It's a PLACE VALUE Showdown!!!

Whenever I think of a showdown, I think of this scene right here! So, why am I talking about a showdown? Well, it all has to do with this model here!

Has your school been focusing your PD on this? I know that our school has! Almost all of our PD time has been focused on the gradual release model (GRM) which is something that we were all taught in our education classes. So with this in mind, as I have been planning, I have been diligently trying to create engaging lessons that I can incorporate this model into. Now I will be honest and say that sometimes as first graders they have a hard enough time tying their shoes and going to the bathrooms and now we want them to monitor themselves in their lessons??? So, we have been doing the GRM is small increments through our lessons. 

In math we have been working on place value. Also, if you have not seen this video by Harry Kindergarten, it is great for place value for teen numbers!

We started with making bean sticks to 10.

which we have been using to make numbers. These are great tools because they can touch and see each bean versus the rods! They have been amazing tools in my classroom. I don't think I will be going back to the rods ever again.

We also worked on making numbers with words with these easy word cards.

Click on the picture to download. 

Then we also worked on writing and recognizing numbers as ____ tens and ____ones. So, now we go back to the picture above...

Showdown! I decided to do a slightly different variation of Kagan's Showdown. If you are not familiar with the Kagan structure Showdown, you can read about it here.  I assigned a number (to make) to each team and each team member a task card:

Click the picture to download! 

I did not assign the captain-- I was the captain but in the end, they ended up self checking each other! I didn't even have to say that to them, it just came naturally. Each team was given two whiteboards/dry erase markers, a can of play-dough, bean sticks/beans, and number words. I used my Kagan timer to assign numbers but you could put pre-determined numbers cards, too!

This is a great activity if you are interested in the GRM! The kids are engaged and through all the previous lessons, they have already gone through the I do, we do, and you do! And as I mentioned before, they were able to self assess themselves through no prompting from me!!! I hope that you will try it out and let me know how it works out for you!