Decimals on Grids and Number Lines

We wrapped up our geometry unit on Wednesday and have now begun our study called Decimals on Grids and Number Lines.  You can read an overview of this unit in the parent letter.  Over the next month, students will be developing an understanding of the relationships among fractions and decimals by building on what they learned during our recent study of fractions.  We begin this unit with practice reading, writing, and interpreting decimal fractions to the thousandths.  You can reinforce this work at home by making real life connections.  We see decimals everyday when talking about money, measuring rain/snowfall amounts, reading car odometers, or looking at race results or batting averages for example.  Encourage your child to read these decimals while using the words tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.  We will quickly move into ordering decimals as we use our understanding of place value to determine the magnitude of fractions.  You can read more about the unit of the link to the parent letter above.

Math Update

We have just finished an in-depth unit on fractions.  The unit began with comparing fractions and then moved to operations with fractions and mixed numbers.  The main focus of multiplication and division with fractions was using models to develop conceptual understanding.  Many of us remember that we were taught the traditional algorithm for multiplication and division with fractions.  Research shows that when students learn procedures without conceptual understanding they often forget the procedures.  In addition, students who simply learn mathematical procedures often cannot problem solve when presented with a new situation.  If the procedure doesn't fit, they don't know what to do.  Models are an excellent tool for developing conceptual understanding and provide students a resource to use when they encounter an unfamiliar problem.  As a content area in 5th grade, the area of fractions is a main focal point over the course of the year, and creates the underpinning for many topics in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.

This past Tuesday, we began a unit on two dimensional geometry. Students will be identifying attributes of quadrilaterals and triangles.  In addition, they will be using known angle sizes to determine the size of other angles.  This will be a short unit and should be finished in the next 10 days.

You may have noticed that over the past couple of weeks students have been bringing home a weekly computation worksheet.  It is crucial for students to continue to practice past concepts they have learned.  Every other week students will be assigned computation work.  They will be expected to complete half by Wednesday and the other half by Friday.  In addition, by Friday, I will expect that they check their answers.  Answers will be posted in my room.  The following week students will submit corrected responses.  Student who have few corrections will have an extension assignment based on some of the problems in the computation sheet. 

I look forward to seeing you all at next week's conferences.  If you have not signed up, there are still more spaces available.  You can call the office or email a Wizard's teacher to help you sign up. 

Thanks for your continued support!