New Esti-Mysteries and Number Sense Resources Every Day for the Rest of the School Year
Hi, friends. I know this is really challenging and we are all exhausted. This post is my way of providing support and encouragement – as well as bringing math joy to your classroom…
I’m going to stick with you all year long.
To do that, I am going to post a new math resource every school day for the rest of the school year. Here is the plan:
Every Monday – Brand New Estimation Clipboard (all grade levels)
Every Tuesday – Brand New Esti-Mystery for Kindergarten, and New Esti-Mystery for Grades 1-2
Every Wednesday – Brand New Esti-Mystery for Grades 1-3
Every Thursday – Brand New Esti-Mystery for Grades 3-8
Every Friday – Brand New Mystery Number Sense Resource
I’ll post a new resource every school day each week (except for holidays) from now through May 1. You will be able to find all of the resources on this blog post.
In addition, I’ll post updates on my YouTube channel.
If you find this useful, let me know – and I’d love to hear where you are from – in the comments below.
Let’s begin…
Monday, November 2
Estimation Clipboard 41 (This is #41 because there are 40 prior clipboards)
Here is a short video for teachers of Estimation Clipboard 41 on YouTube with tips and directions.
Tuesday, November 3
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 01 – “Pile of Game Pieces”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 116 – “Mystery Pieces”
Wednesday, November 4
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 214 – “Sometimes There Are Clues on the Die”
Thursday, November 5 – Esti-Mystery (3-8)
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 317 – “Pieces of the Mystery”
Friday, November 6 – Mystery Number Sense Resource (All Grade Levels)
The Friday Mystery Resource this week is…
- Choose a level that is a good match for your class.
- Play the PowerPoint
- Follow the question prompts on the bottom of the screen.
- Listen to the number sense ideas in your classroom.
- Enjoy the reveal!
Monday, November 9
Estimation Clipboard #42 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, November 10
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 02 – “Spools of Thread”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 117 – “Follow the Thread”
Wednesday, November 11
Grades 1-3: “Esti-Mystery 215 – “Vase of Thread”
Thursday, November 12
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 318 – “A Thread Less Than a Multiple of 9”
Friday, November 13
How Many Cubes and How Do You Know (All Grade Levels)
Monday, November 16
Estimation Clipboard #43 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, November 17
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 03 – “Pile of Pompoms”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 118 – “Vase of Pompoms”
Wednesday, November 18
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 216 – “Six Colors of Pompoms”
***This is a Chart-Embedded Esti-Mystery!!!
Thursday, November 19
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 319 – “That’s Odd”
Friday, November 20
Splat Medley (All Grade Levels)
November 23-27, 2020
Note: I will be on Thanksgiving break this week, so I’m posting the entire week before the week begins. Enjoy!
Monday, November 23
Estimation Clipboard #44 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, November 24
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 04 – “It Looks Like Snow”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 119 – “Snowy Spheres”
Wednesday, November 25
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 217 – “That is a Lot!”
Thursday, November 26
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 320 – “Snowy Challenge”
Friday , November 27
Splat Medley #2 (All Grade Levels)
Monday, November 30
Estimation Clipboard #45 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, December 1
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 05 – “Less or More”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 120 – “Double Digits”
Wednesday, December 2
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 218 – “Counting On Buttons”
Thursday, December 3
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 321 – “Button Squares”
Friday, December 4
Splat Medley 3 – All Grade Levels
***Slides from my YouTube videos are included in this Splat Medley!
Note: This Splat Medley has links to my 2 Splat Videos on my YouTube channel – and it includes the splats I used to create those videos. Those slides are labeled in this Splat Medley so you can find them easily – especially if you’ve seen the video. The first video is one in which I solve a splat several different ways. In the picture below, it’s the Splat with the number 14.
The second video shows 8 different ways a fraction splat might be solved. In the picture below it’s the fraction Splat with the number 7.
The 2 slides I used are slide 12 and slide 33.
Monday, December 7
Estimation Clipboard #46 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, December 8
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 06 – “Pile of Erasers”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 121 – “Twenty More or Less”
Wednesday, December 9
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 219 – “Skipping Numbers”
Thursday, December 10
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 322 – “23 is One Less Than a Multiple of 4”
Friday, December 11 – Mystery Number Sense Resource (All Grade Levels)
The Friday Mystery Resource this week is…
All Grade Levels: Melting Cubes – Part 2
- Choose a level that is a good match for your class.
- Play the PowerPoint
- Follow the question prompts on the bottom of the screen.
- Listen to the number sense ideas in your classroom.
- Enjoy the reveal!
To find the original Melting Cubes, scroll up to November 6.
Monday, December 14
Estimation Clipboard #47 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, December 15
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 07 – “Yellow Rocks”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 122 – “Mustard Rocks”
Wednesday, December 16
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 220 – “Orange and Yellow”
Thursday, December 17
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 323 – “Three Colors”
***This is a rare find! This is an Esti-Mystery with a bonus triple reveal!
Friday, December 18
Mystery Number Sense Resource
All Grade Levels: 10 Subitizing Sets and 1 Challenge Pattern
BONUS: Watch the YouTube video about this resource right here on my YouTube Channel.
2021
Monday, January 4
Estimation Clipboard #48 (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, January 5
Kindergarten: Kindergarten Esti-Mystery 08 – “Pencil Grips”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 123 – “A Gripping Esti-Mystery”
Wednesday, January 6
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 221 – “Gripping Patterns”
Thursday, January 7
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 324 – “3-Clue Mystery”
I’m going to post Thursday, January 7 an extra time because it seems to be taking a while to go through the caching process to show up on everyone’s computer. I hope it you can see it either above or below this comment…
Thursday, January 7
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 324 Three Clue Mystery
Friday, January 8 – Mystery Number Sense Resource (All Grade Levels)
The Friday Mystery Resource this week is…
All Grade Levels: Melting Cubes – Part 3
- Choose a level that is a good match for your class.
- Play the PowerPoint
- Follow the question prompts on the bottom of the screen.
- Listen to the number sense ideas in your classroom.
- Enjoy the reveal!
Monday, January 11 and beyond
To find January 11 and beyond, click here to find the continuing list of materials on the next blog post.
I created a new blog post for January 11 and beyond. The reason is that this post was becoming lengthy – requiring quite a bit of scrolling to reach the new resource each day.
To find January 11 and beyond, click here to find the continuing list of materials on the next blog post.
When will the resources be posted?
I’ll post them the evening before the date listed so they will be ready. I’ll post them sometime after I return home from school.
Is this content new?
Everything will be completely new. I have a journey of creation in front of me, and I look forward to sharing it with you!
Other Posts You May Enjoy
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I don’t know how to thank you enough. My school has been online since last March and there are days when I just cannot fathom coming up with another engaging math warm-up for the kids. On those days, I thank everything that your site exists and you are so dedicated to supporting those of us in classrooms. I teach 2nd grade at an international school in Indonesia and my students absolutely love everything that you have created. Also, thanks for putting them in slide shows. Just eliminating that one task of changing it from pdf to slides is huge.
Hi, Ranjit. Thank you for the comment here on the blog. I’m so glad that having these ready to use is helpful. I’m excited that I get to support your and your students in Indonesia. Wishing you a wonderful day!
Thanks Steve for these amazing resources. I am an EA and I work with some kids on remote in the evening and thanks to these colorful activities they enjoy working with me and are doing well in math. I am actually starting to use your slides as a treat after reading. It’s unbelievable. Thank you for your amazing work
You are certainly welcome! I appreciate the comment!
