Have you heard about Zearn.org? Mrs.C's class started this week using this fun and exciting tool. This website works along with our math program. It contains short lessons, fact practice, math related games and more. If you get a minute have your 4th grader log-in and show you what the fuss is all about.
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This coming week we will be beginning to compare fractions. The strategy we will be starting with is using a number line. Thanks in advance for helping with this fraction work. I know that fractions are "scary" to some but be brave and try a few of the following problems.
A very nice parent told me that I was CRAZY when I said "Fractions are Fun."
But it is true and the 4th graders are having a great time with them. This upcoming week we will continue our work with equivalent fractions. Until this point we have been drawing a lot of pictures to show and make equivalent fractions. We will be finding and converting fractions using multiplication and a little division that is what we will continue to do this week. You will all be happy to know that it looks a lot like what you have done in the past to find equivalent fractions here are a few examples of problems we will be doing this week. There were several lively conversations this last week during conferences about math.
OLD Math vs. NEW Math Many of you expressed frustration about understanding what it all means. We discussed that even though it is a challenge at times how fun it is to see our students understanding and growing in their understanding of math. I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much for all the help you are providing your children in understanding math. Even though it may be difficult, thank you for keeping a positive attitude and trying for your children. Often as I am teaching math I think about how it is difficult to teach them to this greater understanding and believe me there are moments when I want to give up and just teach them the silly rhymes I learned in school about how to multiply but I know that as they work to understand the math they are building their confidence and ability to try new things. We are all becoming flexible thinkers! So thank you again for all you help as we explore math in a new and often challenging way. I keep telling 4th graders that fractions are fun!!
This past week we made models of fractions and started discussing equivalent fractions. This next week we will continue our fraction journey with more equivalent fractions and some fraction multiplications. I am excited are you? This past week we Jumped into fractions with both feet! We constructed a tool to use with throughout the year to help with converting and equivalent fractions. Some of the students also had the opportunity to "play" with fractions using Cuisenaire Rods. Discovering how to find the fractions of different colors of rods compare to others. It was fun for me to see them working through these challenges and their excitement as they solved the "puzzles" of the fractions. This next week we will continue our work with fractions breaking the numbers apart, finding Equivalent fractions and digging deeper into the magic of fractions.
Did you like the questions and examples from last weeks post? If so here is a preview of what we will be looking at this week. Decompose 5/6 in two different ways. Example 2/6+3/6, 1/6+1/6+1/6+1/6+1/6 Decompose 6/8 in two different ways. Decompose 1 2/5 in two different ways. HAVE FUN!!!! All this work on multiplication is finally paying off. We are becoming more comfortable playing with numbers as we decompose (take apart) numbers to find the "friendly" numbers to work with. Heading into this next week we will be applying these skills to word problems. Many of these problems have several steps to get students to the answer.
It will be exciting to see everyone work through these problems, solve and share what they have learned. Here are a few examples of what the students will see. Take a minute and solve a few of them with your students, Remember MATH is FUN!!!! 1. The monthly school newspaper is 9 pages long. Mrs Smith needs to print 675 copies. What will be the total number of pages printed? 2. The Turner family uses 548 liters of water per day. The Hill family uses 3 times as much water per day. How much water does the Hill family use per week? |
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November 2016
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