Math 4 ASPIRE
Unit 4: Data Analysis: Represent and Interpret Data
Welcome to Unit 4
The dot plot format spirals from previous math curriculum, and most students have already mastered this format. However, the introduction of frequency tables and stem-and-leaf plots are new concepts for most.
These concepts are not particularly difficult.
Learning what the vocabulary word "frequency" means seems to quickly unlock one concept for most students. From there, the usual challenge will occur when students interpret frequency tables, especially which column represents "frequency" and which represents the data unit "amount, students, time,etc." Many tend to read the columns backward.
Stem-and-leaf plots represent the other new concept to fourth graders. While these graphs look confusing and difficult, but once students (and parents :) ) understand that the stem represents the 10s place value digit, and the leaves represent the 1s place value digit, the plot leads to easy analysis of the data.
Data Analysis and representing and interpreting data is a life skill these students will need, so making sure they have a solid base at this point with these formats is extremely important.
Math Olympiads
This contest will be taken during math class time, one per month November through March.
Each contest has 5 problems, ranging in rigor as they progress. Students will have 30 minutes in which to complete the contest.
These can be quite rigorous, so we want to focus on grit, growth mindset, and process rather than score. We celebrate effort!
If you want to learn more, and see some practice problems, go to www.moems.org
Please Come Visit!
We have math daily from 7:45-8:55!!
How Tos and Need to Knows
Mid-Year Assessment
To assure students have retained concepts covered in the first half of the curriculum, we will be administering a mid-year assessment after Unit 4 is due, during the week of January 22. This assessment will contain introduced skills and problem solving using these skills.
We will use this information to craft individual daily warm ups to include these concepts and schedule time individually to work with these students individually on these concepts until retention occurs.
Choice Menus
For each unit, students will be required to complete an activity from the Choice Menu accompanying that unit. Students may ask why they need to do this. The reasoning is this:The videos and practice work students do is pretty basic concept and skill work. This does not meet ASPIRE standards. So, students will work to acquire the skills needed to answer questions, then show that they can apply their knowledge in real world activities or projects. This will add the Depth we need in ASPIRE, and helps to send the message that surface skills and answering questions are not enough to succeed in the world they will enter in the next decade.
Math is an everyday life skill, and multiple choice computation problems just don't exist in most occupations. Math must be applied, manipulated, and understood from multiple perspectives in order to successfully navigate our world.
Choice menus are online in Google Classroom for every unit, as are Unit Checklists, and Unit TEKS Goal Sheets. Working at home on choice menu items is completely acceptable, as it gives your family a chance to work with real life math projects.