Unless you can speak French, I'm sure you're wondering what I just said, right?
Well, there's a 4th grade fraction TEK (4.3A) that reads "represent a fraction a/b as a sum of fractions 1/b, where a and b are whole numbers and b > 0, including when a > b" and many of the teachers I've had conversations with have asked "what does that mean, exactly?"
Well, let's look at not only what that TEK means, but how to address it with our students!
Check out this Part 1 and Part 2 video on Decomposing Fractions.
By the way, the French statement above reads, "This isn't hard at all!" and ...it isn't! You got this!
Well, in the next 5 hours or so, we will be bringing in 2016 but for the past two years we have been tussling with these New TEKS!
Thought I'd share this firecracker, poppin' way to approach teaching 'determining the measure of an unknown angle...'. Okay, it might not be that big a deal, but 'tis the season for embracing new things.
I absolutely love that there are so many opportunities (with the NEW TEKS) for students to manipulate and draw! Not only does it add to the atmosphere of the classroom via engagement and discourse, but it also speaks more heavily to our kinesthetic and visual learners!
Adding and subtracting of fractions (with unlike denominators) in 5th grade begins with this premise as it sets the tone for students preparing to move more towards the abstract (algorithm) of adding/subtracting mixed numbers. I love that we get a chance to pull our colored pencils and graph-type paper to introduce this concept.
That's what makes this video blog quite special! I hope you find it fun to teach!!
I know what every Third Grade teacher out there is thinking:
"I would love to prepare my students for fourth grade...after all, no greater feeling than when our fourth grade teachers feel we did our job well!!"
Okay, maybe that's not exactly what you're thinking, but if you've ever received any accolades from the teachers in upper grades for how WELL you prepared their current students, then you understand this little feeling of joy i'm referring to. Of course, when we are teaching, we only think about our students 'passing some standardized test'; but friends...the picture is much bigger!
Move up a teach a higher grade and you will see what I mean. We can witness, first hand, the well-equipping of our students or the lack thereof, when you begin to teach students and they are quickly able to pick up the concept because they have retained the foundational skills in previous years. As a teacher who has taught everything from eighth grade down to fourth, I can say the feeling is amazing!
So third grade teachers, your fourth grade colleagues will be singing your praises when you appropriately disseminate the foundational strategies utilized in 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication. Should the vertical alignment go as planned...when those students pick up with this concept in fourth grade, they will feel quite successful! Thanks to you...
In ancient times, "dividing the spoils" meant to split the loot (winnings) retrieved from a battle!
No worries my brave 5th grade teachers, we are prepared to win this battle against these NEW TEKS; only, there will be no dividing of the spoils! The only dividing taking place will be between unit fractions and whole numbers. So get your pencils and paper ready and let's go to war!
Representing Division of (Unit) Fractions and Whole Numbers
Did anyone want to throw in the towel when they realized our second and third graders were expected to "decompose numbers in more than one way"?
No? Just me!?
I don't buy it; you weren't too fond of this concept either. After all, those of us who taught older students certainly inferred that students were already struggling with place value in their younger years because when they show up in 4th and 5th grade, they're exhibiting misconceptions with place value. I remember sitting with some teachers in our first PLC before the school year began a few years back and deconstructing the following TEKS:
Use concrete and pictorial models to compose and decompose numbers up to 1,200 in more than one way as a sum of so many thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. (2.2A)
Compose and decompose numbers up to 100,000 as a sum of so many ten thousands, so many thousands, so many hundreds, so many tens, and so many ones using objects, pictorial models, and numbers, including expanded notation as appropriate. (3.2A)
I'd like to submit, however, I believe this NEW standard will significantly assist our students with building a stronger foundation in mental math and their ability to fluently manipulate numbers as they develop in math.
This video blog is dedicated to my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers!
Much like division being a complex concept for students to grasp, so teaching the concept can be quite daunting for teachers. For that reason, this video blog series centered around division has been "divided" (no pun intended) into three parts.
In efforts to avoid cliche and ill-advised "tricks" such as "DSMB: Does McDonalds Sell Cheeseburgers" to help students remember a myriad of steps, the video blogs I've created have been designed to assist with building the traditional algorithm from the ground-up.
If you haven't already seen Part I and II, it's imperative that you do, prior to watching this final video. After all, this blog is built on the premise that you as the teacher, have laid the foundation from parts 1 & 2, respectively.
With that being said, scroll back in my blog site to find those videos...otherwise, click play & enjoy!
