Let's talk Math Workshop! From googling and searching around, I found that the gist of math workshop is the same but does vary a bit from person to person. This is how I set mine up to work with 8th graders.
- M - Meet with the Teacher
- A - At your Seat
- T - Technology
- H - Hands-On
These are some of the ideas I use for each station...
I have block scheduling so I have a double period (80 minutes) with each class every other day. I usually need about 10-15 minutes to explain each station for that day so that leaves me with about 15 minutes per station. In my opinion that is a good amount of time, but I am still tweaking the activities at each station to make sure that each can be completed within a 15 minute time period. There has been some trial and error. I have been using slidesmania.com to create slides for this. It is a great website with tons of free, unique, creative and editable templates to use. Below is an example of a math workshop I ran recently:
Meet the Teacher:
For this station I used thin-slicing problems. To read more about how I use thin-slicing problems, read my last post here. View the problems I used by clicking below.
Most of my students were able to make it through 4 of the problems so I think having 5-6 is good for a 15 minute time period depending on your student population and the topic. All students needed to bring to this station was their calculator. I had a set of laminated thin-slicing problems for each student along with a whiteboard and dry erase marker.
At your Seat:
For this station, I used this solving systems by graphing Whack-A-Mole worksheet. For this station, I had to pick something previously learned so that students could work independently and wouldn't need my assistance. There are 6 problems and most students got through 4 of them in 15 minutes (for reference). I did have them turn this in. I did not grade it, but I needed to hold them accountable so I collected them and checked off that they were working on it. I handed it back the following day and displayed an answer key for them to check their work.
Technology:
I create a lot of pixel art and self-checking activities using Google Sheets. These activities are perfect for this station, but many are too long for the students to finish in a 15 minute time period so I created some shorter ones to use specifically for math workshop days. This day I actually created two different options for differentiation. Option 1 was a self-checking puzzle pixel art with 6 questions for students that understood the substitution method. Option 2 was a self-checking 4 question guided activity. The guided activity gave step by step instructions for each part of substitution. Students were instructed to choose one. This did need to be turned in in the Google classroom and counted as a classwork grade. Check out both options below:
Hands-On:
For the hands-on station I used a partner activity. There were four questions. For questions one and three partner A had to solve a system by graphing and partner B had to solve by substitution. Then for questions two and four, partner A had to solve using substitution and partner B had to solve by graphing. After each problem they had to compare their answers to make sure they got the same answer. If they did not, they had to work together to find the mistake. This actually turned out to be a little difficult for them to complete independently. In the future I might change the activity or model it the day before. I planned to collect this, but ended up not collecting it. You can download a copy of the handouts below.
So far I have loved incorporating this model in my classroom. The biggest obstacle for me is making sure everyone is on task while I work with a small group. Next year I am going to introduce it earlier on and set the expectations sooner. I am thinking of using it the first week with team building and collecting student information activities. I will continue to use it this year when I can as I already have students asking when we can do it again!
Maths workshops offer students an interactive environment to grasp complex concepts through hands-on activities, fostering a deeper understanding. They encourage collaborative problem-solving, enhancing teamwork skills. Workshops also cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring every student can engage effectively. By applying theory to practical situations, students develop critical thinking and analytical skills essential for real-world challenges.
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