Author Archives: AnnMaria De Mars

Rates, Ratios and Proportions with Fractions

📖STANDARDS

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 Compute unit rates, including those that involve complex fractions, with like or different units.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2.C. Represent proportional relationships by equations

⏰Time Required

30-45 minutes

📲Technology Required

Projector and computer required to watch video in class. Alternatively, students can be assigned to watch on computer, phone or tablet at home. Google apps or PowerPoint required for slide presentation.

📃Lesson Summary

Students watch a 4-minute video giving examples of finding unit rates by simplifying fractions. They solve a problem together as a class and are given a short lecture on solving rate problems with complex fractions. Problems provided can be worked by students individually or done together in class.

📚Lesson Plan

This lesson plan assumes that your students understand simplifying complex fractions. They should know how to divide a fraction by an integer or by another fraction.

1. Watch video explaining unit rates

2. Solve a problem as a class

Using this Google slides presentation, students solve a problem together as a class. They are reminded the meaning of “reciprocal” and that in dividing one fraction by another, you multiply by the reciprocal of the fraction in the denominator. Additional slides give students instruction and tips on solving rates problems that include complex fractions.

3. Solve a variety of problems involving rates and complex fractions

The problem set is found here and the answer key with problems solved step–by-step is here. You know your class best. If you have already covered complex fractions and rate problems, these can be used as formative assessment or review. Alternatively, you may wish to either:

Assign the problems, have the students give these a try and then correct together as a class.
Select some of the problems to review together and assign the remainder as homework.
Assign the problems for students to complete individually, as either in-class work or homework and grade using the answer key provided.

4. Watch a video of a student applying ratio and proportion

At this point, many students will still need further clarification. In this video, Eva shows how she uses ratio and proportion to reduce a recipe for 4 dozen cookies to one for 2 dozen cookies.

Assessment

Students will be assessed based on performance on the problems provided.

State Standards

Missouri Learning Standard 7.RP.A.1

Minnesota Math Standard 7.2.2.1 – Represent proportional relationships with tables, verbal descriptions, symbols, equations and graphs; translate from one representation to another. Determine the unit rate (constant of proportionality or slope) given any of these representations.

Venn Diagram: ELA Lesson 6

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📖Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

⏰LESSON TIME

45 minutes including game play

📲TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED

A device with a web-browser – PC, Mac or Chromebook – or phone or tablet.

📃Summary

This is the sixth in a 10-unit English/ Language Arts unit centered around a visit to their grandmother that integrates English/ Language Arts and indigenous history. Grandma and her grandchild disagree on their favorite president. After completing a question on the Venn diagram comparing the two presidents, students create their own Venn diagram comparing the two Making Camp games they have played.

📚Lesson Plan

1. Introduce the Lesson

Use the Google slides presentation to introduce the lesson. This presentation also explains Venn diagrams and directly teaches the vocabulary words, “set”, “union” and “intersection in the context of Venn diagrams.

1a. Students complete assignment using Venn Diagram

After learning about Venn diagrams, students use the diagram included in the presentation to answer questions on similarities and differences between the two presidents. The Venn diagram assignment is linked in the Google slides presentation. You can also find it here.

The answer key for the Venn diagram assignment is here.

2. Students create their own Venn diagram

In this assignment, also included in the Google slides presentation, with example, students create a Venn diagram of the two games they have played, Making Camp Premium and Making Camp Lakota.

3. Making Camp Premium and Making Camp Lakota

Students may wish to play the two games to complete the assignment above.

Related lessons

The previous lesson in this unit is Vocabulary in the Attic.

The next lesson in this unit is Author’s Purpose.

ASSESSMENT

This lesson plan includes three formative assessments. First, the students complete an assignment using a Venn diagram. Second, students create their own Venn diagram. Third, students complete activities in Making Camp Premium or Making Camp Lakota which are recorded and scored automatically.

You can view your students’ progress on mastering this standard by viewing your Making Camp Premium Teacher Reports. You can view the Making Camp Premium reports here.

Vocabulary in the attic: ELA Lesson 5

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📖Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4. Consult digital reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

⏰LESSON TIME

25 -30 minutes including game play

📲TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED

A device with a web-browser – PC, Mac or Chromebook – or phone or tablet.

