All About the Math

This image can be found at the mathcoachscorner.com

I wanted to share the newest strategy the students are practising for adding and subtracting larger numbers (two digit numbers).

Most adults were taught the addition algorithm.  Most adults do not know that this algorithm is used in North America but is not as popular in other countries.  It is not important which way you solve an addition or subtraction equation (and ultimately use that method in everyday encounters with problems such as when one is buying items in a store or trying to calculate how many beads you might need to complete a craft project).

What our Alberta curriculum is asking us to do is to expose the students to a variety of strategies that may resonate with a particular student and that they can use to be successful.  Over the years what I have observed is that by exposing the students to these practises and asking them to try them out, the students begin to understand that tens need to be added together and that ones need to be added together.  When they understand that concept (which we easily understand as adults because we have had so much practise), then when the algorithm is introduced, they understand what they are trying to achieve when they follow the steps of the algorithm.

We worked on the strategy of using an open number line and 'jumping' in chunks such as 10s, or 5s or 2s or 1s.  This strategy shows the students that adding means the final sum will be larger and that when the numbers are subtracted, you are going to have a final smaller number, because you started with the larger number and moved down the number line.

Now this week the students are working on the splitting method shown at the top of the chart.  I call it the 'pull down' method because the students pull down the ones to add them together, pull down the tens to add them together and then add the tens and ones to find the final sum.  Next week we will be working on the same strategy but with subtraction.

I get that this is different for you.  Please trust in this process.  In the end, it is not the final correct answer that we are trying to get to.  That will be achieved with practise.  It is the understanding of what adding larger numbers or subtracting large numbers will result in, that is important.  The process of how to get there is not the same for all minds.

Later in March, the students will be introduced to our traditional algorithm.  I believe that this practise of the strategies will make them understand the steps of the way you know how to add and subtract, clearer in their mind.

We keep on learning...

I think the students really enjoyed reading their three clues to their classmates and then revealing what 100 items they had put into their bottles.  It was a great activity to introduce the concept of volume, and the students were intrigued with what 100 of each item looked like!

Corduroy is a lovely little bear and the students are working on using him and his stories as the backdrops of their efforts to really describe a character or a setting.  It has been hard work for them, but they are proud of their efforts.

Here's a list of what I know are important things to note from now until Spring Break:

February 27 - Wear pink to stand up to bullies

February 28 - Author visit

March 5 - Shrove Tuesday (the students will get pancakes but should be bringing a lunch because we don't know when the pancakes will be ready for our class)

March 6 - Early Dismissal     Students will be going to mass for Ash Wednesday at OLPH

March 8 - PD  No school for students

March 11 - Assembly

March 16 - 2:30 to 6:00 Holy Communion retreat at OLPH church

Week of March 18 - book fair

March 19 - follow a Friday schedule  / Parent Council meets

March 20 Little Mermaid puppet presentation

March 21 In school field trip - need 4 parent volunteers

                Conferences in the evening

March 22 Day in Lieu  No school for students

Week of March 25 is Spring Break

Students return to school on Monday, April 1

Happy Valentine's Day

It's just my opinion but I think my kiddos were much more excited that they were going to go skating in the afternoon on Valentine's Day than they were about their valentine cards!  Thank you to ALL the wonderful parents who came out to tie skates, offer encouragement and skate along with these happy, happy children!

This is an example of the happiness we saw all afternoon!

I tried to get the kiddos to stop for a minute to pose for a picture, but it wasn't easy!

In our physical. ed. classes back at school we had been practising doing static balances, so here was our attempt to do a balance on ice!

This was a great challenge for them!

It didn't matter how often these kiddos get to skate, they were all happy to try!

Posing for a picture is a favourite activity as well.

I love when I can get a photo with a mom in the picture, because we know that 

doesn't happen nearly enough!

These two hung out all afternoon and improvements were definitely seen!

Outside the classroom are the students' opinion writing pieces.

I believe that students do a better job of writing when they have actually had the experience, so each kiddo got a Hersey Kiss and a Hersey Hug to eat, which helped generate more vivid vocabulary (Shhh! Don't tell anyone we were eating chocolate in class, but it was only two tiny pieces!)

The students writing followed a specific pattern, so the first sentence shared their opinion, followed by three sentences that each explained a reason for that opinion and the last sentence summarized and restated the first sentence.  

I have included an example of each go the opinions, just to be fair!

These lovely art pieces use mixed media, including sharpie pens, pastels and a blue wash, to share some lovely words from the Bible.

Yep!  I do love these kids!

Winter Walk

After weeks and weeks of staying inside because of the cold, cold temperatures (we are learning how to read a thermometer!!) our class ventured out for a winter walk.  Everyone was bundled up and toasty in their snow pants, and coats and scarves, neck warmers, hats, hoods, mittens and boots.

We walked up the little hill, then slid or rolled down, we made snow angels, played a games of Fox and Geese and then sat in the snow for this photo.  I love those smiles and red rosy cheeks.  The kids were in snow heaven!

