Connecting Math and Art: Beyond Elementary Numeracy

All too often one of the first subjects students learn to dislike is math. That is because the focus of elementary math is numeracy and operations. It can get kind of dry. And for those students who have trouble with basic operations, math becomes a nemisis. But elementary students can and should be exposed to the larger world of math. One way I do this is our class economy, where the students have their own bank accounts using class money, and regularly deposit, withdraw, and balance their accounts.

Another way is using Vi Hart videos to connect math with art. I haven't met a student that isn't eager to create a Sierpinski's triangle or an Appolonian Gasket after viewing one of her videos and a short mini-lesson. The point is of course to show that math is beautiful and is more than basic operations, place value, and decimals.

The Sad Situation of Sam Smiley: An Introduction To The Scientific Method

HSI (Historical Scene Investigation) is an interesting site that allows students to be investigators of historical events by examining primary and secondary documents and then coming up with their own conclusions. It doesn't seem to have been updated for years though. I first discovered in in 2007 and it has remained the same since then.

Still, there's a lot of good stuff on it. I've modified their investigations for a 5th grade study of the Boston Massacre and the Jamestown "starving time." My favorite investigation is Sam Smiley. It's meant to be an introduction to investigation skills needed to be a good historian, but I find it even more fitting to introduce the scientific method. The process that one undertakes whether or not she is a historian or scientist is essentially the same: Ask a question, do some background research, construct a hypothesis, test it against what is known, analysize the results, revise your hypothesis as new information comes into light, and eventually reach a conclusion.

The Sad Situation of Sam Smiley introduces these components to the students very well. Over the years I've made changes to the original investigation. I've taken away and added new witnesses, altered the storyline to keep it fresh for each grade, added video testimonies, and try to connect it with real places that the students will know.

Using Animoto To Feature Field Trips

Animoto is a wonderful online movie maker that does all the hard work for you. Simply upload pictures, select or upload music, maybe add some words of explanation, and Animoto will do the rest; It'll automatically match the pictures to the music and creates a theme. 

The free account only allows for a maximum 30 second slideshow, but there is an educational account that allows slideshows to be any length of time. The slideshow below shows off our 4th grade field trip to the Association For Craft Producers for our study in economics and business.

Our Morning Routine

This year I have a class that needs to move... a lot. So instead of having a traditional morning meeting where we gather in a circle and talk and share, I've adopted our "morning routine" from Brent Vasicek, and his routine he shared through his Scholastic blog last year. There are a few differences though. The first thing that our class does is respond to a Morning Message, usually through writing. Our dances have a morning dance leader, to help keep everyone focused. I also have included three of our class economy jobs into the routine: Fact Finder gives two facts every day. Class Clown gives two jokes a day. Our Morning Reporter gives a news report on Mondays and Thursdays.

UN Day Performances

This year our UN Day Elementary finale featured a lot of goodness. Below are two performances my students and I captured:

Change The World:



The Elementary Dance Club: