Fun With Homework 2: Numbered Mini Packets - The Conclusion

I meant to post this over the weekend but got wrapped up in trying to finish Quarter 1 grades. The presentations and discussion went well. The students did a good job explaining concepts that are above grade level for many of them. As I walked around to the different groups, most of the students were engaged with the activity. They were listening to each other, talking about the math, challenging each other with vocabulary, and finding resolutions on their own if there was a conflict. The big concepts they were discussing were adding and subtracting integers, using additive inverse property, and evaluating absolute value. Here are a few finished products:

To follow up: Today we had an extremely shorten period due to it being an early release day. So we discussed how to compare integers. We talked about the symbols they already knew: greater than (>), less than (<), and equal to (=). I asked them to explain how they are used and provided several examples for them to evaluate. Of course, some one had to bring up that their elementary school teacher told them to think of the symbols as alligators and the 'mouth' opens up to the larger number. The student quickly added he knew the correct names of each symbol; he just found his elementary school teacher's explanation amusing.

When I asked them to compare -8 and -10, the students didn't take long to state that -8 was greater than -10 because as you approach zero on the negative side of the number line the value of the integer increases and as you get further away from zero on the negative side the value of the integer decreases. They referred back to the number lines we did with integer operations. They also were quick to stated that |-8| was equal to the |8| because they are the same distance from zero on a number line. Likewise they knew that -7 was less than |-7| because the absolute value of -7 was 7 and a positive value is greater than a negative value. Just as the class was ending, they were coming up with their own comparisons.

Fun With Homework 2: Numbered Mini Packets - Work Samples

Unfortunately, 1st period again got a late start due to circumstances beyond my control. Thursday mornings are Company Commander Time, or CCT. This means students have an hour (8:15am to 9:15am) to practice military drills. All grade levels - 6th through 12th - participate together, usually in preparation for upcoming parades where they need to march in formation and student leaders practice their roles during different ceremonies. Teachers are exempt from this as we use the time to have professional development, meet in content area departments, and/or update our grade books and correct papers. CCT ran longer yesterday than it should have so 1st period was shorten by 20 minutes.

My sixth graders only met for 30 minutes. I had them count off and as they passed each of the card numbers, I handed them their card. I had to fix it a bit since one group got two cards. I informed them that they not only had to evaluate their expression and justify their response, but they also needed to create a word problem to fit the expression. Many of them were excited and already had a word problem in mind for their card. The best part was overhearing students helping other students understand the material. This is an Honor class so most of the students are above grade level and enjoy a challenge. These problems are based off a 7th grade assessment on Integer Operations. The students understand integers, opposites, and absolute value at their 6th grade level. This is a way to advance their understanding of the content. Here's a quick look at a few of them: