Everyday Math, Math Notebook, and foldables

I have been working with my teammates to lay out our Everyday Math units for Math Workshop.  You may remember that I began math workshop last spring and used it for the last three units of the year.  I liked it, and my kids liked it, but it was a lot of work. 

I feel confident that I made it a lot of work because I really want to meet everyone's needs during workshop, so my differentiation is on overload.  However, I believe that once I find what I want to do for each unit, then a lot of the work will be done.  Certainly, I will need to tweak things and add things depending on my students each year, but I am excited to be challenged by them.

I have a number of students who are way above grade level with computation skills.  Their families encourage outside tutoring so that they can do math computation skills which are way above grade level.  One of my kiddos last year met at the freshman level on the MAP math testing!   However, I also have a number of students who lack number sense and math confidence.  These guys need my attention, too!

I have decided to implement a Math Notebook next year.  (While many others call it a Math Journal, I can't, because in EM, the Math Journal is the name of our workbook.)  I am making some guidelines and some foldables to put into the notebook.  I am trying to make some generic ones that can be used by the high and below math leveled kids, but I am also making some specific to each group.  Our workshop moves quickly, so if I have already prepared the foldable for the kids, I think that it will help things move more quickly.  All they should need to do is cut them out (if necessary), fold, and complete. 

I am not working to make them cute really, just to make them workable for us.  You can see a couple by clicking on the image below.  The first one is just Total/Part/Part and looks just like the book's version.  I just want the students to fold up the two parts to see that they are equal to the total.  It is amazing how many of them don't see that this is the purpose of this graphic organizer.  I have used the Thinking Blocks website which helps to help them to see it a little better, too.  The fact triangle/house foldable is just a way for them to practice their fact families and glue it into their notebook.  They are just my beginning of items for Unit 2.  I hope to continue to be inspired to make more.  :)

Do you have any ideas or experiences to share with me as I tackle this this summer?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!