Day Nine: The Divisibility Rules

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.NS.2 Fluently divide multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm.
6.NS.4 Find the greatest common factor of two whole numbers less than or equal to 100 and the least common multiple of two whole numbers less than or equal to 12. Use the distributive property to express a sum of two whole numbers 1-100 with a common factor as a multiple of a sum of two whole numbers with no common factor. For example express 36 + 8 as 4(9 + 2).
MA.4.a Apply number theory concepts, including prime factorization and relatively prime numbers, to the solutions of problems.

The Learning Objective: Use the divisibility rules.

Quote of the Day: "Humility is the quality essential to sustained success, and a lack of it is the major stumbling block for those who find success for a time, then lose it...arrogant people spread around their failure with blame. When things go wrong they lash out and blame others." - Rick Pitino

Agenda:

1. Quiz Self-Assessment
2. Journal on what went well, the simple mistakes, and the concepts that still are not understood from the quiz
3. Divisibility Notes
4. Divisibility Independent Practice
5. Divisibility Flashcards
6. Divisibility Song
7. Divisibility Homework

The Assessment: The independent practice. I gave the students the numbers 360, 43, and 2,700 to try to see if 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 went in using the rules of divisibility.

Homework: Divisibility Practice worksheet.

My Glass Half-Full Take: I was half listening to TED Talk radio on the way home today and there was one topic that struck me. Someone who went on to win a Noble Prize got their start in whatever it was they were doing by asking their father why a ball always gravitated to the same spot in a wagon when he was young. The father said it was inertia. When the child asked what that was, the father simple fired back that it was a scientific reason for why the ball always ended up in the same spot of the wagon. The child was curious and the rest is history.

Today the students were not the least bit curious about divisibility rules. I left school a little dejected with that typical feeling of "Why don't my students want to learn?" And then I realized that I never hooked them. I never sold what I was teaching ahead of time. I'm not sure if I need to add a category to this blog called the hook, but tomorrow I will hook them.

One Thing to Do Differently: Besides the hook, I distributed flashcards in every class. I wish that I had cut the flashcards ahead of time. For some students this took way too long. I also wish that there was time built in for the students to practice with each other, but then again it would have been hard to take something out.

Link of the Day: Pretty cool post from Anne Joseph of the Huffington Post on 35 Secrets of Brilliant Coaches. I love the idea of not trying to break bad habits (it's really really hard), but instead trying to build new ones.