Number Ninjas: Conquer the Count!

Plan

5th, 6th Grades Project 6 weeks

Number Ninjas: Conquer the Count!

Linda N

MP.1

NC.6.NS.1

NC.6.NS.2

NC.6.NS.3

NC.6.NS.4

+ 10 more

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Purpose

The purpose of this project is to engage 5th and 6th grade students in a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that strengthens their understanding of number sense and rational numbers through real-world applications. By collaborating with community partners, students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they design interactive math-based escape rooms and virtual treasure hunts. This project fosters collaboration, creativity, and communication, allowing students to explore mathematical concepts in a meaningful context while building confidence in their abilities.

Learning goals

The learning goals for this project are to develop a strong understanding of rational numbers and their application on the coordinate plane, master division of fractions and decimals, and solve real-world math problems through interactive experiences. Students will enhance their collaborative skills by working with peers and community partners to create a digital treasure hunt app, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Through reflection and exhibition, students will demonstrate their ability to communicate mathematical concepts effectively and creatively to diverse audiences.

Standards

[North Carolina] MP.1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.1 - Use visual models and common denominators to:Interpret and compute quotients of fractions.Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving division of fractions.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.2 - Fluently divide using long division with a minimum of a four-digit dividend and interpret the quotient and remainder in context.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.3 - Apply and extend previous understandings of decimals to develop and fluently use the standard algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of decimals.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.4 - Understand and use prime factorization and the relationships between factors to:Find the unique prime factorization for a whole number.<liFind the greatest common factor of two whole numbers less than or equal to 100.<liUse the greatest common factor and the distributive property to rewrite the sum of two whole numbers, each less than or equal to 100.Find the least common multiple of two whole numbers less than or equal to 12 to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.5 - Understand and use rational numbers to:Describe quantities having opposite directions or values.Represent quantities in real-world contexts, explaining the meaning of 0 in each situation.Understand the absolute value of a rational number as its distance from 0 on the number line to:Interpret absolute value as magnitude for a positive or negative quantity in a real-world context.Distinguish comparisons of absolute value from statements about order.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.6 - Understand rational numbers as points on the number line and as ordered pairs on a coordinate plane.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.7 - Understand ordering of rational numbers.
[North Carolina] NC.6.NS.8 - Solve real-world and mathematical problems by graphing points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane. Include use of coordinates and absolute value to find distances between points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate.

Competencies

Productive Collaborator - Engages with others to achieve a common goal through building positive relationships, actively listening, showing empathy, and making individual contributions to a larger group.
Critical Thinker - Thinks deeply and makes informed decisions to create solutions or new understanding supported by relevant and reliable evidence.
Empowered Learner - Demonstrates mastery and application of academic competencies. Develops the skills and dispositions to persist through difficulties and plan for a future of self-improvement.
Creative Contributer - Interprets experiences, imagines and plays with new possibilities with curiosity, and creates approaches that are novel, useful, and valued by the world around them.
Effective Communicator - Engages diverse audiences respectfully by exchanging ideas and information responsibly, listening actively, speaking and writing clearly, and using print and digital media appropriately.
Engaged Citizen - Shows respect and empathy across differences, embraces diversity of opinion, seeks cultural understanding, participates in the democratic process to challenge the status quo, and makes a positive impact on their community and the world.

Products

Students will collaboratively design and build interactive math-based escape rooms, each requiring the solution of problems involving fractions, decimals, and rational numbers to progress. The escape rooms will integrate the virtual treasure hunt app, allowing participants to input coordinates and solve math challenges to unlock clues. Throughout the project, students will create digital reflection journals documenting their learning journey, which will be shared during the Coordinate Carnival exhibition. Additionally, students will develop and present their treasure hunts, showcasing their understanding of the coordinate plane and rational numbers.

Launch

Kick off the project with the Rational Number Rally, where students work collaboratively to graph points on a large coordinate plane using sidewalk chalk. This interactive challenge involves solving puzzles related to rational numbers and distances, fostering teamwork and critical thinking. As students complete each puzzle, they uncover clues that lead them to the next location, setting the stage for the treasure hunt app development.

Exhibition

Students will host a Coordinate Carnival, showcasing their virtual treasure hunts to peers, teachers, and parents. Interactive stations will allow attendees to engage with the coordinate plane and solve puzzles designed by students. This event will celebrate students' mastery of rational numbers and distance calculations, providing a platform for them to demonstrate their learning and creativity.