Watch Out Multiplication, Here We Come!

Dear Families!

For the next few weeks, we will be learning about multiplication.  To start, we will multiplying by 1-digit whole numbers by a whole number up to 4-digits.  (Ex:  4 x 423, 53 x 8, 1,832 x 5, etc.).  We will investigate different strategies to help us on this multiplying adventure!  The main strategies we will focus on are using the Place Value Chart, adding partial products,
and solving using the standard algorithm.  I really try to push the kids to understand and use the standard algorithm because it's WAY more efficient.  

Here is our class poster that explains these strategies.  

While I know some of these strategies are "not the way we learned them when we were in school," they help the kids to understand the meaning of multiplication.  If you have a different strategy that can help your child solve multi-digit multiplication problems, please teach them!  When it comes down to it, I just want the kids to be able to multiply and find the product! 

This is the part where I need to say that many of the students are still working on learning their multiplication facts.  This would be a great thing for you to help them on at home.  Flash cards are one strategy, but there are many more!  

Moving on, once we have mastered that part of the standard, we will move on to multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers.  (ex: 57 x 34, 29 x 82, etc.).  To solve these types of problems we'll mainly use the area model, but if your child is ready, I will introduce the standard algorithm as well.  

Please be expecting to see homework showcasing the different strategies, but I really am pushing the kids to choose the strategy that works best for them that gets them the correct answer.  

Happy Multiplying!  

Week of Sept. 13-17 and 20-24

We're moving away from our unit on addition and subtraction, and moving on to measurement.  I've told the kids a 100 times, that doesn't mean that we can forget how to add and subtract, it just won't be our main focus.  

Our new standards include:

MD.1.1- Knowing relative sizes and lengths.

The students will learn kilometers, meters, centimeters, kilograms, grams, pounds, ounces, liters, milliliters, hours, minutes, seconds, etc.  Students will also have to be able to convert these units to other units as well.

MD. 1.2- Measurement word problems.  

Once the students learn the relative size of the units, they will be expected to solve word problems based on the units.  We'll be converting units to smaller and larger units, then solving addition and subtraction problems involving our metric units.  

Here are some of the posters we will be using to help guide and support our journey with measurement.  

Happy Measuring!  

Week of Aug. 30- Sept. 3

We'll be moving to a brand new standard!  This week I'll introduce NBT.2.4 which says students should be able to "add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm."  To work on this standard, we'll be discussing strategies to help up add and subtract, such as counting on, counting up, using doubles and near doubles.  We'll also work on regrouping and adding numbers that are multiples off 10, 100, 1,000, etc.  

Poster TBP 

To help your child with this standard, you can make up some problems and see if they can solve it.  For example:  45,392 + 39, 795.  

Happy Adding and Subtracting!  

Week of Aug. 23-27

This week we have been working on Rounding Numbers!  The kids have been doing great.  We've also we working on learning from and finding our own mistakes.  To do this,  I would write some of our common mistakes on the board and having the students to help me fix them.  For example, I would  rounding to the wrong place value, not put enough zeros after the circled number, or just not rounding properly.  The kids LOVED helping me fix my mistakes.  LOL.  

Here's our poster from the week that the students reference to help them.  

To challenge your child, give them a number and ask them a place value to round to.  For example, "Round 320,451 to the nearest ten thousand."  Hopefully they answer 320,000. 

Happy Rounding!

Welcome to 4th Grade!

Wow!  Can you believe that summer is over and the 2021-2022 school year has already begun?  I'm so excited to get to know this new group of 4th graders.  I can tell this is going to be a great year already.   My *goal* is to update this blog each week (or maybe 2!) with what we are working on in class.  I will post photos of our classwork, teaching posters, the occasional how-to video, YouTube links, extra practice problems and anything else we are working on in order to keep you informed about what's going on in our class.  I will also be posting class announcements here too.  I am hoping this is another easy way to help keep you informed on what's going on in room 208! 

Please know that I try my hardest, but I can sometimes be a typo queen. Ugh. I promise I try not to have them, but after I read and read and read the same thing over and over, it all starts to run together and sometimes I miss things.  Please forgive me in advance.  

Welp, we're wasting no time and have already started working on mastering the 4th grade standards.  The first couple of lessons can be confusing, but they are really the foundation of a lot of what we learn this year.   It's the dreaded concept of Place Value.  

We started off the year with NBT.1.1. which is being able to recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right. For example, recognize that 700 ÷ 70 = 10 by applying concepts of place value and division.  

Coming up next, we'll be working with showing numbers in different ways (standard form, expanded form, unit form, and word form.), comparing numbers using the =, <, > signs, and finding 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 more or less.  

Once we make the charts together as a class, I will be sure to post pictures so you can review them with your child at home. 

Equivalent Fractions

 We've been working hard and creating and identifying equivalent fractions.  Basically equivalent fractions are the "same amount," they just cut, or partitioned, into a different size and number of parts.  To find equivalent fractions, you must multiply or divide by a fraction equal to one whole.  Again, same size whole, just a different size and number of pieces in the whole.  

Think about a pizza cut into 4 equal pieces.  If those pieces are too big, you can cut each piece in half and now you have 8 pieces.  You have the same amount pizza, just a different number of pieces.  

Below are photographs of the posters we reference in class.  Be sure to ask your child to explain to you how to create or identify an equivalent fraction using multiplication or division.  

Next we'll be moving into comparing fractions!  

Fraction Action!

 We are wrapping up our unit on Geometry and diving head first into fractions.  I remember as a kid, fractions were so difficult for me to wrap my head around.  Because of this, I really try to teach fractions in a way that is memorable and understandable.  Honestly, I try to teach everything this way, but there is something about fractions that can cause a kink in our (my) brain. 

Geometry standards have the largest amount of questions on the FSA, so we will definitely be reviewing and discussing those skills.  Especially since so many of those type questions are recall type answers.  

Here's a quick rundown of what we'll be learning for the next few weeks.  

Fractions!  Here we gooooo!