STEM week in MA!

Dear Teachers;

Did you know that MA DESE has designated October 22-26^th as Massachusetts STEM week?  This is a great week to highlight with your students the interconnected nature of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  While you don’t have to do anything special for it, if you are looking for a few ideas of inspiration, consider some of the suggestions below:

Websites & Online Resources

• Check out NASA’s classroom resources page:  https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/classroom-activities/en/
• Check out Code.org: https://code.org/
• Code with Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/
• Hour of Code:  https://hourofcode.com/us

Check out these BrainPopJR videos:

• Engineering Design Process: https://jr.brainpop.com/science/beascientist/engineeringanddesignprocess/
• Scientific Method: https://jr.brainpop.com/science/beascientist/scientificmethod/
• Math movies:  https://jr.brainpop.com/math/
• Technology: https://jr.brainpop.com/artsandtechnology/technology/ 

No-Prep ideas

• Go outside, make observations about the living things around you (color, draw, write poetry, take pictures).  Make predictions about what you might see in January, March, and June.  Discuss patterns.
• Pick numbers to ‘count by’ and ‘start with’ and see how far you can get as a class (i.e. starting with the number 17, let’s count by 6’s; 17, 23, 29, 35…)

Robots

• Check out some of the cool things you can do with Dash & Dot (available at all elementary schools – ask your library/media specialist!): https://www.pinterest.com/TeachWonder/teacher-projects-with-dash-dot/?lp=true
• Check out the MiP robot (available at all elementary schools – ask your library/media specialist!): https://wowwee.com/mip

Math

• Check out the different Which One Doesn’t Belong online picture sets, have kids build their own: http://wodb.ca/
• Try out these number challenges in “Splat”:  https://www.stevewyborney.com/?p=893
• Check out these free MashUp Math puzzles:  http://mashupmath.com/freemathpuzzles/

Literacy-Based

• Read the book “After The Fall” by Dan Santat.  Using found objects/recyclable objects, challenge students to create something to help him reach the top shelf cereals or to protect him from cracking if he falls off the wall.
• Read the book “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” and build a “tree” from found objects/recycling that can hold the most magnetic letters.
• Read “Iggy Peck, Architect” and build a bridge with found objects/pattern blocks/etc.:   https://www.andreabeaty.com/iggy-peck-architect.html

Unplugged

• Check out these “unplugged” coding activities:  https://code.org/curriculum/unplugged

Have fun learning and exploring!

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Heather Leonard
STEM Curriculum Coordinator, Reading Public Schools

Twitter: @STEMReading

https://readingstem.blogspot.com/

The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. ~Rachel Carson

Every time a student makes a mistake in math, they grow a synapse. ~ Jo Boaler

There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind. ~ Bill Nye

Fostering Accurate Mathematical Language

Students need to master mathematical language if they are to comprehend, discuss, and problem solve in mathematics.  Inconsistent understanding of terms, misconceptions about terms, and lack of precision can create difficulties for children as they progress through the grades.

Consider your influence in your classroom…

• Be mindful of how you define and utilize vocabulary words in mathematics class – Use appropriate terms instead of over-simplified definitions or substituting inaccurate words (i.e. using “regrouping” instead of “borrowing”)  Be careful of over simplification with equations, algorithms (i.e. “if you see the words 'all together' that always means add” assumes traditional structures of word problems), or operations through the use of mnemonic devices that may misrepresent actual steps (i.e. “PEMDAS” is deceiving, as multiplication/division are completed simultaneously left to right, yet look like ordered steps in the mnemonic presentation.)
• Utilize word walls or vocabulary references – This structure reinforces learning behaviors we want to support in students, including using their resources around them to attend to precision in their work. It also acknowledges that mathematical terms can exist outside of mathematics class. Word walls, vocabulary references, and key term identification are appropriate grades K-12.
• Acknowledge the multiple meanings of “mathy” words - Mathematical terms (like ‘mean,’ ‘reflection’ and ‘expression’) may be familiar words that need to be acknowledged before broadening our students understanding with an additional definition.  Other words like ‘median’ have multiple definitions within mathematics (i.e. data measure of a ‘center’ vs. line from vertex to side in a triangle) 
• Ensure precision in your language and coach it in your class – Using precise language in class (i.e. students using the word “side” – ask for mathematical clarification; Are they referring to the “face” or “edge”?) helps to encourage the appropriate use of mathematical language while also ensuring clarity and understanding.
• Mindfully avoid teaching misconceptions- Traditional simplifications like: “always divide the smaller number into the bigger number” or “subtracting is taking away a smaller number from a bigger number” create errors in understanding. Although in earlier grades it may be an easier to explain, it builds a foundational misconception that then creates confusion in later years when students are confronting more complex mathematics that go against those false “rules” (like rational numbers and negative integers.)

Although this is good practice for all students, it is especially important for our students with language or mathematics disabilities or our students for whom English is a second language.  Mathematics in itself is another language of symbols that represent meanings, let’s help our students find success across their math language!

• Check out the article here that discusses the value of mathematics vocabulary instruction and multiple methods through which they can be taught: https://www.nctm.org/Publications/mathematics-teaching-in-middle-school/2013/Vol19/Issue1/mtms2013-08-38a_pdf/
• Check out these Mathematics Vocabulary Word Wall resources (grades K-HS) created by the VA Department of Ed:  http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/mathematics/resources/vocab_cards/
• Did you know that the MA DESE has a glossary of defined terms that exist in their standards  Check them out here:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/math/2017-06.pdf#page=194

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Heather Leonard, STEM Curriculum Coordinator, Reading Public Schools

Twitter: @STEMReading

https://readingstem.blogspot.com/

The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. ~Rachel Carson

Every time a student makes a mistake in math, they grow a synapse. ~ Jo Boaler

There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind. ~ Bill Nye

Classroom resources for Mathematics

The beauty of the internet is the wealth of resources all with the click of a button.  The challenge?  The sheer amount of resources can feel like you get stuck down a rabbit hole when looking around for something to support/supplement student learning.  Additionally challenging is taking those resources to judge their quality/usability/alignment to standards.  With those thoughts, I wanted to share a few great FREE resources to support Mathematics in the classroom:

• Check out these teacher resources from Dreambox Learning - grades K-8 (...I love that they have content from Numbers to Ten on the TenFrame to Polynomial Functions and Scatter Plots) http://www.dreambox.com/teachertools

• Professor Jo Boaler and her team at Stanford University continue to create some wonderful mathematics tasks across all grade levels.  I highly recommend her Week of Inspirational Math.  She also just newly released Algebra Mathematical Mindset week resources.  grades K-12 Check them out here: https://www.youcubed.org

• Steve Wyborney hosts a website with great math visualizations, all free!  These are especially helpful as a visual to anchor a classroom Number Talk!  http://www.stevewyborney.com/

Have others you enjoy and recommend?  Send them my way so I can share them with all!

------------------------------------------------------
Heather Leonard
STEM Curriculum Coordinator, Reading Public Schools

Twitter: @STEMReading

https://readingstem.blogspot.com/

The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. ~Rachel Carson

Every time a student makes a mistake in math, they grow a synapse. ~ Jo Boaler

There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind. ~ Bill Nye