We can do this by differentiating (using numbers, geometry, and algebra), individualizing (knowing your students and making things relevant), and articulating (connecting our lessons to other subject areas). We want to present each topic in different ways and teach to multiple learning styles.
One thing we can do when considering equity in the classroom is create interesting interactive bulletin boards. Here are some examples:
Your bulletin board can be a great place to make math real! Figure out ways your students might use their math skills in the future and put that information on the bulletin board. You can even put information that is relevant to each student's career aspirations.
Bulletin Boards are great places to graph and can be used even early on in schools!
Bulletin Boards are great places to graph and can be used even early on in schools!
Write a fraction on the ladybug head, then write equivalent fractions on each spot. Maybe even have the kids write the fractions.
Similar Idea for the Fall. This one can be used for any operation.
This bulletin board not only covers what the students have been doing in class, but it also provides the activity and assessment when kids are ready.
Similar Idea for the Fall. This one can be used for any operation.
This bulletin board not only covers what the students have been doing in class, but it also provides the activity and assessment when kids are ready.
Good Reminders!
Change the cards each day for a different problem.
Have the students write math riddles (with a little help if necessary). Differentiate by color - easy riddles are one color, medium ones a different color, and difficult problems their own color.
A great bulletin board will not make your classroom equitable though. The differentiation, Individualization, and Articulation you provide for students in your classroom will be the most important aspect of providing equity in your classroom. I will provide a few different lessons that could engage students. This is not an all encompassing list, but rather a place to start looking if you wish to appeal to different students within your classroom.
Geometry lessons:
This first lesson is a great one to use around Easter. While it is a religious holiday, most people still celebrate the bunny and family. It is great to use because it relates to that time of year, but it is also great to use when you are discussing animals as it will tie right in to those lessons. This is a great way to reach animal lovers.
Numeric Lessons:
This lesson is a great review of fractions. Some kids love to play games and it is always good for students to get hands on experience. This is a memory game reviewing fractions and their visual depictions (number lines, pictures, etc). The lesson could really be used to review any conversions as well - fractions, decimals, percents, irrational numbers, etc. It can also be used with geometry as you could match pictures with a fraction of the pieces shaded.
This is a great resource for multicultural literature that you can use to review fractions with students. These books allow students to see visual representations of fractions, applications of their use, and a creative explanation of the concept. This will be a great connection for students who are particularly interested in literature.
This game somewhat resembles hopscotch. Kids throw a bean bag. They then skip to the number the bean bag landed on, and they count by 5's until they get to that number. This can be done over and over again. This activity will get your bodily-kinesthetic kids working!
This is a very simple but effective math exercise for practicing fractions. Kids are given Legos (who doesn't love Legos?). They are then asked to write down which fraction of the Legos are red, which are white, etc. This is a lesson that will appeal to many kids because kids love Legos and it will appeal to many ability levels because you can use more common or less common fractions. You can also apply operations when using these manipulatives.
Kids love music! What better way to teach them subtraction than through a rhyme/song? This allows students to sing about subtraction, connecting music and math. Teachers could also make up movements to go with the rhyme and incorporate physical activity.
These are just a few examples of math card games you can play with students. The sky is really the limit when it comes to math card games. There are two I have seen that I really like too. In one, students are given a number and an operation (7 and add), then the teacher flips through cards one at a time and students have to figure out what the card number plus seven is.
The other lesson I really liked was similar to this one, students got in groups of 3. 2 students would draw a card, place it on their forehead, and the third person would have to say the product of the two numbers (you could do sum, dividend, or difference as well). The student would see the number the other person had on their head and use the product to figure out what their number must be.
Kids love games and these will really get them thinking.
http://pinterest.com/pin/110267890848424549/
When working with a generation who is so in touch with technology, sometimes a video can be one of the best ways to reach students. This particular video is a great introduction or review of equivalent fractions.
http://iisanumber.blogspot.com/2012/08/measures-of-central-tendency-cootie.html?m=1
Kids love cootie catchers! This is a great way for them to use cootie catchers to practice their mean, median, mode, and range skills. When playing, students can pick one of the four measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode, or range). Then they open up to a set of numbers, and they have to answer the measure of central tendency that they chose.
This particular teacher had her students fill in the answers for each of the measures under the flap so they could take the item home and practice with it.
http://pinterest.com/pin/110267890848424549/
When working with a generation who is so in touch with technology, sometimes a video can be one of the best ways to reach students. This particular video is a great introduction or review of equivalent fractions.
http://iisanumber.blogspot.com/2012/08/measures-of-central-tendency-cootie.html?m=1
Kids love cootie catchers! This is a great way for them to use cootie catchers to practice their mean, median, mode, and range skills. When playing, students can pick one of the four measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode, or range). Then they open up to a set of numbers, and they have to answer the measure of central tendency that they chose.
This particular teacher had her students fill in the answers for each of the measures under the flap so they could take the item home and practice with it.
Algebraic Lessons:
Rather than introducing students to the concept of the distributive property with a jumble of numbers and letters, use a visual. This teacher used food. The kids know what a combo meal with 2 tacos and 1 pop looks like, and they can visualize that 3 of these combos would equal 6 tacos and 2 pops. They can practice this way for a while and then replace the images with letters. This is a great way to appeal to your students interests.
Other resources:
http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-math-to-english-language-learners
http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-math-to-english-language-learners
This website has some tips on teaching ELL students. They suggest largely focusing on vocabulary so that kids can discuss their math and their thinking.
This is a great literature lesson to discuss money.
