Ratios and Proportional Reasoning the Common Core Way!

As we approach our state testing, I am ready to get this test over with and am so excited to get the opportunity to help my students explore a deeper understanding of the math concepts that we have traditionally had to fly through due to the nature of our MSA multiple choice/BCR response test. (If you teach in Maryland, you understand all of those lovely abbreviations and if you do not teach in Maryland, I am confident that you have some sort of standardized test that has really dumbed down the subject you love beyond recognition...) Blah, blah blah... What it all boils down to is that students are going to have to be challenged on their own level and we are going to be expected to show that we are helping students to authenitcally learn concepts, while creating lessons that engage them at their individual level...oh yeah AND helping them to grow during the time you work with them. I don't know about you, but I have my moments where I wonder how I will do this successfully. This SCREAMS student portfolios. I know that is what most middle school teachers do not want to hear. We teach on average 80 or more students each year and it is a scary thought to think how this can be managed.

I am in the process of putting some of my ideas ideas into practice. How can this can be done effectively? This blog will serve two purposes. The first will be to help me to reflect upon my transition into the Common Core Curriculum and evaluate my effectiveness as a teacher/coach in this role. It will also serve as a place where I can share what I have done, and how I feel I can improve upon the practices I am implementing. I hope that you will visit my blog and read about some of the things that have worked and some of the ways I will be improving things that did not work. Here are just a few ideas that I will be using in my class. My overall unit is going a little more slowly than anticipated due to the amount of MSA preparation I have been creating to help my students. This Ratio and Proportional Reasoning Unit is coming along slowly, but I am also hoping to really find ways to help my students own their learning. Here is a sneak peak of what I am creating for my class.

This is a DOMINOE ACTIVITY that students will organize in their
notebooks to demonstrate their knowledge of ratios.

This investigation lets students visually see various ratios
of food coloring to water. How intense is the color?
What makes the color more intense/ less intense?