Welcome to the Go Math!!

Teachers Edition tour.  

When I first picked up the Go Math! TE for 2nd grade I recognized that it was not a book that would allow me to just pick it up go. Where in the past finding the right answer was the goal, this series asks us to teach our students the processes of math. Because of these differences I think it is much more important for us as teachers to fully utilize the TE.

We will be showing you the print copy version. In the print copy there will be icons to show you the electronic materials that will support the lesson. The electronic version has all the same components with the added benefit of a direct link to the e-­Planner. From the e-­Planner you can access the hot buttons that will link you directly to the electronic items without taking you through an extensive table of contents. Through the e-­Planner you can view the items as well as assign them to students for easier access during class time.

Though this is a tour of the Teachers Edition, please be aware that the e-­‐Student Edition has the added benefit of audio buttons that will read the pages to students that may need help as they work independently.

Every chapter at every grade level has its own TE.

The first page will show you the chapters in that particular unit with the current chapter highlighted to show the Common Core standard or standards being addressed. Remember that when you teach the Common Core Standards you are also addressing the carefully aligned and important NAD Math Standards.

Table of contents

This is quite self-­explanatory *

The TE and Student books are color coded according to the critical areas in the standards.

When you pick up the first chapter in a color set you will find that it has an extra tool. The Critical Area at a Glance gives you a more in depth view of the skills and activities across all the chapters included in that particular critical area.

Here you have the Chapter at a Glance and it does exactly what its name suggests. This can be used in your planning, to help you see the:

  • essential questions,
  • objectives and vocabulary,
  • needed material and manipulatives 
  • print resources to gather for you lessons,
  • digital options known as the Digital Path and
  • response to intervention (RTI).

 

In the lower grades TE you will occasionally find a section with a Math Story that will connect your lesson to other subjects. In this case, the story is designed to connect to Social Studies. Before you use any of these literature *connections be sure to preview them for appropriateness for your classroom.

Next in your TE you will come to the section Teaching for Depth.This is an area that shows how Go Math! is very different from prior math series. Because our NAD Math Standards focus on greater depth and less breadth, these pages will serve to help us strengthen our supporting knowledge of the skills being taught. A very helpful part of this section is the Professional Development Videos for Podcasting. They are short videos, designed as a review of standards and skills for use by the teachers. You will find them to be a short, practical explanation of the concepts and recommended manipulatives. This is a very valuable tool for teachers: much like having your very own math expert at your fingertips. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT is continually adding to its bank of podcasts. If the lesson does not show the podcast icon, check on Think Central.

Your TE now takes you to the Daily Classroom Management page. This page reminds us of the ways we can differentiate instruction using Go Math! materials. We see Whole Group and Small Group Activities. We are reminded of the Response to Intervention, RtI, components that provide support for the students who

  • need extra help
  • are on level
  • would thrive with enrichment opportunities.

Now we turn to the section where we can Review Prerequisite Skills. At the bottom of the page you will find the standard that is being taught in this chapter. At a glance, you can see what skills and standards were taught in the previous grade that support the present concept being addressed and what skills will be taught at the next grade level to build on what is being taught now. *

At the top of this page you will see a list of activities that can be used to refresh the students’ memory on the prerequisite skills needed for the current chapter. As this series is being adopted there are bound to be areas where students are not yet as prepared as we would like them to be. This page will give suggestions on how to support them. Over time, as Go Math! is taught from grade level to grade level, this problem should become a moot point. The Assessment Guide has a Prerequisite Skill Inventory that can be given to the students to help further identify the missing skills.

The following page is a very important component in teaching with Go Math!. Developing Math Language is every bit as essential to student success as problem solving and computation. Here you will find the vocabulary for this chapter listed. These words and concepts can be used in word walls, math bulletin boards and even in math journals created by the students for future reference.

And now we come to Introduce the Chapter. In this section you will find pages that are in the student text. In first and second grade you will find an introductory page for the unit, Show What You Know, Vocabulary Builder and a Game. This section will have a picture of a send home letter that can be found in the Standards Practice book.

In grades 3-­6, Introduce the Chapter begins with Show What You Know and Vocabulary Builder. Show What You Know is a quick assessment tool to help the teacher determine if students need intensive or strategic intervention. Vocabulary Builder helps set the tone for the conversations that will follow.

Earlier we looked at the Chapter at a Glance. Now we come to the Lesson at a Glance page. The red section at the top of the page will have much of the same information found *in the Chapter at a Glance with the expanded Common Core Standard written out. We should pay special attention to the Lesson Objective and the Essential Question as we plan our lessons.

The red section at the bottom of the page, Mathematical Practices, will give quick explanations for the teacher that are pertinent to this lesson. This is where a Pod Cast icon will be placed if there is one available. The pod casts can be downloaded to your computer for easy viewing later without the need for an internet connection. There will be Daily Routine activities that support the skills taught and used in this lesson.

On the facing page are resources for Differentiated Instruction Activities. These will help you meet the needs of the learners in your classroom at a variety of levels. And now we have come to the lesson pages. Always look for the white numbers in red circles, 1-­4.

“1” Engage will be a short part of the lesson to catch the interest of the students,

“2” Teach and Talk will include activities such as Unlock the Problem, Listen and Draw and Investigate. As you work toward the end of Teach and Talk section 3 will have Share and Show which is used as a quick assessment for RtI (Response to Intervention). “3” continues with On Your Own and Problem Solving. Each lesson ends with “4”, Summarize. Here you will be prompted to review by using the Essential Question. Suggestions for supporting the student Math Journals are found here.

The lessons continue on in the same format until you come to the Mid-­Chapter Checkpoint. Formative and Summative Assessments are conveniently labeled with a red *tab for easy reference. Simply feather the TE’s pages to see the red tabs. At the bottom of the assessment pages you will find direction as to how to address the specific needs of each student. There will also be a description of common errors. This is a quick tool that can be used for helping our students master the standards being taught.

After the Mid-­chapter Checkpoint lessons continue again to the end of the chapter and the Summative Review/Test. The Summative Assessments have a form A and B. The answer key for Form A is found in the TE. You will find the Form B answer key in the on-­line Assessment Guide, TE.

The Go Math! TE is a very valuable tool. It does much more than simply show an example of the student text with answers. When fully utilized, along with the ePlanning Guide, the tools for streamlining and supporting the teacher’s work are varied and numerous. As you use it for planning and daily math classes remember that this is simply a tool used in the hands of a professional teacher. We were not called to teach math. We are commissioned to teach His children. With the touch of the Master Teacher our efforts can reach farther than we can begin to imagine. Go with God.

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