Grade Five Math Week 2: There Are a Million Ways to Teach Math!

I'm looking forward to K's explanation of this PEMDAS sight-bite.

I told students, "There are a million ways to teach math, and choosing the best way each day is a BIG challenge for teachers."

Perhaps there aren't a million ways, but educators know that there are multiple ways to develop math fluency, understanding, and depth.

I guess that's one reason why I like the standards as the standards lay a purposeful path to math skill, concept, and knowledge--a road map of sorts.

Week one in fifth grade math served as a review of fourth grade skill, routines, and an introduction to numerical expression.

During week 2, we'll complete our focused attention on numerical expression, review and test fact skill and knowledge, and discuss study methods and routines with the following plan:

Monday:
Review order of operations. K will share his PEMDAS sight-bite, and we'll apply the knowledge to a couple of complex equations. We'll also review this week's home study menu, focus, and students' ideas about the best ways to meet this week's fact review goal.

Tuesday:
Similar Ability Partners will complete an assessment packet related to the standards identified in this unit. I'll coach. When partners are similar ability it lays the foundation for better collaboration, more conversation, positive struggle, and learning.

Wednesday:
We'll discuss multiplication facts and multiples. E will share his "proof" that square numbers are the only numbers with an odd number of factors. We'll mark multiples on number lines and discuss what those models look like, and how those models help us to understand facts and multiples well.

Thursday:
Students will test their fact knowledge with a number of That Quiz online tests. I'll assess student skill and knowledge after the tests, and create a differentiated practice menu for students depending on where they are on the computation ladder (I hope to update this link this week).

Friday:
I'll introduce the differentiated menu for fact practice and we'll discuss ways to get fact smart. We'll make a list of strategies and ways we can coach each other towards fact fluency and facility.  If time permits, we'll play some fact games.

The scope and sequence awaits, but I know if I don't start the year with a review of foundation skills and assessment, we'll play catch-up all year long.