Gizmo's Investigation Summaries

So, let me first start off by saying that I am lucky enough to have a subscription to Gizmo's (www.explorelearning.com) paid for by my school. (#notsponsored) I split a single subscription log in with 2 other teachers so that it stretches more. If you haven't ever tried it, I highly recommend creating a free 30 day account and seeing what its about. Its simply a way for students to experiemnt with specific math and science topics while making conjectures about patterns and things. Some people make incredibly similar things on Desmos and Geogebra with the same success, but the ease and depth of the content available really lends itself to the Math 1, 2, and 3 that I teach. I'm a big fan and think that if you have multiple teachers willing to share an account its hard not to justify the cost. The content is already built in with lots of great features like: vocabulary sheets, exploration sheets, keys, and quick assessments. All that can be edited to best suit your kids. 

With that being said, sometimes my students are mindlessly filling in the Gizmo exploration sheets without connecting the big ideas and coming up with take-aways that I really want from them. So I started making "Investigation Summary" sheets to partner with pre-made exploration sheets. My students complete a specific activity, then they summarize their findings within that activity. These investigation summary sheets essentially become my kids notes and/or the take-aways I really want them to hone in on. I have really seen major growth in what my kiddos take away from the Gizmo's and the connections seem deeper. 

Here are some examples of ones that I've used thus far and some links to the content on Gizmo that I partner it with. Be aware that a free account gives you much more ability to really peruse this and see the connections between the documents. I will continue to drop my Investigation Summary sidekicks in this folder. Feel free to use and explore, or just have them as lesson summaries for your students.