Mathematical properties are actually quite useful when it comes to making sense of math. For example, the commutative property of addition helps make adding numbers a little easier. If we know that the order the numbers are added does not matter, then in the problem 2 + 9, adding the 2 onto the 9 is easier and more efficient than adding the 9 onto the 2. The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics requires all third grade students to know…
We’re surrounded by line segments. These line segments create parallel and perpendicular lines, and acute, obtuse and right angles. Looking for them in our environment is a great way to reinforce them. Ask your kids: Who can find a set of parallel lines? …perpendicular lines? …an acute angle? Pretty soon, they’ll be seeing nothing but lines and angles in the tiles on the floor, the branches of the trees, the way an ice hockey puck hits the wall… For older…
I’ve said it before, but it’s important to say it again…understanding fractions begins with understanding the whole and the pieces that make it up. The question below is a good way to get students to reflect on the idea that, with fractions, each piece names one equal part. The CCSSM identifies each part as a ‘unit fraction’. Posing this question is a great opportunity to focus on the CCSSM Standards for Mathematical Practice, Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning…
Cookies in math class? Absolutely! This fun and engaging hands-on activity will get your students excited about doing math. Students will be designing their perfect cookie within the limits of a budget. They will be filling out order forms for cookies, candy and frosting then designing and drawing their final product. This fun activity seamlessly ties in important concepts in math, specifically, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with money, and attributes of geometric shapes. This lesson is divided into grades…
Making sense of and understanding mathematics is the foundation of the new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. It is not enough that kids can compute with numbers – they must understand why those computations work. Enter Number Theory, the part of math that explores numbers and how they relate to each other. At the heart of Number Theory are the properties of number. One of the first ones students will encounter is the Commutative Property of Addition. It states…