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Homework
and Calendar
October 25, 2009
Partial Quotients
 Math
Class. We finished Unit 3 which covered geometry concepts. Students
did an awesome job on this unit and almost everyone did great on the test. We started
Unit 4 on division and have had a good time learning partial quotients.
We have practiced a lot and are starting to get the hang of it! This has
been the best year yet for teaching this alternative algorithm. I would
not have known it if I were not teaching it, and I have to admit that I
have seen far more students be successful with division since we started
teaching it as part of Everyday Mathematics five years ago. Thanks so
much, parents, for your wonderful help! Here are some links that explain
partial quotients.
I
appreciate all the great help students have been getting at home on
their facts, and on nightly homework!
Almost
all students are
doing a great job on their homework and engaging math in class. Parents,
whenever
you have a question about your child's math homework, one of the first
things that will help is to check
the math folder I gave you at Open House. This folder includes "Family
Letters" which explain each chapter. That same information is available to you online;
they give you some
great home ideas for helping your child, and, even better, give you the
answers to the homework (sh-h-h-h). This is a great asset for parents to
have as a resource.
Go there..
Science. This week we will
enjoy some great activities that tie together all that we have been
learning about Life science: ecosystems, habitats, food webs,
plants, and animals. We are focusing on owls! We will be watching a video
that shows Barn Owls eating and releasing a pellet. We will also read
the novel Owl in the Shower. In that novel, the spotted owl is an
endangered species and as a result, many people lose their
lumber-cutting jobs. It was the lumber-cutting that began the downward
spiral of the spotted owl's population because the tree was the habitat
for it. Students will be making masks at home to celebrate Owl Day this
week on Friday. You can catch a preview by going to my e-Lab for Owl
Day at
http://www.leslienettling.com/NettlingOwlPelletLab.htm
Here are some links for ideas for owl
masks (due on Friday, October 30th). Great ideas can begin with something as simple as a brown paper
grocery bag, or a paper plate!
 Robotics. Our Carlisle 5th
grade class has been advancing through Carnegie Mellon's
engineering
tutorials and are now programming robots on their own! Their
tutorials taught them to build a robot and program it to move
forward, move backward, do three different types of turns,
respond to sound, and sense light thresholds to follow a line.
This week they will continue adding to their logic and
programming skills as they learn how to
detect and avoid obstacles using touch and ultrasonic sensors.
They will also utilize different gear ratios for strength and speed. The
teamwork they are using would make any engineering group proud!
We have also started our
after-school practices for our robot enthusiasts who just can't
get enough during the school day! Our 13 fifth-graders had their
first practices Friday after school and four hours on Saturday.
They were amazed at how fast the time went! As an added bonus,
Dr. Roger Kimmel spent some time talking with them about what
they are thinking about in regards to their FLL Challenge,
"Smart Move" in which they must target a community issue on
transportation, then work to come up with an innovative
solution. Thanks to parents who completed a survey to help them
pinpoint a worthwhile project. We would like to encourage
everyone to send this survey link to other Carlisle residents.
We have about half as many responses as we targeted, so your
help would be greatly appreciated. Here is the link:
 Math Facts.
It is obvious
that students are putting in some study time at home.
THANK YOU!!! Still need to work on
those math facts? It's never too late (it only gets later!). Here are some great resources
for thinking about facts memorization and helping your child:
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Math Magician Game - Fun
Facts Coverage! Interactive, graphic, and friendly, this
site will provide painless opportunities for your child to
practice multiplication facts.
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More Games and Links for Students
- This is my complete list of fun links and interactive
games.
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Education World - Although
this site is developed for classroom teachers, parents are
teachers, too!
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Ask Dr. Math FAQs - Dr.
Math answers letters from parents and students about
memorizing multiplication facts, addressing some of the
challenges that go with it, and providing some tips, too.
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Hoagie's Gifted Education Page
- Aimee Yermish, Educational Consultant, writes about Gifted
students, their boredom with the tedious task of memorizing
facts, and why it is important that they stay on the task to
completion.
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About.com - This article,
"Math Tricks to Learn the Facts" has a paragraph connecting
parents with the importance of making home the place for
students to learn their facts, then goes on with tips and
tricks.
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Multiplication.com - Who
says memorizing multiplication facts has to be boring? See
these Interactive Video games that will make learning their
facts exciting for kids! Some have free versions, some you
must purchase.
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Homeschool Math - Every
student has their own special way to learn. This article
provides one or two of simple ways in which parents can
become the math facts teacher.
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