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