hands. With a traditional Kahoot! game, everyone sees the question and possible answers on the projector and answer simultaneously. Quizizz is different because the questions and possible answers are displayed individually on student devices.

Cons

When everyone is answering different questions at different times, you lose a bit of the excitement.

With Kahoot!, when my class answers one question all together, it isolates that piece of content so we can all talk about it. When a Quizizz game is over, you can review all the questions all at once, and you lose that isolation.

Unique features

Memes. These pictures with fun/funny messages are a treat. They're displayed after a question is answered to show whether it's right or wrong. Quizizz even lets you create your own (see image at right). You can use their pre-loaded images or upload your own.

Homework mode. Students don't have to complete a game live in-person. You can use homework mode to assign it to be completed by a deadline. As someone who believes in ditching homework, I prefer homework mode to be used in rotation stations, centers and as part of choice boards instead.

Add audio, images and math equations. When creating a new question, use the icons next to the question you're writing. The "math" button loads a keyboard of math symbols. The "media" button lets you upload audio or image.

Power ups. Correct questions get students these powers, like immunity (second chance after incorrect answer), power play (everyone gets 50% more points for 20 seconds), and x2 (double points for one question).

Alternative ways to play

Summary

Quizlet's foray into the game show-style review is the best collaborative game. Instead of students answering individual questions on their individual devices, Quizlet puts students in groups. All possible answers are divided amongst the devices of all students participating. Think of three students with 12 possible answers ... they're divided up with four on each devices, so the answer may or may not be on your device. Teams race to get all answers correct in a row to win.

Need to know how to set up and run a Quizlet Live game? How to start a Quizlet Live game in 60 seconds + tips and tricks

Play games with Quizlet flashcard sets. Quizlet Live runs from Quizlet flashcard sets. That means you don't have to create anything new if you use Quizlet and already have flashcards OR if you can find a Quizlet flashcard set you like.

A new game every time. Each new Quizlet Live game is different. When a game pulls a dozen cards from a Quizlet flashcard set, there are tons of combinations - especially when there are LOTS of flashcards. Start a new game and Quizlet mixes up the cards for a new combination.

Cons

You need at least six students to play a game (at least two teams of three students) and at least six cards in a flashcard set.

If you're looking for something more individual to play as a group, Quizlet Live may not be your game.

Unique features

True team play. This is the best collaborative experience of the "gameshow classroom" options. One student can dominate in a team game on Kahoot! or Quizizz. When each student has only a handful of correct responses, everyone has more opportunity to participate.

Built-in movement. Students are put into small groups and are encouraged to move next to their partners. This mixes up their environment and encourages physical movement, which boosts cognitive function.

Alternative ways to play

Click for full-size image (with more legible text!).
Relay. In this game, line up all student devices in a row. Students take turns answering questions. This is another alternative Quizlet Live game suggested by New York educator Patrick McMillan in this post.

Summary

Gimkit (gimkit.com) is like Quizizz with power-ups. In Quizizz, students collect points cumulatively throughout the game. In Gimkit, students use their points to buy power-ups in the store. Power-ups let students earn more points per question, get additional points when they hit a streak, and even lose less points when incorrect.

"We don't do tests." Learn how teacher Omoyemwen Ngei uses Gimkit to create assessments her students love.

Its backstory. Gimkit was created by students in Seattle, Washington, and it's still maintained by them. They made the game they wanted to play and then shared it with the world.

Quizlet integration. You can import a Quizlet flashcard set into a Gimkit game if you have the paid version of Gimkit.

Cons

Pricing structure. You only get to create five games with the free plan ... and you have a finite amount of modifications you can make to them. Then it's $59.88 per year or the $7.99 monthly plan. A robust free version is an essential piece of many edtech tools, and Gimkit's free version is lacking ... not enough to hook a teacher and help him/her realize he/she needs the full paid version.

Limited searchable gallery. With the above options, you can tap into thousands (or millions) of teacher-created games. Unless you have the paid version and import Quizlet sets, the gallery is really lacking.

Unique features

Purchase upgrades. Students can spend points from correct answers in the store to buy upgrades to earn points faster. They include insurance (less points for a wrong answer) and money per question (more points per right answer).

Live view with class progress. The screen projected to the class as students answer questions is unique. It shows how everyone's points as a class add up together. This encourages class vs. class competition.

KitCollab. This feature lets students create a Gimkit game together. Each student suggests a question. The teacher approves questions to be used in the game.

These four - Kahoot!, Quizizz, Quizlet Live and Gimkit - aren't the only options for reviewing in this way. If you use others, we'd love to see them in a comment below along with why you think they're great.

Question: Which tools have you used, and what was your experience? What other similar tools have you used? Leave a comment below.

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©2020 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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Game show classroom: Comparing Kahoot!, Quizizz, Quizlet Live and Gimkit - Ditch That Textbook

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Ed Tech As a child, I remember one specific thing I always looked forward to on days when I stayed home sick from school - The Price Is Right. Even aching, sick to my stomach or feverish as I laid on the couch, I made sure the TV was tuned to that game show around lunch time.

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For specific training and professional development around technology integration, contact TeachThought Professional Development to bring Jackie Gerstein and other TeachThought professionals to your school today.
I took an excerpt from a recent post by Jackie, 6 Activities I Use To Build Connections With Students At The Beginning Of The Year because it seemed too valuable to get buried in a post on a different topic.

She was talking about messages she wants students to hear-to 'start the year with.' She didn't intend for it to be an end-all/be-all of messages for all students everywhere, but rather the messages she delivers to her students in the context of what her students will be doing and how she will be teaching.

Because I liked her messages so much, I revised them a bit for a wider audience, which you'll find below.

There are dozens of messages that students 'need' to hear, but I showed restraint (could've been 50) and stuck with six. If I did the post tomorrow, I may see it all differently. Feel free to add yours to the comments below.

6 Messages Every Student Should Hear On The First Day Of School

Beginning class with a focus on connections rather than content gives learners the following messages.

1. You are the focus of the class, not me. You are important as a learner and a human being in this class.

2. You are capable of anything.

3. You will be expected to engage in the learning activities during class time. You will be an active learner. I, as the class facilitator, will be just that - a facilitator. I will introduce the learning activities, but you will be responsible for the actual learning.

4. Everything you do-good or 'bad'-affects everyone else in the room. That means everything you do matters because you matter.

5. Struggling is a part of learning. If it's simple or simply done, you're probably not learning anything.

6. Your mindset matters more than anything you do or don't know/are or are not 'good' at, etc.
6 Messages Every Student Should Hear On The First Day Of School

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6 Messages Every Student Should Hear On The First Day Of School -

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For specific training and professional development around technology integration , contact TeachThought Professional Development to bring Jackie Gerstein and other TeachThought professionals to your school today. I took an excerpt from a recent post by Jackie, 6 Activities I Use To Build Connections With Students At The Beginning Of The Year because it seemed too valuable to get buried in a post on a different topic.

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Many kids are entering classrooms more nervous and apprehensive than ever before. The 2020/2021 school year is scary for most of us - students, teachers, and parents alike. Everyone is returning to learning after a traumatic six months of learning to live in a pandemic. There are still so many uncertainties and unknowns. Building a school community is going to be extra important this year. Here are some suggestions for virtual ice breakers and in-person getting to know you activities to help build connection no matter what your classroom looks like this year.

Quick activities for in-person or virtual icebreakers:

Sometimes you need a quick activity to use as a brain break or transition. These are great opportunities to help students get to know each other.

1. How are you today? Emoji style!: Invite students to share how they're feeling today with an emoji. Remote learners can post the emoji in the chat. Students meeting in person can draw their emoji on paper and hold it up. (This is also a great option for students in a video classroom.)

2. Tell a story about something within reach: Have students share a few sentences about an item they own that is within reach. This might be a quick story about their shoes, pencil, bottle of water, or lunchbox. Encourage them to get creative and make up a wild story if they want!

3. 30-second dance party! Tell students that whenever they hear music, everyone needs to hop up and dance! This is fun for students virtually and physically in your classroom.

4. Favorite memes: Give students a couple of minutes to find and post their favorite meme to the chat. (Share some guidelines for what makes a meme inappropriate first.) If the students are with you in person, have them act out their favorite meme.

5. If I had a million dollars: Ask students what they'd buy if they had a million dollars.

6. Virtual high fives! Instruct students to find students they can see they have something in common with, such as they're both wearing Nikes, have on green shirts, or wear glasses. Tell students to point out the similarity to the fellow student and then exchange virtual high fives. The high five should be touch-free even if students are in person.