📃Summary

This is the fifth in a 10-unit English/ Language Arts unit centered around a visit to their grandmother that integrates English/ Language Arts and indigenous history. Now at Grandma’s house, the student finds pages torn out of an old dictionary. After using the page to complete a quiz, the student plays a game to teach or reinforce vocabulary.

📚Lesson Plan

1. Introduce the Lesson

This Google slide presentation introduces the lesson. The grandchild finds a page from a dictionary in the attic. Read the definitions and answer the questions. After finishing the assignments, students will play a game.

1a. Students complete assignment

Dictionary page and questions are linked in Google slides presentation and can also be found here. These can be included in an assignment in Google classroom or printed and distributed to students in class.

Answer key for the questions can be found here.

2. Play the game Making Camp Premium

Making Camp Premium has 18 options for teaching English/Language Arts at the third through fifth-grade level. First, students should watch the idioms video (click on the pot on the fire in the top left of the first screen) and the synonyms video (microscope on bottom left).

For this lesson, we also recommend the food idioms and synonyms activities, which can be found in the middle of the second page in the WORDS section, with the icons with a cake and eggs, as shown above.

NOTE: This is not the same game played in Lesson 3.

Related lessons

The previous lesson in this unit is the Fireball Wand.

The next lesson in this unit is Venn diagrams.

ASSESSMENT: Making Camp Premium Teacher Reports

You can view your students’ progress on mastering this standard by viewing your Making Camp Premium Teacher Reports. You can view the Making Camp Premium reports here.

Fireball Wand: ELA lesson 4

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📖Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a story’s theme from text details, such as how characters respond to challenges; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

⏰LESSON TIME

10-20 minutes

📲TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED

None required if learning in the classroom. Copies of assignment can be printed and distributed to students. A device with a web-browser – PC, Mac or Chromebook – or phone or tablet if completed on line.

📃Summary

This short lesson is the fourth in a 10-unit English/ Language Arts unit centered around a visit to their grandmother that integrates English/ Language Arts and indigenous history. Once at grandmother’s house, she tells a story about a wizard who created a fireball wand. The student reads the page, answers a quiz. This lesson may be linked with “Vocabulary in the attic” for a full class period lesson.

📚Lesson Plan

1. Introduce the Lesson

Introducing the Lesson using the attached Google slide presentation should only take 3-5 minutes, including any time for questions.

1a Students complete reading and quiz

You can link directly to the Fireball Wand reading and quiz here in your Google classroom assignment, or print copies for students to read in class.

You can find the answer key for the quiz here.

Recommended resource: This activity uses a reading passage The Fireball Wand from the Have Fun Teaching site. While the site charges a monthly fee, there is also a free starter account teachers can sign up for sample activities.

Related lessons

The previous lesson in this unit is

The next lesson in this unit is Vocabulary in the Attic, where students use a page from the dictionary to answer questions and play a game that teaches about synonyms and idioms.

The previous game in this unit is Dakota Boyhood, where students read a passage, answer questions to check reading comprehension, and play a game that teaches Lakota history.

Assessment

The quiz, linked above, serves as an assessment of students’ mastery of the standards referenced.

Reading & comparing bar graphs

📖Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5 Statistics & Probability: Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2.B Ratios & Proportional Relationships: Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships.

⏰Lesson Time

40- 50 minutes

📲Technology Required

Device with web-browser – Chromebook, laptop or desktop computer, iPhone or iPad

📃Summary

This lesson introduces students to reading and comparing bar graphs with proportional relationships. Students receive a slide or handout with four bar graphs and complete a set of cards with questions or complete the activity in Google slides . The lesson ends with an adventure game that includes discussion of interpreting bar graphs.

📚Lesson Plan

Related lesson plan

If you have not watched the videos on Mayan Trading and Distributions, you may want to check out this lesson plan first.

Preparing for the lesson – Options

Print out the cards if students do not have home Internet access or if you want to use the cards to do the activity in class. (Note: Business card stock may not be the best $10 I have spent as a teacher, but it’s high on the list. I don’t know what it is about cards that makes something seem like a game but I have had the greatest success with activities like this one.). Here is a PDF for the cards. If you would like to download the cards to edit and add your own questions, here is a Microsoft Word doc.

If students are learning from home, you can copy the Google slides presentation to your Google classroom and assign to students.

1. Individual Activity

Use this Google slides presentation to introduce and explain the assignment.

