Halloween Science

This week students investigated this fall themed question:  Does the size of a pumpkin affect the amount of seeds inside? This was a great opportunity to go through a full Science Investigation with the students.

We read a story about a family looking for the perfect pumpkin for Halloween.  This family loved to roast pumpkin seeds after carving their Jack-O-Lantern.  They wondered how they could select a pumpkin that would give them lots of seeds to roast! Each family member had a different idea as to what might affect the amount of seeds inside.  We chose our research question based on one of these ideas.

We discovered that the size of the pumpkin had no affect on the amount of seeds inside.  There was no significant difference in the amount of seeds in the small, medium and large pumpkins.  Here are a few pictures from the investigation.

Candy Corn Math

Oh how the tiny white, orange, and yellow sugary treat makes us think of fall! Students helped me figure out how many pieces of candy corn I bought last weekend when I scooped up 5 bags of it on sale. They first had to figure out how many pieces were in each bag. We looked at the Serving size and servings per bag to help us. There were 24 pieces in a serving and 5 servings per bag.  Students decided to multiply 24x5, giving us a total of 120 pieces per bag. Then they knew to multiply 120 pieces in each bag by 5 (the number of bags I bought).  Students showed their work on what else.......a piece of candy corn!

Breaking Apart to Multiply

Students have been using the Break Apart strategy they learned with basic facts to help them multiply greater numbers.  We used place value blocks to show an array for 4x23. 

Then we broke the 23 apart into 20 and 3. We thought of 4x23 as (4x20) + (4x3). 

Then we must add each partial product 80+12, giving us 92 as our product of 4x23. Students have been using this strategy to help solve multi-digit multiplication products into the thousands!

Bye Bye Books!

Bye Bye Books is the title of the problem students needed to solve cooperatively in class Thursday.  Teams worked to apply reasoning and problem solving strategies to help Charlie give away 36 books to his friends. Teams were also given a Problem Solving Rubric which is the same rubric you see each month for a homework assignment.

This specific question gives students practice in finding all the factors of a given number.  A factor is an exact divisor or a number that divides.  Each divisor produces a quotient (the answer to a division problem) that is also a factor of the dividend (the number that is divided). For example, 4 and 9 are a factor pair of 36.  The students also had practice using square numbers.  A square number is a product of a number multiplied by itself.

Many students enter my class resistant to these types of questions.  I stressed the importance of being able to answer problems like this.  It is a skill they will need in the real world.  Students also must become comfortable with higher level questioning because the Math FCAT 2.0 focuses on more complex questions.  Problem solving and reasoning are a major focus in our classroom.

Below is the problem students were given along with a few examples of how students solved it.

Division Vocabulary

I was so pleased with the focus and effort that was put into our math learning today.  Students used the Frayer Model to record three division vocabulary words.

The Frayer Model is a graphic organizer with four sections.  The vocab word goes in the center and then in each of the four sections students list a definition, characteristics, examples and non-examples for the vocab word. We were able to identify division vocabulary and created a visual reference for those words.

Using this specific model creates higher order thinking opportunities for the students.  They must first analyze the word and give a definition.  Then they must describe characteristics of the math concept.  This was a struggle at first for them.....they caught on quick! The last two sections allow students to synthesize and apply what they have learned in order to give examples and non-examples.

Here are a few examples of student work from our lesson.

Manatee Information

Calling all manatee lovers.....this Florida coastal mammal is an excellent choice for your Florida Math Project. Here is a link you may find useful!

Manatee Food Intake

Bottlenose Dolphin Fact Sheet

This is a great link to use if you are researching the Bottlenose Dolphin for your Florida Math Project this month! Check it out!

Bottlenose Dolphin Fact Sheet

How can you tell which way is North?

Students have been investigating ways to tell which way North is. We have discussed a GPS, compass rose, a magnetic compass and today we made our very own sun compass! Students were excited to see that it actually worked.  Here are a few photos of the Sun Compass Lab.

Will getting ready to assemble his sun compass.

The sun casting a shadow on the time of day.

Will and Kevin bisecting the angle formed by the shadow and 12.