7. Collaborative story: Throw out an intro such as, "Once upon a time," and have students take turns adding to it by each adding a sentence.

8. Two truths and a lie: Students share two facts that are true about themselves and one lie. It is up to everyone else to guess the lie.

9. : Encourage students to tell their favorite joke.

10. Gratitude break: Go around and each share something you are grateful for. The benefits of recognizing gratitude include less aggression, stronger relationships, better health, and improved mental function.

In-person or virtual icebreakers that be turned into deeper learning opportunities

Getting to know each other can lead to exciting learning opportunities. Use the interests you discover to guide curriculum. Classroom activities and virtual icebreakers can be the beginning of extensive lessons.

11. Intro speeches: Ask students to prepare a speech about themselves. They can share info about their interests, pets, family, goals, etc. These can be presented in person, live in a virtual classroom, or as a video upload.

12. Five nouns: Have students use five nouns (or adjectives, verbs, etc.) to describe themselves.

13. Collages: Have students make collages with 5 - 10 photos that best describe themselves.

14. "Me in a word": Students choose one word that describes them best and create a presentation around it. This could be artwork, a poem, a song, etc. that explains why they chose the word.

15. "What do we have in common?" Ask questions as prompts for students to find out how much they have in common. What's your favorite sport, color, food, TV show, musical artist, etc.? What's your birthday month? How many siblings do you have? What kind of pet do you have? Extend the in-person or virtual icebreaker into a math lesson by graphing the responses and making charts.

16. KWL: Put the tried and true KWL method to use! Ask what do you know about your classmates? (We're all in third grade. We all have the same teacher.) Then ask what do you want to know? Give students options for exploring those questions. Then review the favorite or most surprising things they learned about each other.

17. Rank it!: Have students rank 10 things from best to worst. Use the activity to get ideas for further discussion and lessons. (For example, students can also chart or graph these answers.) Suggestions for things to rank include pizza toppings, holidays, Disney movies, and vegetables.

18. Where do you wish you were? Have students share where they'd be if they could be anywhere right now. Use the answers to inspire research and writing assignments.

19. Question of the day: Pose a question each day for students to write their responses. (Younger students can draw their responses instead.) They can then share their answers with the whole class, in small groups, or with a partner. Here are some example questions: Who is the funniest person you know and why? What skill would you like to learn this year and how can you make that happen? What food could you eat every day and how would you prepare it?

20. Introduce a classmate: Have students team up in pairs to interview each other. Brainstorm questions to ask in advance. Give students time to conduct their interviews. Then they introduce each other to the rest of the class.

21. Show and tell: Show and tell is great for all ages! Give students notice so they have time to show up to class with their items.

Make sure you also participate in these activities whether they are in-person or virtual icebreakers. Your students need to get to know you as well in order to build connection. Engaging with students in a personal way shouldn't be limited to the first week of school. Keep the exploration going all year. Kids learn best when they feel safe, and connection is a keep component of that. We can all use that of communit y and connection even more than usual these days.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

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21 Social Distance-Friendly and Virtual Icebreakers Students Will Actually Have Fun With

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Many kids are entering classrooms more nervous and apprehensive than ever before. The 2020/2021 school year is scary for most of us - students, teachers, and parents alike. Everyone is returning to learning after a traumatic six months of learning to live in a pandemic. There are still so many uncertainties and unknowns.

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I've spent the last four months working with teachers all over the country (virtually, of course) as they navigate the uncharted waters of online and blended learning. The majority of teachers I have spoken with did not enjoy their initial experiences with distance learning. A big issue for many teachers was a general lack of student engagement online. I cannot say I am surprised given the lack of clarity about expectations for participation online, the "no harm" grading policies adopted by many districts during school closures, and issues around equity and access.

This fall, students will likely be learning, at least in part, online. Given that reality, I wanted to share a collection of strategies designed to engage students in active learning online.

1. Sort It Out

This is a digital spin on a traditional concept mapping exercise. Sort it Out challenges students to think about how key concepts in a unit, lesson, or chapter relate to one another. Students can work independently or in pairs on a Google Drawing to complete this digital concept mapping activity. The directions ask that they combine text and visual media to show the relationship between concepts.

Teachers can ask students to complete these online asynchronously then share them during face-to-face sessions (blended) or in video conferencing sessions (online).

2. Online Fishbowl

The classic fishbowl activity splits the class into two groups. While one group engages in a discussion or attempts to solve a problem, the second group observes and captures their observations, questions, and comments. If teachers are hosting small group virtual sessions, this strategy can be adapted for a virtual conferencing session. Prior to the video conference, the teacher will split the students into two groups-group A and group B. I'd suggest sharing your screen and having the students' names clearly listed in a two-column chart.

Once students know what group they are in, the teacher presents group A with a discussion question or a problem to solve and sets the timer (e.g., 5 minutes). The students in group A will unmute and engage in a discussion or talk through the problem. While they engage with one another, group B will watch and observe. Their job will be to post their observations in the chat window or on a shared Google Document.

When the timer goes off, the teacher can invite members of group B to unmute and share their thoughts. What did they notice as they observed their peers? What questions do they have? What suggestions would they make? After group B has had the opportunity to comment, the groups switch roles and group B engages in a discussion or problem solving task while group A observes.

3. Expert Group Investigations

Teachers are going to have less time for direct instruction if they are working with students on a hybrid schedule or if they are entirely online. This is an opportunity to have students become the experts responsible for conducting research and curating online sources. Instead of using precious class time to tell kids everything we know about a topic, why not put them into expert groups and let them lead the learning?

Teachers can group 4-5 students on a shared Google Slide presentation and ask them to spend some of their online learning time investigating a specific topic or concept with the goal of becoming the experts on that topic or concept. They will need to work collaboratively to pull their information together in a cogent and visually compelling presentation that mixes text and visual media.

Teachers can ask students to present during their face-to-face time (blended) or during a video conferencing session (online).

4. Collaborative Annotations

Teachers can make annotating a piece of reading, which is typically an individual endeavor, and make it more engaging by simply grouping students on a shared document to annotate collaboratively. Teachers can insert a two-column chart into a Google Document then copy and paste text in the left-hand column. Students can highlight keywords and phrases in the text and capture their annotations in the right-hand column.

As they work they can use the chat feature inside of the document to discuss the reading if they are working synchronously or insert comments with questions for the other members of the group to answer asynchronously. This adds a social component to the learning task, which can help students who are working on the assignment at home feel connected to their peers.

5. Google Map Adventures

Finding fun ways for students to surface their learning is critical for increasing engagement online. The more creative the assignments, the more likely students are to lean into the learning. Google Maps is a versatile tool that can be leveraged for learning in all subject areas. Students can chart the path of a story on a map, they can connect the historical information they are learning to the geographic location where events took place, and students can use maps to design creative mathematical challenges. The possibilities are limitless!

Students can create their own maps or collaborate on shared maps, drop pins with text and media in specific locations, and share their maps as evidence of their learning. Click here to learn more about My Maps.

6. Spotify Playlist

Encourage your students to get creative with their review. At the end of a chapter or unit, challenge pairs of students to work collaboratively on a shared Google Document to identify the main ideas, concepts, and/or themes from the chapter or unit. Then ask them to create a Spotify playlist. The goal is to use music, something most kids enjoy, to inspire them to think more deeply about the ideas, concepts, or themes covered in a text or unit.

7. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a fun way to encourage students to research and explore. If teachers are struggling to "get through" content given limited face-to-face time, they can create an online or offline scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts can encourage students to do a close read of a text or conduct informal research to answer questions when they are learning remotely. This strategy makes it possible for teachers to identify relevant information that students will need to know while making the experience of finding that information engaging and fun. Teachers can use Google Documents or Google Slides to create their scavenger hunt activities, making the tasks individual or collaborative.

8. Online Discussions

Online discussions are a staple of any online course. They create a space for students to connect online, explore issues related to the course, ask questions, and make meaning in collaboration with their peers. Teachers looking for strategies designed to engage students and drive higher-order thinking should make online discussions a regular part of their classes.

If teachers are working with young students who do not have strong keyboarding skills, they can use FlipGrid videos to engage students in video-based discussions. Padlet is another option that allows students to post their ideas on a virtual wall and comment on each other's posts. For teachers working with older students, the Google Classroom question feature or the discussion functionality in a learning management system will work well to engage students in text-based asynchronous discussions.

