Ms. Meyer's Message

February, 2012

Dates to Remember                                                           

February 16   -  Academic Alerts go home

February 20   - President’s Day Holiday

Fifth Grade Math:  We are currently studying geometry.  Please have your students review vocabulary, formulas and multiplication facts each night.  Last week 46% of the math class earned an “A” on the division timed test.  100% is our goal! The following websites should help with our study of geometry.   Check unfamiliar vocabulary at www.harcourtschool.com/mathglossary and geometry facts at http://www.infoplease.com/math/knowledgebox/.

Fourth Grade Math:  We are currently studying addition and subtraction of mixed numbers with like denominators.  Pease have your students study fraction vocabulary from their booklets or at  www.harcourtschool.com/mathglossary.   You may want to add this website to your favorite list on your computer.  During this unit we will also study decimals and measurement.  Students may use the following website to strengthen skills in fractions:  http://www.infoplease.com/math/knowledgebox/.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Meyer's Message

The following are some math websites to help students with our upcoming units of study.

Vocabulary is often overlooked and extremely important.  All unfamiliar words should be looked up and studied before students are tested on the math topic.  It would be helpful for students to make flash cards of the vocabulary for each unit of study.  Several math dictionaries can be found at these websites:  www.harcourtschool.com/mathglossary and http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com (click on animated).

Fourth Grade – Equivalent Fractions – http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/allgames.html (go to Melvin Makes a Match)

http://www.helpwithfractions.com (there are many different fractions links on this website)

 

Fifth Grade – Mean, median, mode and range vocabulary game: http://www.quia.com/rr/51667.html                                        

 http://math.pppst.com/mean-median-mode.html  (first power point presentation) 

mean, median, mode and range song:  http://mail.clevelandcountyschools.org/~ahunt/FOV1-0002AEE9/S025ECADF?Plugin=Podcast 

Geometry – http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/math/math2.htm (click on geometry and choose a link).

Meyer's Message January, 2012

Dates to Remember: 

January 13, 2012  Report cards go home 

January 16, 2012     Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (no school)

Welcome back.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful and restful break.  We will be studying the following topics during January:

Fourth grade – Our classes are currently finishing geometry and will soon begin fractions.

Fifth grade – Our class is wrapping up fractions this week, reviewing statistics, (mean, median, mode and range) and will soon begin geometry. This coming nine weeks we will have timed division tests every other week.  Students need to study their division facts each night until they know the facts quickly.

Parents - Please check your student’s agenda nightly for their math homework assignment.  Each student should have homework Monday through Thursday night.  If you would please check to make sure that your student completes their homework each night we would really appreciate it.

Questions – Just email me at:  Pauline.Meyer@cobbk12.org.

December 9, 2011

Parents please have your student study the multiplication and division facts over the winter break.  The fourth graders are now studying the twelve facts and the fifth graders are studying all facts through 12 x 12.  The students that are doing the best in mathematics currently know the multiplication facts automatically.

Fifth grade math students continue to work on fractions.  We are working on adding and subtracting mixed numbers/fractions.  This is challenging so it requires the students undivided attention in class.  Students have homework four nights a week and parent involvement is appreciated.  One website mentioned several times in previous “Meyer’s Messages” that follows the national, state, and county math standards is http://www.ixl.com/ .  Students can practice whatever skill our class is working on and check their answers immediately using this website.

Fourth grade math students are currently working on geometry.  We will be doing several projects during this unit and students usually seem to enjoy these activities because they are actively engaged in the lesson.  There are many good websites that students can practice geometry skills and the following are a few:   Angle Games – learn about angles in a fun way at this website:  http://www.wartgames.com/themes/math/angles.html.  

Ms. Meyer's Message

Fourth Grade Math – We are currently studying long division.  Students who know the multiplication facts (through 12 x 12) are understanding long division better than the students who do not know the multiplication facts.  If you would like for your students to practice the division facts go to the following website for practice:  http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/mathsdiv.html or to practice multiplication facts they may go to a previously mentioned website and choose one of many games:  http://www.wartgames.com/themes/math/multiplication.html.

Fifth Grade Math - In fifth grade we are presently studying addition and subtraction of proper fractions, simplifying/reducing fractions and finding equivalent fractions.   The students who know the multiplication facts through 12 x 12 are having an easier time than the students what do not know the multiplication facts. If you would like for your students to practice fractions go to the following websites for practice of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators                                   http://funschool.kaboose.com/formula-fusion/number-fun/games/game_action_fraction.html      http://fen.com/studentactivities/MathSplat/mathsplat.htm                                         http://www.math-play.com/adding-and-subtracting-fractions-game.html

For all grade levels students can go to the following website and click on the grade level and the skill for practice:  http://www.ixl.com/math/grades.

