Perimeter and Area

Hello All!

Our homework calls for some tough work related to area and perimeter. Students must find ALL rectangles with a certain perimeter and ALL rectangles with a certain area. Here is a video to show how I taught it in class, and how to use an organized list to make sure they record all possible rectangles! Enjoy~

Geometry Vocabulary

Hello!! We recently started a small unit on geometry! It's very heavy in vocabulary, so I thought I would share a picture of our vocabulary wall with you. That way, you can help out with your child's homework, or give them a little pop quiz in the car on the way to karate :)

I hope this helps you support your child in their math learning at home!!

Types of Multiplication and Division Story Problems (and flashcard fun!)

Hello everyone!

Yesterday's homework featured different types of multiplication and division story problems, and looking back, I wish I would have posted this sooner! Either way, here is a breakdown and examples of each type of story problem:

Array Multiplication
Both factors are known and items are arranged in rows and columns.
Example:
There are 3 rows of flowers. Each row has 4 flowers in it. How many flowers are there altogether?  3 x 4 = 12 flowers

Array Division
The total product is known (dividend) and one other factor (either number of rows or columns) is known.
Example:
There are 12 flowers in a garden. They are arranged in three rows. How many flowers are in each row? 12 ÷ 3 = 4 in each row.

Repeated Groups Multiplication
The two factors are known. One is the number of groups and the other is the size of each group.
Example:
There are 5 dogs. Each dog has 4 legs. How many legs are there altogether? 5 x 4 = 20 legs.

Repeated Groups Division (group size unknown)
The total product is known and the number of groups is known.
Example:
I see 20 dog legs. I know there are 5 dogs and each dog has the same number of legs. How many legs does each dog have? 20 ÷ 5 = 4 legs on each dog.

Repeated Groups Division (number of groups unknown)
The total product is known and the number of groups is known.
Example:
I see 20 dog legs. I know each dog has 4 legs. How many dogs are there? 20 ÷ 4 = 5 dogs


I hope this helps as your child brings these types of problems home for homework! Speaking of bringing things home...your child will be bringing multiplication flash cards home today! Please keep these in a safe place - their study plan will often include practicing with their flash cards! We learned today to make 3 piles. A pile of "YES! I know this one right away" a pile of "Hmm..I had to think about it, but got it right eventually" and a pile of "I have no clue." When they go through all of their cards, they set aside the ones they knew right away and go through the other two piles again. Please help them with this as much as possible!!

Thanks for continuing to support your child with mutliplication and division :)

The 9's Trick

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. It's my first post featuring ME in a video. Scary. Anyway, this is a quick illustration of the trick we learned for multiplying by 9! Enjoy!

November Monthly Math Challenge

Hello all!

This month's math challenge is here! It will be coming home in your child's folder today, but if you lose it, here it is! Please be sure to use the REC form to answer the questions!

Happy Challenging!

Multiplication and Division Homework!

Hello Families!

We started multiplication today! Hooray!! There are a few changes to homework for this unit. You'll be getting a family letter today with some of this information, but just to clarify, here's what you can expect! Heads up - every night your child needs a homework helper. This can be an adult, a sibling, or a friend. The homework helper will need to sign their homework every night!

Every night, your child will bring home TWO homework pages. The first page looks like this (front and back). On the front, your child should use the equations to practice their times tables by saying them all out loud. Then, have the homework helper quiz them on it! On the back, there are math facts with the answers at the bottom. They should cover the answers when they are completing it, then check their answers when they're done!

The other page will have a homework and remembering side like always. The new part here, is the study plan. In class, we'll write our study plan (Practice my fives 6 times etc.) and the homework helper must sign this page to prove that they actually carried out their study plan.

 

As you can see, there is a lot of parent involvement in this unit. Please carve out some time to help your child with their study plan. The kids who show the most success in this unit, practice the most at home! Memorizing their facts is key in this unit!

 

Thanks for being involved in your child's education!!