Thank you Steve for these regularly updated esti-mysteries! I teach Kindergarten (or Grade Primary as we refer to it here in Nova Scotia!) and these have been a welcome and highly anticipated addition to my math program. Currently working on a license upgrade in Elementary Math and your name and work comes up frequently in our lectures and during our group collaboration sessions. Thanks for all you do!
Dear Mr. Wyborney,
My fifth graders LOVE your Esti-Mysteries!!!! However, sometimes they are very frustrated when their estimate does not match the actual answer. They have some doubts as to the accuracy of your counting…lol. Would you be willing to occasionally show either a video of you counting the objects or perhaps take a picture of all the objects arranged in an easy to count array?
I have truly enjoyed sharing this experience with my students and I thank you for creating and sharing these! You have been a great role model to show that teachers can SHARE freely.
Thank you so much for these incredible resources! I started school with one of these activities and the kids loved it. So glad I came across your Esti-Myseteries 🙂
Thank you, thank you for these amazing resources! My 4th graders get super excited when we do these!
Hi Steve. I have been following you since you first introduced your splat resource and use your great content regularly to work on mental math skills and promote rich math talk in my class. Although I get your content regularly through email, I know I have missed items and with all the new content you introduce daily, my drive is getting chaotic and disorganized. Is there a place where I can simply download all of the esti-mysteries or all of the melting cubes to date in one download? I’m pretty sure I saw that in one of your emails when I was looking on my phone but now that I am on the computer to do it I can’t find it? Any advice?
Hi, April. I don’t have a single download link for all the materials. I’m guessing your drive looks a little like my desktop where I’m working on all sorts of materials at the same time. I wonder if you might create a folder in your google drive that has my name on it, then inside of that folder have sub-folders for Splat, Esti-Mysteries, Estimation Clipboards, etc. That’s just one thought on how to do it.
You’re too cute! Yes, I did that today actually. They are all sorted and organized. I was just worried I missed some. Thanks for all your great content.
HI Steve! My students absolutely love esti-mysteries! We all look forward to them every week. They have been begging me to ask you for proof that there are that many objects in the container. Would there be a way to start including a final picture of all the objects so we can count them? Thank you!
Hi, Sara. I think that’s a great idea, but it would need to be for some going forward. I often take several pictures all in one day and then put the items back on the shelf so I can’t go back to those. However, I do have some thoughts on this. Maybe 1 or 2 videos at some point in the future would be nice for the to see. That would probably show some of the process. It’s fairly common for students to estimate about 1/3 lower than the actual total so usually when students are surprised it’s because their are far more in the jar than their estimate. They are surprised that it is so high. Really, I think the best piece of advice I can give is for them to create their own Esti-Mysteries and share them with each other. They will probably learn a lot about quantity through that process. I really appreciate the comment, and now you have my wheels turning. 🙂
Hi Steve
Thank you so much for working so hard. My grade threes look forward to your activities each week.
I remember reading how to use your power points in google slides but can’t seem to locate the instructions.
Could you please send those instructions as we have now are using Google classroom as a virtual platform.
Thanks for all you do
Daniela
Hi, Daniela. To use the resources in google slides, simply download the PPT from my blog, save it into your google drive, then open it with slides… and click present.
I can’t wait to play these for my students. I’m addicted. The reveal is SO much fun to see how close your estimate was! I especially like the ones with the clues, that you can get the actual answers. Thank you for creating these and for making them free! AMAZING!!!
Hi, Marsha! I’m so glad to hear this!
Thank you! These are my second graders favorite math warm ups! I was running out and assigned them the task of creating their own next week…should be fun and interesting what they come up with!
Hilliard OH
Tracey, I’m glad to hear that your students are creating their own. It’s such a powerful learning experience!
Hi Steve,
My grade 4/5 students asked me to write to you and tell you how much they love your esti-mysteries. They are your biggest fans and we all appreciate your creativity and ingenuity. When I say we are doing math with Steve they start to cheer. Thank you for bringing so much joy to our room.
I love that I get to experience along side them (I never look at the answers so get to play too 🙂
Best wishes from your fans in Vancouver, Canada
Hi, Alyssa. I’m sorry I’m so slow in getting caught up on blog comments. Please let your students know that I am so happy that they are enjoying the Esti-Mysteries. I’m also very excited to know that 4th and 5th grade students from Vancouver are working on them. Please say hello for me and let them know that I will be sending many more!
Steve,
I cannot thank you enough for the time, energy, resources and expertise that you put into these amazing slideshow presentations! I am teaching Gr 1 for the first time, and have been doing so virtually since September. After hearing about your blog on Christmas break from a peer, I decided to check it out.
You are now my go-to resource for daily Math Talks. I am SO grateful for your willingness to share. I am shocked by the Mathematical thinking, reasoning and justifications coming from my 6 and 7 year olds.
Thanks again!!!
Hi, Shannon! I’m so happy to hear about the rich thinking in your classroom!
Steve,
I am a math interventionist this year (fully virtual, thankfully) and my students are LOVING your activities. The rich conversations and creative thinking that happen thanks to the way your “reveals” are perfectly timed really keep these young mathematicians engaged and feeling confident. I absolutely love witnessing their light-bulb moments. I can’t thank you enough for being willing to share all of these amazing resources with us.
Hearing about the rich learning in your classroom makes my heart happy, Jessa!
Thank you Steve for these amazing resources. I am loving the new “melting cubes” and have used it very successfully in online school. I saved all the great reasoning that was shared in the chat bar if you are interested in seeing it in action!
I always love hearing that rich reasoning!
Hi Steve,
Love your math power points! Students get excited for them as well. For some reason, I can’t get the Splat or Subitizing ones to play properly. For Splat, they show up in black and white when I play them. Do you know why the blue and gray colors aren’t coming through? For the subitizing, the circles are not filled in with black (they are just outlined in black). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Irene
Hi, Irene. I haven’t hear of this before. Are you playing it in PowerPoint?
That you for all of the wonderful resources. I love to share them with teachers and when I do work with students these are always some of my go to activities!
I really appreciate this, Jennifer!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make and share these daily! I have used Splat and Esti-Mysteries in previous years and added in Estimation Clipboard this year. My second graders absolutely LOVE them and ask for Estimation Clipboard! I love how they are accessible to all abilities, and the rich math talk involved in these activities is priceless!
Thank you for this comment, Lisa!
Hi Steve,
Thank you so much for the incredible resources you are providing! My kids and I LOVE the esti-mysteries and several other grades at my school have been really enjoying the Splats! This was a much needed breath of fresh air.
Thank you!
Rose
Hi, Rose. I am so glad they are a breath of fresh air! I will keep them coming!
For some reason January 4 is not showing up on the list.
Hi, Laurie. It’s likely that when the cache refreshes you will see it. Sometimes it takes a little while to appear. I hope you can see it now.
Hi,
I am an avid consumer of your content. It is So. Good. Thank you greatly. For some reason I got the email for Friday the 8th but do not see it?
Thanks, Sage
Hi, Sage. I’m catching up on comments. I think what is happening is that it is taking a few hours to go through some type of caching/refreshing process. I always make sure the new link is showing here before sending an email, but I think different computers or systems refresh at different times so it takes a little while. To help with that, I’m posting new materials a little earlier in the evening so they should show up at first glance. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Steve,
Happy New year! I hope this one brings us all health, peace, happiness and prosperity!
