Today, in class, I put out large containers of base ten blocks to each of five groups. The students predicted how many blocks they thought were in each container. This very simple lesson involved estimating and then letting the groups count to find out how many were in each container.
This is an amazing beginning of the year activity that is very simple. It will give you a great idea of a 4th graders knowledge of numeracy. It is fascinating to watch the different ways student organize the blocks.
A special note: No student I have ever had starts counting the ones blocks first. This is one of the reasons I teach mental math strategies. Students naturally find it easier (adults do as well)! 4th graders need more time just plain counting.
Tomorrow, we will be estimating how many blocks it would take to make a million.
I found this great activity that will lead to a whole class lesson.
reading and writing numbers to a million for 4th grade
In my search for cool 4th grade math activities I also found this great resource. Awesome 4th Grade Math Lesson Plans
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Interpreting Remainders Lessons and Ideas for the Classroom
Are you one of the thousands of teachers who have watched my math youTube videos? Have you clicked the link from my youTUBE channel? Great! I am working on FREE resources for teachers as we speak. I am almost finished with a huge teacher FREEBIE for math. It is like two weeks of common core worksheets in one awesome project. If you like some of my math videos, you love this resource. It is almost ready. Get on my email list and I will get the link to you immediately after I have put the finishing touches on it!
Interpreting Remainders with Division: A Simple Strategy for a Hard Concept for Elementary Students
It took me a long while to figure out how to teach interpreting remainders to students who are just starting to learn about division. Up to the point that I teach them, students have only seen numbers that work out perfectly.
Well, there is one simple strategy that has helped my students to understand how to interpret remainders. I love bar modeling in math, but I had to admit that bar modeling falls a little short to show division. After all, students are usually starting with a whole number and then chopping it up in equal chunks. It can be done, but I have found that there is a easier way to teach how to deal with left-overs.
I start by doing a lot of work with understanding the meaning of multiplication and division. One great activity is my Giant Candy Box Research project. I will post the free resource when it is done. When using tiles in this project, there is a easy way to show students which numbers have remainders and which numbers don't. I plan on posting a video of this method because it will help a lot of teachers to show students how remainders work.
I used to dread teaching division but after explicitly teaching this one problem solving strategy, I have found success. In my next post, I'll explain. I am a working teacher, so if you are dying to know click on the email list and I will give you what I have in rough form.
Anyway, I start teaching interpreting with remainders by explaining why I am angry with the hot dog guy. I got the idea for it from a Steve Martin movie. Here is the clip. I now call interpreting remainders, hot dog bun problems. I will let you know why in a future post, but if you watch this clip, you can probably figure it out.
So, what is the strategy that helps students interpret remainders?
I love explicitly teaching the problem solving strategy using an organized chart and one of its best applications is for solving division problems. I will be posting some resources soon.
Interpreting Remainders with Division: A Simple Strategy for a Hard Concept for Elementary Students
It took me a long while to figure out how to teach interpreting remainders to students who are just starting to learn about division. Up to the point that I teach them, students have only seen numbers that work out perfectly.
Well, there is one simple strategy that has helped my students to understand how to interpret remainders. I love bar modeling in math, but I had to admit that bar modeling falls a little short to show division. After all, students are usually starting with a whole number and then chopping it up in equal chunks. It can be done, but I have found that there is a easier way to teach how to deal with left-overs.
I start by doing a lot of work with understanding the meaning of multiplication and division. One great activity is my Giant Candy Box Research project. I will post the free resource when it is done. When using tiles in this project, there is a easy way to show students which numbers have remainders and which numbers don't. I plan on posting a video of this method because it will help a lot of teachers to show students how remainders work.
I used to dread teaching division but after explicitly teaching this one problem solving strategy, I have found success. In my next post, I'll explain. I am a working teacher, so if you are dying to know click on the email list and I will give you what I have in rough form.
Anyway, I start teaching interpreting with remainders by explaining why I am angry with the hot dog guy. I got the idea for it from a Steve Martin movie. Here is the clip. I now call interpreting remainders, hot dog bun problems. I will let you know why in a future post, but if you watch this clip, you can probably figure it out.