Parents – Please have your student practice the multiplication facts each day of the Thanksgiving Holiday’s for one hour per day.  That is, 9 days x 1 hour daily = 9 hours.  They can do this while they are waiting for something to happen.  If your student made an “A” on the most recent multiplication test they do not have to practice as much.  These students should concentrate on speed.  Thank you so much for your help with your students mathematical education.

Meyer's Message

Important Dates to Remember

November 8 - No school for students                                                               

November 21-25 – Thanksgiving Holidays

Parents please have your students practice the multiplication facts each day for at least 15 minutes until they know them.  You can do one of the following to help your child:  1) make multiplication flash cards and practice each day 2) play Multiplication War with a deck of cards.  Simply remove the Jacks and Jokers, give the value of 12 to the Kings, 11 to the Queens and a 1 to the Aces.  Deal out all cards.  Each player turns over a card and both players call out the answers.  Whoever calls out the answer first keeps the cards.  The person with the most cards wins. 3)  Students may also go online to the following website:  http://www.wartgames.com/themes/math/multiplication.html  and choose one of the links for practice.

More Math Websites for practice:

Division – This website helps the students learn the division facts. http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/games/demolition/demolition.html                                                     

Multiplication and division of decimals practice (and any other fourth or fifth grade skills) – http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-5                                                                                            

Equivalent fractions lesson – http://www.mathisfun.com/equivalent_fractions.html                                           

Equivalent fractions interactive game – http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/memory_equivalent1.htm

Meyer’s Message October 2011

Dates to Remember:

Iowa Test of Basic Skills – October 10-14, 2011 – 3^rd and 5^th grades only.          

Conference Week – October 24-28, 2011 – Students dismissed about 2 hours early.

The students that are practicing math facts at home seem to be doing better on their homework and on tests.  All students must learn their multiplication facts!  I really appreciate the parents that are taking an active role in helping their students with math homework. 

                                                                                                                                                     The following websites should help the fourth and fifth grade math students in practicing the math skills at home.  We have used some of these websites in class and your students should be familiar with them.    

 

MATH WEBSITES

http://www.wartgames.com/themes/math/multiplication.html -  There are many interactive multiplication games that you can use to review the basic multiplication facts.

http://multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm - interactive multiplication games.

http://www.vectorkids.com  – go to Interactive Math and click on  Divisibility Rules.  Omit the divisibility rules for 8, 12, and 15.

http://www.decimalsquares.com/dsGames/games/laserbeam.html - rounding decimals and the four operations with decimals.

http://www.decimalsquares.com/dsGames/games/placevalue.html - place value strategy.

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/order.shtml - order of operations interactive game.

http://www.ixl.com/ - math skills practice.  Click on grade 5 and find the skill that you wish to practice.  Click on the skill answer the question and then click on submit.

 

Meyer’s Message September 23, 2011

Dates To Remember

Academic Alerts – September 22, 2011

Iowa Test of Basic Skills – October 10-17, 2011

Conference Week – October 24-28, 2011                                                                                                      

Math Website                             

Parents please investigate the following website during the school year so that you can review with your student important math topics taught in class that follow the Georgia Performance Standards.  The website is:  www.ceismc.gatech.edu/csi.   For the fourth grade examine page 1 of 6 and the fifth grade we are teaching part of 2 of 5 and part of 3 of 5. 

September 15, 2011

Parents please check out the following Cobb County School District website at: http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/picasso.  The website is called Picasso.  Picasso involves parents in the educational lives of their children and gives them important information about student achievement and what is being taught in the Cobb County schools. Picasso also gives valuable resources for parents by simply clicking on “parent resources.”  Please take a few minutes to investigate this website.

My email address:  Pauline.Meyer@cobbk12.org

Meyer's Message August 26, 2011

Welcome back to Big Shanty Intermediate School! Most of our EIP classes will begin on Monday. 

Please put the following dates on your calendar:

September 5 – Labor Day Holiday 

October 24-28 – Conference Week

What’s happening Mathematically…

Fifth graders are currently studying place value, ordering and comparing decimals.  We will soon be studying rounding, estimating, adding and subtracting decimals.                          

Fourth graders will be studying place value, rounding numbers, estimating sums and differences.  

Use the following websites for additional practice at home:

Place Value:  http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/tens.cgi?A1=s&A2=3 

Place Value Chart:  http://www.math-aids.com/Place_Value/ There are some advertisements at this site.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Multiplication:  http://multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm

Multiplication: http://www.helpingwithmath.com  (drag and drop multiplication games).

Math Dictionary:  www.harcourtschool.com/mathglossary 

Parents please make sure that your student learns the MULTIPLICATION FACTS.  They must know the facts quickly/automatically and without counting them up.  Before I came to Big Shanty I taught middle school math (in Cobb County) for many years and I know that if a student does not know the multiplication facts in elementary school they will struggle in middle school.                                                                                                      

I look forward to working with your students this coming school year. My email is Pauline.Meyer@cobbk12.org if you should need to get in touch with me.