Math and Science Week of Dec 8th

Parents,

Last week we slowed the pace down a bit and spent some days learning how to write our own multiplication word problems.  The kids really loved doing this because we would pick a new theme to write about every day.  We made multiplication problems up about Holidays, birthdays, and animals.  The kids were instructed that they needed a number of groups, a number to go IN EACH group, and then ask for a total.

MULTIPLICATION Example:
I went to the zoo last Summer.   I saw eight rhinos.  Each rhino was given 7 pounds of food.  How many pounds of food were the rhinos given in all?

Towards the end of the week we took those same problems and turned them into division word problems.

OCTOPUS Division METHOD EXAMPLE:
There were 56 lbs of food for the rhinos.   The zoo wanted to share that food among 8 rhinos.  How many pounds would each rhino get, if they all got an equal amount?

Early this week we will study the cookies Method.  This is when you are given the total and the number IN EACH group and you are asked to find the number of groups.

COOKIES METHOD EXAMPLE:
There were 56 lbs of food for the rhinos at the zoo.  The zoo keeper gave each rhino seven pounds of food.  How many rhinos were there at the zoo?

In the middle of this week, we will decode multiplication and division word problems and decide the appropriate strategy to solve.  The kids will do a Math circuit in the classroom for the first time!  These are fun traveling around activities.  On Friday will be the Chapter 6 Multiplication and Division test.  The kids have been studying Chapter 6 since the beginning of November!  They are getting to be multiplication and division pros now!

Fast facts were taken for a grade last week and the scores from this week will not be recorded.  Next week's fast facts test will be on Thursday due to Friday the 19th being a half day.

In Science we are finishing up our deeper study of force, a push or a pull.  The kids have some fun Magic School bus videos to watch to help them learn about how simple machines like pulleys can help make lifting easier.  We have a great lab demonstration planned with the kids on the helpfulness of pulleys.  We will also discuss gravity as a force and magnetism as a force as well.

The kids will be given dictionaries on Tuesday, courtesy of the Dictionary Project, The Hour of Code project on Thursday in the library, and will have toys for tots on Friday.

It;s going to be a fun and busy week.
Love,
Ms.S