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