If teachers give students time to think about a question, craft a response, read the responses posted by their peers, and reply to their classmates, in-class conversations are more likely to be substantive and start at a much deeper level.

This summer is the perfect time to explore and plan. I hope these strategies will inspire teachers to think creatively about how they can engage students in meaningful learning activities online. If you have an activity that you have used to engage students online, please take a moment to post a comment and share it!

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8 Ideas Designed to Engage Students In Active Learning Online

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I've spent the last four months working with teachers all over the country (virtually, of course) as they navigate the uncharted waters of online and blended learning. The majority of teachers I have spoken with did not enjoy their initial

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Same and Different Images

Lots of images to support students in developing the habit of comparing and connecting representations. Thanks Brian Bushart for pulling them together!

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Same and Different Images Lots of images to support students in developing the habit of comparing and connecting representations. Thanks Brian Bushart for pulling them together!

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with special thanks to Christopher Danielson and his Which One Doesn’t Belong - A Shapes Book.

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with special thanks to Christopher Danielson and his Which One Doesn’t Belong - A Shapes Book.

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley on Facebook Watch

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Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Welcome to Splat! You are only moments away from a VERY POWERFUL, highly interactive number sense strategy that can be used at any grade level!

This post includes 50 (fifty!) free, downloadable PowerPoint math lessons!

Watch the video, download some (or all) of the lessons, and experience what happens when you unleash this resource in your classroom!

I've been excited to click the Publish button on this post for several weeks! It's time!
UPDATE: The Fraction Splat! Series (with 20 more downloadable lessons) is now available!
After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.

Splat Through 10
How many dots are under the Splat?

Splat Through 20
How many dots are under the Splat?

Multiple Splats
(Note: Splats that are the same color must cover the same number.)
Splat 3.1 - multiple splats Splat 3.2 - multiple splats Splat 3.3 - multiple splats Splat 3.4 - multiple splats Splat 3.5 - multiple splats
Instant Multiple Splat
(Note: An additional feature of this level is the opportunity to ask, "What could the total be?")

Splat 4.1 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.2 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.3 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.4 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.5 - Instant Multiple Splats
2-Color Splat
(Splats of different colors must have different values.)

Splat 5.1 2-color Splat Splat 5.2 2-color Splat Splat 5.3 2-color Splat Splat 5.4 2-color Splat Splat 5.5 2-color Splat Splat 6.2 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.3 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.4 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.5 Instant 2-color Splat
Instant 2-Variable Splat
(Splats of different colors must have different values. Splats of the same color must have the same value.)
Splat 7.1 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.2 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.3 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.4 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.5 Instant 2-variable Splat
Number Splat
(Note: Only the numbers circled on the screen may be used.)
Splat 8.1 - Number Splat Splat 8.2 - Number Splat Splat 8.3 - Number Splat Splat 8.4 - Number Splat Splat 8.5 - Number Splat Splat 9.1 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.2 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.3 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.4 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.5 - Instant Number Splat
Instant Number Splat with 2 Variables
(Note: Only the numbers circled on the screen may be used, and Splats of different colors must have different values.)
Splat 10.1 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.2 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.3 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.4 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.5 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat
NOTE: I wrote each of these lessons using PowerPoint, so I recommend playing them in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint, you may want to download the PowerPoint viewer so that you can play the lessons.

UPDATE: The Fraction Splat! Series (with 20 more downloadable lessons) is now available!
Other Posts and Resources Which May Be of Interest Tiled Area Questions The Maze Hundreds Chart
Introducing Cube Connectors
Provide Massive Space to Notice
Primary Tile Questions
3 Powerful Tile Strategies (and 40 new downloadable pages)
Please take a moment to subscribe to the blog so you'll be notified each time new resources are posted!

I would treasure hearing about your experiences using Splat! to promote number sense in your classroom!

All my best,
Steve

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Splat! - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Welcome to Splat! You are only moments away from a VERY POWERFUL, highly interactive number sense strategy that can be used at any grade level!

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Steve Wyborney\\\'s Blog: I\\\'m on a Learning Mission.

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Fraction Splats! have arrived! The original Splat! post rocketed up to over 35,000 hits in less than a month, which included over 19,000 lesson downloads! All 50 lessons in the Splat! post involved whole numbers. In this post, I've turned my attention to fractions, and have created 20 new lessons for you to download! This is The Fraction Splat! Series. Watch the video, download the lessons, and try them in your classroom!
Note: I've created the lessons in PowerPoint, so I recommend using PowerPoint to view them.
After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.
Note: These lessons use a single splat along with a mixture of unit fractions and whole numbers. In Level 11, you control the Splat! SPLAT 11.1 - Fraction Splats SPLAT 11.2 - Fraction Splats SPLAT 11.3 - Fraction Splats SPLAT 11.4 - Fraction Splats SPLAT 11.5 - Fraction Splats
Instant Fraction Splat!
Note: These lessons use a single Splat! which appears at the same moment as the whole numbers and fractions. Each question instantly presents missing information. SPLAT 12.1 - Instant Fraction Splats SPLAT 12.2 - Instant Fraction Splats SPLAT 12.3 - Instant Fraction Splats SPLAT 12.4 - Instant Fraction Splats SPLAT 12.5 - Instant Fraction Splats
Multiple Splats! with Fractions
Note: These lessons include multiple Splats! and you control the timing of those Splats! The entire screen can be seen, the total can be determined, and then Splat! Remember: Each Splat! that is the same color must be covering the same number. SPLAT 13.1 - Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 13.2 - Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 13.3 - Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 13.4 - Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 13.5 - Multiple Fraction Splats
Multiple Splats! with Fractions
Note: These lessons use multiple Splats! which appear at the same moment as the whole numbers and fractions. Each question instantly presents missing information. Remember: Each Splat! that is the same color must be covering the same number. SPLAT 14.1 - Instant Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 14.2 - Instant Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 14.3 - Instant Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 14.4 - Instant Multiple Fraction Splats SPLAT 14.5 - Instant Multiple Fraction Splats
Other Posts and Resources Which May Be of Interest

Splat! The original 50 downloadable Splat! lessons include 10 levels and variations.

Tiled Area Questions is a colorful, powerful, highly visual strategy for decomposing numbers - and offers many downloadable pages.

The Animated Multiplication Table remains one of the most popular downloaded resources from this blog, and this post includes several ideas about how to use it.

The Maze Hundreds Chart is another downloadable resource that can lead to some highly intriguing questions and rich discourse.

You may also be interested in Provide Massive Space to Notice.

Please take a moment to subscribe to the blog so you'll be notified each time new resources are posted!

I would treasure hearing about your experiences using The Fraction Splat! Series to promote number sense in your classroom!

All my best,
Steve

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The Fraction Splat! Series - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Fraction Splats! have arrived! The original Splat! post rocketed up to over 35,000 hits in less than a month, which included over 19,000 lesson downloads!

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Steve Wyborney\\\'s Blog: I\\\'m on a Learning Mission.

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20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk - for all grades from K-12. That is the goal of this series. Entirely new, exclusive content fills this post in a ready-to-use format that will allow you to deeply explore 4 rich math routines.

By downloading each day, you can have a clear pathway to presenting rich number sense and math discourse opportunities to your students.

Additionally, each day contains multiple levels, so that a 2nd grade teacher, a 5th grade teacher, and a high school teacher can all be using the same file - and can all have access to other grade levels. The opportunities to differentiate across levels abound in this series as well as the opportunities to see into other grade levels from K-12.

Update: If you would like to read about Kathy Iwanicki's journey into 20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk, you can find her blog post here. Thank you for sharing your story, Kathy!

After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.
Quick Access to Days 1-5 Simply click on the blue link to download the file. Quick Access to Days 6-10 Simply click on the blue link to download the file. Quick Access to Days 11-15 Simply click on the blue link to download the file. Quick Access to Days 16-20 Simply click on the blue link to download the file. Quick Access to the solutions for the Advanced Cube Conversations
Quick Access to the Cube Conversations Book The Cube Conversations Printable PDF Description of 20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk (K-12) Days 1-5
The Answers to the Advanced Cube Conversations Tasks (Days 16-20)
I've opened the series with a brand new set of Estimation Clipboards. The Estimation Clipboard strategy is a very invitational way to draw students into rich number sense discussions as it layers in more and more context and continues to provide students with estimation opportunities. The Estimation Clipboard strategy is also where a very important math instructional reality becomes abundantly clear: Writing is a powerful springboard into math discourse. As students WRITE their estimates (particularly for images 3 & 4) the math talk in your classroom will become very rich. You'll find the power in the pattern of (1) students estimating (2) writing their estimate (3) explaining what their estimate is, and why they chose it. Then right before each reveal, your classroom will become very quite in anticipation of the reveal. Don't be surprised if there is a lot cheering as the answers are revealed.
Days 6-10
Days 1-5 have set the stage with The Estimation Clipboard. Not only have the 20 Days of Number Sense and Rich Math Talk begun, but both students and teachers have detected the power of invitations, estimation, writing, sharing their ideas aloud, and experiencing the joy and wonder of math.

