Today's lesson on fractions required some reasoning skills and use of multiplication. This is a summary of the lesson (it's also on the yellow sheet in your duotang).
Let's say you wanted to know if a fraction is close to 3/4. First figure out the fraction that is about 1/2 then figure out the fraction that is about 1. Find a fraction in the middle of those fractions. For example:
What is a fraction with a denominator of 17 that is about 3/4?
3/4 is half way between 1/2 and 1 whole.
8/17 is about 1/2 and 17/17 is 1 whole. What is a fraction half-way between 8/17 and 17/17? You need to find the numerator that is about in the middle of 8 and 17 on the number line. 12 or 13 is a good guess. So a fraction with a denominator of 17 that is about 3/4 could be 12/17 or 13/17
In the first homework question you are looking for a fraction that is about 1/5. So you are looking for a fraction that the denominator is 5 TIMES AS BIG AS THE NUMERATOR.
In the second homework question you are looking for a fraction that is NOT about 2/3 so NOT between 1/2 and 1 whole.
Use a number line for the third question. Make your number line 23 cm long (representing one whole divided up into 23 parts). Show were 11 is with a line above the number line. Is it about half the number line?
For the last question if you want a fraction about the size of 1/3 you want the denominator 3 TIMES as big as the numerator.
Fractions test Wednesday, November 20th.
Please review your Representing Money test. Only 3 students in grade 5 counted the money correctly. Make sure you find the correct answer for tomorrow!
Science
Make sure you adaptation poster is ready to be printed out tomorrow. Only 11 are completed. You must show at least 4 adaptations that help the plant or animal survive in its habitat.
Please review your test. Plants and animals are INTERDEPENDENT because the need each other to survive. A grasshopper needs the grass for food, but how does the the grass need the grasshopper? When the grasshopper dies, decomposers break down the grasshopper and return the nutrients back in the soil for the grass. Remember Mufasa explaining to Simba about the circle of life?
Words that are written on a test in the question or elsewhere on the test SHOULD NOT be spelled wrong.
Chess went late today so we didn't get a chance to hand out textbooks. We'll finish Science tomorrow. Here's the video clip about natural disasters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVZExLO0MWA&t=103s
Reading
Most students did quite well on the multiple choice section of the test. It was a very simple book. The plot summary was the greatest challenge. At the beginning of a story, the author gives us the setting, problem and the characters. The middle is the longest part of the story and is all about the main character trying to solve the problem. At the end the problem is resolved. In the book "Dictionary Dave" the problem was Ben starting a new school and being nervous about making friends. Yes, there was the problem about Dave using words incorrectly and Ben embarrassing Dave. That was a problem because it prevented Ben from making friends with a someone he had a lot in common with.
This weekend you will be given another story to practice for reading groups. Each grade will have a different book.
Reminders:
- Pajama day (you can bring one stuffed animal) tomorrow.
- PD Day on Friday
- Mathletics assignments on Fractions
- KEEP PRACTICING YOUR MULTIPLICATION FACTS