Print out the “Graphs” page or display it using a Smartboard, projector or in your Google classroom. Each student / group is required to complete the cards using the graphs provided.

2. Class Activity

After the students have completed the assignment, which should take around 10-15 minutes, have students share their findings to these questions with the class. Discuss and review the different questions and answers that can come from the same set of data.

3. Play Games!

Students can play the AzTech: The Story Begins to practice statistics in a history adventure game. Link available from the games page, select the device on which you want students to play. Available free for Chromebook, Android or iOS.

Assessment

AzTech Games Teacher Reports – Teachers can access standards-aligned student reports including answers to problems, number of correct answers, quiz results and pre-test/post-test results.

Students’ responses in the activities above, both individually and as a group, provide formative assessment of their ability at interpreting and extrapolating from graphical data.

State Standards

Distributions and Mayan Trading

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📖Standard

7.SP.A.1 Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends to produce representative samples and support valid inferences.

Minnesota State Standard – History Sub-strand 4, Standard 15 “North America was populated by indigenous nations that had developed a wide range of social structures, political systems, and economic activities, and whose expansive trade networks extended across the continent.”

⏰Time

20- 30 Minutes

📲Technology Required

Device with web-browser – Chromebook, laptop or desktop computer, phone or tablet

📃Summary

The two videos here combine math and social studies, because, clearly, the Maya understood math. The concept of distributions is introduced in the context of trading, explaining why some objects are more valuable. Students play AzTech: Meet the Maya, which teaches measures of central tendency. The lesson concludes with a question and another video on distributions.

📚Lesson Plan

1. Watch video – Mayan Trading (1:57)

The Mayan trading video is based on an idea from one of my favorite history teachers, who says that history is more than just names and dates but also how people lived, what they used, what they did. It also has a bar chart of the relative value of objects. It explains that the Maya traded less common items for more common ones and that items that were more difficult to obtain were more valuable.

2. Play AzTech: Meet the Maya

Next, have students start the AzTech games series. They can play AzTech: Meet the Maya online or using an iPad. We recommend downloading the game onto your iPhone or iPad for better performance.

3. Question to test understanding

José tried to trade a banana for a quetzal feather and a villager threw a spear at him. Why would the villager do that? Explain using math. Extra points if you can discuss distributions in your explanation.

4. Video giving the answer to the word problem on distributions (5:15)

This five-minute video introduces distributions and variability and gives an example of computing a weighted mean from a frequency distribution.

OPTIONAL You can also copy this Google slides presentation to your own classroom if you’d rather modify the explanation for your own lecture. The slides can also be printed out and sent home with students who do not have Internet access.

ASSESSMENT

You can view your students’ progress on mastering these standards by viewing your teacher reports. The link to the teacher dashboard for AzTech: Meet the Maya student reports can be found on this page. You should have received a password during the Growing Math training.

State Standards

Minnesota State Standard 6.4.1.1 – Determine the sample space (set of possible outcomes) for a given experiment and determine which members of the sample space are related to certain events. Sample space may be determined by the use of tree diagrams, tables or pictorial representations.

Related Lesson

Distributions and Mayan Trading (Bilingual English & Spanish) – This lesson is a bilingual version of the lesson above and features resources in English and Spanish.

Making Camp – 10 minute history

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📖Standards

Minnesota History Substrand 2, Standard 3. Historical events have multiple causes and can lead to varied and unintended outcomes.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.A.4-Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.C.7– Fluently multiply and divide within 100

⏰Time

10 Minutes
These 10-minute lessons can be done as stand-alone activities at the beginning or end of a class to raise student engagement, or the three in this unit can be combined for a single 30-45 minute lesson.

📲Technology Required

Device with web-browser – Chromebook, laptop or desktop computer, phone or tablet

📃Summary

Ojibwe History Integrated with Math + History = Making Camp

That’s Making Camp in a nutshell, um, equation. If your students are like most people, you’re having a hard time getting them to focus. That’s why we’ve created short lessons for you. Each of these only takes about 10 minutes, teaches Ojibwe (Native American) history , multiplication or division. You can do these at the beginning or end of class as a warm-up, as an assignment for those students who finish early.

As the game introduction says …. let’s get started on Making Camp.

