Rounding decimals 8-30-10 to 9-3-10

SPI 0506.1.2 Estimate fraction and decimal sums or differences.
 This week we will be learning to estimate and round with decimals so students can estimate sums & differences. This is an important everyday skill that will be very helpful for a variety of lifetime experiences including shopping, restaurant menus, buying supplies, and many more reasons. This seems to be one of the MOST difficult concepts for students to grasp. So please help at home all that you can in explaining how to round and the usefulness to estimating!

      Some words your kids should know:
estimate (estimation):
rounding:
truncating:

To teach this concept, I like to use the rounding rap! I found this rap to be very successful in teaching the concept of rounding. I originally found this rap here.


Rounding Rap
Find the place value and circle that digit.
Move to the right and underline get it.
0-4 Cirle stays the same.
5-9 Add one is the game.
Now, flex your muscles like a hero.
Digits to the right change to zero.
All other digits remain the same.
Yo! You're a winner in the rounding game.

Example:

1.7(8)9
Round to the nearest hundredths
You would circle the hundredths place (8)
Then you would underline the number to the right of your circle (9)
If the number you underline is 0-4 your circle (8) stays the same and all numbers to the right change to zero.
If the number you underline is 5-9 your circle (8) add 1 is the game to become a (9)
becoming 1.790 or 1.79

They will then use this skill to estimate sums & differences. (Rounding to the nearest integer/whole number.)
For example:

5.05 + 6.42 = 11.47
5 + 6 =11

We will be working with white boards, flip charts, games,  and hands on activities on this lesson. Be sure to help them practice at home! Estimating and rounding is often a very hard concept for kids to grasp.

Please go to links for 1st Nine Weeks to find games and worksheets to help with this week's lesson/skills!
Click for Games & Help On This SPI Lesson!
Please let me know if you or your child is using this site. I would love the feedback.


Signing off, Mrs. Burger :-)

Add & Subtract decimals and Order & Compare Decimals:8/23/10 to 8/27/10

This week we will be working on two SPI's and then we will test on Friday. Today we will add decimals, tomorrow subtract decimals, Wednesday order decimals, Thursday compare decimals, and test Friday.

This week's SPI's are:
5.2.5 Solve addition and subtraction problems involving both fractions and decimals.
Tips: The MOST important step is to LINE up the decimals and numbers to ensure proper adding and subtracting is going on! Don't forget to carry and borrow as needed!

5.2.9 Compare whole numbers, decimals and fractions using the symbols < (less than) , > (greater than), and =.
Tips: The MOST important step is to LINE up the decimals and numbers to ensure proper comparison between decimals. Children often want to say that since there are more numbers on the decimal side that it automatically makes it the decimal bigger. That is not the case with decimals.

Sample Problems:

Add Decimals
      1.592   
+ 22.173
   23.765

Subtract Decimals
  14.59
-10.03
    4.56


Ordering Numbers:

Greatest ---> Least  12.9, 12.7, 11.4, 10.2, 10.1, 9.0

Least --> Greatest 1.5, 1.52, 1.6, 2.3, 2.31, 3, 4.5

Comparing Numbers:

3.99999999999999 < 4
0.9999999 <1
9.97654 > 9.97653
0.4= 0.40


Please go to links for 1st Nine Weeks to find games and worksheets to help with this week's lesson/skills! Or here is a link to it for you!
Click for Games & Help On This SPI Lesson!
 Please let me know if you or your child is using this site. I would love the feedback.


Signing off, Mrs. Burger :-)

Place Value: 8/13/10 to 8/20/10

This week we will be working on place value. Students are to be able read and write whole numbers up to the hundred millions (100,000,000) and decimal numbers as small as millionths (0.000001). They will also have to be able to recognize place value in a variety of on contexts.

Sample Problems:

1. Q. How do you write ten million, one hundred twenty thousand, thirty in standard form? A. 10,120,030
2. Q. How do you write 987,002,620 in written form? nine hundred eighty seven million, two thousand, six hundred twenty A.
3. Q. How to you write two hundred twenty four thousandths in standard form? A. 0.224
4. Q. How do you write 0.000009 in written form? A. nine millionths

Please go to links for 1st Nine Weeks to find games and worksheets to help with this week's lesson/skills! Or here is a link to it for you!
Click for Games & Help On This SPI Lesson!

Signing off, Mrs. Burger :-)

Welcome new crew!

Welcome to a new school year! This will be my second year teaching, and I am SO excited to get to know each and every one of my students! I created this website last year to provide some sites and sources for those who struggle in math and/or love math! I hope to continue to get kids using this blog to help them with their math. I plan on continuing to add things and make the site more "user friendly." My goal this year is to organize the games section by SPI. I would also like to organize and find new sites for the SPI links themselves as well.

Get ready for the new year!! I know I am!

If you are curious about me. Check out the about me section. Thanks!

Signing off, Mrs. Burger :-)