Greetings 5th Grade Math Families!

 

Your students have learned a lot this year. You should find their textbooks in their backpacks if you want to see the math they learned this past semester. I'm sending home things so that they are not overloaded with stuff and so that you have a chance to see their work before it's recycled. 

 

Best Regards,

Dear Family, 

In this chapter, your student will learn about the concept of volume. Your student will begin by finding the volumes of solid figures using unit cubes. Then your student will use a formula to find volumes of rectangular prisms and composite figures. The vocabulary terms for this chapter are: base, composite figure, cubic unit, right rectangular prism, unit cube, and volume. 

 

There are examples of volume all around us, from boxes we use for storage to the rooms in our home. 
• Volumes can be explored and compared. Help your student find the volumes of two rooms in your home. Write the dimensions of two rooms. You can round the dimensions to the nearest foot. Then find the volume of each room. Compare the volumes. Ask your student which is greater. Then find the volume of a smaller object, such as a box, and determine how many of the object can fit in each of the rooms. 
• Ask your student to research sizes of fish tanks. Have your student record the different sizes and find the amount of water that each tank can hold. 
• Ask your student to think about how volume impacts his or her daily life. It can be anything from how much water is needed to fill a bottle to how much batter can fit in a cake pan. What would happen if these objects decreased in size? 

 

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with finding 
volumes of solid figures using unit cubes and finding volumes of rectangular 
prisms using a formula. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the 
real world. 

Enjoy exploring volume!

Dear 5th Grade Math Families,

 

You can find grades on the Converting Measurement Unit 11 Test in Infinite Campus. You can see their work online at Big Ideas Online. There you can see what they do know and what they still need to practice. 

 
In this next chapter that we'll begin next week, your student will learn about the coordinate plane and how to use a graph to describe the relationship between two numerical patterns. The vocabulary terms for this chapter are: coordinate plane, data, line graph, ordered pair, origin, x-axis, x-coordinate, y-axis, and y-coordinate. Data and numerical patterns are all around us. You can find patterns in population growth, tree growth, recipes, and sporting events, from school track meets to the Olympics. 

• The growth of populations of cities, states, and countries can be explored and compared. Help your student find the current population of your city or town. Then find the population for several other years. Compare the year-to-year increase (or decrease) with population data from another city or town. 
• Help your student find the results of one type of race from the past few Olympics. It can be a swimming race, a track and field race, speed skating, or any event that has data for time or distance. Have your student record the results in a table and then graph the data in a coordinate place. Ask your student to describe any patterns in the data. 
• Find a map of your city or town. Have your student plan a route that includes places that he or she wants to visit. Have your student analyze the distance between different locations. Is there a more efficient route to take? 

 

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident using a coordinate plane to graph and interpret data. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the real world. 

 

Enjoy finding patterns in the world around you! 

 

Students will continue to bring their Homework & Practice Sheets home so that you can see what was taught and how well they learned it or not. Thanks for supporting them at home through any authentic opportunities of math being used around them. Thanks for finding time for them to practice on Big Ideas Online where they experience challenges. 

Dear 5th Grade Families,

 
In this chapter, your student will first learn about metric units of length, mass, and capacity, and then about customary units of length, weight, and capacity. Your student will compare customary units of measure. Your student will make and interpret line plots. Your student will also learn about units of time. The vocabulary terms for this chapter are fluid ounces and milligrams. There are units of measure all around us. The smallest fraction of a measurement in a complicated recipe can be the key ingredient. Larger units of measure impact our lives in many ways, from how we travel to the construction of structures in which we work and live. We use units of time every day, for planning our day and keeping on schedule. 
• Help your student find the distance between your home and a place that your student visits on a regular basis. Then write the distance using two different units of length. 
• Help your student find a recipe for his or her favorite food. Have your student write the amount needed for each ingredient in the recipe. Then have your student convert the amounts to another customary unit of capacity. 
• Help your student find the distance from home to a location 2 hours away by car. Ask your student, “How many minutes will it take to drive there? how many seconds?” Repeat this process for other locations and distances. 
• Look at a calendar and select the date of a special event or holiday that is months away. Ask your student, “How many months away is the date? how many weeks? how many days?” By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident using many units of measure. Your student will also be able to compare units of measure and interpret their meaning on a number line. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the real world. 
Enjoy exploring units of measure!

Greetings 5th Grade Families

 

If you didn't see the email, here is the link again to sign up for conferences related to ELA, Math, and Social Studies.

