Division with Remainders - Expressing the Remainder as a fraction

Hello Families!

Here is a video showing how I've explained division with remainders (expressing the remainder as a fraction) to the kids. It's pretty tough, but they'll get it! One thing I forgot to note in the video is that the fraction does NOT need to be simplified. This is one extra complicated step that we just don't need to worry about at this point. Thanks and enjoy!

Gallons, Quarts, Pints, and Cups - oh my!

Hello Families!

Maybe I'm alone here, but gallons, quarts, pints and cups have always been tricky for me. How many pints in a gallon? How many cups in a quart? I have always had a hard time remembering these!! Your child will be bringing home a math page with gallon/quart/pint/cup conversions on it tomorrow (Wednesday) and I wanted to share a picture with you that I use to teach them (and remind myself!) about the conversions.

This picture shows that in one gallon, there are 4 quarts. In each quart, there are 2 pints. In each pint, there are 2 cups! So, back to my original puzzling questions, how many pints in a gallon? 8! (you just count how many P's are inside the big G) How many cups in a quart? 4! Honestly, I imagine this picture any time I need to know this info!

I hope this helps! Happy homeworking!

Equivalent Fractions

Hello!
Tonight's homework has some interesting language on it. Check the video below if you're having a hard time understanding what they're asking for. It's tricky!

Thanks for checking your child's homework every night!!

Fraction of a Set

Hi Everyone!

We have started our fractions unit! This is a pretty tough unit, so please make sure you're checking over your child's homework EVERY night! You play a huge role in their math success!

Here is a video to aid you in helping them with fraction of a set (tonight's homework)

Happy Homeworking!
-Mrs. McGaffey

March Monthly Math Challenge

Greetings!

The monthly math challenge for March has been released and it all centers around Pi Day (3/14). We don't use pi much in 3rd grade, but Mrs. Gaylord has constructed a number of fun activities for kids of all ages to start understanding pi!

See below for the challenge - there are 2 parts. Your child can do an activity then respond to the reflection, and/or memorize as many digits of pi as possible and recite them for a cool pencil!

March Phantom Lake Monthly Math Challenge

Pi Day Fun!

 Pi is: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812...

Introduction

Pi (π) is the ratio of the circumference (the distance all the way around a circle) to the diameter (the distance straight across a circle).  Did you know it is always the same number? Pi begins 3.1415, and no matter how many decimal places you travel, it never ends!  Because this number never ends and never repeats as a predictable pattern it is called an irrational number. 

March 14 is Pi Day! (Because it’s 3/14; get it?) It just so happens that 3/14 was also Albert Einstein’s birthday. In honor of this international celebration, you have the opportunity to try out some Pi activities.  Select the one that interests you the most and turn in the Pi Day Reflection form by the end of the month.

For those of you interested in participating in a Pi recitation contest, practice memorizing the digits. The first 12 numbers are 3.1415926538. To see the first million digits, visit:  http://www.piday.org/

Here is a great site to practice learning the digits:

http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize-Pi

There are even pi trainer sites:

http://www.eveandersson.com/pi/pitrainer/

http://www.x42.com/cgi-bin/pitrainer.cgi

 

The contest will be held Thursday, March 13^th in Room#204 starting at 2:30.

You must get permission from your teacher and a pass. You may come anytime between 2:30 and 3:00 to recite Pi and win a Pi pencil. *Teachers, please send only 3-5 students at a time.

Thank you!

 

1.    Pi Paper Chain

Even the youngest mathematician can participate in the first two activities!

Different colored paper strips are paired with numbers (e.g., blue for 2, red for 4). The strips are then linked in the order of π (3.1415…). The chain can be as long or as short as time and interest allows.

 

1.      Pony Bead Bracelet

This activity is similar to the paper chain except students can use plastic pony beads (really any bead or even snipped colored straws) and pipe cleaners or yarn.  Different colored beads are paired with numbers just like in the paper chain activity.

 

2.      Cutting Pi

This activity helps students visualize what 3.14 actually means. Find a cylindrical object (cans jars, and glasses or bowls), wrap a string around the outside of the cylinder and cut the strong so it is exactly the cylinder’s circumference. Take the circumference string and stretch it across the diameter of the cylinder. How many diameters would you be able to cut from the string? The answer should be three and a little piece left over, or 3.14. (Activity from Disney Family Fun, check out the site: http://spoonful.com/family-fun/who-doesnt-love-pi-day)

 

To find π with paper pencil, divide the circumference of the circle (all the way around) by the diameter (the length from one side of the circle to the other): C÷d=π

 

3.      Pi Ku

Write a p-ku, a three-line poem with three syllables in the first line, one in the second, and four in the third.

 

4.      Pi Ku Plus

Write a poem in which each line corresponds to the number of syllables in π-so you would have three syllables in the first line, one in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth and so on. How many lines of Pi can you write?

 

5.      Am I in Pi?

Go to this link: http://www.facade.com/legacy/amiinpi/

Enter your birthday to where it appears in pi

 

6.      Your Life In Pi Years

How old would you be in pi years?  This site: http://pidays.jtey.com will check your work for you.

 

7.      Beautiful Hyptrochoids

You can use a spirograph to make circles within circles. This web site lets you try it with technology:  http://wordsmith.org/~anu/java/spirograph.html

 

I need to give credit to the following web sites for information, ideas, and text:

www.mensafoundation.org

http://www.piday.org/

http://www.joyofpi.com/pilinks.html

Name_______________________________Teacher________________

π Day Reflections

What activity did you complete?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did you learn from the activity?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What questions do you have about pi?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Elapsed Time

Hello!
We are in the middle of a quick unit on time, and the toughest concept so far has been elapsed time. We are trying to figure out how much time has passed, or when a certain event will end if it starts at a certain time and lasts a certain number of minutes. It's hard, because kids want to use subtraction, but that doesn't always work! (Think, if you try to do 3:10 minus 40 minutes, using the standard subtraction algorithm, it just won't work!) Here is a video for how we discuss it in class. Hope it helps with the homework!!

(PS. my class phone rings 3 times in this video...aaannnoying!!! Sorry about that! )

Comparison Problems (Multiplication and Division)

Hello Families!

Tuesday, we begin comparison problems with multiplication and division! The problems are pretty tricky, so watch the video below for some pointers on how to help your child at home! Enjoy :)