The students and I have just wrapped up a quick study of using analogue and digital clocks to tell time. Most students had a pretty good recollection of how to tell time, but I noticed there was one thing that seemed to puzzle them - the hour hand! During our diagnostic assessment, many children became confused when the hour hand was hovering between two numbers. When it came time for them to draw their own clock hands, their hour hands were always directly in line with one of the numbers on the clock face. It was 'time' for a problem! Students were given the problem of Mrs. Reicker and her broken clock (see picture). The plan was for them to become curious about why the hour hand does what it does, and hopefully lead them to the realization that this little hand can actually give them a more accurate sense of what time it is on first glance. Check out the pictures of student work, and a short clip of our math conversation after we investigated this problem. (**Please note: while this appears on our page as a Youtube video, it is protected from public viewing on the Youtube site, and can only be accessed through our webpage)
The students and I have just wrapped up a quick study of using analogue and digital clocks to tell time. Most students had a pretty good recollection of how to tell time, but I noticed there was one thing that seemed to puzzle them - the hour hand! During our diagnostic assessment, many children became confused when the hour hand was hovering between two numbers. When it came time for them to draw their own clock hands, their hour hands were always directly in line with one of the numbers on the clock face. It was 'time' for a problem! Students were given the problem of Mrs. Reicker and her broken clock (see picture). The plan was for them to become curious about why the hour hand does what it does, and hopefully lead them to the realization that this little hand can actually give them a more accurate sense of what time it is on first glance. Check out the pictures of student work, and a short clip of our math conversation after we investigated this problem. (**Please note: while this appears on our page as a Youtube video, it is protected from public viewing on the Youtube site, and can only be accessed through our webpage)
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Our last few weeks have been busy with explorations in the area of Probability. The students began their study with Miss Burston last week by exploring some of the language we can use to discuss the likelihood of various events and situations (e.g., likely, unlikely, impossible, certain). This week, we started focussing on the difference between theoretical and experimental probability. Using spinners, we talked about how we could predict the probable outcome of a spin (theoretical probability) based on how the spinner was designed. We then put our predictions to the test by actually spinning and recording the results (experimental probability). Gisele then got us all wondering "Is there a connection between the number of times we spin a spinner (number of trials), and the type of results we get?". Do more trials mean that the results will more closely match what we think is supposed to happen? Below are some pictures of our partner work this week, as well as the 'flipping pennies' activity we did today to determine the effect of number of trials on experimental/theoretical probability. Every child took home their penny results today. Be sure to ask your child to explain the difference between the two types of probabilities!
Well...maybe that should have said 37 degrees since we use the Celsius scale! Today was the perfect day to talk about certain 'benchmark' temperatures on the thermometer. This morning, we began by recording the current temperature (-5 degrees Celsius) on the thermometer. We talked about what we saw outside (ice and snow), and what we had to wear that morning (hat, boots, mitts). Next, I gave them the standard body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. From there, I would suggest ideas and they would problem solve to see how close they could get to guessing the degrees Celsius. We learned that water freezes at 0 degrees, and boils at 100 degrees. We also found out that the average refrigerator temperature is 7 degrees, and that an indoor recess is usually announced at -25 degrees. We had a lot of fun guessing the new temperature on the thermometer each time we came in from recess, and found out that we had a 15 degree temperature rise over the course of the day. The students were so interested in this topic that they asked me to find hottest/coldest record temperatures for Ottawa, Canada, and the world! For the record, the hottest recorded temperature on earth was 57.8 degrees in Libya back in 1922. The coldest was -89 in Antarctica in July of '83. See our labelled thermometer below:
For the past couple of weeks we have been learning strategies to strengthen our ability to add numbers in our head (mental math). Here's an experiment for you to try! Calculate 5 997 + 3 243 (Don't read any further until you have an answer!). Did you grab a pencil and paper? As adults, many of us were taught how to add numbers by writing them in columns, and then adding and 'carrying' across the columns. Usually, we were taught this was the only way to solve questions like this. But is this the quickest, and easiest, way to add numbers? The students have been learning how 'friendly numbers' can actually allow them to perform addition problems like this in their heads (and with greater accuracy than the traditional algorithm). Looking back at the question above, notice how we could easily make the 5 997 more 'friendly' by adding 3 and creating 6 000? Notice how we also could have simply taken that extra 3 from 3 243 to make it the friendlier 3 240? Now all we would have to do is add 6 000 and 3 240, for a total of 9 240. Much easier (and quicker) than all that carrying involved with the algorithm. On Monday, students were shown the algorithm approach, and were asked how it was the same/different from the strategies we were using. It was interesting to hear the conversations, and it was clear that they understood exactly why the algorithm 'carries' numbers over to other columns. Flexibility in his/her math thinking is one of the greatest skills your child can have. Mental math is one way for your child to demonstrate this!
Here are some photos of our Math Wall charts explaining our discoveries: We are continuing our exploration of 2D geometry. On Friday, students used geoboards to create different quadrilaterals. The challenge was coming up with a system to record our discoveries! Thanks to Alexis, Sarah, Richard, and a few others, we learned how to use the grid paper to our advantage! Check out our 'Pyjama Day' math photos below!
Today we discovered that you can use only two triangles to make any quadrilateral! This discovery was sparked by Sydney's thinking yesterday about how shapes can be combined to form new shapes. Many other interesting math discoveries were also made today. Haroon and Dylan helped us see that any shape with 3 sides/3 vertices can be a triangle, even when it is 'stretched out long', or doesn't look like a 'regular triangle'. Tanner also guided us towards realizing that the best way to divide a quadrilateral into triangles, is to look for ways to connect the vertices. When attempts were made to cut quadrilaterals into triangles, and the vertices weren't used, we ended up making smaller four sided shapes. Ryan, Awwab, Richard and Bailey also explored how many triangles it would take to create pentagons, and hexagons and a surprising pattern was noted (i.e., 4 sides= 2 triangles, 5 sides= 3 triangles, 6 sides= 4 triangles)! We are still wondering about why the heptagons (seven sided shapes) didn't fit this pattern. Matt's also curious about whether the first shape ever created was a triangle, since all the other shapes seem to be able to be decomposed (broken down) into different types of triangles. Ryan, our geometry-internet expert, is on the case! See the photos below of our very interesting math class today!
We are a few days into our new Geometry unit. Students are learning to use math words like 'sides' and 'vertices' to describe different shapes, and are exploring the concept of angles, and parallel lines as further properties to classify shapes by. Earlier this week, your child brought home their 'angle arms' to demonstrate angles that are right angles, greater than a right angle, and less than a right angle. These are known as 'benchmark angles', and help children to develop a beginning awareness of this geometric property. Check out some of our new thinking on our math wall...
We are wrapping up our study of linear measurement. Below is a photo of the many discoveries we had while learning about our metric system. Next stop...geometry!!
Today the children had a ruler 'problem' to solve! Students were given a cm cube, a strip of paper, and lines to measure. But first...they had to create a ruler! Many interesting discoveries came out of this experience. Students learned that it is actually the spaces on the ruler that represent the cm. Not the numbers! We also learned that even slight mistakes can result in measurement errors. Check out the pictures of us as we build our rulers from scratch!
Last week, we finished our last two data management topics - pictographs (grade 3) and stem/leaf plots (grade 4). Check out the photos of our problem solving experiences!
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May 2012
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