The Last Post of 2008!

Today, as I suspected, it was incredibly hard to stay focused. The last day of math class for 2008!

Yesterday and today we continued to examine the differences between all of the operations with fractions and mixed numbers.  It's a bit tricky to keep all those different steps straight in your head.

As a heads up, we'll come back from break, pick up where we left off with fractions and soon thereafter it will be test time. If the spirit so moves you, you can totally practice some fraction work over the break! Check out: http://www.cfsnc.org/units/MS/math/summer/

See you in 2009!

Warm up

All the operations...

Do it yourself...

Where the heck is that sheet Matthew promised us?

Well... I had this handy-dandy printer/scanner/copier thing... and it worked for about 5 minutes and then... I don't know--it got tired and stopped working.  So one thing got scanned and here I am back at the drawing board!  Anybody know where I can get a cheapo scanner???

Anyways, today we... you guessed it!  Multiplied and divided fractions!  Some more!  The kiddos tackled four particularly harder ones today and some will be wrapping those up tonight for homework... or making corrections on ones missed.

Tomorrow we're going to have a conversation about all that we know about fractions.  Some are getting all of the steps mixed up between the operations. :)

Warm up

Answers to HW

Dividing Fractions with Mixed Numbers

More practice today with dividing fractions... plus some homework which I'm trying to scan as I type!!  There were eight problems, multiplying and dividing mixed all up.

Warm up

Dividing Mixed Fractions!

As you'll see below, after our warm up today we checked our homework, and learned our last skill--dividing mixed fractions.

And the BIG BIG BIG news is that I finally got a scanner hooked up and ready to go and now there is a copy of the worksheet the kids started today (they actually only did one problem). :)

No weekend homework!

Check out the worksheet from today!

I finally got a scanner that works!  Here's the sheet the kids worked on today... just the first problem, though.

http://cfsmatthew.wikispaces.com/file/view/dividing_mixed_fractions.pdf

Warm up

Dividing mixed numbers

Practicing Dividing Fractions!

We finally got to practice some dividing fractions today!  The kiddos worked the period on a sheet that had a front and a back... and they'll want to finish what they didn't finish tonight for homework.

HW

Warm up

Where are we at?

Today after our warm up we had a check-in day.  You'll see a picture of the white board below... everyone was asked to plot themselves on a listing of the fraction skills we've been working on, on a scale of "Totally Got it" to "Don't Got it."  It was very interesting!

We then got to experiment a touch with dividing fractions--enough to get the rules and see two examples.  We're nearing close to the end of our fractions unit!

Checking in

Dividing Fractions Steps

Dividing Fractions ex 2

Warm up

A Multiplication Filled Day

First things first, we worked on our warm up.  It took us quite awhile... there were two problems, one on adding and the other on subtracting.  If you get a chance, plop down with your first year and have them do some practice with you... just to see how they're doing.  They should be conversant in adding, subtracting and multiplying mixed numbers.  (We're headed towards dividing by the end of the week.)

Anyways, we checked our homework... including the balloon homework! Our checking, surprise! took most of the period.  But, I felt it necessary.

No homework this evening!

Warm up

Work from today

Balloon Homework!

How could I have forgotten?!

You may (or may not!) have heard about or seen a balloon containing your child's homework in it!  It's a fun way to make homework not just about pulling out the notebook and showing your work... they had to spend all day protecting their balloon and keeping it from popping.  I didn't hear any loud booms and no one reported anything suspicious, so I'm assuming they all made it safely to 3:15 (when they could be popped)!

So, their homework was to complete the six problems on the board, and the three problems in the balloon.

Night!

Oh where, oh where has Matthew been?

You may (or may not!) have been wondering about my whereabouts considering my lack of posting on the blog. :)

Last week was an incredibly full week--just beside myself busy. You all know how that feels!

And to add to the mayhem, I was away at the North Carolina Educational Technology Conference in Greensboro on Wednesday and Thursday. I cannot express to you what an amazing conference this is... you'll have to check out their website and read some of the session descriptions. This trimester I am actually considered as part of the "admin" staff in the middle school--and my focus is technology. I am blessed with the gift of time in the afternoons to learn about and offer workshops for other middle school staff members on technology. This conference was a way for me to keep my thumb on the pulse of what's happening. The newest buzz in the educational technology world? GoogleDocs. :) You should check it out if you've got some time.

Anyways, last week your children worked heavily on multiplying fractions... in every which way you could imagine!  They even tackled some new kinds of problems with Lisa Ray, parent of a CFS students, while I was at the conference. Lisa helped introduce the kids to having to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions when they need to multiplied.  Exciting stuff!

This week will see a move to dividing fractions... as soon as we're a bit more comfortable with multiplying.  Maybe a quiz before break?  Not sure... we'll have to see...

Whew! Enjoy and have a lovely evening!

