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.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
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!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The promised land!
We reached a bit of the promised land today! Finding common denominators. It looked like taking a lot of notes with tons of examples and butterfly metaphors. :)
There's no homework, as I'm not 100% ready for them to tackle them on their own just yet. :)
Monday, October 20, 2008
On like denominators...
We spent our time today starting the conversation of what it's like to work with fractions that have the same denominator. We did a bit of individual practice, but still, no homework. :)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Reducing!
Today we practiced some more reducing, checked our homework, and watched a video explaining more about reducing fractions.
Tonight's homework is a sheet, front and back, on reducing and equivalent fractions.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Equal Fractions!
Today we talked about equivalent fractions and how they relate to reducing fractions. :)
It was quite a full day!
We completed our warm up, took notes, did some practice problems, ran a lap around the building, did a worksheet, and then started work on a sheet of HUGE fractions to reduce that the kids themselves created yesterday! They will need to finish these for homework... which is due THURSDAY. (Due to block schedule, they will not see me tomorrow.)
Onward!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Making our own fractions
Our warm up today was created by Benjamin... and it was a HUGE fraction that the kids had to reduce. SO, we spent the rest of the period creating our own huge fractions to reduce. We'll work on those tomorrow during our block. :) NO HW
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Reducing Fractions
Today we talked about reducing fractions... or "fractions shedding their skin"!
Our main rule for reducing fractions to their lowest terms is to divide the top and bottom of the fraction by the biggest number that will go into both of them evenly.
To practice? The kids are to complete the 8 problems in the middle of the sheet I gave them. A few kiddos have a handful to complete tonight. :)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Rehabilitating Fractions!
Rehabilitating? Well, I wanted a much cooler word for "converting" and that's what we came up with.
Today we converted improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. AND we did LOTS of problems to help us remember these semi-new skills.
There may be a few kids who are still working through their problems... 20 minutes of hard core, focused working tonight for homework would be appropriate. If there's time for more to get all those problems done? Hooray!
Monday, October 6, 2008
All about the fraction
Today, as you'll see below, was all about the fraction and getting reacquainted with what we already know: how to read fractions and how to represent them in a drawing.
Tomorrow we'll move to converting those bad boy improper fractions to mixed numbers and back again. :) NO Homework.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Math Potatoes :)
The kids FINALLY got their stickers for their review work today! And I gave out the most stickers I've EVER given out before... check with your children. :)
Afterwards, we did a "Math Potato" - a very interesting book that you should take a look at that emphasizes counting and grouping strategies. Just something a little different to mix things up a bit. :)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hershey's Fraction Day!
You may see the pictures posted below and wonder, why in the world are my children scarfing on chocolate in math class?!?!?!?!
Because those blasted Hershey folks wrote this book that does a fabulous job of introducing fractions, using a Hershey milk chocolate bar. :)
So today? We played with our food! I mean... fractions! Yea, that's right! :)
Absolutely no homework tonight, but ask your children about 1/3 of their chocolate, or 10/12 or 12/12 or 6/12!!
I hope you enjoy the pictures below!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Clean it out!
To finish out our first unit, we cleaned out our folders today and stored all of that paper in a file folder. AND we began our next unit with a little "tasty" reading about fractions. I had your children's mouths watering for fractions! Ha! No homework, though. :)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Finished the test!
Another short post today... all we did was finish the test... but I shouldn't say "all we did" because it was quite an accomplishment! Whoohoo! We finished the test!!!!! :)
Friday, September 26, 2008
TEST DAY!
Well, we started taking our test today. And guess what? We didn't finish!!!
So, no worries, we'll all pick it back up on Monday.
AND, we've extended the review work deadline until Monday (for those who forgot to bring theirs in :)).
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Test Tomorrow!
Today we spent ALL of our time working on our review work for the TEST TOMORROW! Whoohoo!
Homework tonight? Study! (And do review problems... ) :)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Back To School Night!
Reminder that Back to School Night is tomorrow (Thursday) night!
Please aim to be at the MS ready to go around 7:15 and come ready to
visit your child's morning classes, meet their advisors, and
experience some of our electives!
Please aim to be at the MS ready to go around 7:15 and come ready to
visit your child's morning classes, meet their advisors, and
experience some of our electives!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
REVIEW!
Today we began our Review process, a process that all of my first year math students over the years have grown to love and crave. :) Here's how it works:
First, I prepare a selection of sheets that have skill-based practice problems on them. If you're wondering what will be on this test, check out the earlier post on that: http://firstyearmath.blogspot.com/2008/09/whats-on-first-test.html
Next, the kids get the opportunity to complete as many problems as they would like, on the skills that they would like to work on. Why? Because I'm trying to teach them to take ownership over their learning. Love GCFs? Do tons! Hate LCMs because you're not sure how to do them? Hm... might be something you should REALLY work on. See?