Thank you so much for you wonderful resources. I actually signed up for your class to teach us how to make them and then didn’t watch it. (Got distracted with the millions of other things I was asked to do. No time to do things for myself at that point.) I need to go back and do that.
I am a NYC teacher. I teach 4th grade remotely with a partner. My partner teaches math, but I get to facilitate the esti mysteries! I had been using them the year before and those students loved them. This year, the esti mysteries are something they look forward to and often ask for them. I love that!
Thank you for sharing ll of these. You are amazing!
Stay safe.
Hi, Penelope. I really appreciate this comment, and I’m excited to share many more. I’m glad your students love the Esti-Mysteries!
Wow! Love all your resources! I can’t believe I am just now finding them! I came across your Splat activity first and had no idea there were so many awesome resources in the same place! I can’t wait to use the esti-mysteries next week! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing creations!
Hi, Jennifer. Thank you for the kinds words. It’s my pleasure to share these resources, and I hope you find many more you like. I’m posting something brand new every day for the rest of the school year as my way of spreading math joy and providing support to everyone during this challenging year. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your fantastic work. My students love it and truly benefit from the visuals that you have so meticulously prepared. May your reward be great. I am currently using your Multiplication Course as well and am so grateful for the structure you provide for their progression through this essential topic.
Thank you, Jane! I’m glad you are using the Multiplication Course!
Steve, I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful resource. I just started using the esti-mysteries when my class went virtual for a couple of weeks. I work in a residential treatment facility teaching math to middle and high school special education students who are mostly working at a 1st to 3rd grade level. They had no idea what I meant when I told them we were going to estimate. They loved doing these and getting competitive with who was closest. They actually got excited when I told them we were going to do one of these when we went back in person. I like that you have all different levels and I can pick and choose what works best with each of my classes. Thanks again!
Hi, Donna. I love hearing about this enthusiasm for estimation! Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic selection of resources! Thankyou Steve. 🙂
You are welcome, Sonia!
A HUGE THANK YOU. I am a virtual teacher and your activities are a highlight every day for my class. They love them. One favor if possible. Is there a way to put the most current activity at the top instead of scrolling through to the bottom each day? Maybe I am missing how to access things easier.
Hi, Rebecca. You are welcome! That is a great question. I’ve been wrestling with that same question, and I’ve been working through a few different scenarios including putting the newest one at the top. Another possibility will be to put new materials on 3 or 4 different posts (imagine a January post, a February post, etc.) to create several different top layers so you would never have to scroll down to far. I’m trying to think that through carefully as I know some are looking for the newest one each day, while others are starting the journey from the beginning and need to see where the first one is easily. More to come on this, but know that I’m on the same page as you in working to make it easier. I’ve never posted this much material for so many days in a row, so it’s a brand new problem – a good one – that I’ll work to solve.
I a replying to this post because I can´t see where to make a new comment.
I am able to access the Esti-Mysteries (I´m grade 3) on my home computer, but, at school, on my Chromebook, I click on it and get a blank page. It just won´t load. Do you know what might be the problem, or should I contact out IT people? Thanks so much for what you do Steve,
Hi, Jill. I’ve heard of chromebooks not being able to download materials. If this is the case with your chromebook, I think the best solution may be to download the files on your home computer, save them to your google drive, then open up google drive from your chromebook and access the files from there.
You are an amazing gift! My students are big fans of all of your work- they are communicating mathematically on a regular basis and finding joy in mathematics along with me! I don’t know how you do it, really. Many, many sincere thanks to you!
By the way, I’m spreading the love in my school. A more traditional math teacher has become a huge fan of your work as well!!
I appreciate these kind words, Jill. You are certainly welcome. It’s so wonderful to hear about the enthusiasm in your class and your school!
I think I am that more traditional math teacher and I am obsessed (my students are too). The esti-mysteries are my favorite but SPLAT is a VERY close second. What am I saying?! They are all amazing and address so many needs in my classroom. Thank you for all that you do. I will continue to use these once we are in the classroom but they are such unique and incredible tools for the virtual classroom.
I appreciate this comment, Sophie. Certainly, you are welcome! I love both Esti-Mysteries and Splat!
Thank you for your creativity and wonderfully fun math activities!
Hi, Marilyn. It is truly my pleasure!
My students are crazy for these Esti-Mysteries & Melting Cubes. In their eyes, you are right up there with the inventors of Spirolaterals, Prime Factors Trees & Sierpinski Triangles…They love math. Thank you for these great additions!
You are so very welcome, Tamara! I’m honored by your kind words.
This is such a fun way to get the students to practice math skills without actually knowing they are practicing math skills. Of course, I remind them after the activity. You are such a blessing to our 4th-grade math class. Thank you, sir!
You are certainly welcome, Eric. I’m glad this is adding to the students enjoyment!
Hi Steve,
Receiving your emails in my inbox always brings a smile to my face. I am an instructional coach in Davis, CA and share your creative work with teachers in our district. You have a lot of fans – both teacher and students. I just wanted you to know I appreciate your generous sharing and wanted to let you know that your efforts are being put to good use. I will be teaching a math methods class in January for interns working with Special Ed kids and think these can be a great resource for them too. Thank you so much. You are a math hero in my books!
Hi Linda,
I really appreciate this message. I appreciate your kind words, and I hope you enjoy teaching the math methods course in January!
I took a methods math class 2 years ago, and it’s like a switch was flipped. Suddenly, after 34 years of teaching, math became interesting and fun! My principal noticed this new energy and how my teaching changed from stand and deliver to teacher as the facilitator. My students were talking about math, sharing strategies, and not being afraid to be wrong – that it could be a teaching moment. I was given 1 year (this year) to coach the other teachers and work with children to try and bring up our math scores. I started sharing these Esti-mysteries with the classes and the kids LOVE them! It’s not as much about getting the right answer as it is about the math talk that happens. Thank you so much for sharing them. There is a new energy in our building around math and I love it!
The new energy in your building is so exciting to hear about, Patti! I’m glad I get to be a small part of that!
I use these resources every week. I’ve used your work for many years! Today’s lesson said it was for 1-3 graders but that 4-8th graders might like it to. I have a 4th and 5th grader I’m tutoring (together). I was thinking of using the erasers mystery in a new way. I thought maybe I’d show the slide that has All the clues revealed and get them to figure out what numbers it Could be. I tried it and narrowed it down to 5 possible numbers.
Julie, this sounds like a great idea. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Thank you so much for sharing all your hard work. SPLAT and estimysteries have been such a great tool to spark math conversations with my first and second graders. They are both so engaging and my students get so excited every time we do them.
I love hearing about great math conversations, Crystal. I look forward to posting more material soon!
I just wanted to thank you for providing these for all of us. It’s such a great way to get even the most quietest to participate in our zoom sessions. I’ve seen such improvement in student confidence. Thank you so much.
I’m so happy to hear this, Rebecca. You are certainly welcome! I’ll keep the materials coming.
Thank you thank you thank you for all your impactful math resources! This is my second year of using your resources in the classroom, I have shared with my building and my district. My class absolutely LOVES your esti-mysteries and looks forward to them every day. Thank you for supporting us daily as we navigate the world of remote learning. It is so very hard to keep 5th graders engaged online, and your resources truly help with that piece of the puzzle. I have been astounded by their growth in number sense, volume, and fractions since we started using your resources. Keep up the great work, you are AMAZING! P.S. Earlier in the year we did your Multiplication course and it was awesome! Even I learned some new things! 🙂
It is my pleasure, Holly! I’m so happy to hear about how this is impacting your class. I’m glad you used the Multiplication Course as well!
