Division Notes & Reminder About Parent/Teacher Conferences Tomorrow

Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Today students learned about the meaning of division. Students took notes over division in their math journals. Then students worked with their shoulder buddies to make equal groups. Students were given a problem and they had to draw their Equal Groups (Division Groups) to find the quotient.

 

 



 

Here is Wednesday's Homework (click to download) which has also been uploaded to the database.

 

Reminders: Parent/Teacher conferences are tomorrow (Thursday 9/26/13) from 2-5 pm. Fourth grade teachers will be meeting together as a whole team. We will be having an open door conference. So there will not be a scheduled time to sign up for. There will be a sign in sheet posted outside my door and basically, it's first come first serve. If you feel that the conference may take longer than 15 minutes, feel free to schedule another time after school to meet with us. We feel that this is the best way to hold conferences this year. 

Warm Regards, 

Ms. Cao, Mrs. Cheatham and Mrs. Hanes.

Properties of Multiplication

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

For the first 30 minutes of class, we went over our test that students took on Friday. Most students did well, while some need to slow down and read questions more carefully. In the next few weeks we will learn an acronym for solving word problems and well as the UPSE problem-solving board.

Students learned about the 4 properties of multiplication today. We discussed Commutative Property, Associative Property, Identity Property and Zero Property of Multiplication. Students took the following notes:

 

 

Students then took turns at their table groups to identify each property of multiplication. I wrote a multiplication fact/property on the board and students held up cards to identify which property I wrote.

 



Multiplication: Notes and Making Arrays

Monday, September 23, 2013
Today students studied the meaning of multiplication. We took notes that included ways to show multiplication:

Students also used color tiles to create arrays from multiplication facts that I showed them on the board.

Here is a copy of tonight's Homework (due Wednesday 9/25, click to download)... just in case you weren't able to obtain it from the database.

Subtracting Across Zeros & Adding and Subtracting Decimals

Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Students learned how to subtract in situations involving zeros. They had to go all the way to their "neighbor" that had a value to borrow. We watched the following video to help students understand subtracting across zeros:

 

Students need to be careful when borrowing (regrouping). I have noticed that sometimes students borrow from the thousands or hundreds and give it to the ones place. Students forget to go place value by place value to give and borrow.

 

 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Students learned how to add and subtract decimals using models and by lining up the decimal points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Students also wrote addition and subtraction clue words in their math journals.

 

 

 

All grades are updated on the grade book/database. I have uploaded Friday's test scores on the grade book as well. Please have a look.

 

Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers

Monday and Tuesday, September 16 & 17, 2013
On Monday students learned how to add with regrouping (carrying). This really should have been a review of addition and subtraction because they learned these concepts last year.
Here are 2 very helpful videos for addition that we watched in class:

 

 

 

On Tuesday students learned how to subtract whole numbers including problems with regrouping (borrowing). We learned a rhyme that helps us remember when to borrow.

More on top, no need to stop.

More on the floor, go next door!

What that means is if the digit on top is bigger then subtract normally. If the digit on the bottom is bigger then go next door and borrow some more. Please practice subtraction with borrowing at home! Some students need extra help with this concept.

 

Here are 2 very helpful videos for subtraction:                                                                     



 

 

Reminders: Progress reports will be printed and sent out at the end of the week. Students your first major assessment/test will be on Friday, September 20, 2013. The test will consist of 20 to 25 questions and will include the following concepts:

• Place value
• Comparing and Ordering Numbers
• Rounding
• Decimals
• Adding
• Subtracting

 

Congratulations to my first batch of Star Students:

4A - Anna

4B - Ashley

4C - Genaro

Every 2 weeks I will pick one student from each section as Star Student. I pick students based on their performance in class and behavior. The next star student could be YOU! :)

Estimating Sums and Differences of Whole Numbers and Decimals

Thursday and Friday, September 12 & 13, 2013
Students learned how to estimate sums and differences of whole numbers and decimals. Here is a quick and helpful video that concludes what we learned in class.

Remember Monday HW is due Wednesday. Wednesday's HW is due Friday. Friday's HW is due on Monday. Here is a copy of Friday's Homework (note that HW is not posted on the database because there is an error with my webshare folder). There are 2 pages: Reteaching 2-3 and Reteaching 2-4 (click to download).

Remember to round each whole number then add or subtract. Round decimals to the nearest ones place then add or subtract. If students wish to show work on a scratch sheet of paper they may do so and attach it to the homework.

More Rounding & Homework

Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Students continued to practice rounding whole numbers and decimals. Remember the steps for rounding! Remember the rounding rules: 4 or less, let it rest (stays the same)... 5 or more let it soar (add 1 more)!

Here is a decimals place value chart in case students need it.

 

4C students did not get to see me in math class today due to MAP testing, so we will check Monday's homework tomorrow.

 

All students received a copy of today's homework. Wednesday's homework (click to download) will be due on Friday.

 

Parents, please have your child practice place value and rounding at home! Here's a great Place Value Mat (click to download) to practice with.

