Student Work 5- Emma Cole

This week I worked with the students in centers how reading and using a number line. The numbers were 1-20. There were five centers and each center worked on the number line for about fifteen minutes.

When the students first got to the center I had them write their name on a blank sheet of paper. I then asked one student to be my helper but let the students know that they would all get a chance to be my helper. I asked the students if *my helper were to add or take away so many steps what number would they land on? Before the student took that many steps, I asked the rest of the students to try and guess what number they would land on. Some of the students would physically count the amount of steps on the number line. Others would count in their head while others just knew off the top of their head from previous experience. After the students guessed the number, I would have them count out loud while my helper took the correct amount of steps. For example, say I asked the student to take nine steps, the other students in the group would then predict what number the helper would land on. The helper would then take those amount of steps while the entire group counted out loud. After the students found out whether or not their predictions were correct, they would write down the number the helper landed on. This way the students were also working on number recognition.

After the first number, the student would stay on that number and then I would ask them to either add or take away a number of steps. Again, the rest of the group would then predict the number the helper would land on. This really helps the students read and understand the number line. Depending on whether we were adding or taking away numbers they would have to figure out which way to move on the number line. The students really enjoyed this activity because they were engaged and I had their full attention the entire fifteen minutes. They were interested in the topic especially when they were the helper.  This activity wasn't focused on addition or subtraction but more understanding of how to use the number line and number recognition.

However, to further advance the students learning I could gear the activity towards addition and subtraction or even both. So if the student was on the number nine ask them nine plus four is what? Or nine minus four is what? This way the activity would be so much on the number line but addition and subtraction.