Project Idaho: Boise teacher shares what Common Core math looks like in her classroom

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The House Education Committee will soon vote on whether the state should keep its current content standards for English, Math, and Science.

Last week Sonia Galaviz, a teacher at Garfield Elementary School in Boise, gave lawmakers a taste of what common core math looks like in her classroom. She talked about how she helps students and parents understand it.

She also invited them to come see it for themselves.

CBS2's Haley Kramer decided to take her up on that offer Thursday morning.

Her fifth-grade class worked on a math investigation. They were asked to build a box for shipping hardtack crackers during the civil war.

"It had to be 36 inches cubed and they had to come up with at least three different boxes to meet that requirement," Galaviz said.

To make math more hands-on students were told to use these cubes or this graph paper to build the models.

They also had to draw their boxes and label them, then explain their decision to build the box the way they did by using the standard formula.

The second challenge was to figure out which version of their hardtack box fit best on a certain 'shelf.'

Galaviz said focusing on the why can help kids apply what they're learning to everyday life.

"They had to think, these are problems that people have to solve on a daily basis," Galaviz said. "How does math help them solve the problem and what's the best way to do it?"

She created this investigation, something she said the flexibility of the standards allows her to do.

"What I find is the kids are more engaged with these investigations, feel more flexibility and their more apt to take risks because they know there's more than one way right way to do it."

Many of the concerns brought forward during the recent math standards hearing were from parents who say they just don't know how to help their kids with their work.

Galaviz said these concerns are valid and it's important for teachers to answer those questions... And involve parents in the conversation.

"I joke with my kiddos that I don't stop being their teacher at 3:15. I'm still their teacher at 8 p.m. at night. And if they're doing homework it takes a 60-second phone call, honestly the calls are so short, to clarify something or ask a quick question, it lowers the anxiety of the student because they're wanting to get, you know, the correct answer," Galaviz said." The parents feel good that they know they can reach out to their teacher because you know we're both in it together."