There are four main types of writing assignments that you can use in your math class.
1. Journal logs- This type of assignment is just as easy as a simple diary entry.
2.Solving math problems- 50 leveled Math Problems (6th Grade), Problem Solver (6-8), Problem Solving: Just For the Fun of It!
3. Explaining math ideas/concepts:
4. Explaining mathematical concepts through creative writing
1. Journal logs- This type of assignment is just as easy as a simple diary entry.
2.Solving math problems- 50 leveled Math Problems (6th Grade), Problem Solver (6-8), Problem Solving: Just For the Fun of It!
- students are given a problem and are asked to solve it
- students show reasoning, draw pictures, and explain how they came to an answer questions are open-ended and sometimes have multiple answers
- the end goal is not to find the answer only, but to explain the thinking behind it
- growth occurs when students explain the reasoning behind their work
3. Explaining math ideas/concepts:
- Very simple, just get the students to explain something in mathematics
- Encourage students to: give written description, draw a picture, give non-examples, think Frayer Model
- Ex: Explain the difference between area and perimeter. OR How do I find range, mode, and median in a set of data.
4. Explaining mathematical concepts through creative writing
- gives students a fresh way to look at mathematics
- students who feel more intimidated in math, but feel stronger is writing will bring their strengths into the math assignment
- this type of writing helps students see the link between Math and ELA
- a prompt like this could take days
- incorporate the writing process
- poems, haikus, figurative language, tangram stories, writing letters, research papers, etc.
- Ex: Use http://www.toondoo.com/ to create comic strips with any prompt provided.