Mathematics

How to find the Least Common Denominator- 2 different ways:

@http://www.helpwithfractions.com/least-common-denominator.html

Fractions Continued Week 27

Students have shown great improvements in their understanding of improper fractions, changing them to mixed fractions, comparing fractions by making them into equivalent pieces, reunitizing (for example, 1/2 of 1/2 of 1/2 is 1/8) and solving word problems that involve multiplying fractions by whole numbers.

New Unit on Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Week 26

We have started this unit this week using word problems and pictures to help us understand equivalent fractions, comparing fractions (including mixed fractions and fractions with larger numerators, for example 6/2.) Students have shown a lot of improvement in all these areas when they play the game "3 in a row." Students must roll two dice, choose which numbers they want to be the numerator and denominator, place the fraction on a number line from 0 to 6. The first person or group to get 3 fractions in a row without being blocked by anyone else on the number line gets a point.

We have also spent some time estimating fractions using different clues. For example, 3/7 is a little less than half because the other part, 4/7 is bigger, and 7 split in half is 3.5. Students seemed to enjoy creating color fraction wheels to show their estimations of these more difficult to picture fractions. 

End of Multiplication and Division Unit Week 25

We spent one week learning the division mental strategies that correspond to the multiplication ones below, then students reviewed for a week and took a test after using this study guide: The results are reflected in their report card comments for the Second Trimester.

Mental Math Strategies: Weeks 22 and 23

Students have already learned similar strategies for addition and subtraction earlier this year. We used groups of dots to understand how they work, and now they are practicing with harder examples and larger numbers. The next step right now is to get better at determing which strategy would be the most appropriate for a problem, whether it's a problem written in digits or a word problem with a real life situation.

Using place value : 28 * 7 as (20 *7) + (8 * 7)

Rounding and compensating (tidy numbers): 5 * 68 as (5 * 70) - (5 *2)

Proportional adjustment: 3 * 27 as 9 * 9

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Splitting factors: 12 * 28 as 3 * 2 * 2 * 48

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Partial Products method: Introduced Week 19

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">This is an algorithm that emphasizes understanding of what happens to the place value when multiplying larger numbers. For multiplying decimals, like in this video, students first estimate in what place value the decimal point of the answer will be and use it to add the decimal back in after solving for the partial products.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> media type="youtube" key="b6v2IvcCX0g?rel=0" height="289" width="382"

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Lattice method: Introduced Week 18

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Here is a video that helps explain this algorithm. Students have learned this accurate, ancient method for multiplying numbers no matter how many digits there are, including numbers with decimals.

media type="youtube" key="p-ZiPZpZmMk?rel=0" height="243" width="428"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">We have also been practicing place value through playing games. Ask your student to show you the game "Close to 1000" or "Close to 1" at home.

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<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Since our first week back from the break (Week 16 and 17), students have been completing timed quizzes. Each quiz contains a wide variety of problems that students should be able to do in Grade 5. If you would like to see your child's results of these quizzes at any time, just ask and I will be happy to share them with you.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">We are working on word problems suitable for Grade 5, especially those that require students to divide and share numbers and represent them through multiplication and division. You can find some randomly generated word problems suitable for Gr. 5 at the following links:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Multi-step Word Problems <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Extra or Missing Information W.P. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Guess and Check W.P. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Find the order W.P. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Venn Diagram W.P.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Students worked on a miniproject to create polygon tessellations. Students had the criteria of creating shapes more complicated than just squares, rectangles or triangles, making every shape the same size, and having limited white space left over on a square piece of paper.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Here is one student's definition of a tessallation: //"Shapes that fit together with no spaces."//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">After trying on their own, students then brainstormed together to find solutions to difficulties, including creating more complicated shapes out of shapes easier to work with like squares and triangles, and measuring and dividing the paper to make them the same size. Here are some samples of completed projects with reflections.

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