Adding and Subtracting Decimals

Today we start with the first of three decimal operations days.  We will cover two of the four on the first day, addition and subtraction. 

Here's the basic tip of the day: LINE UP THE DECIMALS

That's it, it's really that simple.  Of course you need to be able to perform the correct mathematical practices to get the correct answer. 

Think of it like the buttons on a shirt.  

TRIO Test Taking Strategies

Today we have a guest speaker/teacher from TRIO who is in math this rotation to share test taking ideas and tips to be a more complete student.

Tomorrow is environmental site, so we will not have math until Wednesday.

Our plan looks like this (note Mon and Tues are next week):
Wed: Addition and Subtraction of Decimals
Thurs: Multiplication of Decimals
Fri: Division of Decimals

Mon: Review
Tuesday: Assessment on Decimals

Fractions Assessment day

Today we assess our knowledge of fractions.  Next week decimals.

When you finish the assessment you may check out the following after xtramath if you're interested in pre-learning our upcoming skills:

Go to www.khanacademy.org and type "decimals" into the search box and you'll get lots of skills to help you get started.

Also, here's a semi-fun game that involves some strategy to get the highest score possible

• Shopping Mall Game

Fraction Review

Where's Mr. Flaten?

Well, my wife and I were expecting a baby about a month from now, but he came last night.  So, I'll be gone for a few days.  Mrs. Oest will be teaching in the classroom for a week or two, until I return. In the meantime, I probably won't be updating the blog as frequently, so you can check out Mr. Nelson's blog for a version of what was probably done in class.

Here's the link:  http://mrnelsonsmathblog.blogspot.com/

See you later, See you soon!

GCF - Greatest Common Factor

Here's a method that we are going to look at to find the GCF easily for any numbers:

Upside down birthday cake

You can also use factor lists, or factor trees, but this way seems to be the preferred method for speed and accuracy.

This week we cover: GCF, LCM, and a review of adding and subtracting fractions.

STAR assessment

Click here: STAR ASSESSMENT LINK
user names and passwords will be on the board.

Today we are completing the STAR assessment.  We do this a few times a year and all sixth graders in class will be doing their best on this and results will be available at parent/teacher conferences.  This shows if we are placed correctly, if more intervention is needed, or if there are opportunities for enrichment.  It is not pass/fail, so it will not be recorded in the gradebook.

We just completed prime factorization, or what we call factor trees.  Some key vocabulary words are prime numbers, composite numbers, and also the factorization.

That's all for now.