Mrs. Knight's Jar of Knowledge

One thing I have already noticed this year is my students struggle with math and science vocabulary so I came up with a few different activities to incorporate vocabulary practice without taking a ton of time away from the foundational lessons.

Jar of Knowledge
First, I made a list of math and science vocabulary words that we have already discussed in class or specific words I have noticed  my students struggle with. I also included higher level verbs that might show up in test questions.

Then I cut them up and keep them in my "Jar of Knowledge". I have not decorated my jar yet but hopefully you can see the potential! This jar can be used in a few different ways:

- Pull one word from the jar and ask the students to write a sentence using the word. You can also specify if the word has to be used at the beginning, end or in the middle of the sentence to make the assignment a little more challenging.
- Pull a word for each student and have them give you a definition of the word in their own words to check for understanding. You can also ask for synonyms/antonyms or any related words.
- Pull 3-5 words from the jar and have your students write a story using each word at least once.

Vocabulary Charts
My students needed a way to categorize our vocabulary words that we can use all the time in class. I created Vocabulary Charts for all the main topics we will discuss this year in math and science. As we discuss each topic, we write related words around the main word. I post these around the room so the students can see the words all year long and hopefully created deeper connections.

Math example:

Science example:

These can also be used for written vocabulary practice. I choose one topic every Friday, have my students brainstorm ideas for 30 seconds and then my students write about it in their journal for 2 minutes straight. Their pencils are not allowed to leave the page until my timer sounds. You will be amazed how well this works as a spiral review along with improving their writing skills.

Graph Bingo

Between teaching math and science, I have noticed that students can struggle with something as simple as a graph. They see them all the time on assessments, but they don't necessarily understand all the parts and information being provided. The best way for students to understand graphs is to make them on their own!

I have put together a graph mini-unit to walk your students through collecting data, creating graphs and then playing a fun game of Graph Bingo! I have made it easy to use as much or as little as you need based on the level of your students and the time designated. You can create all four graphs or just stick to the basic graphs. You can play as a whole class, partners or small groups. This is also a great unit to allow your students to work as teams. Don't forget to allow your students to create graphs on the computer to integrate technology!

Included in this package:

• Instructions on collecting data and creating graphs
• Rubrics for Tally Charts, Pictographs, Bar Graphs and Circle Graphs
• 20 Graph Bingo cards
• Bingo Answer Cards

Pickin' Place Value

One of the objectives that most of my students struggle with and plays a huge role in math is place value! I don't think you can ever have too many activities to practice these skills so here's another one!

I created a collection of five stations you can use with students to review place value. The lessons include standard form, word form, and expanded form. Station cards, a vocabulary anchor chart, a unit assessment and answer keys are included.

You can use these activities to review each lesson as you teach them or you can let students rotate through them as groups to review before the assessment. You can also adjust the lessons to fit the level of your students. If you partner students up, they can compete with one another to see how many answers they can get correct to earn a classroom prize! I hope this unit will be as helpful for your students as it has been for mine!

STAAR Review Charts

After teaching my first year in 4th grade, I created a collection of Math STAAR review charts that would help students remember major concepts and strategies we used in class. I posted the charts around the room as we learned about each topic and then I put them all back up at the end of the year as we reviewed for the TAKS (now STAAR) test. All it took was glance at the images for the students to remember what they needed to do for each problem. By the time the test came around, my students had the charts locked in their brains and no longer needed them posted. I also copied these charts for every student to study with at home the week of the test.

This first product is FREE, so if you would like to use them in your classroom head on over to Teachers Pay Teachers to check them out!

TpT Math STAAR Review Charts