Happy Holidays! (In my native language, "Merry Christmas")
So what fraction of Christmas day do you spend with your family? What fraction of Christmas dinner are you able to eat? What fraction of the year is spent celebrating holidays? Okay, okay, okay...enough fraction questions already, right?
Well students aren't too fond of fractions either, but I think all of that is due to misunderstanding of the concept. Fractions don't have to be a tedious concept when we scaffold how students develop in this area. What fraction of a role do we, as educators, play in that developmental process? 1 out of 1!!
Although the idea of fractions begins as early as Kinder (and in some programs, Pre-K), in Texas, 3rd Grade is when students begin to see fractions in their numerical form and plotting fractional points on a number line. This can seem overwhelming for a Third grade teacher, but the fact that students are coming from 2nd grade with experience in fractions, and will move into 4th and 5th continually plotting fractions on various number lines (with decimals and graphs), this might help you breathe easier. Third grade teacher, you are only laying the foundation for fractions on number lines. But so we ensure we lay a great one...here's a quick gift from me to you! Merry Christmas!
Let's unwrap how to plot fractions on a number line!
You may have seen part I (Arrays) for developing representations for division of two-digit by one digit (which can also be used to do three-digit by one digit as well as four-digit by one digit).
In 4.4E, the expectation is also for students to build area models for up to four-digit by one digit problems!
Watch the video below for how to develop this representation with your fourth grade students.
Okay, I know nobody likes division! And I'm pretty sure if your students are like mine, they think it's the "hardest thing EVER!".
For this very reason (or reasons), I love the new standards in 3rd and 4th grade that allow students to return to the foundations of math and build models to represent the "long division" beast!
Check out this 4 minute video on 4.4E (fourth grade long division from a concrete and pictorial standpoint).
Question: Can students create Science Fair projects using digital tools rather than science fair boards?
Hypothesis: Yes, I believe Science Fair projects can be created with digital tools because we can teach students to be more environmentally conscious, students are already acclimated to digital resources and there's an opportunity to share their product, globally!
I saw an amazing display of student work the other day when I was asked to judge the Digital Science Fair at a local school! Students in grades 3-5 had created their science fair project displays in Google Slides and sent them to their Science Specialist. After sorting them into folders in Google drive, we were able to log into google drive and view their displays. I was wow'ed even after I watched a Kinder class that had created their display in the Photo Story program and narrated the processes of their science fair class project under the direction and facilitation of their teacher. After scoring and selecting the top 3 winners from each grade level, we were able to walk down to the cafeteria where tables were set up and the 16 finalist were sitting on the left side with their laptops ready to present! Shortly thereafter, their student peers from the grade levels poured into the cafeteria and fanned out like crazed fans until they were sitting across from the finalist and viewing their presentations. With star-gazed eyes, 8, 9 and 10 year olds were deep in conversation, heavily engaged with their classmates about the projects that made the final cut! What a sight to behold!
Here's how (through the lens of the Scientific Method):
Materials: Computers, digital cameras, Excel, iPod touch, iPad, voice recorders, iPhoto, iMovie, HDMI cable, iPhone or Smart phone, Rubric, Google doc (slides), Photostory program, science fair project references, and lab equipment for the experiments.
Sample Rubric
Research: Technology enables our students to assimilate knowledge more readily by employing a wide variety of media addressing all learning styles in our classrooms. We serve urban school children who are are primarily visual/kinesthetic learners who are often intimidated by written instructions. Using a digital camera, a computer, iPod touch, classroom iPads. I will produce school-wide video instructions showing students how they can document, produce and present their science fair project digitally. (source cited: http://www.weareteachers.com/lessons-resources/details/creating-digital-science-fair-projects)
Procedures:
1. Students are given various research topics to choose from and/or are allowed to pick their own topic (with approval from teacher).
2. Students should be given a rubric and that rubric addressed in a thorough manner from the teacher so students know what the expectations are.
3. Students do the Science Project either at home or in pairs/groups at school.
4. Students take pictures of their project using a digital camera or phone.
5. Students create their results and analyze their data (then create a graph in Excel or Word).
6. Students draw their conclusion.
7. Students create their project and digitally put it together using iPhoto, iMovie, Power Point (Google Slides) or Photo Story.
8. Students turn in their digital projects (via Google drive) to be scored/judged and finally, to present to their peers.
Data:
Students hovering around the finalist to view their presentations.
This project had the attention of several students!
Conclusion: So, can YOUR school do Digital Science Fairs? Well, I've seen it done and although it may take some tweaking to differentiate it for the needs of YOUR campus, it IS, indeed, possible!