📚Lesson Plan

1. Download or follow the link to get started on Making Camp!

The game can be downloaded for any Apple or Android phone or tablet. It can also be played online. The links you need will be in the game pages for your device. You will have received the password to access this page in the training you attended. To access the games for your device, click the appropriate link below. These pages are password protected, but the password you received will work on all three pages.

If you have forgotten your password, email growingmath@7generationgames.com, let us know the name of your school and mention in the email you forgot your password.

2. Students will need a username and password

We strongly recommend you assign the username and password rather than having students assign their own.

Watch the two introductory videos that explain about the Ojibwe migration and how to play the game. This will bring you to the choice screen.

Click on the NUMBERS option which will bring up the screen below.

MATCHING MULTIPLICATION

Click on the top left box (with cards) to play a memory game, matching multiplication problems with their answers.

The Multiplication Dog

This lesson opens with a paragraph explaining that some tribes used dogs to haul heavy loads, using a type of sled called a travois. The player then has the opportunity to earn a dog and items for their dog by answering multiplication problems.

Assessment

Remember that you can always see your students’ performance on the problems in Making Camp Premium by accessing the reports page. You will need to enter the password you received during training.

That’s it. That’s your ten minutes of learning social studies and multiplication. Next post in this series: Trade for a wigwam

State Standards

Minnesota Math Standard 3.2.2.2 – Use multiplication and division basic facts to represent a given problem situation using a number sentence. Use number sense and multiplication and division basic facts to find values for the unknowns that make the number sentences true.

Minnesota Math Standard 4.1.1.1 – Demonstrate fluency with multiplication and division facts.

Related: Making Camp – 10 minute history (Bilingual English & Spanish)

The lesson above has a companion lesson for English Learners. Making Camp – 10 minute history (Bilingual English & Spanish) is the same lesson from above but provides the resources in English and Spanish, featuring Making Camp Bilingual.

Trade for a Wigwam

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📖Standard

⏰Time

10 Minutes

These 10-minute lessons can be done as stand-alone activities at the beginning or end of a class to raise student engagement, or the three in this unit can be combined for a single 30-45 minute lesson.

📲Technology Required

Device with web-browser – Chromebook, laptop or desktop computer, phone or tablet

📃Summary

Today we are focused on the Ojibwe history part of Making Camp. As one of our very favorite middle school history teachers said,

History is more than names and dates. It’s how people lived, the things they used.
– Jose Gonzalez, Social Studies Teacher, Gompers Middle School, Los Angeles

Students will watch two brief videos, one on building a wigwam and one on trading between tribes. They then trade in the points they have earned for items for their wigwam. Clicking on each item gives information on how that item was used by the Ojibwe. If you did the previous ten-minute lesson, your students already have points. If not, they’ll need to earn some by playing Making Camp mini-games (just click on anyone of the choices on the main screen).

📚Lesson Plan

1. Click on the wigwam icon to watch two videos

Table of items to trade in wigwam with Making Camp Ojibwe

If you have been following along in order, the player now has enough points to get a wigwam and at least two items to supply their wigwam.

NOTE: If the player does not have at least 1 point to trade, the wigwam video will not play and instead, he/she will be told that at least one point is needed to trade for a wigwam.

If the player does not have at least 3 points to trade (1 for the wigwam, plus two more) after the wigwam building video, h/she will be told that at least two points are needed for trading.

The first time a player clicks on the wigwam icon the on the bottom left of the screen it will play a video on how a wigwam was built. This will be followed by a second video that briefly discusses that trading existed between and within tribes long before the settlers came. The player then has an option to trade points for items for the wigwam.

2. Click on the inside of the wigwam image in the bottom right corner to bring the player to the wigwam where items purchased can be moved to decorate or interact.

Clicking on an item will bring up a text box with information on how that item was used or obtained by the Ojibwe people.

Some items also perform actions when clicked. For example, the parfleche opens to show pemmican inside, the dog walks across the wigwam.

Go to the next lesson in this series, Rabbit Stew & Multiplication

10 Minute Mini-Lesson: Rabbit Stew & Multiplication

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📖Standard Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.A.4 – Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.C.7 – Fluently multiply and divide within 100

⏰ Time

10 Minutes

📲 Technology Required

Device with web-browser – Chromebook, laptop or desktop computer, phone or tablet

📃 Summary

Students learn about what foods the Ojibwe people ate and how their diet changed when they were forced on to the reservation. They play a multiplication tic-tac-toe to snare rabbits and spend the points earned in the game to outfit their wigwam.

