Idea Galaxy

Adventures in Junior High and Mathematics

I Can Statements

How to Teach Volume of Cylinders, Cones, and Spheres Like a RockStar

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Do your students have a hard time remembering the formulas for the volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres? Well, if that describes you, then you have come to the right place my friend.

I’m going to share a sequence of learning that has helped my students memorize these formulas. Every year when I teach this topic just about every kid can remember the formula after going through this process. I know that I sound like an infomercial, but that’s genuinely how I feel about this topic in particular. If you follow these simple steps then you’ll have your students feeling success with the formulas for volume in no time.

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How to Make Teaching Simple Probability Easy

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I love probability. I can’t really explain why, but I find it so easy to understand and applicable to real life. My students, on the other hand, don’t seem to really know much about it. When we start our probability unit, it becomes clear that some students have never even heard of it. I used to get so surprised when kids didn’t know anything about a topic. Now, I just realize that there’s simply a lot to learn about in the world, and I love the chance to be the one to share something for the first time with them. The probability unit is not only fun, it also uses some concepts that we have focused on this year like proportions and rates.

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How to Teach Surface Area Like a Rock Star

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Surface area can be a very tricky concept for 7th grade minds. It has a lot of moving parts in it and sometimes it can feel like a little too too much. I feel like with this topic you really have to go back to finding area, and then work your way through a forest of prerequisite skills. At the end of the tunnel you’ll come out with them having an understanding of how to find the surface area of a 3D prism.

Also, with this topic in particular I think there are many ways to get it and each students should use the way that works for them. So, I like to use I Can Statements to chunk out the learning objectives, and help students progress towards mastery with finding surface area. Let’s walk through the lesson progression, using I Can Statements for Surface Area:

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Teaching the Distance Formula Using I Can Statements

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Every teacher has a topic that takes them time to figure out. The distance formula is one of mine- it’s taken me a few years to really figure out. I’ve wanted to make sure that my students understand it and not just that they can use it. This year, as I was planning for this topic with my I can statements, I started to see it more clearly. As a result, my teaching throughout this unit felt a lot better. I’d like to share with you how I used these I can statements to chunk the learning for students and keep them accountable. Plus, I’ll share with you some really great lesson ideas that will help students really see and understand the distance formula. 

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Teaching Pythagorean Theorem with I Can Statements

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Using I Can Statements when teaching about the Pythagorean Theorem has helped me really plan out my teaching while giving students a clear map of their learning. The Pythagorean Theorem is one of the culminating standards in my 8th grade class. It takes some of the other topics and concepts that we’ve learned and brings it all together. It involves concepts like square numbers, formulas, triangles, and coordinate graphs, among others. There are 3 Common Core standards dedicated to this theorem. Plus, it’s something that 8th graders can really get!

When I am planning my teaching for this topic, I like to chunk it out step by step with “I Can” statements. Then, I use those with students to help them keep track of their progress. Below I’ll share with you the “I can” statements I used to prepare & teach this unit, and how my students used them in their math interactive notebooks to reflect on their learning. [Read more…] about Teaching Pythagorean Theorem with I Can Statements