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