Rounding and Estimating Whole Numbers and Decimals

Monday, September 9, 2013
Today students learned how to use rounding to estimate numbers. We learned how to use the Rounding Hill (click to download) to help us round numbers.

Steps for Rounding Hill:
1. Put the number you are rounding to in the box in the middle. Let's say we are rounding 684 to the nearest ten. That would go in the box in the middle.
2. Then we put the two nearest ten in the boxes to the right and left. In this case we would put 680 and 690 (see picture).
3. Underline the place value you are rounding. Look to your neighbor to the right and circle it.
4. If the neighbor to the right is 1-4, you fall back to 680. If the neighbor to the right is 5-9 then you go forward to 690.

 
 

We also went over our vocabulary (click to download) for Rounding and Estimating.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Today we continued talking about rounding. We created a class anchor chart for rounding numbers that students will receive and glue into their journals tomorrow.

We discussed rounding decimals. We said that rounding decimals is just like rounding whole numbers... you still follow the same steps!


Reminders: Monday's homework (click to download) is due tomorrow! Also it's picture day tomorrow!!! This time picture day dress code is school uniforms. In the spring students will have free dress pictures taken.

Also, if you can please work with your child on rounding at home that would be great! Give them a few practice numbers to round.

Ordering and Comparing Decimals

Friday, September 6, 2013
Today we learned how to compare and order decimals. It's similar to comparing whole numbers, but just with decimal place value. We learned two ways to compare decimals. One way is to look at each place value to determine which one is greater or less. The second way is to line up the decimal point. Students also got to use hundredths grids on our mimio board to compare 2 decimals.

Students glued a copy of our anchor chart into their interactive math journals. See below, except their chart is black and white

 



 

Refer to the above material if your child needs help on their Friday Homework. Please omit number 8 on the last page of the homework. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Decimals

Thursday, September 5, 2013
Yesterday, students took their beginning of the year M.A.P. tests. These tests are not taken for a grade. Students take these test for reading, science and math. Students take this test to determine students’ instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year.

Today we continued talking about decimals. We learned a cute poem to remember decimal place value and how to read/say decimals.

We used base ten blocks to represent decimals. The hundreds block represents one whole, the tens rod represents one tenth, and the small ones square represents one hundredth.

We watched the following video:
Writing Tenths and Hundredths with Decimals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWcNQkmpYVk
(I will try to embed the video to my blog later... it's not letting me at the moment)

This should help with Wednesday's Homework (click to download)! Also, problems A, G, and J did not copy well so they are kind of hard to see, therefore, you may download or view it here. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Extra Practice:
If you would like to practice decimals at home, here is something we used in class:

10 x 10 Grid
Parents can shade in an amount and ask students to name that amount or write a decimal and students have to shade in the amount on the grid. Remember 1 grid equals 1 whole.

Decimal Place Value

Tuesday September 3, 2013
Today we learned about decimals and used money to help understand our decimal place values. We watched the following videos:

Decimals and Money part 1:

Decimals and Money part 2:

 

We said that the first place value after the decimal is our tenths and the second place value after the decimal is our hundredths. Tenths are like dimes which are worth 10 cents. It takes 10 dimes to make 1 whole dollar. Hundredths are like pennies which are worth 1 cent. It takes 100 pennies to make one whole dollar.

 

Here's a fun decimal song that we didn't get to watch today in class due to technical difficulties:

 

 

Remember, our Friday Homework Packet is due tomorrow since we had Monday off.

Welcome to Ms. Cao's 4th Grade Math!!!

Welcome! Now that the first official week and a half of school have passed, I finally have some time to create this blog. This year I believe that all of my students can reach their full potential. I hope that with our wonderful parents' help, students will have a successful year in fourth grade math. My purpose of creating this blog is to share with parents the material/content that students are receiving and learning in class. I hope this additional material will help you and your child this school year. I will try to update this blog as often as I can. Here's to a wonderful, fun-filled year!

-Ms. Cao

 

Friday 8/23/13: Interactive Math Journals
We decorated our Interactive Math Journals :) and created the Table of Content

Monday 8/26/13: Place Value to the Hundred Millions
We set up our interactive math journals and glued in our place value charts. We wrote vocabulary words on the inside flap. We also played Display the Digits. Click link to download.
For this activity you will need Number Tiles, click to download.

     

Tuesday 8/27/13: Place Value Graphic Organizer (aka Foldable)
We created a graphic organizer to help students differentiate Standard, Expanded and Word Form. Inside each flap is a short definition and an example.

 

Wednesday 8/28/13: Comparing Numbers

We took notes and practiced comparing numbers.

Thursday 8/29/13: Ordering Whole Numbers

We learned how to order numbers. We also practiced ordering whole numbers from greatest to least and least to greatest. We also did a group activity where students had to order and compare numbers - Think Together. Click link to download.
For this activity you will need Number Tiles, click to download.

Friday 8/30/13: Place Value Quiz

Students' place value quizzes have been graded and updated on the database.