 

-Mrs. McGaffey

Comparison Bars

Hello! We just began solving comparison story problems today, and I wanted to share a tool with you that we use to organize our thinking: COMPARISON BARS!!

While there is no homework over the long weekend, the homework next week will require kids to use comparison bars to solve their homework problems. Take a peek at the video to help you understand what comparison bars are and how they are used. Thanks!!

-Mrs. McGaffey

Types of Story Problems

Hello Families!

We began Unit 3: Addition and Subtraction Story Problems today. I gave students a pre-test and will place them in math groups accordingly. These groups are flexible and as I see quick quizzes and in-class work, I will certainly adjust them. I wanted to give you a little heads up on some lingo that will be used in the homework.

(+)Change Plus Problem: A problem that begins with a given quantity that is then changed by adding more to it.
Example: Al has 4 toy cars. His mom bought him 5 more. How many does he have now? *note, he is adding more to his original quantity

(-)Change Minus Problem: A problem that begins with a given quantity that is then changed by taking some away.
Example: Joy had 12 apples. She ate 4. How many does she have now? *note, 4 are being taken away - they are done, gone, outta here.

(+)Put Together Problem: A problem that involves putting together (joining, combining) different groups of items to form a total.
Example: Anna has 3 oranges. Joel has 4 oranges. How many do they have altogether? *note, there were two separate quantities that are being combinedinto one group - we aren't actually changing the amount of oranges that are present, just combining

(-)Take Apart Problem: A problem that involves separating a group of objects.
Example: There were 12 horses in the field. Then, 4 went in the barn. How many are left in the field?*note, the horses that are being subtracted aren't actually going away, just going somewhere separate.


When tackling story problems in this unit, encourage your child to draw a math mountain! That way, he or she can see what we know, and what we need to figure out.

Happy homeworking!!

Double Checking with Opposite Operations

Hello Families!

We just took the Unit 1 assessment today, and I am SO proud of their work! You can expect a paper coming home with them tomorrow giving their score on the assessment and whether they exceeded, met, or did not meet standards for the unit. I send these home after every unit to keep you in the loop!

One thing I noticed that we need to work on, is double checking! It's natural for third graders to want to just be done with their work, but they need to be double checking! Since our next unit involves addition and subtraction story problems, I thought I would share a quick video showing how we learned to use the opposite operation (+ or -) to double check our answer. Enjoy!!

Ooh - one last thing! The new monthly math challenge is here! It's not on the PTA website quite yet, but I have copies! Please encourage your child to grab a copy and give a few problems a try!

Thanks!

-Mrs. McGaffey

Relating Addition and Subtraction

Hello!
Today we had a tough lesson on solving story problems, then writing a related story problem using the same information. Check out the video below for some help if your child gets stuck on tonight's homework!

Happy homeworking!
-Mrs. McGaffey

Dreambox!

Dreambox is up and running! Dreambox is a website that students can login to from any computer. They will access their personal profile that directs them to math games and activities that build upon what they know, and push them to further their thinking!

To login, go to https://play.dreambox.com/login/x5s9/phantomle 

Click on 3 - Mrs McGaffey

Enter your child's username and password (sent home Tuesday)

Enjoy!

Subtraction with regrouping

Hello Families!

Here is my first video on the blog! This will help you if your child gets stuck with subtraction regrouping. I showed the proof drawing and how that helps them connect what's going on in the equation, to what's actually happening with the hundreds, tens and ones. I forgot to add - Dr. Tens actually has a British accent as well. Mrs. Hundreds is a Jersey girl born and raised so her Jersey accent is pretty thick. This is just a fun little twist to make subtraction and addition a little more enjoyable for them :) Enjoy!!

Monthly Math Challenge

Did you know that Phantom Lake has a WONDERFUL math specialist? Well, we do! Her name is Laura Gaylord, and having worked with her in the past, I can tell you for sure, she is GREAT! She, along with the PTA, are putting together a monthly math challenge for kiddos who want to push their thinking in math. I highly suggest you give these a try with your child! Each kid that finishes even one problem will get a certificate.

