Tammi, Jimmy, and I met to look at how we could capitalize on the Math Makery time that is scheduled twice a week for each section. We determined that our goal for this class is to allow 4th graders to apply their math learning to creative applications of mathematics in the maker space. We thought about how the 4th graders' time in the Math/Makery class periods and wanted to consider it. We decided to start the 23/24 school year with a revised version of the PBL Game On! unit that we developed a few years ago. The unit
reinforces multiplication at the beginning of the school year and can be differentiated using arrays, factors, or factorization based on student skill level. For this iteration of the unit, the games will be more polished products with Jimmy's utilization of the laser cutter to make game boxes and 3-D printer available to make game pieces or parts.
We also discussed formatting the class time so that some minutes are dedicated to working on projects and others for skill practice using Dreambox, IXL, and Osmos. We discussed using mid-unit assessment information to help students build their individualized practice "menus." Moving forward, we will continue to meet during curriculum planning time to introduce additional Math/Makery projects throughout the year. We think the revised Game On! unit is a great jumping-off point to start our year-long collaboration!
What a great project and I appreciated being able to see the details about the unit on the attached doc as there has clearly been a lot of thought given to the learning goals and project milestones - I look forward to seeing what the students make and Alex has experience with board game creation I believe so you may want to tap in to his skills as well in the Makery!