5th Grade Math: Math Packet
Other homework:
Finish Book Club jobs.
Update:
Holiday Party, Friday, December 21: Please check the Wiki for our classroom Holiday Party signups! The students will be preparing lunch and decorating cookies along with other crafts and games on Friday, 12/21. Each student is asked to contribute and item to the meal or cookie baking.
Going home with your child today is a letter about our holiday party next week, Friday 12/21. It lists the different ingredients we will be needing for our pasta and salad bar. Sign ups for different items will be on the class wiki with the amounts that are needed. If there are any questions please don't hesitate to ask!
In math club students mostly concentrated on a problem based on the popular carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas." You can download the problem here--it reflects U.S. costs for 2012 for the various gifts in the song. We were surprised by the cost and the number of total gifts! A few people worked on puzzles, and students learned a couple of interesting math magic tricks involving the magic numbers 143 and 429. We ended by watching the first half of Vi Hart's "The Gauss Christmath Special."
4th Grade Math: In math class we focused on adding more tools to our math toolbox by teaching the long division algorithm. As a whole class, we went step by step through a problem and identified the right time to do each operation. Step 1= divide, Step 2= multiply, Step 3= subtract, Step 4= check, Step 5= bring down. We'll continue to work on multiple strategies to solve division.
Word study began with a test on the current sort for each group and catching up in Wordly Wise. Our goal is to be finished with Lesson 8 by winter break.
Science was full of inventing and discovering! After reading about Samuel Morse and the telegraph invention, students worked together to build their own telegraph and send coded messages to one another.
As part of the classroom currency simulation, we imposed our "Materials Tax" for Strawberry Creek. Over the past few days the students have had the chance to earn money for completing different tasks throughout the day-- going to math class, working during word study, finishing jobs, lining up, etc.
