This year is full of new math concepts for 5th graders in Texas. We have new students standards, and multiplying and dividing decimals are just some of them. Luckily, when I taught 7th grade math, these concepts were in my curriculum. So at least I have taught them before! But, teaching them to 5th graders is soooooo different, mainly because 5th graders are not as confident in themselves when it goes to multiplication and long division.
We spent a lot of time practicing multiplication and long division. My students rocked those skills! I could just see their self-confidence rising as the weeks passed. When we added the decimals to the skills, it was easy-peasy! (Whew!)
I am starting to really challenge my students with high rigor word problems. After all, that is what our district and state assessments are! We played Decimal Around the World on Monday. This allowed us to talk through the word problems, decide which method we wanted to use to solve the problem, and work out the solution.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the students worked with partners on the task cards that I made.
They did an amazing job talking through the problems together! I just love walking around the room and hearing their discussions!
Not only do the students have to solve higher-level thinking problems, but they also have to solve using decimals models. Most of my students were able to solve the answers in their head and could not understand why they had to use the models....but, even if they couldn't, I saw how using the models really helped them understand why the decimal was placed in the solution where it was. I included the models in the task cards....
When we took the district assessment on this unit on Thursday, the students did AMAZING! I can't wait for the people at our administration to be able to look at those results....Proud teacher right here!
Now we are on to a week of Personal Financial Literacy....the perfect unit to reinforce decimal operations!
Hope you have a great week!
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