Raps, Posters, and Mobiles, Oh My!

I have really been struggling to motivate my Pre-Algebra class to do, well, ANYTHING. They were not doing their homework, participating in class, or studying for any type of quiz or test. So, I decided to try a different approach. I assigned them a project that, I hoped, would motivate them enough to take some initiative to learn the material.

The project was all about choices for them. They got to choose between 4 different projects: rap, poster, poem, or mobile. They also were able to choose their groups and to choose between 5 different topics. These topics were: GCF of monomials, LCM of monomials, combining like terms, solving multi-step equations, or solving multi-step inequalities. I provided all the materials they would need and let them work on them during 2 class periods.

I have to say that the kids were thrilled about the projects and really put a lot of effort into them. Each student worked hard and put a lot of individual effort into making their projects fantastic. Most of the students chose to do posters, but I had 1 group do a mobile and 3 groups do raps.

All of the students grasped the topic of their projects, and they had to present and explain them to the class. This provided a great review of all of the different topics we had discussed. All though all of the groups did a fantastic job, there was one group that shined above the rest. This group called themselves “The Big Nerds”, and they presented a rap explaining multi-step equations. One of the members even dressed up with big glasses with tape and suspenders. It was fantastic.

Here are some pictures of the projects that the kids presented.

I also had my 7th grade Math classes create different types of graphs using different types of data. They did such a good job, I just had to make a bulletin board out of it! Here is the "graphtastic" bulletin board.

On a different note, a few of my 7th period students left me a beautiful picture one day while a sub was covering for me for professional development. It warmed my heart, so I had to take a picture of it!



Frindle by Andrew Clements

Last Monday, my literacy facilitator walked into my classroom with a book in her hand and a huge smile on her face. The was Frindle by Andrew Clements. She opened the book to the title page, handed it to me, and said, "This is for you!" I looked down at the page to see that it was a brand new autographed copy! Being a first year teacher that is struggling to make sense of my one Language Arts class, this gift meant so much to me! I read it in one sitting last Wednesday, and I really enjoyed it! This book is silly and funny, but it does have some very good lessons weaved through it. I will definately be recommending this to my students from now on.
This book is about a very imaginative 5th grader named Nick Allen. Nick has always found ways of letting his creativity and imagination get him, along with others, into trouble. Now that Nick is in Mrs. Granger's 5th grade Language Arts class, those days seem to be over.
Mrs. Granger is a no-nonsense type of teacher. She has eyes like a hawk and a quick wit. Mrs. Granger also has a love for words. It is this love of words that gives Nick his best idea ever.
One day, Nick's attempt at distracting Mrs. Granger from the lesson back-fired, and he was required to write an essay about words. While doing his research, Nick came up with the idea to create a new word. To Nick, a pen was no longer a pen...it was a frindle!
Frindle takes off like a race horse with Mrs. Granger right on its hills trying to stop it. Yet, it doesn't take long before the war of the word really kicks in. Is Mrs. Granger able to stop the spread of Nick's new word? Does Nick get in serious trouble? To find out, you must read Frindle by Andrew Clements.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

I read this book right after my Language Arts class was added to my schedule. I was searching for a book for my class to read as a whole. I was only a few chapters into the book when I decided not to use this book in my class. Now that I have finished it, I wish I had decided on this book instead of the one I chose. The underlying messages in this book are very deep and could really create some intense class discussions. The story ends kind of abruptly, but that could be beneficial to a creative writing assignment. I have already decided that my class will be reading this book next.
This story details the journey of a 13-year old boy named Brian who survives a plane crash only to be stranded in the Canadian wilderness. Brian is alone and terrified with only the clothes on his back and a small hatchet. Wild animals and unpredictable weather are just a few of the dangers Brain has to face in his struggle to merely survive. To find out what becomes of young Brian, you must read this book!