1. Literacy Techniques
In Math Content
Application*
Activity Purpose
•
Interactive At the end of day students can
A way to have on going
• Summarize the main idea
Journal interaction between students
and teachers covered that they
• • They can give examples that
A way to combine visuals
and word relate to their lives
• • They can ask any questions of
A place to show notes
doubts they have
•
Circle of Each piece of the circle can
To engage students
Life1 represent what they remember
• Synthesize everything
about math from each grade. They
learned/covered
can also incorporate their feelings
at that point. This will allow the
mentor to have an insight to the
student’s history with math
•
Nine The students will take one the
Engage students
Square2 years from the Circle of Life and
• Bring in their background
expand why they have that feeling
• Relate to them
or describe the different events
that lead to it. It works much like
a story board or comic strip.
•
Word Have students make a chain of
Check student’s level of
Chain3 how one operation relates to
comprehension
another. e.g. Counting leads to
adding and adding in groups leads
to multiplication.
•
Q.A.R.’s Have students create their own test
Think more critically
Review definitions and terms
• Reading comprehension
before a test
• Students take ownership by
creating the questions
• •
Messing Recall/Connect to prior At the beginning of a unit to
About/Brain knowledge relate the new material to their
Storming • prior knowledge to further
Highlight misconceptions
facilitate understanding
• At the end of a section as
review
• At the end of a review to
clarify misconception
• Fill in any missing information
or concepts
•
Save the Read some history of math and
Creates a comfortable
Last Word have them pick an idea they didn’t
setting
for Me realize hadn’t originated in the

2. • United States
Easier than tackling a whole
chapter
• Everyone has something say
•
Think Have students read the titles of
Gives the reader an
Aloud section and possibly look at
approach or insight to the
(Predicting examples to give students insight
info in text
Activity) to the math content that hey will
• Makes chapter friendlier by
cover. They can begin to think of
activating prior knowledge
what prior information they will
• Allows the students to
need to tackle the chapter.
understand the structure of
the text
•
Say Have students explain a step in a
Creates a check and
Something problem they read through and
balances system, which
why the step is so important
ensures that students are
understanding and that can
draw meaning at every step.
• It creates clarity and ties
things together
KWL4 • At the start of a Unit/concept
Checks prior knowledge
What you • Allows the teacher to correct
know any misunderstanding and
What you misconceptions the students
want to have
know • The “Learn” can help the
What you teacher gage where the
still want to student’s interest lie
learn
•
Jigsaw Have students become experts on
Get the students to read
a type of problem (as a group),
• Team responsibility
then have them rotate the groups
• Less work for the student
so that everyone is sharing a
particular type of problem
•
Gallery Put up various types of word
Critical Thinking
Walk problems and students pick which
• Sharing Ideas
problem they would want to solve.
• Students are moving
The problem will become their
• Ownership
challenge for the month. They can
work on it when they have free
time or are bored.
•
Visual Have students create tables and
Organize big ideas
Graphic group terms by categories.
• Creates groups
Possibly a table that groups
• Clarifies connections
symbols and words
•
Panel Have groups of students who have
Elicit students’ interest
Discussion completed algebra 1 class talk to
• Different perspective of a
students in current algebra 1
situation

3. classes. They can present their
success and their trails and
tribulations with math
•
DRTA Read through a lengthy word
Understanding
problem and stop at the end of
• Predicting
each sentence. Have students
• Active Thinking
decide on the main ideas and
• Talking by Students
relevant information. Have them
predict what other information
they need. Is it in the problem?
•
Feature Have students discuss shapes and
Exploring
Analysis their features. They can mark off
• Reinforcing
what features each has. Do they
• Organizing Vocabulary
see similarities? Can they draw
• Categorization
conclusion? Conjectures?
*These are only examples
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