Day 1 - The Estimation Clipboard

Day 2 - The Estimation Clipboard

Day 3 - The Estimation Clipboard

Day 4 - The Estimation Clipboard

Day 5 - The Estimation Clipboard

After the highly invitational nature of the Estimation Clipboard, opportunities to richly explore numbers continue in the Splat! images which are all brand new - and are all designed to work in both PowerPoint and Google Slides (just like everything else in this series - so feel free to use either one).

Ranging from Splats through 10 through Fraction Splats! and now including 10 of the most challenging Splats! that I have ever publicly released, your students will have very rich opportunities to lean into number sense and richly discuss their mathematical thinking while also hearing from other students. They will be able to see and explore multiple strategies for decomposing numbers, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and connecting many concepts together.

Since every day includes materials across a wide range of grade levels, there is also a really good opportunity to take a look at content from other grade levels and offer even more challenges to your students.

Let's take a closer look at each of the Splat! levels include in 20 Days of Number Sense and Rich Math Talk.

Splat! Level A includes numbers through 10 and is ideal for grades K-1. In these sequences the dots appear so that students can count them. Then, when you click, the total number appears in the corner. On the next click, the SPLAT appears and covers some of the dots. The immediate question is, "How many dots are under the Splat?" You will be amazed at how many different ways students see this, solve this, and even how they mentally move the dots around to decompose and make sense of the numbers. If you look at the images below, you'll see that some of the Splats separate the visible numbers and create a Part-Part-Part-Whole scenario. Splat Level A appears in all 5 days.

Splat! Level B includes numbers through 10 and is ideal for grades 1-2. It also provides the first example of a grade level (kindergarten) that may recognize the opportunity to venture to higher levels. Just like in Level A, the first click introduces the dots, the next click brings in the Splat and the question, and then the Number Sense and Rich Math Talk begins. When I use numbers through 20 in the classroom, I sometimes quickly move through the counting step by saying, "Here are some dots. There are 19 of them. This is the Splat!" I find that counting so many dots can slow down the opportunities that the Splat introduces. Of course, counting is critical, and so is finding many different ways to count, so at other times I spend more time on a variety of grouping and counting methods. The reality is that there are so many opportunities in these slides that you have many opportunities to focus on a wide range of concepts.

The images in Splat! Level C are some of the most wide-ranging images I have ever worked with. It offers opportunities across so many grade levels. I've labeled it as primarily matching grades 2-5, but I've seen it used very effectively in many grade levels. Level C is where multiplication and division begin to play a much stronger role. While students in younger grades may access the image above (the one that shows 14) by adding, subtracting, grouping, counting on, repeatedly adding 3 to 5, or repeatedly subtracting 5 from 14, I've seen other strategies across grade levels. For example, fourth grade students sometimes view it as 14 ÷ 3 with a remainder of 5. Likewise, high school students have viewed is as 3x + 5 = 14. Imagine the power of the conversation among the students across those grade levels!

A very interesting option opens up in Splat! Level D. In the images above you are seeing the first of the reveal clicks. In the moment before this - when all of the Splats are opaque, and none of the dots beneath the can be seen - students approach a new question, which is "What could the total be?" In the first image above, before it is revealed that each Splat is covering 3 dots, students find themselves working with the concepts that the total must be 3 more than a multiple of 3, so the total must be a multiple of 3. However, in the second picture above (again before the first Splat is revealed like you see in the picture) students can see that the total is unknown, that there are 4 visible dots, and that there are 7 splats. By rule, each splat is covering the same number. So students can work with the concepts such as that total must be 4 more than a multiple of 7. As the identify possible totals, they can see that it could be 4, 11, 18, 25, ... Then when you choose to reveal the value of a Splat by clicking, you'll see a single Splat turn transparent (which is what you see in the images above) and the students can determine what the total number of dots is. You may expect the students to use multiplication to do so, and many will, but they will also surprise you with a wide number of strategies that you may never have expected. They are showcasing both Number Sense & Rich Math Talk!

Level E is a favorite of many teachers. In this level, all of the whole dots and all of the fractional parts of a dot can be seen. Then when you click, the Splat appears, and covers some of the whole dots and fractional parts. The immediate question becomes, "What is the value beneath the Splat?" I am amazed at how students approach these questions.

Level F is similar to the previous level with one exception. While, Level E allow the students to see all of the images before the Splat appeared, Level F simply presents the total, the Splat, and the visible parts of the total all at the same time. Students once again bring very impressive insights into the conversation. It's Number Sense and Rich Math Talk and the way that students contribute to one another's insights is eye-opening.

Level G allows the students to see the all of the whole numbers and all of the fractions on the screen and gives the students the opportunity to determine the total. When you click the total will appear. Then, with the next click, multiple Splats will appear on the screen. By rule, each of the Splats is covering the same number (the same value), although those numbers may be represented in different ways. The students task is to determine the value of the Splats (not the specific pieces) under each Splat.

Level H is similar Level G, accept in Level H the Splats all appear at the very beginning, so the first image the students see are just line the ones that are showing above. The question is, "What is the value of each Splat?" Within Level, H (on days 9 & 10), I have included 10 of the most challenging Splat questions I have ever publicly released.

Day 6 - Exclusive Splat Sequences Days 11-15

Day 7 - Exclusive Splat Sequences Day 11 - Exclusive Esti-Mysteries Days 16-20

Day 12 - Exclusive Esti-Mysteries

Day 13 - Exclusive Esti-Mysteries

Day 14 - Exclusive Esti-Mysteries

Day 15 - Exclusive Esti-Mysteries

Day 8 - Exclusive Splat Sequences

Day 16 - Exclusive Cube Conversations

Day 17 - Exclusive Cube Conversations

Day 18 - Exclusive Cube Conversations

Day 19 - Exclusive Cube Conversations

Day 20 - Exclusive Cube Conversations

Day 9 - Exclusive Splat Sequences

Day 10 - Exclusive Splat Sequences
Remember that I've written slides for ALL levels on EVERY day. Download the day you are on, find the level you want to work with, and let your students exercise their Number Sense and engage in Rich Math Talk.

Also, consider challenging your students by trying out 2-3 slides from another level.

Exclusive Esti-Mysteries

15 brand new Esti-Mysteries fill these 5 days, and each day includes 3 different levels, ranging from kindergarten to advanced math concepts. As a bonus, the first 3 Esti-Mysteries include appearing charts on the screen. Additionally, 2 of the Esti-Mysteries include multiple perspectives and hidden clues that can be found in the 2nd image.

Esti-Mysteries strongly call upon number sense and promote rich math talk while also giving students rich opportunities to COMBINE estimation with a range of math concepts in the context of rich math talk. Students will be discussing their estimates - much like in the first 5 days when the work with the Estimation Clipboard - but will also be looking carefully at math concepts and seeing how those concepts are interrelated.

Exclusive Cube Conversations

The highly visual cube conversations strategy is used in the final 5 days to promote number sense and rich math talk. In addition to brand new Cube Conversations Images, the downloadable set of matching pages will give students clear opportunities to annotate and describe their insights to one another.

As with all other days in this series, there is a very good opportunity to see into other grade level bands, and this can be use to differentiate content, challenge students, and promote even deeper number sense and rich math talk.

At the end of each day there is also a challenging task, which is placed in the highest grade band. The printable PDF includes 2 different versions of each task. One version includes 4 copies so that students will have an opportunity to try out 4 different entry points into the task, while the other page simply offers a larger, easier-to-use version of the image.

The beginning level of Cube Conversations provides very good opportunities to visualize and decompose small numbers in a wide variety of ways. The middle image shown above is animated to showcase 3 different ways that students may see how to decompose the shape. Likely, they will find many more than the 3 examples, but the animated examples typically provide a nice momentum and a clear invitation to seek out many different ways to decompose the number. Then another image appears (like the third one shown above) with 4 additional copies below it so that ideas can be shared with the entire class. As with all levels, every image is also available on the downloadable PDF so that each student can decompose the images on their own and then share their ideas with one another.

