Math Moments
April 2017
ODE News and Updates
- Recently released videos from the Ohio Department of Education show the changes that have been made to the standards. Another video will walk you through the standards revision process.
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHED/bulletins/18dcfe1
- Have questions about the Mathematical Practices? Take a look at the grade level documents from ODE!
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHED/bulletins/1903bd1
Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Rolling for Equivalent Fractions
Hoop Time! to Review Place Value
Math Center Learning Opportunities
When I was planning for the math centers I looked at the state standards for 4th and 5th grade fractions. I wanted to choose fun activities that supported the understanding of equivalent fractions and would allow the students a variety of opportunities to model fractions. As I was working with the students in their math stations, I quickly discovered both their strengths and some of their weaknesses. I found out that my 5th graders needed more intervention with equivalent fractions and my 4th grade students were ready to be challenged with writing their own word problems. The students were very engaged and were having fun learning about fractions! The math stations also gave the students an opportunity to work on some of the Mathematical Practices by working together, discussing solutions, and questioning each other as to how they got their answers.
Education Center
Looking at evidence
First Grade students from South Mifflin STEM Academy
STEM Activity at Spruce Run
John Kountz, First Grade Teacher, South Mifflin STEM Academy
The 1st grade classrooms at South Mifflin STEM Academy did an interdisciplinary unit on scarcity and winter. Students explored and learned the reasons why animals hibernate during the winter. Next, they compared and contrasted scarcity for animals and scarcity for humans. Students created a hibernation journal that they used to document new things they learned about hibernation, winter, and scarcity. First graders also learned to take quantitative and qualitative observations. At the end of the unit, the classrooms took a trip to Spruce Run. They collected evidence of winter and scarcity that they found while taking a nature hike in the woods. Students created posters that included the evidence they found along with a description and qualitative (e.g. observations of food sources) or quantitative (e.g. measuring and counting) observations. After returning to school, students made videos that explained the evidence they found.
If you are interested in learning more information about planning an interdisciplinary unit or a visit to Spruce Run, please contact your curriculum coordinator.
Manipulative of the Month
Number Lines
In the book, Learning to Think Mathematically with the Number Line by Jeff Frykholm, Ph.D., the author explores the importance of students using number lines to model mathematical problems. His findings show that number lines help students develop "a greater flexibility in mental arithmetic as they actively construct mathematical meaning, number sense, and understandings of number relationships".Click on the first link for the overview of Dr. Fryholm's book.
Click on the second link for an interactive number line.