Math Journals - LOVING Them!!!

18 September 2011
I'm LOVING my math journals this year.  We've only done 3 entries so far, but I've had so much fun with each one.  I'm going to use foldables a lot this year in our journals (the students are really enjoying this) - and have used two already.  I know I've already posted some pics of our math journals, but I plan on doing one blog post each week about what we've included.  And Sunday seems to be a great day to do this.  So here goes ...

photo of math journals @ Runde's Room


We have started decorating our covers with magazine letters.  I thought we'd be done decorating them by now, but with our Spirit Day and Terry Fox Run, time got away from us this week.  I plan to give the students time to finish decorating their journals this week.  We made a table of contents on the first page (front and back) for the students to use as a reference.





photo of operations math journal entry @ Runde's Room


Our first entry was a foldable for Operations.  This isn't our first math unit, but I thought it would make a great first journal entry because everything we do is related to operations.

To make this one we made a square, then folded each corner into the middle.




photo of operations math journal entry @ Runde's Room


Inside this foldable we included the definition for each answer word - example:  "Sum" is the answer to an addition question.  We also included a sample solved problem.

This was a great beginning of the year review.






photo of patterning rules math journal entry @ Runde's Room

Patterning is actually our first math unit (we call them strands).  We used this foldable to review the two types of pattern rules:  recursive and explicit.

To make this foldable we folded our rectangular sheet in uneven thirds - the smallest third was this little lip at the bottom (called a matchbox fold) that we folded up at the bottom.  Cut the top third in half.  (Wow - this is hard to explain - good thing I'm including the pictures).


photo of patterning rules math journal entry @ Runde's Room



Underneath the flaps we wrote the definition and an example for the two types of pattern rules we study.

I'm really encouraging the use of colour in our journals - I want students to "make it their own", and this is one way to do so.





photo of mean mode median range with Oreos math journal entry @ Runde's Room


The last entry of the week wasn't related to our patterning unit, but I wanted to include it in our journals because it was such a large part of our Oreo Day.  We used the stacking totals from each student to find the mean, mode, median, and range from our data.

I really wanted to include a foldable, but we ran out of time (the story of my life last week).  We will study mean, mode, median, and range again this year in our Data Management strand, so I'll do one then.





I'm already thinking about ideas for new foldables next week.  I've never been so excited about a math journal before.  ;)

Happy Sunday!!!



12 comments

  1. Wow-never thought of putting foldables into a journal! Very creative! I am thinking about doing this with my "frog log"-I use that to have the kids write down the different types of vocabulary-synonyms, antonyms, multiple meanings, etc...

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  2. Great idea! The wheels are now turning on how I can make this work for me in my room.

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  3. I am starting Math journals tomorrow! Thanks for the idea!The foldables idea really has me psyched!:)

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  4. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing them each week.

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  5. I love that you put the foldables in the math journal!
    GREAT IDEA! ...btw..love your blog..thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas.

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  6. For 7th graders, I have them make a number line that unfolds when needed and folds back when not.

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  7. I love your blog!! I've been teaching 18 years and am always on the lookout for new and creative ways to teach math! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas. I'm going to be using your ideas of the math journal as we prepare for our spring standardized tests - I think they'll really help :)
    Susan

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  8. It's like they become interactive journals. Love the idea!

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  9. Love the journals. Do you have a way to pass out the foldable paper without wasting class time? Do you have paper donated to your class, or do you provide all of the paper? Thanks!

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  10. I just bought your resource on TPT - thank you - what an amazing piece of work! I am going to be interpreting this for my Grade 3 class this year - and I am so excited to get it up and running!

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