Deepening Cube Conversations (grades 2-5) introduce some layers of complexity that allow students to work with additional concepts, such as visualizing sets in multiple ways, visualizing shapes that overlap (so the overlapping cubes may need to be subtracted), and shapes that appear to have holes in them.

The 2nd image above shows layers that will appear when you click (although on the slide you download the images will all be in a single location on the slide). If you look at the middle image closely, you will see how the image has been decomposed into 9 + 3 groups of 3, then 2 groups of 5 and a group of 3 and 5 groups of 1. Still focusing on the blue and yellow shape in the middle image above, you can see why students describe it many ways. For example, a student might say, "I see 3 groups of 5 in the blue and yellow image." If you look carefully, you'll also see 3 groups of 5.

Then moving the the last image in the center picture above (the image which is red, yellow, and blue in the bottom right corner) you can see how a student might say, "I see three groups of five plus three more - but I see it in a different way." Remember, that is just the example page and it is followed by the wide open opportunity presented on the next slide. When you look at the third picture above you can see how a student might describe two groups of 9, two groups of 8, or even 2 groups of 7 while other students describe groups of 2, 3, or 5. You may also hear that a student sees a 25 minus two groups of 4 and 2 groups of 1. The possibilities go on and on as your provide students with rich opportunities to explore Number Sense and to explore and describe their insights together.

The routine continues - but at a deeper level - in Textured Cube Conversations. Remember, every level is available on every day in this blog post, and all content in 20 Days of Number Sense and Rich Math Talk is exclusive to this post.

The first image will present a structure, several examples of how the structure can be visually decomposed, and will finally reveal the number of unit cubes. Then a new image will appear with 4 opportunities on the bottom of the screen for students to show their thinking to each other.

All of the Cube Conversations images are available in PDF format so that you can provide each student with their own copy to annotate - and then to share their ideas with one another.

Advanced Cube Conversations will feel very much like a rich task. Two of the Advanced Cube Conversations are illustrated in the pictures above.

The thinking that comes from these tasks is tremendous!

On the downloadable PDF you will find a page with a large image of the structure an an additional page that provides 4 smaller versions of that picture so that students will have multiple opportunities to try out a variety of entry points.

In each case the question is, "This structure is composed of how many unit cubes?"

I hope you enjoy 20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk. If you do, please leave a comment. You can even share who is using it. Perhaps we'll see some classrooms from around the world leaving comments like, "We are using #20DaysNS in Hunters, Washington!"

As always, you can find me on Twitter @stevewyborney

I'll be keeping an eye on #20DaysNS on Twitter.

I wish you well as you work with your students and give them opportunities to develop their numbers sense and engage in rich math talk.

All my best,

Steve

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20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk (K-12) - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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20 Days of Number Sense & Rich Math Talk - for all grades from K-12. That is the goal of this series. Entirely new, exclusive content fills this post in a

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Steve Wyborney\\\'s Blog: I\\\'m on a Learning Mission.

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Cube Conversations is a set of 80 (eighty!) animated lessons designed to promote visually rich math discourse. I've designed these lessons to invite many voices and vantage points into classroom conversations.

Much like Splat!, you control the animation with a few simple clicks - and each click presents an opportunity for students to see and discuss an image in new ways.

Of course, there is also a sense of mystery, much like what your students felt in Splat! The end of each slide includes The Reveal, when the answer is shown.

I hope your classroom will be filled with rich math talk, inspiring insights from your students, and moments of celebration as you guide your class through Cube Conversations!

Watch the video, download the lessons, and allow your students to amaze your with their visual math thinking.
***UPDATE: You can now download the 80 printable Cube Conversations pages here.
After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.
Level 1: "Single Layer Structures, Part A" Grades: K-3 Cube Conversations Set 1 Cube Conversations Set 2 Cube Conversations Set 3 Cube Conversations Set 4 Cube Conversations Set 5 Cube Conversations Set 6 Cube Conversations Set 7 Cube Conversations Set 8 Cube Conversations Set 9 Cube Conversations Set 10 Grades: K-3 Cube Conversations Set 11 Cube Conversations Set 12 Cube Conversations Set 13 Cube Conversations Set 14 Cube Conversations Set 15 Cube Conversations Set 16 Cube Conversations Set 17 Cube Conversations Set 18 Cube Conversations Set 19 Cube Conversations Set 20 Level 3: "Twice as Thick" Grades: 2-6 Cube Conversations Set 21 Cube Conversations Set 22 Cube Conversations Set 23 Cube Conversations Set 24 Cube Conversations Set 25 Cube Conversations Set 26 Cube Conversations Set 27 Cube Conversations Set 28 Cube Conversations Set 29 Cube Conversations Set 30 Level 4: "Texture Time" Grades: 2-6 Cube Conversations Set 31 Cube Conversations Set 32 Cube Conversations Set 33 Cube Conversations Set 34 Cube Conversations Set 35 Cube Conversations Set 36 Cube Conversations Set 37 Cube Conversations Set 38 Cube Conversations Set 39 Cube Conversations Set 40 Level 5: "Challenging Structures" Grades: 3 - 8 Cube Conversations Set 41 Cube Conversations Set 42 Cube Conversations Set 43 Cube Conversations Set 44 Cube Conversations Set 45 Cube Conversations Set 46 Cube Conversations Set 47 Cube Conversations Set 48 Cube Conversations Set 49 Cube Conversations Set 50 Level 6: "Increasing Complexity" Grades: 3 - 8 Cube Conversations Set 51 Cube Conversations Set 52 Cube Conversations Set 53 Cube Conversations Set 54 Cube Conversations Set 55 Cube Conversations Set 56 Cube Conversations Set 57 Cube Conversations Set 58 Cube Conversations Set 59 Cube Conversations Set 60 Level 7: "Insightful Complexity" Grades: 5 - 12 Cube Conversations Set 61 Cube Conversations Set 62 Cube Conversations Set 63 Cube Conversations Set 64 Cube Conversations Set 65 Cube Conversations Set 66 Cube Conversations Set 67 Cube Conversations Set 68 Cube Conversations Set 69 Cube Conversations Set 70 Level 8: "Giant Structures" Grades: 5 - 12 Cube Conversations Set 71 Cube Conversations Set 72 Cube Conversations Set 73 Cube Conversations Set 74 Cube Conversations Set 75 Cube Conversations Set 76 Cube Conversations Set 77 Cube Conversations Set 78 Cube Conversations Set 79 Cube Conversations Set 80 Other Posts and Resources Which May Be of Interest
Splat! (over 140,000 free lessons downloads in 2017!)

The Fraction Splat! Series (with 20 more downloadable lessons) is now available!
Tiled Area Questions Primary Tile Questions

3 Powerful Tile Strategies (and 40 new downloadable pages)
Thank you for taking time to view my blog! I'm learning as I go!

All my best,

Steve

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Cube Conversations - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Cube Conversations is a set of 80 (eighty!) animated lessons designed to promote visually rich math discourse. I've designed these lessons to invite many

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Steve Wyborney\\\'s Blog: I\\\'m on a Learning Mission.

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Tiled Area Questions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to compose and decompose numbers. This post primarily focuses on fractions. If you are a K-2 teacher, you may really like this version.

Watch the video, download the resources, and give your student the opportunity to visualize, decompose, compare, and compose numbers.

Click here to download the 12 Colored Displays.

Click here to download the 12 Combination Displays.

Click here to download the 12 White Printables

Click here to download the 12 Pages With 6 Identical Images.

I encourage you to give your students opportunities to see the same concept in many different ways.
NEW TILE POSTS IN THIS SERIES
The K-2 post is ready!!! Visit it here: Primary Tile Questions

The latest post in the series is ready: 3 Powerful Tile Strategies (and 40 New Downloadable Pages)

After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.

Many thanks to Melissa D. for sharing these pictures from her 7th grade classroom in Toronto. You can follow Melissa on Twitter @Dean_of_math .

Update: Melissa's excellent, beautiful blog post, "Embracing the struggle (aka #mathismore than a word problem)" is well worth your time, and will give a glimpse into her personal journey as well as how she is using Tiled Area Squares in her classroom. Take a look at her blog post with additional images .

Here is a sneak peak at Melissa's post. Click on either picture to see her post.

Thank you, Melissa, for sending these additional pictures as well.!
The Maze Hundreds Chart Provide Massive Space to Notice How to make Quick Subitizing Images + 3 Free Resources
I also recommend viewing these posts:

This post includes 50 (fifty!) animated number sense lessons for K-12 teachers.

