Today we talked a lot about our stories and how we have improved as writers. Our stories are more focused, have fewer mistakes, better structure, and are simply better written than our stories at the beginning of the year.
Students had some rotations where we worked in small groups, worked on vocabulary, and also worked on creating books out of our short stories. Students will be making a book on Big Universe of their story. Many got off to a great start today, and it looks to be good fun!
Students received a new list of vocabulary words today as well as a vocab sort. Tonight they should write a sentence for each word. They should look at the types of speech and use those as clues for how to use the word correctly in a sentence.
We then talked some more about food webs and how animals and plants co-exist and affect each other. We really want students to understand that it’s all one big balancing act, and that all groups affect others either directly or indirectly.
In math today we discussed how when we have been finding equivalent fractions, we have actually been multiplying by a form of one. When you multiply by one, you do not change the value of a number. However, if you pick your form of one skillfully, you can change the form of a number without changing it’s value. You can then find a form of your number that works better in your given problem.
For example, perhaps I am doing a problem like 1/2 + 1/4. In their current forms, my numbers are a tad difficult to work with. It would be much easier for me if both fractions were cut into the same size pieces – if they both had equal denominators. I can’t just change the value of one of my numbers to make it easier on myself. However, I *can* multiply my numbers by a form of one. Again multiplying by one will not change their value.
So I do something like:
1/2 x (2/2) = 2/4
because 2/2 = 1
So by multiplying by 2/2 I have not changed the VALUE of 1/4, but I certainly have changed its form.
Now I have 2/4 + 1/4, which is a much easier problem to answer.
Tonight students should look at some equivalent fractions, and tell me the form of one that each was multiplied by. As always, there is an example:
so, tl;dr
Write a sentence for each of our vocab words. They should make sense!
Find the form of one we multiplied by in order to find equivalent fractions:
And read!
Have a good one,
-Mr. Potter