Interactive Math Notebooks: Least Common Multiple and Greatest Common Factor Ladders

I can hardly believe that November is already half over!  I have been so busy with my Sixth Grade Smarties it is hard to believe that our marking period has ended and we have 10 weeks of school under our belts!

My group is working hard.  We are implementing so many new things this year with our district starting a new data tracking system and we are using a new math program at the Middle School.  I am still finding days where I am in a Love/Hate relationship with our DIGITS program, but it has definatley kept me on my toes and using my Interactive Notebook skills.  I have found myself forced to be more creative about how I present material.  That has been difficult to  master when I'm teaching information in a different order.  I have to hand it to the Common Core, it definatley has ME thinking about math in a different way.  
Anyhoo... we are beginning to review for our Unit A assessment.  I should have given it last week before the marking period ended..but hey we get in what we get in right!

So as I was creating my test and looking back at my Math Notebook, I realized I never shared my LCM/GCF foldable.  I needed to cover, Prime Numbers, Prime Factorization, Least Common Multiple and Greatest Common Factor in about 2 1/2 days.. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!  This is information that ususally took me at least a week to cover.  I had to move fast, and not take up MOUNDS and MOUNDS of space in our Notebooks. I'm worried about running out of pages.  Two notebooks has to be our limit for this school year, otherwise I have a feeling my Smarties will lose them.  Enter this crazy foldable with the Ladder Method for using Primes to find the LCM and GCF.  My Middles LOVED it!  They LOVED the ladder method.  They LOVED the fact that they didn't have to do 2 different steps to find the Greatest Common Factor and then the Least Common Multiple.  I hope they remember it when we get to fractions!  If you are interested, you can get my foldie and lessons for this topic {HERE}.  Lessons are included for the Ladder Method, and Finding PRime Factorization.

I'm going to be spending the rest of this week prepping for our next unit and reviewing for our assessment.  I've made some Properties Match-up cards ( you can get them at my TpT Store if you are interested) to use in a center, and I already have my Algebra Matching cards for vocabulary.  I think I've got that covered... now it's on to making a few more review sheets!
Have a great week all!!!
Michele

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9 comments

  1. Hi Michelle ~ What a great LCM/GCF foldable. Where did you get it? I'd love to use it with my 6s!

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    1. Hi Amy.. I made it the foldable actually. I needed my smarties to have access to a bunch of info without taking up a million pages in their notebooks. I'm still tooling with how I can get the actual words on the FRONT to be printed.
      Thanks for stopping by!!

      Michele

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  2. I saw this method in the NCTM's Middle School magazine and LOVED it. Unfortunately, we were giving the test on GCF and LCM that day. I'm planning to use it next year.

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    1. It is a really great way to teach LCM and GCF as long as the kids are solid on their facts.. then again, isn't everything easier when the kids are solid on their facts!
      Michele

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  3. I just started using Interactive Math Notebooks. So far so good. I love this foldable and if you get it finished to your liking I would love to buy a copy! Come over to my blog and check out what we did with our notebooks so far...nothing close to as interesting as you..but I have some things planned for January so I hope to post them soon!

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    1. I'm putting the finishing touches on a review game we played to go with the foldie. I should have it done in a day or so. I'll stop by as soon as I can!

      Michele

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  4. Love the foldable idea! I can easily adapt this for my second graders...

    Thanks--
    Sarah @ Hoots N' Hollers

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  5. Michele, I teach 8th grade math and Algebra 1 in Ohio. We are getting ready to start using the Digits program this fall, and Excel Math with our Algebra 1. I would LOVE to "pick your brain" to help me best implement the digital teaching!!

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  6. Great idea, it may work with my biography writing class, if I can figure out how you folded it. Can you give me any hints or do you have a template somewhere.
    Thanks

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. I will make every effort to respond back to you!

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