QR Codes and Word Problems

We currently finished up our math unit on multiplication and division and I was looking for an alternative assessment to see if the students could identify whether a word problem was asking for multiplication or division.

Our next project was created QR codes and Google Presentations.

I created a template for my students using Google Presentations. Nothing fancy just a simple template.

I used Google Classroom to share several documents with them which was a task teaching them to toggle between open tabs, but we made it in the end.

One document I sent my kiddos had 20 multiplication and division word problems. The students had to select a problem, take a screen shot of the problem, upload their screen shot from their Drive into their Presentation. They caught on very quickly to this process. 

They had to then go to QR code generator and type their answer to the word problem. They then uploaded their QR code answer to their presentation. At the bottom of their slides in the notes section, they had to explain their thinking to me. They had to tell me how they arrived at their answer as well as how they knew to multiply or divide.

Their final projects included 5 slides; a title slide, 2 multiplication problems and 2 division problems.

This was a great way for students to share their thinking with me. 

Check out a finished project here. 

Nonfiction Writing

Back in November/ December our writing unit was on informational text. Our class decided to write informational articles on planets. This tied in nicely with our solar system unit that we had just finished up. The students were to produce a newsletter that included; headings, photographs, captions, and vocabulary.

Our county is Google EVERYTHING! We have a set of 30 Chromebooks to use on our grade level and we have been learning the ins and outs of them. I wanted my students to create their newsletter in Google Docs. I went ahead and searched on Google for a Newsletter templates Google Docs and selected a newsletter template for the students to use and shared it with them using Google Classroom.

Google Classroom is fabulous because it automatically makes a copy of the document for the student and makes a folder in my Google Drive to house all of their projects. This eliminates the hassle of the students having to make a copy of the document and sharing it back with me. 

We had spent 2 weeks researching the planets using books, encyclopedias, and the internet. This is the first time my students had used the internet to research so we had to spend a lot of time talking about how to research effectively. 

Once we had our researched typed into the templates, the students learned how to highlight text and link it to the definition of the word. This concept took some time to master, but once they caught on they were on a roll. 

Their final projects turned out pretty well for their first attempt! Click here to check out a finished newsletter about Saturn!!