Color the Cube Connectors (more downloadables and strategies)

Thank you for visiting my blog. Remember, if you have pictures of pages of student thinking that you would like to see on the blog, please send them to me.

All my best,

Steve

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Tiled Area Questions - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Tiled Area Questions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to compose and decompose numbers. This post primarily focuses on fractions. If

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Fun Sudoku Puzzles for Kids

Enjoy these kids sudoku puzzles and have fun playing online. Sudoku is a great puzzle game that requires a little practice but offers an excellent challenge for kids that love numbers.

Practice your sudoku skills with a range of free games and printable worksheets that provide puzzles for both beginner and expert. Each game features different variations on the classic formula, including timers, themed boards, high scores and various levels of difficulty. Give sudoku a try and enjoy playing online.

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Kids Sudoku Puzzles Online - Play Free Games

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Fun Sudoku Puzzles for Kids Enjoy these kids sudoku puzzles and have fun playing online. Sudoku is a great puzzle game that requires a little practice but offers an excellent challenge for kids that love numbers. Practice your sudoku skills with a range of free games and printable worksheets that provide puzzles for both beginner and expert.

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Break the Hidden Code...

M astermind is a board game with an interesting history (or rather a legend?). Some game books report that it was invented in 1971 by Mordecai Meirowitz, an Israeli postmaster and telecommunications expert. After many rejections by leading toy companies, the rights were obtained by a small British firm, Invicta Plastics Ltd. The firm originally manufactured the game itself, though it has since licensed its manufacture to Hasbro in most of the world. However, Mastermind is just a clever readaptation of an old similar game called 'Bulls and cows' in English, and 'Numerello' in Italian... Actually, the old British game 'Bulls and cows' was somewhat different from the commercial version. It was played on paper, not on a board... Over 50 million copies later, Mastermind is still marketed today!

The idea of the game is for one player (the code-breaker) to guess the secret code chosen by the other player (the code-maker). The code is a sequence of 4 colored pegs chosen from six colors available. The code-breaker makes a serie of pattern guesses - after each guess the code-maker gives feedback in the form of 2 numbers, the number of pegs that are of the right color and in the correct position, and the number of pegs that are of the correct color but not in the correct position - these numbers are usually represented by small black and white pegs.

In 1977, the mathematician Donald Knuth demonstrated that the code-breaker can solve the pattern in five moves or less, using an algorithm that progressively reduced the number of possible patterns.

Play against your computer!(Reload the page to
(colorblind-friendly game)
restore the previous default game)

Learn the art of objective reasoning!
Buy MasterMind here

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Mastermind: its history + online game (colorblind friendly)

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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What is a HyperDoc?
It's an innovative way to put an entire interactive digital lesson into your students' hands. If you're looking for something to replace boring worksheets with something more exciting that allows students to collaborate, think critically, combine information from multiple sources, and create through technology, then HyperDocs is right up your alley. HyperDocs allow you to create and package a lesson plan tailored to fit the needs of your students. Plus, it is inherently engaging! Each lesson includes all the elements you would typically include in a successful lesson: engage, explore, explain, apply, share, and extend. While students are busy collaborating and reflecting on their learning, you are free to connect with students!

​ The term HyperDocs was coined by Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis. When I first heard about HyperDocs, I thought it was simply a Google Doc with hyperlinks on it. Don't be fooled! It is SO much more complex and meaningful than that. Read about what Lisa, Kelly, and Sarah have to say about HyperDocs on their website here.

Many HyperDocs follow this basic template that takes students through six steps of a lesson:

1. Engage: Hook your students, get them engaged, and activate prior knowledge. You might use a fun video, interactive website, or audio recording.

2. Explore: Link resources, such as videos or articles, for students to explore more information.

3. Explain: Clarify the learning objective for your students. This is where you could teach a whole group lesson with direct instruction, or add additional resources for students to explore.

4. Apply: What do you want students to create to demonstrate their learning? Give instructions for the assignment.

5. Share: Provide a way for students to share their work and receive feedback.

6. Reflect: Pause for reflection (whole class, think-pair-share, etc.) or link them to a digital way to share their thoughts.

7. Extend: This portion is great for early finishers. Provide extra activities, additional online resources, or challenge them with an extension assignment to extend their thinking.

Of course, not every lesson follows the same format. For a variety of templates to meet your needs, head over to this Padlet where educators are sharing templates for all types of lessons. In addition to the Basic six step HyperDoc lesson plan outlined above, there are also templates for close reading, historical biographies, and for workshop lessons. There is also a more basic template that only involves three steps: Explore, Explain, and Apply. That shortened HyperDoc templates is great for beginners that are feeling overwhelmed with creating their first HyperDoc.
If you're unsure of what types of resources to include for each section of the lesson, take a look at this helpful Google Doc template created by Sarah Landis. It's packed full of ideas for each step of the lesson. Popular apps and websites used with HyperDocs include YouTube, Google Forms, Kahoot, Storybird, Padlet, Wordle, and of course Google Docs.

​ The best way to understand HyperDocs is to see an example. Luckily, educators have been creating and sharing HyperDocs for all grade levels and subjects. A typical lesson that follows a template will look similar to the images below. Of course, not all Hyperdocs follow a template, and you are free to customize your lesson to suit your needs. To use a template for your classroom, simply open it in Google Docs, click "File" and "Make a Copy" to save it into your Google Drive. Then you can open your own copy, make any changes, and then share it with your students via Google Classroom!

Try out some HyperDocs for yourself to see what all the hype is about!

Click here to explore a Padlet where educators are sharing their awesome HyperDocs.

​Click here to find even more HyperDoc lessons through an amazing website called TeachersGiveTeachers.

​Once you start creating your own HyperDocs, don't forget to revisit the Padlet or TeachersGiveTeachers to share your lesson with others!

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What is a HyperDoc? It's an innovative way to put an entire interactive digital lesson into your students' hands. If you're looking for something to replace boring worksheets with something more exciting that allows students to collaborate, think critically, combine information from multiple sources, and create through technology, then HyperDocs is right up your alley.

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Here is a link to the video instead.

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If you REALLY like exercising your brain,
figuring things 'round and 'round till you explode,
then this is the page for you !

Whosoever shall solve these puzzles shall Rule The Universe!

... or at least they should ...

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If you REALLY like exercising your brain, figuring things 'round and 'round till you explode, then this is the page for you ! Whosoever shall solve these puzzles shall Rule The Universe! ... or at least they should ...

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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This HyperDoc covers the Next Generation Science Standards for Matter and its Interactions below:

Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

Includes links for virtual experiments, YouTube video, reading/writing connection, and standardized test prep.

This HyperDoc is designed as a Google Slides presentation and can be used on PC, Mac, Chromebook, or iPad.
**Before purchasing, please check with your school administrator to ensure students have the ability to access information from outside Google Drives.
After copying to your Google Drive, you may edit this HyperDoc to meet your specific instructional needs.

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Matter and its Interactions Unit Hyperdoc

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This HyperDoc covers the Next Generation Science Standards for Matter and its Interactions below:Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling,...

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Hyperdocs - links - Mrs. Brody - 6th Grade Science

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The Genius of Mendeleev's Periodic Table (YouTube)

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Educators around the world are entering digital lesson design with varying experiences and expertise. Our HyperDocs Online Academy is your source for learning about designing and delivering the engagement-driving digital lessons we call HyperDocs. Our course instruction method is what we call 'just in time teaching' so that you can take on new learning when you are ready, and explore the Academy at your own pace.

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Feel free to make a copy and edit to fit your student's needs! #TeachersGiveTeachers Many of these lessons were created for our new virtual academy. Our goal is to build community, help kids learn about themselves and how they learn best, and executive functioning skills.

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Copy of Math 6 Review Game Board- G. Pacada

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TV Theme Songs

The response from teachers who have been using theme songs in their classrooms has been nothing short of overwhelming. Each and every email tells the same basic story.

"I am amazed at how well this idea has worked with my students."

"It's like magic!"

"I have a pretty tough class this year and thought the songs wouldn't work very well. Boy, was I wrong! You should see them scramble to get ready for recess when they hear the first few notes of Mission Impossible. Thank you so much."
The Basics
The main reason music works so well is this:

It's as simple--and complex--as that.

As you already know, there's a massive amount of talking done throughout the day. The majority of the talking is done by the teacher. In fact, research indicates the teacher's voice accounts for approximately 80% of the total volume.

