Math, Number the Stars, and Layered Assignments

Happy Monday!
During a quick glance around the classroom I noticed a couple of math books left in crates. Links to the questions are on the homework page, so there shouldn't be any excuses for not having them done. We had a great math class today! All the students seemed confident in adding decimals and right answers were being called out from all over the room. I moved on to subtracting decimals today and that also seemed to be a piece of cake for the students. We will continue working on subtraction tomorrow. If all goes well, we'll be able to spend Wednesday and Thursday reviewing and practicing for our test which will be on Friday, November 26.

Tomorrow is my Math Tutorial day. As you are hopefully aware by now, there is a math tutorial every Day 1 (Mrs. Keeping-Penney) and Day 5 (me) where students who need extra help or want extra practice should go. I have also told my class that anyone who got less than 70% on the last test must go. Students attending tutorial should bring a lunch that does not need to be heated up in the microwave. My tutorials usually go all through lunch and if they have to go heat it up it takes time away.

We read Chapter 3 Where is Mrs. Hirsch? in Number the Stars today. In this chapter we learn that the Nazis are closing shops and businesses owned by Jews. Peter comes by to visit the Johansens late at night and brings Annemarie and Kirsti seashells. They talk about Mrs. Hirsch's shop being closed down and how Annemarie and Ellen should continue avoiding the soldiers they encountered on the street in Chapter 1. Annemarie wonders what will happen to the Hirsch's now that their shop is closed down and Mrs. Johansen tells her that friends will look after them because that's what friends do. Annemarie comments that just like all of Denmark are bodyguards for King Christian, all of Denmark will have to be bodyguards for the Jews now, too.

I'm trying something new with my Number the Stars assessment this year - a layered assignment. I distributed this to the students today and we discussed it. There are 3 layers: A, B, and C. In layer A there is a list of 10 assignments with an assigned point value. They can choose any assignments from that list, but they have to add up to 50 points. Then they look at layer B. They choose any assignments from that list, but they have to add up to 30 points. In layer C there are 2 assignments. They choose and complete one of them. All assignments are due December 17 (that may change depending on how disruptive it gets around the Christmas concert). I encouraged them today to discuss the assignments with you, pick the ones they want to do, and do as much work as they can as soon as they can rather than leaving it all for the end. I will give them some more time to think about it tomorrow and make their choices. Then I will check and make sure they've chosen well.

Take care!