Quadrilaterals

We are currently focusing on geometric figures in math class. Students in third grade usually find quadrilaterals to be the hardest to differentiate between. This is what we are using in class (click on the image to enlarge it):

Bar models with equivalent fractions

Parents: 

We are deep in our fraction learning, so now it is time to work with equivalent fractions. This is often times the hardest part of fractions, and it is usually the concept most tested. Below is a picture of how we use bar models to help visualize equivalent fractions. 

We define equivalent fractions as 2 or more fractions that have the same size whole and have been partitioned differently (have different denominators) but take up the same amount of space.  Sounds crazy hard, but I bet your child can tell you a lot about these fractions!! 

If you search 'fractions' on the blog, you can see some student-made videos on different fraction concepts. 

3 Reads

Today we learned a new math strategy called "3 reads". How can this help you with math word problems? 

Do you think you could use a strategy like this with something else, like science questions?

A bit of fun!

Did you know elves can be teachers, too? Obviously we are helping check who's on the nice list. 

Using partial products to multiply

Multiplication and Division Strategies

Below are some of the strategies we are using to build number sense for multiplication and division. We call the numbers we are multiplying (the factors) our parts and the answer (product) the whole. This is SOOOO important at this beginning of multiplication because students can get confused as to WHEN to multiply or divide (especially when we begin 2x1 digit multiplication).

For multiplication, we try to build off of "easy" basic facts to help us solve facts we don't know. That usually means we use 2s,5s, and 10s as much as possible while we are still trying to memorize facts. Of course our ultimate goal is to have facts memorized up to 10x10 so that NO strategy is needed, but until we are at that point we want to have some number sense on how to solve facts in the most efficient way.

For division, we always use the strategy "Think Multiplication". This means we turn our division sentence into a missing factor multiplication sentence. Then we can use multiples or those easy facts to build up to my answer. One common mistake to look for is that students can end up multiplying the whole by the part instead of looking for the the missing factor.

Estimation Strategies

We have currently wrapped up addition and subtraction with estimation, which includes using "compatible numbers" and "rounding". This is often a tricky concept for our students because we are working with big numbers and finding approximate solutions are abstract. Here's a summary of what we're learning...

--We looked at when to estimate (if we don't need an exact answer; instead I just need the answer that is "about" or "approximately").
--We also looked at how to round using the idea of number lines (the number you are rounding is close to what 10 or what 100 on a number line).
--We also used "compatible numbers", which is when I get to change the numbers up a bit to be easier to add and subtract. For example, for 346-137, I might simply change the numbers to be 347-137 because this makes it an easy problem to subtract. Compatible numbers are nice to use because you can often easily find the real answer. We can also use the same concept when finding exact solutions.
--Lastly, if the problem calls for estimation, I encourage students to not solve for the real answer and then round it because in real life if I knew the answer, I would not round it...I would say the exact answer. Rounding is supposed to be used to find a close answer in an easier way, so I should not find the exact answer. Instead, they need to round their number and then add or subtract. They can find the real answer if they want to check, but remember that these problems are long, so doing that much work usually frustrates students.



Here's a look at a "rounding hills" strategy that can help students understand how to round. We relate this to a number line.