Fifth Grade Math Maps

I had my classroom create Math Maps for the skills that they learned this year.  We made posters to hang up for our student showcase last week.  It was also a great way to review their notes before our state testing.  They had to add vocabulary, pictures, equations, hints, etc.  Here are a few samples.  They came out awesome!!!

Mathematical Mondays: Diving into Long Division

Today, I will be starting my long division unit.  I have many struggling mathematicians and need to find ways to help them grasp this new concept.  I searched Pinterest and the web for ideas to assist my students and came up with a few new things to try.  Wish me luck!!!

I am going to use the Dad Mom Sister Brother Rover Acronym to teach the steps of long division.We have to teach our fifth graders multiple strategies.  Here is my anchor for this week.

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Mathematical Mondays: Multiplying with Decimals

My fifth graders have been working on multi-digit multiplication with decimals for many weeks.  Some of my students are continuing to struggle with this concept for various reasons.  Some students do not know their facts, others are having troubles with the multi-digit multiplication process, some make addition mistakes and others are just careless.  I am planning to spend one more week going over this and decided to make some centers.

I was searching on Pinterest and came across this anchor chart which led me to Teaching with a Mountain View.  (I am making this chart to go over with my two classes)

When I got to her blog I remembered that I had bought this bundle at the very beginning of the school year.  Not only is it perfect for this week, but I already bought it!!!!  Lucklily I have new ink and pack of laminating pouches.

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I will be pulling small groups this week while they work on centers and task cards.  I will see three groups each period. 

Here is a video that I watched to help explain a strategy to share with my students.  

https://learnzillion.com/lessons/2584-multiply-multi-digit-decimals-using-the-standard-algorithm

I found a great website that allows you to create free worksheets, WorksheetWorks.com.  I like the graph paper on the bottom.  It has many editing options.

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Mathematical Mondays: Tool for Multiplying Decimals By Powers of Ten

I created a tool that the children can use to concretely see that when you multiply decimals by powers of ten that you are moving the digits to the left or right of the decimal.  I have many inclusion and some non-inclusion students who needed a more hands-on approach.  I have many different approaches to help them learn and understand this standard.

I used a piece of oak tag and made slits to weave a sentence strip, cut in half horizontally.  The kids move the digits right or left to see the pattern.

Mathematical Mondays: Decimal Pointer

I have been teaching multiplying decimals using the Powers of Ten this week and came up with a clever tool... The Decimal Pointer.  I glued a felt circle to the end of a pointer and it works great.  I can move the decimal to the left and right.  Get a dowel or ruler if you don't have any pointers!  

Mathematical Monday: Exponent Foldable

Things have been crazy with the start of school and I feel like I'm starting to get a handle on everything.  I am a day late with my math post…better late than never.  I keep forgetting to take pictures of my students' notebooks but I will post the one I made.

I found a great example of making an accordion foldable for expanded form numbers.  I used a sentence strip and showed my class.  They loved it and wanted to make one.  I decided to make the accordion foldable to show exponents for the notebooks.  

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Mathematical Mondays: Rounding Strategy

Here is a strategy that I have been using to teach rounding numbers to older students.  I use the acronym CUBA.  I created this sheet to put in their notebooks this year. 

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I also created a page to teach "Ways to Write Numbers."  We will review whole numbers and then use for decimals.

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Mathematical Mondays: Free Math Fonts that Create Symbols and Manipulatives

Do you like to use cute fonts?  Do you try to make math materials and don't have the symbols you need?  

I stumbled across these math fonts on Sunday while looking for some regular fonts.  You can create bar models, numbels lines, fractions and so much more using your keyboard.  Check out the following links to get Free fonts for your math sheets.  

(School started today and I'm a day late with this post…so this needs to be short and sweet today…sorry!)

http://www.dafont.com/kg-teacher-helpers.font

 

http://www.dafont.com/kg-fractions.font

http://www.dafont.com/kg-math-bar-models.font

 

http://www.dafont.com/kg-traditional-fractions.font

Mathematical Mondays: Math Talk

To help children build their mathematical comprehension, we need to give them more opportunities to talk about math.  My school system will be adopting "Go Math" this year, and they have built math talk right into their lessons.  It is something that most teachers do naturally, but I think it is an area that we can become more conscious of, and try new ways to include it in our lessons.

There is a great article called "Math Talk 101" on Scholastic.  It shares ways to get started with math talk and how to become more conscious.  There are free printables for your room.  The one below is available as a poster or bookmarks for students.

I found another website, "The Cornerstone" with more suggestions to get kids talking about their math. One idea I would love to try is some videotaping of my students explaining strategies.

You could create an anchor chart to hang in your classroom.  There are many great examples on Pinterest.

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