Thank you for the amazing resources. I am an instructional coach and have shared your site with all of the teachers in our district. The things you provide are helping so many kids to think conceptually. Time is precious and you are giving teachers the gift of that with your resources. I took your Esti-Mystery course and still struggle to find the time to create them. THANK YOU for supporting us during this crazy year!! I just love seeing kids cheer when they see the BIG REVEAL!
I’m grateful for this note, Denise, and you are certainly welcome. I think that when you start creating them you’ll find that each one gets a little easier as you go. I do understand about the challenge of finding time this year. I’m sometimes getting pretty deep into my evening hours to try to post one each day. I was working on some pictures a couple days ago and just became stuck. I couldn’t find an angle without too much of a glare. Finally, I switched containers, there was less glare, and then it all came together. Thank you for your support – both in purchasing the course and also in sharing the math joy with other educators. I really appreciate that you mentioned that this is saving others time. I’ll definitely keep the resources coming. By the way, since you’ve been through the course and see how they work from the creator perspective, you may find a way to repurpose some clues on existing esti-mysteries. Sometimes a slight change in the wording can make an esti-mystery work for an entirely different grade level band. For example, instead of using “The answer is in this pattern: 3, 6, 9…” You could simply switch to “The answer is a multiple of 3.”
Thank you for your insights. As I work with teachers who are using them, I will check into their thoughts on the wording for the clues. Thank you for the suggestion!
My pleasure!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for these resources. They are amazing! The students love them and I enjoy watching their math confidence, language and thinking evolve!
Deirdre, you are certainly welcome! I’m so happy to hear about the growth in confidence, language and thinking – as well as how much they are enjoyed!
Hi Steve! Thank you SO much for these wonderful resources. I use them with my class each week. We especially love the Esti-Mysteries. Students are even making their own for the class to solve!! Thank you for supporting teachers with your creative and meaningful ideas.
Hi, Roseanne! I really appreciate this note. I’m so glad your class is making their own Esti-Mysteries. I’m so happy I can play a small role in your class!
Hi Steve! Just wanted to thank you for all of the amazing resources. My kids love it and I’ve even had several comments from parents (in the room during remote learning) about how engaged the students are. I am a GT teacher working with K-5 and it has really been a life-saver during remote learning.
Hi, Peg. I’m so grateful for this comment. Encouragement like this fuels me and helps me to keep going. It’s great to hear about the parents’ perspective, too!
I am not new to your website and I love these products – thanks for all you do and the motivation to change up how I teach. I changed positions this year, so I don’t have access to all the blogs and sites I signed up for. I’m wondering if there is a way to get a notification from your site for new posts (I thought that I signed up for those with my other district email).
Thanks,
Laveena
Hi, Laveena. I appreciate this question. Click on the link at the end of this comment to open the latest post. Then – on the left side near the top, but you may need to scroll down a little bit – look for a grey subscribe here box with a green button. Thanks! https://stevewyborney.com/2020/11/new-esti-mysteries-and-number-sense-resources-every-day-for-the-rest-of-the-school-year/
Thank you so much for taking the time to make my job so much easier! My students and I love our daily number talks!
Hi, Sandra. It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad to hear how much your students love the daily number talks.
Hi Steve. I wanted to give my teachers a link to your site so they can receive your daily emails with Esti-Mysteries and Sense Making materials, but I can’t find where to sign up to receive your emails, and I can’t remember how I initially signed up. Can you help?
Hi, Lori. Thank you for sharing. If you click on the link here then look on the left side (scroll down a little from the top) you’ll see a grey subscribe box with a green button. Thanks! https://stevewyborney.com/2020/11/new-esti-mysteries-and-number-sense-resources-every-day-for-the-rest-of-the-school-year/
My class enjoys this activity as part of our daily Morning Meeting. You would not believe how they cheer when they get the correct answer. It’s like they have won the lottery – and I feel that way too. It’s so awesome to see them so excited about math. Thank you for your generosity. It is one of the bright spots of my day. My 5th grade class and I really enjoy taking part each day from Canada.
I love hearing about this math joy, Sandra! Thank you for sharing this with me!
My 2/3 split does the same thing! I often wonder what the teacher next door thinks we are up to!!
It sounds like some wonderful math joy is filling your room!
For some reason when I try to open an activity the screen is just blank. I don’t have an option to open any of the activities any other way except in a new tab. I had my tech people check it to see if there was something blocking it but they couldn’t figure it out! I was hoping you may be able to shed some light. I have been wanting to use these resources for such a long time! Thank you so much. You are wonderful!
Hi, Cara. Thank you for this question. Are you using PowerPoint, Google Slides, or something else?
I am having the same problem. I am working on a Chromebook and using Google Slides. I have used your Splat for Google Slides and they work just fine. I’d love to find a way to use the esti mysteries.
Thanks!
Hi, Carolyn. Can you download the Esti-Mysteries on another computer, upload them from that computer to google drive, and then use your chromebook to open google drive and the Esti-Mystery?
Hi Steve,
The exact same thing is happening to me! I have used your slides in the past with success, but now when I click on them, my screen just goes blank.
I like to download them as a Google Slideshow.
Thanks for the help, I would really like to get his working!
It doesn’t give me the option to open it with any program. When i click on the link it just opens it up into another tab. I know it needs to be opened with a slide software but it’s not giving me the option.
Hi, Cara. I’m trying to track down this comment history to see the conversation. If you have the file in your google drive, see if you can right click it and then choose open with… google slides.
Thank you so much for the embedded chart! As others have said it was a challenge to share the mystery and the 100 chart. I use these as part of my morning meetings for an activity on “Mystery Mondays”
Thank you for all you do to make math fun and engaging for the kiddos and take work off teachers’ plates!
I’m so glad it is helpful, Lori. I really appreciate this comment!
Thank you so much for these resources! They are fantastic! It really helps to have these for distance learning. You must work all the time. I hope that you take some time for yourself so that you don’t get burned out. God Bless You!
Thanks, Lori! I really appreciate it. Yes, it is a lot of time and a lot of work, but I do enjoy it. I will certainly take time to rest. Distance learning is such a challenge for all of us – and I’m happy to do what I can to help others. It’s so wonderful to hear how these resources are helpful. Wishing you a wonderful day!
Thank you so much for all of these amazing resources. My Grade 1 class LOVES them and asks to do them eveyday. Appreciate all your hard work!!!!!
I really appreciate this comment, Michelle. Wishing you a wonderful week!
Thank you so much for these amazing resources! My Grade 3 class loves them, it really stretches their thinking in a fun way 🙂
Jennifer, I’m so glad your Grade 3 class loves them so much. It’s great to hear that it stretches their thinking, too. I look forward to posting many more resources. Have a wonderful week!
Brilliant! My Y6’s (age 10-11) complete one of these tasks on a Thursday mornimg. They’re really developing strategies for identifying the answer.
Thanks for sharing.
Margaret, this is great to hear! Have a wonderful week!
These are amazing to use in an in-person classroom, and a Godsend for virtual instruction! My students would do these every day if they could (I only have 30 minutes with my Intervention students each day). The work you are doing here is a gift to educators everywhere. Thank you from NJ!
I really appreciate this, Lisa. It is my hope that this will be a tremendous help to educators everywhere and that it will be particularly helpful during this challenging time when many of us are in distance learning.
