Viewing: November, 2015
November 24, 2015
Unit 3 Math – Multiplication Strategies
Hello everyone,
Over the past few weeks we have been working on several different strategies for multiplying, specifically multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers. We will be finishing this unit today (November 24th), and we will review after Thanksgiving weekend, before their assessment. To help with this review, Mr. Moss and I thought it would be helpful to post some videos of the different strategies.
The first lesson was to estimate numbers before multiplying them so that you can just multiply the basic math fact and then add the zeros at the end. Here is a video to help explain that a bit better:
The next day, we worked on using the area model to actually do 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication. Think of taking a rectangle are breaking it apart into parts, finding the area of each rectangle and then adding it all back together. Here’s another video for that method:
After that, we worked on using partial products to multiply. Basically, doing the same thing as the area model, but without the box. Here’s a picture to help:
And, of course, another video to help:
Finally, we got to the standard method of multiplication. We started by looking into why this method works, something even most adults are unsure of. We broke apart the multiplication problem again, but instead of breaking into four parts like with the partial products method, we broke it into two. Students know how to do 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication well by now. They also know how to multiply 2-digits by 2-digits as long as one of the numbers ends in a zero. So we took apart the bottom number, for example:
23 became 23 and 23
x 34 x 30 x 4
Students can much more easily do 23 x 30 and 23 x 4 than they can do 23 x 34.
Once they found the answer to both parts of the broken up problem. We added them together.
Finally, we learned how to do it all together – the same way we all learned – with regrouping numbers. Here’s a video to better explain that (2-digit by 2-digit with regrouping starts at 3:20)
We want students to be familiar with all 3 methods of multiplication, but they can use whichever method they like best when doing multiplication from here on out. Today, we discussed how everyone has different preferences when it comes to math and that it’s ok for them to pick their favorite method when doing multiplication.
Hopefully this wasn’t too confusing for everyone; it’s harder to explain in writing than it is in person. But the videos should do a pretty good job of giving a visual to my rambling.
Enjoy!
~ Mr. Walmer
Posted in Class Updates|By Brendan Walmer
November 17, 2015
Circus Week and Character
We’re midway though a terrific week in room 209! On Monday, we got to watch an AMAZING performance by the National Circus Project. (I live-tweeted photos and videos from the circus.) What was particularly incredible was that the performance was an introduction for the fourth graders. Since that performance your fourth grader has been working to master some amazing skills that they first saw performed in Monday’s show. I’ve had the opportunity to see a few of the different performances, and I’m really impressed by how quickly and thoroughly the kids are mastering these skills! On Friday afternoon, fourth graders will perform for the whole school, and I hope you’re planning on coming to the kids’ evening performance on Friday night at 6:30pm. All the fourth grade teachers will be there for the fun, and I can’t wait to see the kids show all they’ve learned.
Curious why we’re working on the circus in school? Well, besides the fact that it’s AWESOME (C’mon, don’t we all wish we’d had a similar opportunity when we were kids?), Circus Week has given the kids an amazing opportunity to learn teamwork, perseverance as they learn a new skill, problem solving, and so much more. These are definitely key life skills that will influence their academic success now and in the future. Additionally, our school’s character focus this month and next month is on the pillar of fairness. This is a terrific time for us to have the circus, since we’re able to discuss questions of fairness, such as who got their first choice for parts in the circus, why some roles are harder or easier than others, etc. In class, we have a set meaning of the word fairness. (Ask your child if he or she remembers it!) We say: Fair doesn’t mean that everyone gets the same thing. Fair means that everyone gets what he or she needs. It may not be the most elegant definition, but it works for us! In Circus Week, this means that some kids may have an easier or harder skill to practice, and that’s fair, because everyone got a skill that’s right for them.
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss