Marilyn Burns

Fractions General Interest Numerical Reasoning

Fractions on a Number Line

The fourth graders I’m working with on a regular basis are learning about fractions. During a class conversation, one student declared, “Fractions aren’t numbers.” Most of the others in the class agreed. I tried to help with the misunderstanding by teaching a lesson about placing fractions on a number line.

Marilyn BurnsMarch 16, 2016

Games Multiplication Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

The Game of Pathways

I like the multiplication game of Pathways. It engages students’ interest, helps develop their familiarity with the times table, and encourages them to think strategically. It's been a part of my teaching for a long time. Recently I came up with a way to introduce the game that made it easier for students to learn to play. It was a huge success. Read about what I did and how the students reacted.

Marilyn BurnsMarch 10, 2016

Assessment General Interest Interviews One-on-One Number and Operations Place Value Videos

Place Value: How to Assess Students’ Understanding

Place value is one of the most important foundational concepts about our number system. Watch my assessment interviews of second graders and learn how you can find out what your students understand about place value.

Marilyn BurnsJanuary 18, 2016

Fractions Games General Interest Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Fix It: An Activity for Ordering Fractions

At a math workshop, the presenter suggested that students have opportunities to be producers as well as consumers of their learning in the classroom. I put this advice into action with fifth graders, using the activity of Fix It to provide students additional experience with comparing and ordering fractions.

Marilyn BurnsDecember 11, 2015

General Interest Math and Literature Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

One Children’s Book . . . Different Grade Levels

In a previous blog, I described a lesson I taught to second graders using the wonderful children’s book One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab. At John Muir Elementary School in San Francisco, I observed two other lessons using the same book, one in Kindergarten and the other in fourth grade. The lessons were a joy to observe, and I feel that my own teaching repertoire has now been enhanced.

Marilyn BurnsDecember 8, 2015

General Interest Math and Literature Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

The Equal Sign: What It Really Means

Students begin learning about the equal sign in the early grades, and Quack and Count by Keith Baker is a terrific children’s book for helping with this in kindergarten and grade 1. It’s one of my favorite children’s books for teaching math. (Yes, yes, I know I have lots of favorites.) Here I describe the lesson I taught and what occurred.

Marilyn BurnsNovember 13, 2015

Data General Interest Math and Literature Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Chrysanthemum—An Oldie but Goodie

Are you interested in a lesson that combines a wonderful children’s book with activities that engage students with organizing data and reasoning numerically? Read about how lessons using Chrysanthemum unfolded in two classes.

Marilyn BurnsNovember 10, 2015

Data General Interest Number and Operations Real-World Problems Statistics and Probability

Alphabetical Probability

Read how 7th graders collected and analyzed data about the frequency of letters. They chose sentences, recorded the frequency of letters, and put their data on a class chart. Then we compared the class results to the actual frequencies of letters. Engaging the students in collecting their own data gave them an authentic math experience, not rigged by me in any way.

Marilyn BurnsOctober 18, 2015

Games General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving Videos

Can You KenKen?

I’ve taught students in grade 2 through middle school how to solve KenKen puzzles. If you’ve never solved KenKen puzzles yourself, or haven't engaged your students with them, read about how I’ve introduced them in the classroom. But be warned: KenKen puzzles can be addictive.

Marilyn BurnsOctober 1, 2015

General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Postscript about the Number Eleven

A comment posted on my previous blog was a Yikes! experience for me. The comment was about one of the ways to make 11 that I included in the book I created for my grandson’s birthday. The comment was a wonderful reminder about how arithmetic, algebra, and geometry connect.

Marilyn BurnsSeptember 23, 2015

General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Real-World Problems

Eleven Things about the Number Eleven

My grandson Jeffrey just turned 11 and I created a book to celebrate his birthday. Now I’m thinking that making books like this might be a good class project for students. Take a look.

Marilyn BurnsSeptember 21, 2015

General Interest Math and Literature Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

Using Children’s Literature to Teach Math

In my early years of teaching, children’s books weren’t typically where I looked for help when planning math lessons. But that has changed. I now rely on children’s books regularly for engaging students with math. Here’s an example.

Marilyn BurnsSeptember 9, 2015

General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Helping Students Open Their Minds

Bring an open mind is #1 on a poster of Sara Liebert’s expectations for her fourth grade class. Lynne Zolli used that expectation when introducing a math activity to the students.

Marilyn BurnsAugust 26, 2015

Games General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

Four Strikes and You’re Out

Using games has long been standard in my teaching, and for several reasons. Games capture students’ interest and engages them in learning math. They’re ideal when students have extra time. And they’re effective options for the paper-and-pencil practice. Here’s one of my favorites.

Marilyn BurnsAugust 17, 2015

General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

A Number Line Exploration

Here’s an idea that I was first introduced to about ten years ago by Nicholas Branca, a math educator who contributed profoundly to my thinking about math and teaching. I’ve tried presenting it as a math-in-three-acts investigation.

Marilyn BurnsAugust 13, 2015

General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

A Mental Math Lesson, Part 2

In my June 2 post, I described how students solved 99 + 17. Actually I described only part of the lesson. Now, in response to a tweet, I explain how I also had students think about one of the important mathematical practices.

Marilyn BurnsAugust 11, 2015

General Interest Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving Videos

Goldilocks, the Three Bears, and Teaching Math

I began a back-to-school session for elementary teachers by asking everyone to write an opening sentence for Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The teachers were surprised by the request—the session was supposed to focus on teaching math. What was the connection?

Marilyn BurnsAugust 3, 2015

General Interest Technology

Why I Tweet

I’ve been tweeting since September of 2014, and I’m hooked. I never would have predicted that I’d join Twitter, much less enjoy it and benefit from it professionally. In this post, I describe my initiation into Twitter and what I’ve learned.

Marilyn BurnsJuly 27, 2015

General Interest Problem Solving Videos

The 1–10 Card Investigation

The 1-10 Card Investigation has a big payoff with students. It engages their interest, involves them with making sense of a problem and persevering to solve it, and gives them experience with evaluating their progress and changing course as necessary. Plus it has a playful aspect that too often is lost in math class.

Marilyn BurnsJune 29, 2015

Assessment General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Videos

A Mental Math Lesson

I asked a class of fourth graders to figure out the answer to 99 + 17 in their heads. In this post, I describe why I chose that problem, include a video of how the lesson unfolded, describe a teaching error I made in a subsequent lesson, and more.

Marilyn BurnsJune 2, 2015

Fractions on a Number Line

The Game of Pathways

Place Value: How to Assess Students’ Understanding

Fix It: An Activity for Ordering Fractions

One Children’s Book . . . Different Grade Levels

The Equal Sign: What It Really Means

Chrysanthemum—An Oldie but Goodie

Alphabetical Probability

Can You KenKen?

Postscript about the Number Eleven

Eleven Things about the Number Eleven

Using Children’s Literature to Teach Math

Helping Students Open Their Minds

Four Strikes and You’re Out

A Number Line Exploration

A Mental Math Lesson, Part 2

Goldilocks, the Three Bears, and Teaching Math

Why I Tweet

The 1–10 Card Investigation

A Mental Math Lesson

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Marilyn Burns

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