Hi Steve, I am anxious to use Esti-mysteries and your number sense routines in my class but I do not have ppt. I have OpenOffice but cannot get the presentation to play properly. How do I open it in Google slides or do you know of a way that I can use it with OpenOffice? Thank you!
Hi, Teresa. If you can download the file and then save it to your google drive you can play it there using google slides. Once it is in your google drive, right click the file and then choose “open with” and then slides and then click present. I hope that helps.
Without reading through all of your comments (there are a lot) I’m unsure if this has come up before. I am planning on having my 5th graders create their own “esti-mysteries” on PPT. Have other teachers done this? I’ve looked at the course you provide for teachers and I’m simplifying and modifying for my students. Or do you already have something like this for students?
I’m looking forward to trying this out as it seems like it could be very engaging during remote learning. We have been using your esti-mysteries for a while so they are excited to make their own!
Hi, Kelli. I’m so glad you are going to do this with your students. I haven’t made a student version of the course, just the one that shows educators how to create Esti-Mysteries. However, the principles are the same. I think this will be a great experience for your students!
I have done this with my fourth grade students for a coupe of years. They love it. It is a lot more difficult than they think it will be. They have a tough time giving clues that lead to only one reasonable number or writing clues that truly make sense. You need adults to help them figure out if their clues work so the other kids don’t figure out their answer ahead of time. It is an awesome learning experience for all involved.
T. Morris
Many thanks for your awesome resources! This year I am using a different one each day to help with student engagement. Math is so different this year and I am thankful that you have provided so many different ways of engaging students. Enjoy a well-deserved rest this week with your family.
You are certainly welcome, Sue. I am very much looking forward to a restful break. Many more materials to come!
Steve, I have to say my students have always loved your Esti-Mysteries, and they especially choose it most often for our Fun Day Friday Math. I use this with my small groups of students that meet with me and they just love working through all the clues and love the countdown to the reveal.
Thanks again for this great resource that I’ve been using for years!
Hi, James. I really love the excitement leading up to the reveal. I’m so glad your class likes the resources, and you are certainly welcome. I look forward to posting many more soon!
You are my very favourite right now. My kids love these and after two weeks of practice I’m sharing them in present mode for kids to work on on their own. THANK YOU!!!
That’s great to hear, Carissa. Students who create their own have such a powerful learning experience. I really appreciate the comment!
My students LOVE these esti-mysteries. One of my 6th graders said, “I’m not good at math but I’m great at these!” to which I responded, this is math! His response: WHHHHHAT??? It was such a great moment- thank you for that!
Thank you for sharing this with me, Leslie!
Thank you SO much for all the work you do to provide these wonderful resources. My grade 3 class on Vancouver Island LOVE the Esti-Mysteries. We do one every week!
Thank you for letting me know this, Sarah. I’ll be taking some time to rest this week of Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) but have posted materials for the entire week for everyone who is still in school this week.
Thank you for the extra resources! Engagement can be tough in a virtual environment, but your resources always draw students in. We appreciate you for making them available!
Hi, Janet! It’s my pleasure to share. I’m also trying to find my way through the challenges of engagement in a virtual environment so I’m very happy to share what I’m learning.
Thank you for these engaging activites. I can’t wait to try some with my first graders. I am from the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Hi, Marilyn. Greetings from Oregon. You re certainly welcome, and I hope your first grade students love them!
This is so great!!!
Can’t thank you enough!
The kids love math time!
This is great to hear, Kim! You are welcome. Enjoy!
Thank you for your creation Steve. The Esti-mysteries are so popular with my students. Even my reluctant learners enjoy participating in these and distance learners are more engaged. These are a wonderful way to get students estimating, using number sense, and practicing skills presented in the clues, and all in a fun way! Thank you for including the built in chart. When I present these while using zoom, I find it difficult to switch back and forth to a chart, so when you have it built in, it is so helpful. You know exactly what teachers need! I use them in the middle of my long double block math classes because it allows for a nice break in the routine. Much appreciated!
Karri
Karri, I am so grateful for this feedback. I had wondered about placing the charts on the Esti-Mysteries and hearing this feedback helps me know that that was a good decision. I’m glad the materials are so helpful during your double block.
Hi Steve,
We do an esti-mystery most Wednesdays in our Grade 2/3 class. Today we tried it with the embedded chart (third option) and it really helped their thinking.
Thanks for your awesome resources!
Hi, Steph. This is really helpful to hear! There will be charts on the upcoming Esti-Mysteries as an option if anyone wants to use them.
I did not think you could make these better, but you did. I had removed the animated charts from a couple of the previous Esti-Mysteries so my students could determine the eliminations, and write them on the board. But, I didn’t think to add a chart to the slide and then use an annotate tool.
Great addition. Thank you SO much for these lessons. I am an intervention teacher for grades 1-6; this resource is a fabulous addition to my classes!!
🙂
Lorri, I appreciate your kind words, and I’m so glad this is helpful.
Hi Steve, Your recent email (Nov.16, 2020) asked for opinions regarding charts that are listed in Kindergarten problems.
Last spring we did esti-mysteries as one of our days for elearning on group meetings. I had one screen with the esti-mystery playing. Then another browser window so I could show an interactive 100s chart – so we could narrow down our choices. Then I’d split the screen size so students could see everything.
It would be helpful if everything was on one page. Thanks so much for making esti-mysteries and splat available to me.
Question: Do you know the directions to play https://mathigon.org/multiply Multiplication by Heart. Do my kids need to log in? When do they advance to the next level? What does “skip one day” mean? I appreciate any help.
Thanks JennyB
Hi, Jenny. Thank you for this feedback. It is very helpful, and I will include charts as an option on Esti-Mysteries now. I’m not familiar with mathigon or I would provide insight on it. I hope you have a great week!
Hi Steve,
I teach in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia and I just wanted to thank you for your amazing resources. I do an Esti-Mystery with my middle schoolers every Friday and we all look forward to it weekly. It has bought a lot of fun and joy to our Math learning. Thank you!
Hi, Diandra! Thank you for sharing this with me – I really appreciate it! I hope you have a wonderful Esti-Mystery Friday this week. I love hearing about joy in learning!
Thank you so much for creating and sharing these Esti-Mysteries. I would love to have more 2nd grade Esti-Mysteries with the chart to show how to fill it in. My students really love Esti-Mysteries but for now at least, they are still struggling with some of the concepts and find it challenging to fill out their own chart with the information from the clues. I would love for them to be able to see what their chart should look like after each clue.
Additionally, I purchased the Esti-Mystery Creator course and found it so interesting and helpful for learning how to create Esti-Mysteries. I do not recall instructions/templates there for creating Esti-Mysteries with the charts embedded and I am wondering if these are available as well.
Thank you again for all of the amazing resources that you have created and shared so thoughtfully. We look forward to your year of math resources.
Hi, Tammy! Thank you for so much for sharing this comment. Also, thank you for purchasing the course! The embedded charts weren’t part of the course, and I actually haven’t created very many Esti-Mysteries that have them. I’m seeing that they could be very beneficial for distance learning so I’m strongly considering adding them in. For embedding charts, I actually don’t have a template right now, so it wasn’t ever part of the original course. If I do decide to start embedding them in the new Esti-Mysteries, I think that creating that template (or a small handful of templates) will be one of my first steps so I can sustain the process. That might be a good a template for me to go back and add in to the course after I become more and more proficient with how to do it efficiently. I really appreciate this comment!
I would love an embedded chart in the first grade estimysteries! We love using your resources!! Thank you so much!