Finally, a few minutes before the test, I take up all of the review sheets/problems and I check them when I check their tests. For every correct review problem they complete? Earn a sticker. Again, you'd be amazed at what a sticker can do!
Can they complete other problems for review? Sure! I'd just like them to clear it by me so I know they aren't doing something way out there, or way too hard or easy.
So, tonight and tomorrow night they may choose to work on their review problems. Do they have to? Technically, no! Thursday we will play some review games and then Friday we will test -- so Friday at 10:35 AM all Review Problems must be in.
Hope this makes sense! I'll be making a post soon about what a "test" means in my math class and with regards to their learning in math. I'll email you if that post gets made this evening after the automatic email goes out. :)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Catching up...
Today after our warm up, we shared about our weekends and we talked more about our upcoming test. Look for a later posting this evening on how I do tests. :)
NO HOMEWORK.
Friday, September 19, 2008
What have you guys been up to?!
Whew! It has been an intense past two days for me! I'm not sure if I've explained how blogging works for me, but I wanted to just let you know what it looks like in terms of my reliability. My afternoon schedule allows me three chunks of time to work on planning/blogging/checking papers/etc. These are M-F at lunch (provided there are no meetings that I have to attend and that I am not on lunch duty), M/W/F during 6th period (again, barring meetings), and T/H 7th period. For emails to be sent out to you on time (they should arrive to your inbox between 3 and 5p) I have to blog what I'm going to blog for the day by 3p. So, in a case like yesterday and today when I'm on lunch duty and have afternoon meetings until 3p... sitting down to blog becomes incredibly difficult! But, I try my best to keep to a schedule, thus insuring you get your daily update as regularly as possible. :)
With that being said, we've been working on prime factorizations, factor trees, primes and composites for the past two days. I introduced the kids to prime factorizations and factor trees on Wednesday and yesterday they got some good practice making the trees and working with primes and composites.
Today they got a chance to finish up their work with primes, composites, and factors and we had a little bit of a fun day playing with our calculators. The kids are fascinated with using a calculator to spell out words... so I found some work that they could do to encourage this passion! You should have seen them jamming their fingers into those buttons on the calculator!
Some of them may have finished and I would encourage them to keep playing with those numbers. Others may not have finished and I would love for them to keep working at it over the weekend, but I am not requiring it at all. It works for some kids and not for others. :) Have a great weekend!
Calculator Fun!
For some Friday fun today we used our calculators to spell come words!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Short Post
Worked a lot today, will post more about that later, but what's important is... NO HOMEWORK!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Growing Roots with Factor Trees!
We settled in today after our warmup by checking our homework and then started growing our roots with factor trees! Yea! You'll see a few examples below from the board, and the most important thing? NO HOMEWORK. Oh, they'll be some tomorrow!
But, in the mean time, if you wanted to brush up on factor trees? Check out this quick review.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
HW Answers
1. prime, 1, 2
2. prime, 1, 11
3. composite, 1, 2, 4, 8
4. composite, 1, 2, 13, 26
5. composite, 1, 5, 17, 85
6. prime, 1, 61
7. prime, 1, 3
8. composite, 1, 3, 9, 27
9. prime, 1, 83
10. composite, 1, 3, 9
11. prime, 1, 13
12. prime, 1, 31
13. composite, 1, 5, 25
14. prime, 1, 29
15. composite, 1, 3, 13, 39
2. prime, 1, 11
3. composite, 1, 2, 4, 8
4. composite, 1, 2, 13, 26
5. composite, 1, 5, 17, 85
6. prime, 1, 61
7. prime, 1, 3
8. composite, 1, 3, 9, 27
9. prime, 1, 83
10. composite, 1, 3, 9
11. prime, 1, 13
12. prime, 1, 31
13. composite, 1, 5, 25
14. prime, 1, 29
15. composite, 1, 3, 13, 39
Primes & Composites
Today we talked about the difference between prime numbers and composite numbers. (See the notes posted below).
Their homework is a sheet of 15 problems where they need to decide if the given number is prime or composite and then list ALL of the factors of that number, regardless.
This sheet I do not have electronically, so I can't post it online yet. But I am going to try and remember to post answers. I've got to set a reminder for myself or something! (I was supposed to post answers last night... and that didn't happen! ;) )
Monday, September 15, 2008
Working, working, working
On GCFs! Whew, man have we been working hard on those darn things.
So hard, that we're going to keep working tonight! For at least 20 minutes, on their front & back sheet on GCFs.
Friday, September 12, 2008
All about the factor...
Today we checked our HW, and moved into factor-land... a land not quite as easy as multiple-ville. :/
We started working through some greatest common factor (GCF) problems and discovered they aren't completed nearly as quickly as those LCMs!
NO HOMEWORK!
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