Math
Hello families,
Hope this blog finds you happy and healthy. The 3rd and 4th graders have been exploring what multiplication is. Some attempted to define it and some let me know, they didn’t know “yet”. I love that this class is embracing the “Growth Mindset” I have been working on with them. One child even ventured to write, “ I don't know yet, but I will try”. I’ve included a great link if you are interested in learning more about the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, and how to achieve a growth mindset, and why it is important to work on development of the growth mindset.
I ask students, “What is multiplication?” We enjoyed a Math Talk as students shared their ideas with the group. From this conversation students were able to deduce that there are multiple methods and strategies for solving multiplication problems. We also considered real life situations that required the use of multiplication to problem solve. The strategies were then taught as a mini lesson. Repeated addition was one student's addition to the discussion, where a number is added a number of times. The skip counting method was introduced, which could include the use of a number grid, or a number line until the counts are memorized. Making equal groups of something by physically making groups of things, drawing a picture or making a bar graph is a strategy often used at the beginning stages of multiplication lessons. We also discussed the use of arrays in determining an unknown product in multiplication, and we revisited the rectangles game. Finally, I shared the use of “Fact Family” cards for memorizing the 3 numbers that are related to multiplication and division problems. I have included a link below for my favorite Fact Family cards and I highly recommend getting some (any brand) for memory and practice at home.
Students are practicing skip counting verbally in class and using number grids to see the patterns of skip counting. They were self checking and helping each other find patterns last week. They considered and brainstormed things that come in groups, finding a practical use for multiplication as they develop math literacy.
Today, students used their mathematical skills to help prepare a dish for tomorrow’s stone soup luncheon. The lesson included estimation skills, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals with place value in the hundredths, percentages and culinary kills. Three questions were asked: How many students divided a number of beans for the feast? How many beans were divided and how many beans did each student prepare? What portion, fraction and percent did each student contribute to the dish? I brought in a pile of green beans and 10 students proceeded to take 10 at a time, then 2 at a time until the entire pile was divided. They made initial estimations and reexamined their estimates as more beans were removed from the pile. Several students guessed the actual number of beans with only 5 remaining. Each student practiced skip counting along the way, adding up the number of beans total, then taking that total, dividing it by the number of students to find they each had 40 beans. Then students deduced that if 400/10 was 40 then 400/40 was 10, and that 40 X 10 was 400 and with the commutative property, that 10 X 40 = 400. Then we reviewed the fraction from 1 whole to 16ths. They looked at bar graphs and pie charts to see the fraction, they saw the equivalents represented in percentages and decimal forms. I then taught a place value lesson on the numbers between 0 and 1 as portions, and helped students see that they are themselves a portion of the group. They were able to conclude that they were 1/10, .10 and 10% of the group, so they contributed that portion to our dish. Then, they prepared the beans and fed the chickens the ends.
I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving break with your children. Have them help in the kitchen, and practice math!
-Jenni
https://www.intelligentchange.com/blogs/read/what-is-growth-mindset-and-how-to-achieve-it
