Unit 0 - Nailing It Down (Blog 3 of 3)

So, this week I have been working on nailing down my introductory unit...here and here.  I plan to spend seven class days this year on introducing our class.  I know that there may be unanticipated interruptions (class meetings, drills, etc.) but at this point, I want to take my list of activities and sequence them to optimize the experience for students.  To recap, my overarching goals with this "unit" are:

1. Begin with the idea of Growth Mindset as a foundation (mistakes have value!)
2. Help students to learn what Collaboration looks like in our room
3. Celebrate the value of Differing Perspectives in mathematics
4. Set the tone that mathematics and problem solving is FUN
5. Establish the basics of our Class Routines

These are the activities I pair down from a broader list of ideas:

• Failure Commercial and Journals
• Death Crawl Scene Video Clip  
• Get It Together Activity ("Build It!")
• Which One Doesn't Belong 
• Estimation 180 (Day 1) with Number Line and Gallery Walk
• Complete Foldable for SMPs
• Card Sort based on @MathProject's SMP Posters
• CthenC #1 - Telescoping Sum
• CthenC #2 - Tilted Square
• CthenC #3 - Coin Problem
• CthenC Growth Mindset Activity - Quiz/Article
• Paper Folding and Dot Card Talk (Boaler Week 1 Day 3) or reduxversion (Boaler Week 2 Day 1)

That is still 12 nearly full day activities in only 7 days.  And it would've been nice to include a computer lab day as well.  Sigh.  Too little time for all the goodness I want my students to experience.  <3 span="">

Ok, initial thoughts:

• THURSDAY (Day 1):  An activity from Get It Together.  Last year we did "Build It" by we may do "What is My Number" instead.  This would get them working in their home groups right away and talking with one another.  We could debrief with a discussion of how collaboration works best. - develop our group norms (Takeaway:  Collaboration works best when everyone contributes.)
• FRIDAY (Day 2):  Introduce class procedures/required materials.  Take Growth Mindset quiz, watch Failure commercial, and read article.  Then watch the Death Crawl Scene to end class.  (Takeaway:  Mistakes have value.)
• MONDAY (Day 3): Introduce this week's homework.  WODB.  Dot Talk.  First Number Talk.  (Takeaway:  We honor differing points of view.)  
• TUESDAY (Day 4):  Introduce Instagram account.  Work on Estimation 180, Day 1.  This would get them working in their color groups on the large whiteboards.  It would also allow us to experience our first Gallery Walk and discuss those expectations.   (Takeaway:  Precision in communication is important.)
• WEDNESDAY (Day 5):  Begin Opener Routine with Multiplication Chart; CthenC #1 Telescoping Sum; Interactive Notebook - SMP Foldable/First Four SMPs (Takeaways:  Ummm...patterns, structure, perseverance, communication, perspectives...lots of goodness here.  Using the SMPs to reitterate and reinforce the conversations we have had through the week thus far.)
• THURSDAY (Day 6):  Continue Opener Routine with Multiplication Chart; CthenC #2 Tilted Square; Interactive Notebook - Second Four SMPs/Tables of Contents (Takeaways:  Same as Wednesday.)
• FRIDAY (Day 7):  Homework Check; CthenC #3 Coin Problem; SMP Card Sort from @MathProject's SMP Posters (Takeaways:  Same as Wednesday.)

Those last three days may be overly ambitious.  But the Day 7 could be cut off to allow me to stretch out the earlier conversations as needed.  These are my thoughts at the moment.  Subject to change of course, but it is a starting point.  Tomorrow...back to the grind.  Here we go!