An Arctic Expedition
2/3/2018
This week in math, the first graders and I embarked on a pretend expedition to Antarctica. We encountered penguins, learning number stories about them (which included their height, weight, and the number of eggs they lay) and comparing our heights to theirs. It was a highly engaging unit. Students asked me throughout the day, "When are we going to work on our penguin project again?" I do not know about you, but I do not remember math being particularly fun or engaging when I was in elementary school. In fact, it was not until I learned how to teach math when I was in college that I truly began to enjoy math. Now I see how interesting and engaging it can be, providing yet another way to explore, understand, and explain our world. Through our math instruction, we do not just encourage students to memorize facts, formulas, and algorithms. Instead, we encourage students to become mathematicians: to look for and articulate patterns, explain their mathematical thinking, look at scenarios from additional angles, and solve math problems in new ways. With Bridges, we invite them to engage in mathematical thinking, support them as they learn new skills and strategies, and provide continued exposure to and practice with learned skills and strategies through work stations. The whole experience is age-appropriate, fun, and engaging. Students look forward to math and exploring the world through the lens of a mathematician, and it is a joy to be part of that experience with them.
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Hali TuomiMs. Tuomi has over five years experience in ASD, where she taught first and fifth grade classrooms. An avid skier, Ms. Tuomi is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Alaska Pacific University’s Bachelor of Arts in K-8 Education. Archives
April 2021
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