New Maths Unit:
As we begin a new Unit of Inquiry, How We Express Ourselves, we are also embarking on a new unit in Maths. The unit consists of shapes, angles, number and problem solving.
As we begin a new Unit of Inquiry, How We Express Ourselves, we are also embarking on a new unit in Maths. The unit consists of shapes, angles, number and problem solving.
- Problem Solving: The students are given a problem to solve and asked to use 3 guiding questions to deconstruct the language and understand what the problem is asking. The questions are:
- What do we know?
- What are we trying to find out?
- What we did? Here they would choose a problem solving strategy (e.g. draw a diagram, use concrete materials, create a table, etc.)
Number: During this unit, the children will study 2 and 3 digit subtraction strategies, practice their fast facts (all 4 operations) and begin identifying how repeated addition and multiplication are connected. Much of this work, will help to develop their speed, accuracy and ability to mentally calculate larger addition and subtraction problems.
- Subtraction Strategies:
- Jumping by 10's
- Friendly 10's
- Removing vs. Adding
Fast Facts:
Each week the students complete a fast facts sheet that has a mix of all four operations. They check the sheet either with the teacher or a buddy and then graph their results. It's been great to see the improvements even in the few short weeks since starting.
Shape & Angles:
The student will explore shapes looking at a variety of different things. They will discover the attributes of different 2D quadrilaterals and polygons and identify what a shape is and what it is not. Some of the language that they will be learning and using is:
- parallel & perpendicular lines
- Congruent
- Symmetry
- Angles - right, acute, obtuse
- Curved vs. straight lines
- Closed and open shapes
In the unit, they have been identifying lines, shapes and patterns that they may want to include in their own art pieces.