DASH

Today we had a DASH presentation in our classrooms.  As you know, DASH stands for, Disability Awareness Starts Here.   We had some parent volunteers come in to share some resources and supports to simulate what it would be like to have certain physical disabilities.  There were four stations.   One where you had to use a board to help communicate, if you had a disability where you could not speak.   There was a station where you had to try to put clothes on wearing large gloves to simulate if you had a fine motor disability.  Another station worked with using special scissors to help cut paper if you didn't have full use of your hand.  The last station had several different support tools like adaptive forks, toothbrushes, and objects to help put on shoes.  

I know some of you had "fun" using the supportive tools.  However, you want to think about having to use those supports to complete a simple task on a daily basis, and the purpose behind them, Comment below about how it made you feel trying to complete a task without support?  

Relating Word Problems to Your Life!

 Tonight's homework was to rewrite a word problem you solved in class and understood.  You had to rewrite it so it related to your life.   Here is what my original problem looked like.

I then rewrote the problem to relate to my own life using the same numbers, but different content. Mrs. Cummings, Mrs. Wiles-Stasko, and Mrs. Sordillo have 243 glue sticks in all.  Mrs. Cummings give 16 glue sticks to Mrs. Wiles-Stasko and 24 glue sticks to Mrs. Sordillo.  Mrs. Cummings then has 3 times as many glue sticks as Mrs. Wiles-Stasko and Mrs. Wiles-Stasko has twice as many glue sticks as Mrs. Sordillo.  How many glue sticks did Mrs. Cummings have at first?

In class on Friday and Tuesday we will be using the "Explain Everything" app.  We will be able to create our own step-by-step videos to help solve a word problem.  Many of us found the videos I put on the previous post helpful, so I thought it would be fun for you to make your own.   It will look something like this:

I hope you enjoy doing this on Friday and Tuesday!

Persevering Through Word Problems

Word Problems got you down? Feeling Stuck? Overwhelmed?  

The key to unlocking the mystery of word problems is to slow down and work on it step by step!  Often times we panic and throw our hands up and give up too quickly.  I find it helpful to go through mental checklists, similar to this one we pasted into our notebook the other day. 

Step-by-Step Videos

I have included some videos below that go through a few word problems we have done in class, step by step with explanation.  This is a great reminder of what we did in class.  The videos I found follow the strategies we do in class, very closely. 

The video below follows two examples I showed in class today on the Smart Board.

One example was Mandy and Nacha's age comparison using a table.  The other example is figuring out the price of a washer when knowing the total of refrigerator, washer, and dryer.

Organized Chart and Bar Model Comparison example

                              (click link above)

The two videos below break apart lesson 7 into the two parts, also like we will in class.

Part 1 goes over different types of word problems such as, using remainders in quotient, increasing quotient, and multi-step problems. They too show the importance of finding meaning in each step and labeling.

Part 2 goes over comparing models and finding the unit amount, as well as using organized charts to solve problems.

Part 1 of Lesson 2.7 (Practice 7)                                      Part 2 of Lesson 2.7 (Practice 8)

             (click link above)                                                                                            (click link above)

Lastly, this last video is more for parents.  Hi Parents! Hopefully you're reading this post.  Comment below and let me know if this video helps.  It compares the basic standard way you and I probably would have solved a problem when we were in school.  It then compares the same problem to how our Math In Focus (Singapore Math) program will approach it.  I know sometimes it feels as though as this math program is a foreign language.  Sometimes it is!  However, I found it helpful to see the connection between the two methods.

Comparing "Old Math" to "New Math"

                    (click link above)

Common Core Standards:

5.NBT.5 Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

5.NBT.6 Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models

Was this helpful??
Comment below and let me know if these videos helped you with your homework or studying.
I look forward to hearing from you :)

Enjoy!

News from Language Arts!

Global Read Aloud 

Hello!

This year, our class will be participating in a project called the Global Read Aloud.  This project will start October 3rd and will run for approximately 6 weeks.  The idea behind it is very simple; teachers around the world read the same book aloud to their students and then use technology to share the reading experience with these other classrooms.  It is a free project and it fits perfectly into the standards we have to cover.  

During the project, our class will be reading PAX and connecting with students around the world who are reading the same book.  We will use technology tools such as Edmodo to facilitate these connections and conversations.

We are very excited to connect with others, especially since more than 600,000 students are already signed up to participate.  This project will allow for our students to use technology tools in a meaningful way, as well as learn about other cultures, all while listening to a fantastic read aloud.  

If you would like more information about the Global Read Aloud, feel free to visit the website www.theglobalreadaloud.com or I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.  I look forward to starting this exciting project with your child, as well as seeing the connections we will make.

All my best,

Mrs. Wiles-Stasko

Learn more about foxes through the  Multimedia Text Set link below. PAX by Sara Pennypacker Multimedia Text Set

Science From Scientists

We had our first visit from the scientists, Ms. Courtney and Ms. Jenna, on Thursday.  They reinforced similar concepts we do in class about working together.  The activity they presented was about stacking cups using a string and elastic contraption.  You guys did such a great job.  It reminded me of "Saving Fred" in the way that everyone has one tool and you couldn't use your hands.  You had to work together in order to complete the challenge. 

Why did they do an activity about working together and following directions? Comment below and share your thoughts.