Day 38: Ratio Study Guide

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.RP.1 6.RP.2 6.RP.3b

Objective: Give a unit rate to describe the relationship between two different quantities; apply unit rates to solve other problems; write a ratio three ways; define ratio

Agenda:

1. Simplifying fractions practice 
2. QSSQ 
3. Pepper
4. Review the shopping from the previous day
5. Highlight the study guide 
6. Complete the study guide

Assessment: Circumventing the room as students worked on the study guide; checking the homework

Glass Half-Full: In the heat of the moment, I decided to have the students highlight all the units in two different colors on the study guide while also circling either the word to or per before they started any problem on the study guide. There was about ten minutes left in the first class and that's what really enabled me to do this - I knew I had time.

Is it something that they can apply to every problem that they ever do? No, of course not. What it did do for them was help them with the reading comprehension in the problem. They were able to truly focus in on what they were trying to find out.

Regrets: I thought the level of focus in my last class was a little lower, but overall it was a good day. A former student who is now at a different high school had the day off and actually came back to do community service by helping out our class. She was very helpful and allowed me to have students work independently instead of in partners as we normally would do. This gave students a better taste for what their weaknesses were and gave me the opportunity to offer feedback instead of a peer. There are pros and cons to that process of course, but I thought it was good because I could really dig deep in explaining what their mistakes were if it was necessary.

Link: Good blog post here from a teacher of four years on the power in the tools of no opt out, my favorite no, and going with the flow as engagement increases in class.