One requirement is you use the R-E-C form. (Restate, explain, conclude). To find and print the REC form, click HERE

You can choose the problems that fit your child's needs, but challenge them to try intermediate problems if that's appropriate for them! Here are the challenge questions (also can be found on the PTA website as linked above)

I hope to see many of my kids turning these in as the month goes on! They can turn them in to me, or the office whenever they finish them, but no later than Sept. 30.

Phantom Lake Math Challenge

September 2013

These problems are labeled in order of increasing difficulty. Choose the one that fits your math and grade ability and solve the problem. People at home can help you. You will need to submit your answer using the R-E-C form. Be certain to put the letter of your problem, your name and your teacher’s name on the form when you submit it. All solutions are due to Mrs. Gaylord by September 30th. Bring your completed R-E-C form to your teacher. Students who successfully complete the challenge with the correct answer and a logical explanation of their mathematical thinking will receive a certificate and their name listed on the Math Challenge poster at school. Happy problem solving!!

Primary Problem A
To collect the amount of nectar needed to make 2 pounds of honey, bees must travel a distance that is approximately the same as circling the Earth 4 times. If we continue to compare distance in this way, how many times would the bees have to travel around the Earth in order to collect enough nectar to make 4 pounds of honey?
Primary Problem B
Each honeybee has 5 eyes! Three honeybees are circling a flower. How many bee eyes are around the flower? Five honeybees are returning to the hive with nectar. How many bee eyes are returning to the hive? Now there are a total of 30 bee eyes in the flower garden. How many honeybees are in the garden?
Primary Problem C
When a bee is looking for nectar to make honey, it can travel about 1 mile in 4 minutes. How far can you travel in 4 minutes? Time yourself while running or walking. Use this data to determine how long it would take you to travel 1 mile?
Primary Problem D
A productive queen bee can lay 3,000 eggs in one day. How many eggs would that queen lay in 5 days? In 27 days? How many days would it take the queen bee to lay 19,000 eggs?
Intermediate Problem E
The distinctive buzzing noise that bees make comes from their wings beating. A bee wing beats about 11,400 times in a minute to create this buzz. How many times would its wings beat in 1 second? How many times would its wings beat in 5 minutes. In 1 hour?
Intermediate Problem F
To collect the amount of nectar needed to make 1 pound of honey, bees must tap 2 million flowers. How much honey can they produce if they tap only 300,000 flowers? How much honey can they produce if they tap 1,750,000 flowers? How many flowers do they need to tap to make 24.5 pounds of honey?
Intermediate Problem G
Bees require 1/3 ounce of honey to make the wax for a 2 1/4 –inch birthday candle. How much honey would be required to make the number of birthday candles needed for your tenth birthday?
Super Duper Challenge
If a bee’s wings beat 180 times in 1 second, how many times do they beat in 1 hour? In one day? The life span of a worker bee ranges from 28 to 35 days. On average, how many times does a worker bee flap its wings over its entire life span?

Vote for Phantom Lake!

While this has nothing to do with homework, please take a second (literally - one second!) to vote for Phantom Lake! Your vote makes a big difference to our school.

 

Visit GiveWith.Target.com to vote for our school.

 

This year, Target will give money to schools all over the country for one simple act: a vote. Our school needs just 25 votes to earn a $25 donation from Target. But that's only the beginning. For each additional vote, our school will get $1 more. So please remember that, although the gesture is small, the rewards are potentially huge. Go to GiveWith.Target.com to vote for Phantom Lake Elementary School once a week through September 21 or until Target has given away all $5 million. And please forward this email to your friends. Vote and see rules at GiveWith.Target.com. Thanks,   Mrs. McGaffey

Place Value

Tonight's homework asks kids to interpret place value drawings. Since this may be a new topic for parents, here is a quick reference for you!

 

 

We will also be discussing expanded form of larger numbers. It will be on tomorrow night's homework. This means the number is broken up. For example:

 

 

1,345 = 1000 + 300 + 40 + 5

This is the number's expanded form.