Thank you, Lori. This is very helpful to know. I’ll see what I can do on this. I’m processing this idea pretty quickly and hope to have something helpful soon.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful work that you do and for sharing it all with us! I would love to see the charts at all grade levels. I am a middle school math interventionist and I have kids of varied abilities. The charts would definitely help especially for my virtual and hybrid kids.
Meridee, I’m so very glad you shared this with me. I’m hearing that it could be beneficial at all of the grade levels so I’m processing through how to make that happen. More to come soon on this one. Thank you so much for taking time to send a comment. I know we are also so very busy, and I’m grateful for your time.
Thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication! I love getting your emails with new tasks. I have been using your resources for a few years in all kinds of math settings- with children and adults!
You mentioned the charts in the kindergarten Esti Mystery and inquired if that would be helpful at other levels- YES! I have been using Esti Mysteries with my remote students, but it is challenging because they are having a hard time keeping up with supplies at home. Having the charts embedded would be wonderful!
Thanks again!
Becki, this is really helpful. I know keeping up with supplies at home can be a challenge. Stay tuned as I work on seeing what I can do. My thought is that this could be very beneficial. I’m going to see what I can do tonight for tomorrow’s Esti-Mystery.
I would LOVE to have the chart embedded for 2nd grade! Last year, I printed your charts and hung them up from by my projector board and modeled how to use it to solve the mysteries with the clues. I also printed student copies for them to use along with me. With students in rows in the classroom and some students joining from home, it would be wonderful to have the chart right in the slides for 2nd grade-so the children can see it a bit more easily… plus use it to show their work via Seesaw. Thank you! I love ALL of your resources and have used them for the past few years. I love how excited the children get to solve them… how much they learn from each other when they share out their thinking… and how every child can be successful. Thank you for making these daily resources for us this year, too. Amazing!
Hi, Mary! I’m grateful for this feedback. It’s great to hear how you’ve been using it and also how the embedded charts may be helpful. I appreciate your kinds words!
Hello, I tell my 3rd grade students you are one of my math heroes! In regards to whether to embed the hundreds chart in the esti-mysteries, I’ve actually put one in Seesaw and as we go through the clues the students can annotate on the chart themselves. This generates some great discussions about patterns. It takes a bit longer in the beginning but they’ve become real pros at this point in the year. Thank you for all your hard work! It is much appreciated!
Jessica, I appreciate this feedback! Seesaw is a great tool and I’m glad to hear how you are using this. Whenever students can annotate and discuss the math can move to a powerful and joyful place. I love your strategy!
This is amazing! Thank you! Are these accessible using google slides or do you have to use Power Point? Thank you again!
Hi, Carmen! Yes, you can use google slides. Just download the PPT, save it in your google drive, then open with google slides. All of the animations I’m using are chosen because the work in both formats. Enjoy!
Wow! Thank you for being so generous! I love sharing the joy of math with my third graders in the redwoods of northern California. Many of them (and their families) think math is hard, not fun, and is only about calculating. I am determined to change their minds. Thanks so much for sharing your work.
Times are hard. Let’s find joy where we can, and let’s making thinking joyfu;.
Harriet
I’m so happy to share, Harriet! Keep up the great work in sharing the joy!
My students love your activities! Thank you so much for your tireless efforts in helping us to foster our little mathematicians! You are simply amazing!
Hi, Debbie! I really appreciate this comment and your kind words. I will keep the materials coming.
Thank you so much for all of the time, effort, and brainpower that you put forth to create a multitude of resources for students and teachers. We are all better off because of the passion that you have and share. I wanted to share that I have used and shared your work with many. It made my heart happy when one day, I started seeing your work being used in my daughter’s first-grade classroom. I knew my daughter’s first-grade teacher was doing great things with her, but now I am even more convinced!
Hi, Wade! This is a really fun connection to hear about. I appreciate your sharing the work, and it’s really fun to hear how it is being used in your daughter’s classroom. Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Steve. I am a teacher in Perth Western Australia, and my guys love, love, love these. Thankyou for all your hard work. I love the way you have them thinking deeply about Math.
Jennifer, I really appreciate this comment – and I’m so happy to know that students in Perth Western Australia are enjoying the materials. I’ll post many, many more! I really appreciate this comment and I hope to someday have the pleasure of visiting Australia!
Steve, these resources are so amazing! Thank you for sharing them freely with us. The kids love them and find them so engaging! I teach grade one and two on the Sunshine Coast in BC.
Melissa, thank you so very much. I’m glad that students on the Sunshine Cost in BC are enjoying them! I’m excited to share many more in the coming days, weeks, and months!
Steve,
Your resources are superb for developing number sense and conceptual understanding. I have been using them for years and am just exploring your new multiplication course. I am floored to see you are putting up a new resource daily to support everyone. It is so appreciated and a great testament to the collaborative nature of the math community.
Many thanks,
Jen
Hi, Jen! I appreciate your kind words. Also, I’m really happy that you are exploring The Multiplication Course on YouTube. I’ll certainly keep the materials coming every day. I do love the math community, and I continue to learn so much from so many others!
I love your resources and use them with my 5th graders. I have kids at a wide range of abilities and they can all find a point of entry and ask to do the estimysteries, clipboard, and subitizing regularly. Additionally I have been sharing across the school and our district. Thank you for putting your energy out there and helping so many!
Thank you for this comment, Chris! That point of entry is really important to me when I design the materials. I’m so grateful that you detailed that. Another concept that build into the design of most of my materials is one that I call the Re-Invitation. That’s my term for the repeated opportunities for entry points all throughout the materials. The Estimation Clipboard is one of the best examples of that, but you’ll see it after each clue in Esti-Mysteries as well. It’s also propelled by the teacher’s use of the most important question in Splat, which is, “How else could you know?” I really appreciate the comment!
Steve,
Your dedication to providing high quality, mathematical material that can be used for orchestrating rich discussions at all levels is outstanding. Like thousands of other educators I am so grateful for your generosity of time and talent in sharing your work free of charge. Thank you!
Deb, I’m so very grateful for this comment! I will keep the materials coming on my blog. It’s great to share – and learn from – the math community.
I so appreciate all the time and effort you put into these activities just to share them out to others. My students in NJ love them!
I’m so happy to hear your that students in New Jersey love the materials. I will keep creating!
Hello Steve I am from Canada and am currently teaching Kindergarten online. It has been quite the learning curve so far! I wanted you to know how much the kids enjoyed the How many game pieces Esti challenge. We tried it today. We have been comparing quantity and learning about more and less, so I am looking forward to helping my students apply what they know about numbers to the concept of estimating. I love that all students can access these activities. It will be an excellent spring board for mathematical thinking and enable my students who are ready to challenge themselves further. I love challenging the students to explain why they chose certain numbers, or when looking at the clip board activities, explaining how and why they might adjust their estimate. Thank you for creating such rich math tools, I really appreciate it! Cooper.
I’m grateful for this message, Cooper. Explaining the reasoning is so important. I find that when students write down their estimate before discussing that the moment of writing serves as a powerful springboard for rich math talk. I appreciate this comment!
Thank you so much for doing this for us. I teach in MA at Blake Middle School, 7th grade math. These are all very useful. Thank You!!
Hi, Marissa. I’m glad to hear 7th grade students in Massachusetts are enjoying the materials. I have some fun pictures in mind for upcoming Esti-Mysteries. I really appreciate the comment!
Hello, Steve! Thank you for the great resources. I tried Estimation Clipboard with my 7th and 8th graders this week and they enjoyed it! We are going to try EstiMysteries next week.
