Movers and Shakers: Using Movement in Mathematics Jacqueline Poirier and Amanda Hawkins RCDSB

Outline Getting to know each other Why use movement? Classroom Environment Structures that include movement

Find Someone Who Great way to meet and greet Use at the beginning of the semester As a preview or review for units

Why movement? Exercise can increase cognitive ability in children Research supports merging movement with academics in the classroom You can incorporate movement without letting the curriculum suffer Movement is essential to keeping kids ◦ Focused ◦ Excited ◦ Enthusiastic ◦ Ready to learn

Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject

1. Positive Interdependence (sink or swim together) A gain for one student is a gain for other students Students need each other to complete the given task

2. Individual Accountability Individual public performance is required

3. Equal Participation No one can dominate the activity No one individual can sit back and relax

4. Simultaneous Interaction Getting as many students overtly active as possible at any given time

Interpersonal and Small Group Skills Social skills must be taught: ◦ Leadership ◦ Decision-making ◦ Trust-building ◦ Communication ◦ Conflict-management skills

Mix-Freeze-Group Use this activity to get your class into groups

Mix-N-Match Great review of concepts Quadratic Equations and Graphs Equation of a Line

Line-Ups Students line-up in order Multiplication Order of operations Number systems

Line-Up Challenge Answers are in a sequence Integers Showdown!

Relay Race Versatile Can build on the previous answers Can make each unique Work as a team to solve the problem Simplifying equations

Chart Paper Relay Race Variation of the previous activity Use chart paper Works best with questions that have a variety of answers Characteristics of quadratics Everything you know about probability

Chart Paper Round Robin Works best with multi-step questions Will need a timer Solving systems of equations Vocab (word wall)

Guess Who/What Will need post-it notes Terminology

Conclusion Science supports movement in academic classrooms It can take as much or as little time as you want Structured movement helps eliminate classroom management problems Helps to create a positive learning environment where students communicate effectively

Contact Us If you would like copies of the activities we have worked through today... If you would like more detailed instructions on the activities Please feel free to Thank you for coming