The students, as you can infer, contribute the other 20%. Their talking could be in response to a lesson being taught. It might be the natural outcome of a think-pair-share situation. Add to those two the oh-so-annoying, off-topic social talk that can occur on a regular basis and we're dealing with a virtual tidal wave of words.

Note: Check out Talkative Students for a simple suggestion on how to deal with social talk.

But music, for the most part, is devoid of words. This is especially true of most TV theme songs. The melody of the song is a right-brain cue that is able to cut through all of the verbal clutter and send a clear, unmistakeable message.

Music Messages

A theme song can be used to send a number of different messages. The song could:

1. remind the students about something

2. initiate a pre-established procedure

3. time the length of a transition

4. create a pleasant background during student discussions

Listed below are some suggestions to get you thinking about the possibilities. These theme songs can be found on the CD that comes with the book, Eight Great Ideas . (It's included with the book because one of the ideas in the book is about using music for management.)

Instead of the traditional "N-B-C" association, my students knew the three chimes meant "Name, number, date." I usually waited until they were well underway on the assignment before I cued up the song. It was the rare paper in my room that did not have the proper identification on it.

The predictability of this song makes it perfect for transitions. After giving my students the transition goals, I would play the song. It only took about a week or two for them to become familiar enough with the song that it became, in essence, an internal clock.

My students had the freedom--a student need--to work away from their seats if it helped them get something done. When it was time to move on to something else, though, this song told them to return to their regular seats.

My district was big on working with students on the carpet. Not sure why, but they were and wanted to see it. A lot. The Bill Nye song, 28 seconds in length, proved to be the perfect song for getting them to come to the carpet without a word being spoken. From me, that is. They would talk on the way to the carpet; but, I was okay with that. It was an opportunity--freedom, if you will--for them to engage in social talk. All I required was that they stop the conversations and come to attention when the song was over. Win-Win.

This less-than-a-minute song is great for packing up at the end of the day. (Or the end of the period, secondary teachers.) The music is upbeat and high-energy.

I used just the first thirty seconds of the song as a way to get my students to prepare themselves for the start of our morning BELLWORK™ activity. (You can go to the BELLWORK™ page for more information about how to make this powerful start-off-the-day activity really fly.)

Another high-energy, upbeat song, this is a good one to get them out of their seats and pitching in whenever you want to return your classroom to a semblance of neatness.

Playing music in the background as students engage in think-pair-share discussions is a great way to not only time the length of the discussion but also create an environment conducive to the discussion. The conducive part is based on the fact that, psychologically, music is considered to be a "mask." It actually minimizes the impact of the other voices being used throughout the room.

If, for example, two students were to either burst out in laughter or get into a bit of an argument during the T-P-S, just about every other partnership would shut down to see what was going on. But with music playing in the background, the other pairs of students are less likely to notice.

Another advantage to the use of a background discussion song is the fact that the end of the song is a cue for the students to come back to attention.

I used to play this song when I was about to select a student--or-two--to help with a lesson. To make it a random selection, I made some large name cards with their first and last name written on them. We're talking cards big enough to read from across the room but narrow enough to hold aloft in my hand.

As soon as the first few notes of the song hit their little right brains, they were all thinking: "Mr. Morris is about to call someone to the front of the room to help out!"

As the song played, I would shuffle the cards and then hold one up.

Mr. Morris
In his best Bob Barker voice:
Natalie Adams! Come on down!

As you can imagine, there'd be some cheering and clapping just like the game show.

TV Theme Songs website
Here's the site where you can download hundreds of theme songs from television shows and cartoons.
televisiontunes.com

Send in your suggestions

If you've got a TV theme song you're using in your classroom, send in the title of the song and how you use it in your classroom. We'll post your submission on this page for other teachers to see.
Hey, Rick. Here's my theme song idea. Teacher Suggestion:
After you shared the idea of theme songs, I went a little crazy at first. Now I've learned to be consistent and that more is not always better.

This year, my students were taking forever to line up for lunch. Although they did not want to be last in a line of 8 third grade classes, they were still moving at a snail's pace to get out the door. So, I now use the I Dream of Jeannie song and the goal is to be out the door, in alphabetical order and ready to go before the song ends. It is working great!

Thanks for all your great ideas. It definitely helps me work smarter, not harder.

Audra Ciasullo
Third grade teacher

Teacher Suggestion:
It may be that I overlooked it in the Eight Great ideas book, but I would suggest renaming each of the song titles on your iPod according to the procedure it represents so that when you want name, #, date that's what you see, rather than the song title.

I've used the Jeopardy song as a way to clear a space for Drama in my classroom. My kids move my desk and about nine of theirs and get in place in under a minute. They love Clear Desks, please.

I've also used Andy Griffith to give them an opportunity to share with two other students something I've taught. It's an opportunity to move around the room when I begin to see the wiggles take over.

I hope this was helpful.

David Leonard
2nd & 3rd Grade
Cobb Mountain Elementary School

Teacher Suggestion:
I tried having my students turn in an assignment to the Mission Impossible theme song. It was amazing to see how quickly they were able to do it.

It was cute to watch the students who had already placed their assignment in the collection box stand around and dance to the remainder of the song. It allowed them to release some pent-up energy which is always helpful.

Thanks so much for the idea about using TV theme songs for procedures.

Gail Forest
Riverbank Teacher's Association

Return to Music Central Main Page

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The response from teachers who have been using theme songs in their classrooms has been nothing short of overwhelming. Each and every email tells the same basic story. "I am amazed at how well this idea has worked with my students." "It's like magic!"

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OLD Science Learning From Everywhere from NYSMT For ALL

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When it comes to world history, taking a trip down memory lane is never a bad idea. There are a number of significant events in the past that helped shape the present world we are living. Thanks to the photos that have stood the test of time, we are given a clearer picture of what took place years, decades, and even centuries ago.

In this gallery of unseen historic photos, you will find snippets of what you have learned in school as well as the little moments that were never included in the books. However they vary, each of them has a unique story to tell. Keep scrolling for a major throwback experience.

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30 History Photos That Will Give You The Chills

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When it comes to world history, taking a trip down memory lane is never a bad idea. There are a number of significant events in the past that helped shape the present world we are living. Thanks to the photos that have stood the test of time, we are given a clearer picture of what took place years, decades, and even centuries ago.

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Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American . To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American . To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

Voice talent great but can't hear in kitchen

Mark Stratton's voice is wonderful to listen to! But in my kitchen, I can't really hear him amidst the normal kitchen sounds. Podcasts need to consider who consumes this particular media and how. When typical listener hits play, what else are they doing? Somebody who listens to 60-second science is likely busy doing other things. Is it about the voice talent? Or is it about the audience?

Great Show

Love this podcast. Quick hits on quirky science. Good topics, pitched at a good level, well-written (and read).

Learn something new every time

Really like this format, bringing new information about a diverse range of topics.

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‎Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American . To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientif...

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Most podcasts aren't made with kids in mind. That's okay. But why is it so hard to find stuff you can listen to with your kid?

Really, it's a shame. Podcasts are an incredible medium for kids. Audio is imaginative, easy to consume, and you don't need to "make time" to listen to a podcast - prime listening time is when you're in a car. There are tons of educational TV shows and apps for kids. I believe there should be more podcasts for kids.

I've done the heavy lifting of combing through iTunes to find kid-friendly science podcasts. I've indicated where some podcasts are better suited to older or more mature kids based on content.

A quick disclaimer: I haven't listened to every episode of all of these podcasts. As most are not made with a young audience in mind, there could be material you deem inappropriate for your kids - and also, the definition of inappropriate varies with every family. But hopefully, this list will spur some great discoveries.

**Update: Finally, there's a listening app with ONLY content for kids! It's called Kids Listen, and it features a playlist curated especially for educational shows! It's now on the web, with an iOs app coming later this summer. The app is a great way to let your kids discover what they love. Now, back to the list:

Full disclosure, this is my own podcast. Tumble is all about the stories of science discovery - how science works, the bumps along the way to knowledge, and how we come to know what we know. It's hosted by me (a science radio producer) and my husband Marshall (a middle school teacher). Tumble is made with kids ages 6-12 in mind, but we often hear from parents that they love listening, because they always learn something, too. Check out our episodes on dark energy, vomiting robots, whale sharks, dinosaurs, and more!

If you've ever thought, "Hey, is there such a thing as a science podcast for kids?" you likely know about Brains On! Produced by Minnesota Public Radio, each episode is co-hosted by a kid. There's interviews, there's science songs, there's no end to interesting topics. Like farts!

