Real World Mistakes -- Creativity in "Write About Math"

I am absolutely loving "write about math" in my Daily 3 math block this year! If you are curious as to what Daily 3 looks like in math I will share what my structure is. I follow The Sister's Daily 3 math structure pretty closely with a few tweaks due to time constraints. This set up is lovely because I am able to pull at least 2-3 small groups a day just in math. In my math block I start with a warm up, then go into my main mini lesson (I do), then the kiddos do "Math With Someone" this is usually a partner game that goes with the topic. Then, I do my second mini lesson (we do), then the kiddos do "Math By Myself". This is when they use a math program such as Freckle.com for individualized practice. My final mini lesson (you do) is when the students complete their independent work and I walk around and help. Then, the final piece is a closing "Write About Math" activity.

Lately, we have been doing Math Mistakes. LOVE THESE!! I simply search "real world math mistakes" on Google and choose one for the day. The kids have a few minutes to look at the image and find the mistake. Then, they write in their journal what the mistake is and why it is a mistake. Finally, we have a chat about the mistake. The kids love seeing people make mistakes in the real world and knowing that they can find the mistakes! I hope you can try this out in your math block! Let me know how it goes with a comment!