Product Swap and a Giveaway!

Don't you just love it when you find a new resource that you know will make your teaching life easier? I know I do. Luckily for me, I met Kelly from An Apple for the Teacher during the TPT conference this summer, and let me tell you, she has some AWESOME resources.

Today, we are both blogging about a little product swap we did! I'm so excited to share Kelly's awesome 5th Grade Math Journal Prompts.

This year, I am working on implementing lessons through the Engage NY curriculum modules, and I LOVE it. But I was also looking for something to add to the mix that would help kids show their problem solving skills while using some of the amazing concepts they are learning through Engage NY.

Kelly's product really has great problems to showcase what students are learning in our daily math lessons. For each Common Core Standard, there are 4 journal prompts. The Table of Contents below shows each cluster of standards, but the journal prompts are for individual standards!

Not to mention, she gives some awesome ideas for HOW to use the prompts in your classroom! (I'll show you how I used them in a minute!)

I decided to use the first prompt with the whole class to reinforce a standard we had been working on:

Each page focuses on problem solving, creating a representation and writing a sentence with your answer. We had been working on using place value concepts to discuss how much each digit in a number is worth and why. So this prompt seemed like the perfect way to reinforce this idea and see how much my students had learned!

First, I had my class work with partners to discuss the problem and solve it. They were able to think of a model that worked for them and then get their equation, solution and sentence as well. I liked having them work in partners for the first one, since they were getting used to the format and it was new! (When we did a second one this week, they worked on their own.)

It was great to see them applying what we had already learned in a new way!

The best part? They LOVED it!! Here are some of the things they had to say about this activity:

"It was so fun to do. I like that it is organized." -Z

"I liked this activity because it helps keep yourself organized. The thing that was most helpful was the model." -C

"What was helpful was there as a spot for everything." -F

"I liked this page because I like my thinking organized. It was helpful because I  knew where everything was supposed to go." -J

"The boxes were big so I had room to write." -M

This product has been kid tested and it got glowing reviews! I would also give it my stamp of approval.

Students were able to take previously taught skills and concepts and show their understanding in a new way. I love that I can use something as a quick formative assessment to see where kids are in their learning! I can't wait to get on to other standards so I can continue to use 5th Grade Math Journal Prompts. Maybe I might even use some as a preassessment!!!

See?? The wheels are still turning.

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Thanks so much to Kelly for swapping products with me! If you want to check out my product that she tried in her classroom, head over to her blog, An Apple For The Teacher!

Are you looking for new ways for students to show their understanding?? Well, you are in luck. Enter below to win a copy of 5th Grade Math Journal Prompts and a $10 giftcard to TPT!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your new favorite teaching tool?? Share in the comments below!