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Hello everyone! We are linking up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It and Math Monday at A Burst of First. With the help of my 6th grade math team, I have been incorporating station teaching for the last 2 years. We typically have 3 stations in the room: independent, small group with the teacher, and technology. We use small group teaching time to introduce complex topics (like problem solving). We find any type of websites or apps for students to use in the technology station. The independent group may be individual, but it may also be partner work. In either case, the idea behind the "independent" group is that they need little interaction from the teacher. The best way to keep the independent group working without teacher intervention is to have an activity that allows the students to self-check their work. Here is one option that we have used:
I found a similar idea on Pinterest where students identified parts of speech to a given sentence around the wheel. I decided to change it a bit and place math answers around a wheel. Students then solve problems and clothespin the problem to the correct answer. It is a simple idea of matching, but with a fun twist. The students loved using the clothespins! The best part for me is that the independent group knows if they get an answer that is not on the wheel, they should go back and check their work. I sometimes include "perfect problems" (as called by my 6th grade teammates) that show students exactly how to solve the problems, again without my intervention. We have a saying around class, "do a few, check a few." Students learn to do a few problems before going to check the perfect problems.
It is amazing how easy it can be to make a simple concept of matching a problem to an answer more engaging for students. The wheel idea above can be altered to meet almost any content for any grade level. Enjoy!
Kim
