Each module of the ST Math Camp experience centers around three main sessions: Puzzle Talks, ST Math Activities, and 1:1 Game Play.

Game-in-a-Minute

Start by watching a short video preview of the game that you'll be using with students for the Puzzle Talk.

Puzzle Talk Prep

To prepare for the Puzzle Talk with students:

• Set up a screen and projector
• Gather the materials needed (e.g.,whiteboards or scratch paper)
• Use the Puzzle Link to play the game yourself
• Review the lesson plan and use the Session Agenda & Planning Tool to plan the Puzzle Talk

Facilitation

• Ask students to share what they already know about the topic and explain that you will work as a class on a Puzzle Talk.
• Share your screen and project the puzzles; engage students in discussions using the Facilitation Questions and Problem Solving Process.
• Discuss student strategies, test them, and discuss the feedback.
• Repeat the process with other puzzles.

The Teacher Support section of the website includes everything that you will need to conduct a successful Puzzle Talk.

The purpose of a Puzzle Talk is to focus on students' strategies, promote student discourse, and illuminate the math students are learning.

Preparation

Instruction

Beyond the Puzzle

Review the activities for the week and choose one to use for the day. Check on and gather the necessary amount of manipulatives for the chosen activity.

Game Play

• Prepare the space and number groups for all students to be able to play.
• Allow time for the students to play the activity, swapping groups after a few rounds if desired.
• Watch the clock so that you have enough time to clean up.

These activities intentionally allow for variation, so use your creativity to further stretch student thinking around the mathematical concepts.

ST Math Activities are designed to extend the learning beyond the puzzle. These activities illuminate the mathematics and allow students to further explore, practice, discuss, and connect the mathematics that they are learning.

Set-up

Preparation

Instruction

Getting Ready

Provide an Accomplishments Log and ST Math Journal to each student. It is important to ensure that each student has a device and ST Math sign-in credentials prior to the first 1:1 Game Play session.

Game Play

Students play ST Math independently, focusing on the grade level Journey or the objectives the teacher has placed in Assignments.

Teacher Tip:

Ask open-ended questions:

   What was something you liked about the games?

   How did you do in achieving your goal?

   What helped you achieve your goals?

Setting Goals

Discuss goal setting with students with the Goal Setting Guide. Set an ST Math goal for the week.

Closure

Discuss the games students played and review their goals on their Camp Journey Thinking Path.

The Teacher Support section provides resources to help you facilitate a successful Puzzle Talk, including module-specific game demos, a session agenda and planning tool, and materials to introduce students to ST Math. Click on each option below to learn more about these great support resources.

Playing the Game

Prior to leading a Puzzle Talk, it is important to play the game that the Puzzle Talk focuses on. The Game Demo link will take you directly to the designated game.

Choosing the Puzzles

Each game includes a selection of puzzles within the game. These choices allow the teacher to choose the specific content to work on with the students during the Puzzle Talk.

Animation Controls

Elevate your Puzzle Talk with the animation controls and annotation tool. Pause, rewind, and fast forward the game while highlighting mathematics with screen writing. We recommend that you practice using these tools as part of your preparation.

Game demos can be accessed through links on the module's curriculum page and in the lesson plan.

Create a Plan

The Session Agenda & Planning Tool provides a space for teachers to plan out an entire module of ST Math Camp with some helpful guidance.

Guiding Questions

In addition to the checklists of action items, the Session Agenda and Planning Tool also presents several questions for teachers to think about and answer prior to facilitate the session.

Checklists

Each section of the Session Agenda and Planning Tool focuses on one of the essential pieces of ST Math Camp. Within those sections, teachers are given a checklist of action items to concentrate on prior to facilitate the session.

Click here to access the Session Agenda and Planning Tool

Important Skills

Students build agency, confidence, perseverance, and intrinsic motivation as they progress through ST Math Camps by setting goals. Setting, monitoring, evaluating, and planning strategies to achieve goals are important skills for students. It supports their growth and development in many tangible ways.

Goal Tracking

The Goal Setting Guide provides information on how to help students track their progress in the goals that they set at the beginning of the module through the use of the Accomplishment Log.

Click the image to access the Goal Setting Guide

Select a key skill area (from the Goal Setting Guide) for each module and discuss with students what it means, what it looks like, some actions to develop it, and how to evaluate its use in achieving their goal.

Building Routines

Module Title

Puzzle Talk Slides

Closure Slides

All Camp slide decks download in Powerpoint format.

If you are not familiar with the ST Math games used in the modules, take some time to review the Game in a Minute videos. These super-short videos are meant to quickly introduce you to the puzzles you’ll be sharing with the class. Note: These are for teachers only.

Watch the Game

Wondering how to play a game? Click on our short one-minute videos on how to play each game. Review the game in a minute videos to quickly familiarize yourself with the puzzles you’ll be sharing with the class.

Note:

The Game in a Minute videos are for teacher-use only. The videos are not meant to be shown to the students.

Game in a Minute example

Student bookmarks, logs for student accomplishments, progress trackers, reflection questions, and game materials are some of the incredible resources housed in this section. Click on the links below to learn more about each area and to find your way to some useful printables.

The Process

The Problem Solving Process was developed based on the perception-action cycle, which is how our brain learns. The goal is to get students involved in the process of learning which requires noticing what is going on and then starting a cycle of predicting, testing, and analyzing.

Tools

There are several tools that teachers can use with students in the Problem Solving Process, including bookmarks and sentence stems for discussions. These tools are available in English and Spanish.

English

Spanish

Student Goals

The Accomplishment Log is designed to support students and teachers with monitoring, student accountability, and writing in math. When students are mindful of their data, they are able to see their progress, reflect on their learning, and work with their teacher to set and track appropriate goals.

Students set one puzzle and/or minute goal per module. On the ST Math Game Play days, they will record the number of puzzles achieved and/or the number of minutes spent playing. At the conclusion of the module, students record the total number of minutes spent on ST Math and total number of puzzles earned to see if they have met their goal.

Tracking Progress

English

Spanish

This tool is available in English and Spanish

Student Goals

The Thinking Path resource gives students the chance to show what they know about an objective at the beginning of the module, to record new ideas and discoveries throughout the module, and to reflect on their learning at the end of each module.

Throughout the Module

At the end of each session, students add new ideas learned from puzzles and activities, and changes to their thinking as part of the Campfire Chat.

End of the Module

At the end of each module, students self-evaluate their goal progress and reflect on their learning.

This tool is available in English and Spanish

English

Spanish

Beginning of the Module

During the Puzzle Talk, students fill out the first section of the Thinking Path, which includes a learning objective, the date, and prior knowledge.

Game Mats & Resources

There are two or more activities to choose from. These activities are designed to extend the learning beyond the puzzle. These activities illuminate the mathematics and allow students to further explore, practice, discuss, and connect the mathematics they are learning.

Check out these sample game resources.