Ullanda Tyler, Fourth Grade, John M. Morehead STEM Academy
Final Unit (PDF) Implementing Common Core Standards (PDF)
200 Word Synopsis
“Learning Math the Write Way” is a unit intended to get my fourth graders writing about math. Many students are focused only on achieving the “right” answer because they have not been expected to “write” in math. The new Common Core standards expect students to clearly express their thinking. Throughout this unit, students will be taught explicitly how to articulate the steps they took to solve problems. My goal is for students to enjoy writing in math and feel that it is natural to explain their thinking. During this unit students will participate in seminars and partner talk to get them discussing concepts about math. Students will also have interactive journals where classmates and I can respond to them about their work and ideas about topics in math. Students will be taught how to analyze and respond to open-ended questions. Finally, students will complete a writing activity that compares and contrast two topics in math. They will use what they know about making comparisons in reading and writing, and merge what they have learned throughout this unit to complete the assignment. Students will continue to use what they learned from this unit throughout this year and hopefully their understandings will follow them throughout the rest of their education.
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