We decided to try a photo with throwing the snow in the air before we trekked back into the school.

They were tired out because as one little one said "The snow is soooooo deep!" 

Beginning to learn about the people of the North

We spent a lovely morning having a lady from the Strathcona Wilderness Centre

introduce us to artifacts, lifestyle, and interesting facts about the indigenous people living in the northern part of Canada.  Our social studies curriculum ask the students to compare and contrast their own life with that of a child living on the East coast, in the Territories and on the prairies.

Our guide brought us many artifacts, and explained their use, how they were made and their importance in everyday life and survival.

We had the opportunity to see and touch the actual fur of many of the animals that are native to that part of our country.

No zippers or buttons...you have to slip right in..

this is a sealskin jacket with a fox collar.

We used our tallest boy to understand the size of a wolf...even with hands up, the wolf won!

Look at the size of the paw!

The students had an opportunity to work at four stations and this little guy tried on the fox tails and the kamiks, which are the waterproof footwear found in the eastern territories.  No beads were used because that was not part of their trading practise.

One of the centres involved spinning tops.  In the real life of the Inuit, the tops would have been bones.

Another centre was much like our game of tic tac toe, but again, the Inuit would not have had a cloth game card.

This group was very focused on using the rocks to try and create inukshuks.

Outside, the students tried out some of the games that are part of the Northern games, all involving strength and skill.  They loved them all!

Thanks for sending the kiddos with warm clothing!  It made them have more fun!

Over the last few weeks, we have been preparing for one of our math strategies for adding and subtracting larger numbers.  Here we were recognizing where the numbers would be on a number line.

Notice that there are no numbers below.  In the open number line, the students will choose to write the numbers and then make the 'jumps' based on their own number plans.  In this example, the students were starting at a point, then recognizing the numbers it would take to get to the next ten.  All of the students finished Grade One knowing which two numbers were 'friends' to make ten.

Expect to see an explanation sheet in this coming Friday's folder for the different strategies that we will explore.  Only once the students understand the process of addition and subtraction we will introduce the algorithm that is typically taught in North American schools.  It is fascinating to know that other countries don't all teach the same algorithm as we do.  There are many ways to get to that mathematical solution!

Celebrating the 80th Day of School in 80's Style!

The students met the group Tommy TuTones via Youtube, who were 'one hit wonders' with the song

867-5309 (Jenny I've Got Your Number)  Here they are doing 'air guitar' to the song.  There are some potential drummers in this group!

The numbers were used in a variety on math activities on this 80th day of school.

The students paired up to play a dice game using the numbers (except 0 became a 10)

Why?  One smart cookie told me there was no way to roll 0 with two dice!  Great thinking!

I loved the variety of outfits that showed up....here are the 'preppy' boys.

Here's RunDMC himself....sporting all of his gold!

I am trying to use the iPad to take photos as my trusty camera has decided that 15 years of taking photos was enough.  It is taking me some time to figure out how to upload/download/get quality, etc. so sorry about the fuzziness of this photo of the cutest neon and jewelry wearing girls ever!  

The students wrote about what they will still care about when they are 80 years old, used their senses to write adjectives when they tried a little bit of the candy called PopRocks, explored the digits 8,6,7,5,3,0 and 9 using them in a variety of activities.  It was really totally awesome tubular day!

I appreciated getting all of these ideas from Mrs. VanMeter

BUILDING Compound words....

The cones and caution tape created quite the 'buzz' in the hallway before school on Tuesday morning. I could hear the whispers..."What do you think happened?"  "Did the classroom flood?"  "Why can't we go in?"  "Are we going to have to go home?"

When the students came in look at what was waiting for them at their table spot!

A huge thank you to Home Depot for donating the aprons, gloves, safety goggles, pipe pieces and couplings and the tool boxes for our special day.

The students helped each other gear up and then they all 'met' the site foreman

who explained that the regular workers had called in sick and there were over 100 compound words that needed to be built.

Here's a crew ready and willing to get to work!

The four construction crews worked collaboratively to build the compound words at one of four construction sites, rotating through so that each crew got a chance to work at each site.

At this site, they dug through the tool box to find the two blocks that could be fitted together to create a new word.

This tool box was filled with pipe sections with words affixed to them.  Using the couplings, there were twenty compound words to make.  There were a few heads being scratched as errors were made.

Is there really a word made home?  OOPS!  if the two words are switched, there is a word homemade!

This was a very challenging site.  First you had to come up with a sentence that had at least one noun, verb, adjective and compound word.  Once that was written, you could create a tower with the right blocks.  Finally the sentence words had to be traced in the right colours to show how the sentence was 'built.'  Not the easiest thing for an apprentice carpenter.

Everyone loves puzzles and the 4th construction site had many to put together but surprise!!, the picture wouldn't help because the puzzles had words and had to make sense if they were going to be put together correctly.

Success is worth a hug!

By the end of the morning all of the crew members really understood how compound words are made.  It was a great time!

Let us know if you need something built....we are ready and willing!

(Thanks to Catherine Reed for sharing this wonderful idea with me)