So, what is the strategy that helps students interpret remainders?
I love explicitly teaching the problem solving strategy using an organized chart and one of its best applications is for solving division problems. I will be posting some resources soon.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Science Simulations for 4th Grade
I am working with my students on 4th grade interactive science notebooks and I was looking for some online resources for science. I love this list of simulations
<div style="position: relative; width: 300px; height: 200px;"><a href="https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom-600.png" alt="Build an Atom" style="border: none;" width="300" height="200"/><div style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 60px; background-color: #FFF; opacity: 0.6; filter: alpha(opacity = 60);"></div><table style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 60px;"><tr><td style="text-align: center; color: #000; font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Click to Run</td></tr></table></a></div>
<div style="position: relative; width: 300px; height: 200px;"><a href="https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom-600.png" alt="Build an Atom" style="border: none;" width="300" height="200"/><div style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 60px; background-color: #FFF; opacity: 0.6; filter: alpha(opacity = 60);"></div><table style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 60px;"><tr><td style="text-align: center; color: #000; font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Click to Run</td></tr></table></a></div>
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
Fun Open-ended Word Problems that Teach Problem Solving Strategies
I have students at the end of the day after they have already packed up their backpacks. Talk about a tough crowd. Students are leaving at random times and I wanted something that would keep their attention while also helping them to learn.
I came up with these opened-ended word problems that required art to solve them. It worked, but I found out something even more interesting...
They worked even better in class the next day for a great math lesson.
I came up with these opened-ended word problems that required art to solve them. It worked, but I found out something even more interesting...
They worked even better in class the next day for a great math lesson.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Powerfully simple PLACE VALUE game that Gets Students Actively Moving
This game is simple but 4th grade math students love it. It works both as a math activity and as a way to get students working together.
First, here is a great site for making worksheets. 4th grade math
If you try the game with your students, make sure to prep them about proper behavior. Usually, if you explain that a team that is too loud will lose points groups are well behaved. Giving high value points is also a great way to get students to start paying attention to place value.
The only hard part about this game is getting some kind of large number cards that can be seen by the whole class. Note: the FREE number cards here need some kind of backing so students can not see through them. I just glue these to construction paper. I have them laminated so I can use them year after year. Click here for free number cards.
Once you have large single digit number cards that students can not see through, just place them in a mixed up order on the floor like a game of memory. You have to make sure the cards get back into the same spot, so it helps to have a lot of cards like a game of memory. Now the fun begins. Each group has to follow your directions to build large numbers as a group under certain time restrictions. I like 20 seconds. Students build their number say it and write it on the board. The students then return the cards to the floor flipping them over so that students have to try to remember where the numbers are like in a game of memory. Play two rounds. The group with the largest number wins.
First, here is a great site for making worksheets. 4th grade math
If you try the game with your students, make sure to prep them about proper behavior. Usually, if you explain that a team that is too loud will lose points groups are well behaved. Giving high value points is also a great way to get students to start paying attention to place value.
The only hard part about this game is getting some kind of large number cards that can be seen by the whole class. Note: the FREE number cards here need some kind of backing so students can not see through them. I just glue these to construction paper. I have them laminated so I can use them year after year. Click here for free number cards.
Once you have large single digit number cards that students can not see through, just place them in a mixed up order on the floor like a game of memory. You have to make sure the cards get back into the same spot, so it helps to have a lot of cards like a game of memory. Now the fun begins. Each group has to follow your directions to build large numbers as a group under certain time restrictions. I like 20 seconds. Students build their number say it and write it on the board. The students then return the cards to the floor flipping them over so that students have to try to remember where the numbers are like in a game of memory. Play two rounds. The group with the largest number wins.
4th Grade Math Games for Place Value
4th Graders need lots of practice with place value. These games are great for 4th graders. Check them out!
Target 300
Closest to 1000
One time only
Target 300
Closest to 1000
One time only
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)