Warm up

Balloon HW

1-6

1-6 with answers

HW

Warm up

Warm up

The New Secret!!

BINGO and Warm up

BINGO 2!

After our All-School Meeting for Worship, we actually only ended up having about 20 minutes of class time so our fun-filled game of BINGO was cut short!  :(

Highlights for when we return: adding, subtracting and multiplying mixed fractions... oh my!  

Have a great break!

BINGO!

Back by popular demand... today we played BINGO! (Adding/Subtracting Fractions style!)

Can you find the stars?

Today we began by using our homework problem from last night as our warm up.

Then, we did this incredibly fun activity where you have to connect the dots to make stars once you've found equivalent fractions.  That sounds WAY more confusing than it actually was!! :)  Ask your child to let you have a peek.  (Plus, I do believe that there are a few kiddos who need to finish it up over the weekend, so checking on that would be a good idea.)

Next week we'll be working on adding, subtracting and now, multiplying fractions! :)

Multiplying Fractions!

First I must apologize for not posting yesterday. (And not just not on-time... not at all!) So this post will cover yesterday and today.

I cannot tell you how pumped I am about these past two days in math.  This is not even to start to mention how excited your children are!  We've been multiplying fractions!  Yesterday we talked through just the basics (multiply the tops, then multiply the bottoms, then reduce if needed). 

But today?????  I revealed the great secret of pre-reducing when multiplying (or cross-canceling, as you may know it).  You should have seen them!  They were on the edge of their seats!

Tonight they have just one problem... because we ran out of time during class!  You'll see it as example 3 below.  One or two may have stayed a bit late to finish the problem, but I promised I would not reveal the answer until tomorrow morning. :)  Ah... the art of discovery and learning!

Warm up

The secret to multiplying fractions! (Sh!!)

The HW Problem

Starting notes...

Multiplying a whole number by a fraction

Multiplying two fractions

Examples

Dangerous Fractions!

Today we processed the work that the kids did yesterday while I was away... a sheet called Dangerous Fractions!  Ask your kids about some of that math! :)

BINGO!

Today we play Reducing Fractions BINGO!  The same old game you love, just with reducing fractions. :)

Warm up

The SECRET... Revealed!

So, I had to reveal the secret of borrowing when subtracting fractions today.  The kids were just great. :)

We explained it, did examples, talked about metaphors, and they have ONE (just one!) problem for homework (we worked right up until the end of class!).  Ask them to show it to you... and take a look at my ambigram! ;)

Warm up

The Great Reveal (Ex 4 from Friday)

Ex 3

Exs 5-6

HW Problem

Aw, come on, Matthew!

Today we took more notes and had more in-depth conversations about adding/subtracting mixed numbers/fractions.  We got up right to the last example (Ex 4 below) and ran into a road block!  What to do when you can't take away? How do you borrow from the whole number?

And, we ran out of time before I could share the secret!!  So, if you know the answer, please keep the secret with me... at least until Monday! :)

Warm up

Ex 2

Exs 3-4

Operations with Mixed Numbers

Today we took some much needed notes on adding and subtracting mixed numbers (whole numbers and fractions) and got to practice some problems as well!

Warm up

Practice with add/subtract mixed numbers

Electoral Math!

Many of you may not know that while I am trained as a math teacher, I am also trained as a social studies and language arts teacher -- and I could not pass up the opportunity to use today's election to talk about the electoral college and the math behind the elections.

The highlights of today were talking about the ins and outs of the electoral college and playing with the electoral map of the United States. Here are some websites that we used:

• 2008 Electoral College Ball... Go Team! (a blog by a dad!)

Tonight's homework is to pay attention to one of the most important events in your child's life thus far!

Warm up

Just some more adding and subtracting!

Today's big deal?  Nothing really... just some more adding and subtracting fractions.  We'll be engaged in this process for awhile. :)

Their homework is varied depending on the child--some kids are working on one sheet while others have chosen different routes.  Check with your child. :)

Warm up

What's Up with Matthew not posting??

Well, I'm typing this post from the eighth floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Denver, Colorado where I'm busy preparing for two presentations that I will be leading with Toni at the National Middle School Association's Annual Conference. And, as you can imagine, it took quite a bit to pull everything together to leave this morning!

So, for the last few days, you've seen tons of pictures pop up on here without any explanation as to what we've been doing! Ha!

Well, overall, the kids and I have been engaged in a conversation about adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators--in fact, that's what they'll be working on while I'm gone. When I return, obviously, expect much more detailed blogs updating you on all I've learned and what's on the horizon for First Year Math.

Warm up

Equality Man!!!

More practice with common denominators

After a warm up on like fractions, we spent our entire time working together on some adding unlike fractions problems.  We'll likely be spending a great deal of time together on this in the coming weeks!

No homework!

Warm up

The steps for common denominators... Again ;)

What do these problems have to do with each other??