 

 

 

 

First Day of Homework!

Happy Monday!
 
Today, your child will be assigned his or her first homework assignment! If you look in your child's purple homework folder, you will see an agenda with today's assignment on it. The homework assignment should also be in the folder. If for any reason you ever have to print out a new homework page, you can! You simply need to access ThinkCentral. (Directions below).

Here are some tips to getting homework done in third grade:

• Set up a space for your child to complete his or her homework. Make sure there are as few distractions as possible. In front of the TV is not a great place!!
• Designate a time for homework every night. Maybe it's before dinner, after dinner, or right when they get home. Being predictable with a schedule will really help!
• Help them and check their work! Many parents see this as "cheating," but all I care about is that they are learning the material.

 
The great thing about ThinkCentral, is that our literacy and math curriculum are on there. Here are some instructions for how to access ThinkCentral:

 

 

At Home Connection for Families: How to Access Think Central (Math Expressions & Journeys) from Home
1.       Go to Think Central   www.thinkcentral.com
2.       Click on either Reading & Language Arts or Mathematics
3.       Click on either the Math Expression logo or Journeys logo.  It doesn’t matter what one, after logging in you will have access to both.
4.       To log on your name is your student ID number and password is password.   Username:  6-digit number (student specific) Password:  password   *The first time that you login you will need to choose State (Washington), District (Bellevue) and School (Phantom Lake).  But, if you check “Remember my information” it will be saved on your computer and you will not have to enter the information again.
5.       After logging in successfully you will see the screen to the right.  Click on MY LIBRARY to access resources.
6.       In your library you will see the following resources:   ·         Journeys Practice Book ·         Journeys Student eBook ·         Journeys Family Connection ·         Math Expressions Activity Book   Click on a book cover to access the materials in the book.
The following directions will assist you in printing Math Expressions Homework and Remembering pages.
7.       Click on the cover of the Math Expression book that you are currently using (volume 1 or 2).
8.       Use the green “previous or next” arrow buttons to navigate through your math book to get to your current lesson OR click on the lesson in the Contents.
9.       Once you find the lesson that you need the homework for, click on the Resources dropdown menu.    You will then be able to click on either Homework, Remembering or another resource.
10.   When the page appears, click print.

 I'll send this as a hard copy as there are pictures that go with the directions, but I have no idea how to get them to show up!

 

Happy Homeworking!!

 

-Mrs. McGaffey

Welcome!

Welcome to Room 215! I'm so excited to have your child in my class! I hope you're ready for a great year in third grade, because I know I am!!

In my 5 years of teaching, I've heard many parents relate their struggles with homework. The fact of the matter is: things are being taught WAY differently nowadays! If you have ever had the experience of looking at a page of your child's homework and saying "Huh??" I completely understand! 

I created this blog to hopefully ease some of the homework stress. I will be updating it with tips, videos, and demonstrations to help you throughout the year. If you and your child ever get stuck on something, check the blog to see if I can help!

Starting on Monday of the second week of school (September 9), your child will be bringing a homework folder home every night. Each night there will be a math page, and 20 minutes of required reading. (No homework on Fridays) There will also be an agenda on which students will write the night's homework. It is your responsibility to make sure your child's homework is completed every night! Yes, we want them to take responsibility, but they still benefit from your help! Please sign the agenda when your child's homework is complete.

Stay tuned for information on a parent homework night! We will gather at the school to go over specific concepts and skills taught in third grade, as well as general homework tips. I will also be handing out helpful glossaries, tip sheets, and examples of problems from our Math Expressions curriculum.

I really hope you find this to be a useful tool! Homework helps students take responsibility for their learning and prepares them for their future. By working together, you and I can show your child how important school is and how important it is that they take ownership for their learning!

If you enter your email in the bar to the right, you will be alerted whenever I create a new post. Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

Lisa McGaffey
mcgaffeyl@bsd405.org