📚 Lesson

1. Watch a one-minute video on rabbit stew

Narrated by Deb Gourneau, of Turtle Mountain, this video explains the importance of rabbit stew in helping people survive when food was scarce.

2. Play Rabbit Tic-Tac-Toe in Making Camp Premium

Remember, clicking on the link with the boxes in the bottom left corner will always take you to the choices page.

Click on the box with the rabbit to play a tic-tac-toe game in Making Camp. Each correct multiplication problem snares a rabbit. Incorrect problems leave an empty snare.
When you win this game, there will be an arrow to go back to the numbers page.

3. Play a Matching Game to earn more points

Click on the box with the buffalo to match multiplication problems with their answers.

4. Learn what else was part of the Ojibwe diet

Now that you have 4 more points, go back to the wigwam and if you have not already traded for these, select the fish, deer hide or parfleche to see what else the Ojibwe would eat. Click on each of these items in your wigwam to learn more about it.

Assessment

Remember that you can always see your students’ performance on the problems in Making Camp Premium by accessing the reports page. You will need to enter the password you received during training.

State Standards

Minnesota Math Standard 4.1.1.1 – Demonstrate fluency with multiplication and division facts.

Minnesota History Substrand 2, Standard 3. Historical events have multiple causes and can lead to varied and unintended outcomes.

Division and English/ Language Arts

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📖 Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NBT.B.6
Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

⏰ Time

40-45 minutes

📲 Technology Required

Making Camp Premium plays in any browser, so, of course, on Chromebooks. It can also be downloaded on phones or tablets and played offline by students who have limited Internet access. Schools that are part of the Growing Math project or who have a 7 Generation Games site license have access to the game for students to use at home or school.

📃 Summary

This is a fun lesson where students practice division, combined with Ojibwe history and then complete a creative writing assignment.

📚 Lesson Plan

1. Game Play with Making Camp

Open Making Camp. Go to the main choices screen by clicking on the small green icon with boxes at the lower left of the screen.
Click NUMBERS.
Click the box with the numbers to practice division.

Click the numbers box for division practice.

Refrigerator magnets on a beige background. Button at the top says GET PROBLEM — Each correct quotient earns a fridge magnet to decorate the fridge!

Students should play until they earn at least 15 points.

2. Spend the points earned and learn about Ojibwe history

One of the best teachers we know said, “History is more than names and dates. It’s how people lived. It’s the things they used.” When trading for a wigwam, students will watch videos on how to build a wigwam and on trading. They’ll learn that tribes traded with one another for hundreds of years.

3. Short story writing prompt

So how did we get from a refrigerator to a wigwam? You can use this Google slides presentation to tie in Native American history with Sam’s life in the twenty-first century. This presentation can also be added to your Google classroom as an assignment for students. Here is the introduction for Sam and his account:

This is Sam. He’s also Ojibwe but he’s not from a long time ago. He’s 16 years old. He lives on a reservation in the northern United States. You’ve probably heard of it. He doesn’t live in a wigwam. He lives in a white house with a grey roof. That’s the refrigerator in his house. The magnets have been there ever since he was in second grade.

4. Writing assignment

Read about Sam and write a story about him. What do you think happened to him in second grade? Why does everyone except for his cousin, Angie, think he’s not smart? Do you think he and Angie can really walk to Maine?

Assessment

Math problems in Making Camp Premium are scored automatically. You can see how many students attempted and the number correct in the data reports. All Growing Math teachers and all schools with 7 Generation Game licenses receive access to these reports. Writing assignments can be assessed according to the teacher’s own rubric.

State Standards

Minnesota Math Standard 4.1.1.6 – Use strategies and algorithms based on knowledge of place value, equality and properties of operations to divide multi-digit whole numbers by one- or two-digit numbers. Strategies may include mental strategies, partial quotients, the commutative, associative, and distributive properties and repeated subtraction.

Minnesota Math Standard 5.1.1.1 – Divide multi-digit numbers, using efficient and generalizable procedures, based on knowledge of place value, including standard algorithms. Recognize that quotients can be represented in a variety of ways, including a whole number with a remainder, a fraction or mixed number, or a decimal.