Making 5

During early release Wednesdays, I have Professional Development sessions.  I have decided to take a class called "Constructing Knowledge".  This class focuses on ways that the students are able to make discoveries on their own and share what they have learned with the class.  Right now, we are focusing on using constructing knowledge in math.  Math is a subject that students can quite easily develop their own learning. 

I have asked Mrs. Zinsli, our Math Achievement Adviser, to come in and team teach "Ways to Make 5" with me.  I wanted her expertise to help me to become better at teaching with constructing knowledge.  We have been introducing tools and manipulatives along with the 5-frame.  Each student gets 2 different tools (bears, tiles, sea animals, dinosaurs, cubes, etc).  They get five of both tools they select.  They then create different combinations in the five frame and tell their partner what they have.  For example: I have 1 sea animal and 4 bears and that makes 5.  This is helping the students to add numbers between zero and five fluently-one of our math standards.

The students have been having a fun time exploring with manipulatves and the 5-frame! It is awesome to see how they think and to see their face when they make a connection. 

They are listening and thinking carefully as Mrs. Zinsli asks them questions.

We are discussing what a 5-frame is.

Reflection is a huge part of constructing knowledge.  We always talk about what we discovered while working with tools and 5-frames.

It has been such a fun experience for me to see how they learn when we let them explore on their own.  They end up teaching each other and it is so awesome to see! It is always more fun to learn through exploration than worksheets! Ask your student what they know about 5-frames and tools and ways to make 5.