This is great to hear! You’ll find them labeled by grade level, so it will be easy to find ones that will be a good fit for your students. If you are introducing them for the first time, you can also use one from an earlier level to show the process more quickly before jumping in to your grade level content.
Good Morning from South Carolina. I appreciate all you are doing to make resources available to teachers. I am so excited to do the Melting Cubes with my students on Monday. They love the Esti-Mysteries so I am sure they will enjoy the Melting Cubes as much as I do. Thank you for sharing your talents with everyone.
Hi, Rebecca. I’m glad you are trying out the Melting Cubes with your class in South Carolina. That has been a favorite of mine for some time, so I’m so happy to share it out as one of the Friday Mystery Resources. I think you will really enjoy asking, “How else could you know?” and hearing a variety of amazing answers from your students. Just like in splat, that is the most important question in the resource. I really appreciate the comment!
This is incredible. Thanks so much for all of your resources. Students LOVE them!
Hi, Amy. It is truly my pleasure to share!
You are wonderful to share your knowledge and resources. Thank you! My class ask for an Esti-mystery everyday. Provokes such great discussion!
Thank you all they way from New Zealand!
Hi, Anne! I’ve wanted to visit New Zealand for many years! It’s fun to hear about your class using them. I will keep the resources coming. It’s cold with winter approaching where I live, so I will have a lot of time indoors to write many more materials. Thank you for letting me know that this is a daily routine for you. I really appreciate the comment!
So very appreciated. I’m teaching Gr 5 in Ontario Canada. Your support and excellent Math content has brought joy in our classroom
I’m so happy to hear this, Bobbie!
Your work is so appreciated by myself and my students. They look you up on their own because we apparently do not do enough in class. Thank you so much for making it fun. They think I am the greatest teacher ever. From Canada.
Thank you for sharing this! It sounds like they have a powerful love of math!
Hi Steve, this area so awesome. I teach French Immersion and have been translating the esti-mysteries into French for my school (editing the slide decks you post). I am sure others would love to see these available in French…. I’ve left all credit to you and such, but I just want to be respectful of your work… Is it okay if I share them freely online with full credit to you?
Hi, Andrea. Yes, this is certainly fine with me. Thank you for sharing them with others.
I completely agree! I would love to see these in French! Andrea, would you consider sharing with me? I teach grade 1/2 French Immersion in Nova Scotia.
I’m so glad to hear this connection and that there is an opportunity to share ideas!
Thank you!!! I introduced esti-mysteries to my 5th grade class last week. My students and I loved it!! It is a great way for rich math talk in the classroom!!
I’m so happy to hear this!
Hi, I am from Latvia but I am working in Japan as a team leader of mathematics in an international school. I really enjoy your resources and most importantly so do students. Thanks for all you do!
Hi, Zane. It’s great to make a connection with you! I would love to visit either Latvia or Japan – or both! I’m so happy to be able to share these resources.
Wow this is fantastic – ngā mihi (thank you) from new Zealand!
Hi, Jo. You are certainly welcome!
Ever since I was introduced to Esti-Mysteries and Splat, I have been hooked. As a result, my students have been hooked as well. Thank you for creating a fun and creative, higher-thinking experience for our students. I love that there is no “right” or “wrong” as they work through their thought processes…everything is game and all thoughts guide us in the right direction. The BEST part is guiding them in creating their OWN Esti-Mysteries. They become the instructor and there is nothing more powerful than that.
Thank you again for providing rich experiences for our mathematicians….so that ALL students feel like mathematicians.
I’m so happy they are creating their own!
Hello, Christy here! I’m teaching virtual learners in Iowa. I have a range of age levels. I love using your work with my students. Your work is engaging and great for discussions even when we are doing it over a Zoom meeting. Thanks so much for sticking with us this year!
It’s my pleasure, Christina!
Hi Steve! I am a 4th grade teacher in South Carolina. Thank you SO much for these amazing resources. I completed the 20 days of number sense and rich math talk with my 4th graders and they begged for more! I so appreciate your hard work in making these amazing resources available for educators!
Hi, Ashley! I’m so happy they enjoyed 20 Days of Number Sense and Rich Math Talk!
All of your work is so engaging for students! We really appreciate you sharing your talents with everyone.
Where can I find Esti-Mystery 115. I seem to be missing it.
What a great catch, Tami! I certainly didn’t mean to skip 115. I like that seems like a mystery of its own. “What happened to Esti-Mystery 115?” Hmmm… My wheels are turning with the possibilities form this. Thanks for the comment and the great question!
I love esti-mysteries. I am still working throught the course. I am a sixth grade math teacher and I use them as warm ups. I can’t wait to see what you create for us middle school teachers. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Melinda!
Thank you so much, Steve. You are truly amazing. LOVE the estimation clipboards-my 2nd graders do too! They ask for them! Such a useful skill for them to compare the 4 different containers & see their estimates become more & more reasonable and accurate. Great way to help develop number sense.
Really appreciate your generosity with sharing these awesome activities.
Thanks, Ashley! They are really fun to create, and I’m glad your 2nd grade students love them so much!
This is so, so wonderful! My 5th graders LOVE our “number sense” time of the day. Thank you for sticking with us and allowing this to be free. I am so very grateful!
I cannot tell you how happy this update made me this morning as we transition back to full remote in my building were I piloted in person learning half day/remote half day in the suburbs of IL. In both settings your number sense activities bring so much fun exictement and joy to mathemateics and learning. Having more of these number sense and fluency lessons at my fingertips for all learners to grow and stretch is just awesome! Thank you!
Thank you so much! I love all of the resources you create and share and my students love them as well!
Thank you very much for all your support, you are awesome!
My kids LOVE these! Thank you so much for all you’re doing!
My 6th grade students beg to do Esti-Mysteries! They will say ” We worked hard today. Can we please do an Esti-Mystery?”. I will act like I am having to think hard and decide if they can or not. I love that they ask to do them!! Thank you for this great resource!!
Yes, I’d love to see these, great motivators!
Yes, I would love to see these, great motivators!
This is phenomenal! Thank you for all your work, from Toronto, Canada.
Steve, you are the BEST! A GOOGOL of THANKS.
Thank you Steve! Your work is well designed and much appreciated!
I love all your resources. I am a new math coach for K-4 but used Splat, Cube Conversations, Esti-Mysteries, everything…in my second-grade classroom. I am encouraging all our K-4 teachers to explore and find the various resources that push students’ thinking and reasoning. Thank you for giving so much to support the teachers in the classrooms.
Hi, Fadra. Thank you for your encouragement and for sharing the resources with others!
I greatly appreciate all of the resources you have put on your blog. I teach kindergarten and my kids get so excited when it is time to an estimate-mystery. These activities make learning and using math so fun and exciting. Thanks again!!!!
THANK YOU so much for all of your hard work! Everything you put out there is amazing and has added so much to my math curriculum. My students actually CHEER when I pull up Esti Mysteries or Splat. It’s awesome to see them really problem solve and be excited about learning. You have a gift and I thank you for sharing it!
Thanks for the comment, Susan. I think that math joy and problem solving and powerful learning is such a great combination. Much more to come!
Thank you, Steve! This is amazing and so appreciated! My students always enjoy the activities… and they have to think without realizing that they are actually “working” 😉
Hi, Marianne. I’m so glad to hear how much your students enjoy these!
My students absolutely love the Esti-Mysteries. As a math coach, I have introduced them to several teachers who also have begun using them. The number charts you provide are also extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing all your hard work!