3. The Show About Science

Warning: You will not find a science podcast cuter than this. It's hosted by a five year old who interviews adults about science. He's a surprisingly good interviewer, and curious in that very special five year old way. It's something great. Listen to the episode with Gross Science host Anna Rothschild.

4. But Why?

4. Aaron's World

Aaron started producing this show with his dad when he was six. He's now nine years old - that's impressive! The production quality is good, too. It's a science-focused narrative that takes place in prehistoric times. Go back and listen from the beginning.

5. Meanwhile in the Future

This is a show from Gizmodo about science, technology, and scenarios about future. What if the Earth stopped rotating around the sun? What if all diseases become resistant to antibiotics? What if a supernova happened in the galaxy next door? Okay, it's a little scary. It's better listening for older kids.

6. What's the Point

I can't help but recommend What's the Point, one of my favorite podcasts. It's a smart show that older kids who are into numbers might love. Host Jody Avirgan interviews people from all corners of the data world- from books to health to politics. The episode on how science works (or doesn't) is a must-listen, and the show recently went into the field to learn how data can help save an endangered bird species.

6. Transistor

Transistor is a STEM-focused podcast, brought to you by PRX (the same folks who help bring you Radiotopia.) Early episodes transformed scientists into science reporters, by pairing them with experienced producers. I loved the episode about food and fungus, hosted by a microbiologist. Mixed in are stories from independent producers sponsored by PRX's STEM Stories project. These are not all kid-appropriate (episodes about crime are generally more sensitive), so you should judge episode by episode.

8. Imaginary Worlds

Imaginary Worlds is a science fiction podcast, and it's so good, I'm calling it close enough. Science fiction lover Eric Molinsky crawls into every corner of science fiction culture, and talks to experts to get at the deeper truth behind the fictions. This is another one that's best for older kids who are into scifi, and judging episode by episode.

9. Science Friday

Okay, so you probably know about Science Friday. But have you really thought about the fact that it's available in podcast form? Personally, Fridays aren't great days for me to listen to the radio. Problem, solved. Thanks, podcasts!

10. Point of Discovery

This podcast brings you stories from research in the natural sciences. I love that the show focuses on the process of science - you hear from the people in the trenches.

11. 60 Second Science

Scientific American produces these little bursts of science that cover all sides of science. Perfect for when you're not ready to sit down for an entire science meal, but hungry enough for a science snack.

12. Star Talk Radio

Neil DeGrasse Tyson hosts. Need I say more?

13. People Behind the Science

This is an interview show that's great for older kids and adults who are curious about what it's like to be a scientist. In each episode, scientists from all different fields share their personal stories about what led them to do what they do, along with their successes and failures.

14. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

This is not your typical science podcast, but if your kids love Harry Potter and you love rationality, it's the perfect fit. It's fan fiction, in audio form.

From the website: "This is an alternate universe story, where Petunia married a scientist. Harry enters the wizarding world armed with Enlightenment ideals and the experimental spirit." Just go with it.

15. Eyes on Conservation

Got a kid who cares about wildlife? Good for you. This podcast features interviews with conservationists, talking about animals, research, and the big challenge of saving species. It's an offshoot of a conservation filmmaking company, so you'll also find videos and episodes about creating documentaries.

16. Curious Minds

This is a well produced show about science, technology and history. Episodes are about 45 minutes long, making them great for long car rides.

17. Origin Stories
18. The Adaptors
This is a podcast produced by the Leakey Foundation, so you know that means early human evolution, Jane Goodall, and other evolutionary interestingness. It's highly produced, and sounds like the best of NPR science reporting.

This is a podcast about climate change. Or, rather, adapting to climate change. So really, it's a podcast about people and the future. It's produced by a Science Friday alum, so you know it's quality.

19. NOAA podcasts
Note: I intentionally did not include podcasts you've likely already heard about, like Radiolab and This American Life. I excluded podcasts that are not actively publishing, too. If you have suggestions of off-the-beaten-path shows I've missed, please comment and let me know! I'd like to keep updating this list. I'd also love to hear from other people who believe there should be more podcasts for kids. Talk to me on Twitter , or on .
If you're into ocean science and you don't hate the government, you'll probably like NOAA's two podcasts. Diving Deeper deals with the ocean environment, and Making Waves is about the coast. It's like exploring the ocean without the scuba gear!

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19 Great Science Podcasts You Can Listen To With Kids

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Most podcasts aren't made with kids in mind. That's okay. But why is it so hard to find stuff you can listen to with your kid? Really, it's a shame. Podcasts are an incredible medium for kids. Audio...

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Brains On Universe is an independent media company for kids and curious adults. We make podcasts, books, videos and more. Our goal is to fill the world with stuff that is smart and funny, silly and serious, all at once -- just like the people in our audience.

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This activity offers starter screens that you can copy and paste into your activities. These screens are intended to give your students a quick sketchable whiteboard for a range of subject areas. To copy a screen, open the screen you want to copy and then press cmd+c (on Mac) or ctrl+c (on Chromebook or Windows).

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In this delightful and challenging activity, students will transform lines so that the marbles go through the stars. Students will test their ideas by launching the marbles and will have a chance to revise before trying the next challenge.

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Students identify and plot points to create a thanksgiving feast!

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Discover Mathigon, the Mathematical Playground. Learning mathematics has never been so interactive and fun!

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✏️ Start building your sketchnoting skills: https://verbaltovisual.com/ My name is Doug Neill and I'm passionate about helping others reach their full creative potential. I teach a skill called sketchnoting (also known as visual note-taking and graphic recording), which for me is a gateway to doing better work.

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They say that when life gives you lemons, the best thing to do is to make lemonade. Although these people were seemingly given a batch of bad lemons, they still found a way to make the sweetest of lemonade.

It was all thanks to some creative thinking and a little innovation in the engineering department. Just because something looks lousy doesn't mean it isn't effective. Like these bizarre creations that look like they shouldn't work, but somehow they do.

We had the original heated pool that used fire and a water pump, but this is a new approach. This system has the added bonus of applying heat directly to the water in the pool, but there is a downside.

One slip and that wheelbarrow is tipping over, throwing hot coals onto anyone in the vicinity. We're sure the water in this pool is lovely and warm, but the risk of third-degree burns would be enough to put most people off from taking a dip.

Technology has gotten to the point where the old household staples are pretty much obsolete. Typewriters? Nope, seeya. Landlines? What's the point when we all have our own cell phones? Cameras? Again, iPhones have us covered here, too. It turns out that we don't even really need scales anymore... as long as we have the scale that came long with Wii Fit.

While it was originally meant to help you monitor your weight and achieve a healthy lifestyle, it seems this video game peripheral item has some other convenient uses as well.
**Disclaimer: Some photos may be stock images used for illustration purposes only. The people or places in these photos are not to be associated with the article.

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40 People Whose Ingenious Ideas Can Keep This World Spinning

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They say that when life gives you lemons, the best thing to do is to make lemonade. Although these people were seemingly given a batch of bad lemons, they still found a way to make the sweetest of lemonade. It was all thanks to some creative thinking and a little innovation in the engineering department.

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Educators around the world are entering digital lesson design with varying experiences and expertise. Our HyperDocs Online Academy is your source for learning about designing and delivering the engagement-driving digital lessons we call HyperDocs. Our course instruction method is what we call 'just in time teaching' so that you can take on new learning when you are ready, and explore the Academy at your own pace.

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About

About Us

Whiteboard.fi is created by Sebastian Laxell and Jaakko Virtanen, and is run by Digital Teaching Tools Finland Ltd - a Kahoot! company. We have experience in teaching and IT-management - so we know the struggle in finding good digital tools.

Certificates

FERPA Certified

COPPA Safe Harbor

California Student Privacy Certified

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Whiteboard.fi - Free online whiteboard for teachers and classrooms

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Whiteboard.fi is an instant formative assessment tool for your classroom, providing you with live feedback and immediate overview over your students.

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Free Google Slides themes and Powerpoint templates | Slidesgo

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Discover the best Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates you can use in your presentations - 100% Free for any use.

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The skill of question asking is far too rarely deliberately taught in school. We have worked with and learned from educators to develop a teaching strategy, the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), which provides a simple yet powerful way to teach students how to formulate, work with, and use their own questions.

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Teaching + Learning - Right Question Institute

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There are countless different shapes that can be created using the seven Tangram tiles. What can you come up with?