June 1-4, 2021
NO GOW this week
Alternative: End of Year Reflection & Create a Graph!

In place of the usual GOW this week, I had my students reflect on the very unique year we had. I asked students to:

a) fill out the End of Year Reflection  (asking for them to be honest and thoughtful in their responses)

AND

b) Create a graph that shows how you’ve changed, in what ways you’ve changed, or what you’re better at.

I think I might have my students do this every year from now on. I can see how much they have learned from the various graphs we analyzed throughout the year. Also, it gave me a chance to see how they have grown personally or academically this past year!

Here are some student-created graphs that were turned in so far:
End of Year Reflection (in Google Forms) 


​Conversations on Teaching & Learning with Kelly Gallagher & Penny Kittle 2020-2021: 
​
"​Day 28 with Kelly Turner, a math teacher who will upend your thinking about writing practice"
--Penny and Kelly

How will my students benefit from this weekly assignment?
Students will become sharper, analytical thinkers in today's world.

Students are given the opportunity to communicate their critical thinking and analysis through writing and classroom discussion.

Common Core Math Standards MP1-MP4:
  • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • Model with mathematics.

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What others have said about Turner's Graph of the Week...


https://mathprojects.com/2013/09/01/graph-of-the-week-new-site/​
https://www.doe.in.gov/covid-19/turners-graph-week​
https://sites.google.com/site/btrgrad/curriculum-planning/content-specific/mathematics/go-to-websites/graph-of-the-week
https://ideagalaxyteacher.com/graph-of-the-week/
http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/news-and-thoughts/turners-graph-of-the-week
https://www.facebook.com/485026478178427/posts/graph-of-the-week-new-site/701612696519803/
https://www.next.cc/journey/tools/graphs​
https://www.middleweb.com/42878/remote-teaching-with-engaging-infographics/
https://universe.parlayideas.com/collections/02e62c78-a41c-4dee-b366-ccb9e98b0b22​

Just in case you missed it...

Recent GOWs

GOW  ​May 3-7, 2021
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
GOW ​May 10-14, 2021
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Want more GOWs? Visit the GOW Archive for over 200 downloadable PDFs! 

The Student
Writing Prompt
​

Analyze the graph below and write a reflection on w​hat you think the graph is communicating to you. To guide you with your response, start with some observations.

  • What is the topic of the graph?
  • What do the x-axis and y-axis represent?
  • What are some observations you can make based on the graph?
  • What do you foresee happening about 5 years from now?

Questions to ask your students when reading graphs:

  • Is there an upward or downward trend?
  • Are there any sudden spikes in the graph?
  • What is being compared in the graph?
  • What prediction can I make for the future?
  • What inferences can I make about the graph?

Student Sample of the NEW GOW 3PA 
The New GOW: A 3-Part Analysis 

For those of you who would like your students to engage in a deeper analysis of the GOW, this new format (2-sided) might be worth a try:

Part A: Analysis (same as what GOW is now)

Part B: What can you foresee happening in the near future?

Part C: Based on your response in Part B, what solution(s) can you investigate or what other information/resources can you gather to strengthen your argument?

I have found in recent years that some of my students want to share alternate perspectives to the information the graph portrays. They give historical context, present a counterargument by citing another source, or want to justify their stance based on personal experience or prior knowledge. I purposely left a bit of space after part C in case you may want students to make your own part D: you can have them create another graphical representation of their own, or make an illustration or cartoon, etc.

So this year, I'm trying out this new 3-part written analysis that will give my students a platform in which they can share a bit more. I can't wait to see what they come up with! Click on the image below.