Thanks, Susan. I really appreciate your sharing them. In some of the esti-myteries I’ll embed number charts. That’s really helpful for me to hear.
Thank you for these amazing resources! I hope you know how much your work is appreciated and valued. My students have loved the activities and I love seeing their excitement and watching them grow their thinking. Thank you for your generosity in sharing these with educators everywhere, especially in these trying times.
Hi, Dottie. It is my pleasure to share them. I love the phrase you used about seeing their excitement and watching them grow their thinking. Thank you for taking time to post a comment.
Thank you so much for this. What an amazing resource! I used your Estimation Clipboard 41 with my Grade 1 class this morning and was amazed by how engaged my class were and how excited they were by their very close estimations by the time it came to the 4th slide.
Thanks, Sarah. I’m so happy to hear this. I always love the sound of discussions, the sound of cheering, and that students are so excited by how good they are at estimating by the th slide. Thank you for leaving this comment!
Awesome! My Kindy class and I can’t wait. Thanks for all your time and effort to put these together.
I hope you love today’s Esti-Mystery. I ended up writing 2 for today (Tuesday) so that I could make one specifically for kindergarten
We love all of your resources at Our Lady of the Snows in Canmore, Alberta, Canada – keep them coming! Just wondering, where should we look to find each day’s new resource?
To find each day’s new resource, scroll down to the date. For now that will work, but I know that in about a week or two that will begin to mean a lot of scrolling so I’ll begin to move the new resource for the day up to the top so it can be found quickly and easily.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the mysteries! It’s our favorite Friday activity. It incorporates so many skills and my students really enjoy them. Thank you!!!
This makes my heart happy! Thank you!
I was hoping to do the spool Esti-Mystery, but the link takes you to a foam noodle activity. Is that correct?
The spool one is more colorful.
Hi, Terri. You’re right. The Monday link is to an Estimation Clipboard (with the 4 pictures) with foam pieces. The Esti-Mysteries this week (Nov. 2-6) will feature game pieces. The spool theme is coming soon. I think you will find the game piece esti-mysteries that are coming out this week to be very bright and colorful. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you, Steve. I’m using your Splat and Estimation Clipboard in my special ed resource classroom. I have been pleasantly surprised with the math discussion I am hearing. Your math support is really appreciated in this stressful time.
Jane, thank you so much for letting me know. I love the math discussion and math joy that I hear from students.
Are the answers revealed anywhere?
Hi, Jeannette. This video explains how to find the answers to the Estimation Clipboard activities. Thank you for sending me the question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj8Yd48FumU
I discovered your website two years ago and I can’t live without it in my classroom now! My students absolutely LOVE your esti mysteries and cheer when they find out we are going to be doing one! Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful work. I am so appreciative.
Thank you, Jen. I am so excited to share many more. This gives me so much joy hearing about the students’ love for them!
Thank you so much for sharing these amazing resources!!
Hi, Jessica. It is truly my pleasure to share them. Thank you for the comment. Wishing you a wonderful day!
THANK YOU! Today is our first day back in-person and everyone is nervous about covid. My students and I really enjoy all of the “Math Talk” and joy of doing the esti-mysteries. I bought your “class” this summer and made a few of my own, but after all of the screen-time of teaching from home last spring, took a break from the computer and didn’t made 100 – which was my plan. 🙂 I’ve been saving your esti-mysteries to do every Friday. Now we’ll be able to do one every day. I’m so grateful.
Thanks, Abigail! I’m so happy to hear this. Wishing you a wonderful day!
Thank you! You are a true friend to all of us teachers out here trying to keep real learning and engagement alive during the pandemic!
I really appreciate this, Debbie!
Thank you! We are in the middle of the 20 Days of Number Sense and the kids are loving them. Thank you for being so generous with your resources!
I’m so happy to hear you are using 20 Days of Number Sense. It’s my pleasure to share them!
Thank you Steve! My students are going to be super excited this morning that there is a new Esti-Mystery. What a great way to start a Monday.
I really appreciate hearing this, Michelle. Wishing you a wonderful day!
Steve, you are amazing! Thank you for all of the wonderful resources. My kids love your Esti-Mysteries!
Thanks, Dawn! It’s great to hear of your students love for them!
This is amazing thank you so much. My students love esti-mysteries. They get so excited for the reveal. it is so nice to have something engaging for younger students.
Thanks, Tiffany. I love that moment of the reveal and the sound of joy in the classroom. The room becomes so quiet right before the reveal… and then the cheering fills the room. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you Steve – I appreciate your work and your willingness to share! I teach at an all girls school in New Jersey.
Unbelievable! I teach Spec Ed kids in gr 4-5 and they love these problems. Keeps them totally engaged.
Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear about the level of engagement, Roberta. Thank you for this comment!
This is so helpful. Our school’s budget is maxed out, my work load is maxed out, and I am about maxed out! Thank you for helping bring some joy to the kiddos. They love these!!!!
I understand and feel this as well, Lisa. I will keep them coming!
Thank you!! My students love, love, LOVE Esti-Mysteries and the estimation clipboard! Quick, fun, and engaging for my in-person and distance learners! Kids have an extra need for fun and conversation right now and your activities fill that need while also developing number sense. If you are taking requests, we’d love some seasonal ones—candy corn, ornaments, candy hearts, etc. Thank you for making a huge mathematical impact in so many students!
Steve, I so appreciate you man! I am taking my Alt Ed kiddos through your estimation clipboard. I tagged you in a post on the Youcubed FB Group page where I shared a template for doing the Number Concept Map so we can distance learn it easier. I love all of your resources, esp. Cube Conv, and Estimysteries
Hi, Matt. Thanks for posting in the YouCubed FB group and for creating a template for the number concept map – and sharing it with others. That’s a great idea to support students during distance learning. Love it! Thanks for the comment.
Thanks Steve for all your wonderful work. I am from Melbourne Australia and we have been in lockdown for months . My kids have really appreciated your work. Our kids have just gone back to school and today we are semi out of lock down. We can now travel 25 kl from home instead of only 5 kl. I must say the trees and houses all look different and spectacular.
Hi, Sharon. Thank you for sharing this with me. I really appreciate learning about the lives of fellow educators. Here in the US we are in the middle of autumn moving toward winter so (at least in the part of the country where I live) the leaves have mostly fallen. The daylight is getting shorter and shorter. I have some favorite seasons, but I always enjoy the change into a new one. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Hi Steve.
I’m a student from Trinidad and Tobago. In our spare time my mom and I provide additional support for struggling teachers and student.
Most schools (preschool to University) are now fully online so it’s been very difficult to engage with the students/ teachers after their school day.
Thank you for this support.
Thank you for this comment. I hope this resource will be very helpful.
Well done, Steve. Many thanks…a huge commitment on your part. But health and strength to you. Best wish and lots of fun to you, teachers and all the budding Mathmeticians!
Thank you, Lynn. I very much appreciate this!
Wow. I hope you’ve gotten ahead. Or that’s a big pressure to put on yourself! So appreciated though.
I’ve taken some pictures in advance, but as of the moment I’m writing the Esti-Mysteries as I go. I really love writing them so will probably be able to work ahead as I go.
Thank you, your resources are so helpful!
It’s my pleasure, Marcia! Thank you for the comment.
Steve,
From all the way across the globe (Australia) we send many, many thanks.
Hi, Vincent. I really appreciate this comment. It’s certainly my pleasure to share them. Have a wonderful day!