 

Greetings Families,

We just finished up Chapter 8, Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Mixed Numbers. If you see missing assignments your student can complete them at home on Big Ideas Online . If you see a grade that you want them to improve, complete the matching Homework & Practice sheet that they should be in their Friday Folder. Again, the Homework & Practice is not homework, but rather the opportunity for you to understand what they are learning in class, help them practice at home, and to improve their grade if they are still not "getting it."

In this next chapter, your student will learn how to apply whole number multiplication to fractions and mixed numbers. Your student will use visual fraction models to display the product of a whole number and a fraction, as well as the product of two fractions. They will also use rules to perform fraction multiplication. There are no new vocabulary terms for this chapter.

Help your student review and practice previously learned concepts to prepare for this chapter.

• Allow your student to demonstrate his or her understanding of multiplication. Ask questions such as, “What does 3 5 mean?” Extend that meaning to fractions by asking, “What does   5 mean?”
• Remind your student how visual models, such as tape diagrams, area models, and arrays, can be used to show multiplication. Provide grid paper and have your student use it to solve whole number multiplication problems.
• Find various recipes that include fractional amounts. Ask your student how he or she would adjust the amounts for different serving sizes. Guide your student to see how fraction multiplication can be applied in real-world situations.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with multiplying fractions. Your student will be able to compare products of fractions and mixed numbers. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the real world, such as finding a fraction of a distance or a fraction of an amount of time.

Enjoy multiplying fractions with your student!

Greetings 5th Grade Math Families,

 

I sent the Volume 1 Workbook home with your student so you can see the work they've done and use it for practice. We're leaving decimals behind and moving onto Adding and Subtracting Fractions in Volume 2.

 
In this chapter, your student is adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. The lessons address writing fractions in simplest form, estimating sums and differences of fractions, writing fractions using a common denominator, adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators, and solving word problems involving fractions and mixed numbers. The vocabulary words for this chapter are: simplest form, common denominator, improper fraction, and proper fraction. You can use the activities below to help your student practice adding and subtracting fractions while reviewing measurement at the same time. Point out any time you use 
fractions and mixed numbers throughout the day, whether measuring ingredients for a recipe, putting fractions of a gallon of gasoline in the car, or finding the length of material needed for a project. Encourage your student to do the same. 
• Once you and your student have identified a fraction or mixed number, have 
your student estimate the fraction to the nearest whole or half. For example, 
say, “I need five-eighths of a yard of string to tie this package. About how much 
is that?” Help your student recognize that five-eighths is about one-half. 
• Ask your student to find a common denominator of two or more fractions. For 
example, point out that you need three-fourths of a cup of milk and one-half cup of flour for a recipe. Have your student find equivalent fractions that have a 
common denominator and ask him or her to explain how he or she found the 
common denominator. 
• Have your student add and subtract fractions in real-world situations. Say, “We had about three-eighths of a tank of gas in the car. I added about two-fifths of 
a tank. How much gas do we have now? What common denominator did you use to find the sum? How did you choose that denominator? Is there another 
denominator you could have used? What is that fraction in simplest form?” 
By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning 
targets and success criteria on the next page. 
Have a great time adding and subtracting fractions!

Dear Family 5th Grade Math Families,

We completed long division and in this chapter, your student is learning about division of decimals. We will finish this before Winter Break but the grades will be posted in 3rd Quarter. The first lesson shows patterns for dividing by powers of 10. The next lesson uses compatible numbers to estimate quotients. Using models helps students to make sense of quotients involving decimals. Your student will learn how to place the decimal point in the quotient and how to work with zeros in the dividend. Finally, your student will solve multi-step word problems to apply what he or she has learned. 

 

There are many situations that you can use to help your student understand 
division of decimals. 
• Measure the length and width of a room in meters. Multiply to find the area. Give your student the area and the length of the room. Then ask, “What is the width, in meters?” Have your student first estimate the answer and then divide to find the actual answer. Ask, “Does your answer make sense, based on your estimate?” 
• Use a grocery receipt as an opportunity to divide decimals when you buy apples or some other food by the pound. Say, “We spent $3.12 on apples that cost $1.98 per pound. How many pounds of apples did we buy?” 
• Have your student find the unit price of an item. Say, “A 64-ounce bottle of juice costs $3.87. What is the unit price?” 
• Divide money equally among people. Choose an amount of money, such as $5.73. Ask, “Can you divide the money equally among 3 people? If so, how much would each person get?” 
By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to use and practice the skills of dividing decimals routinely. 

 

Have fun dividing decimals!

 

Just a reminder, the Homework & Practice sheets are a way for students to improve their grade with the corresponding lesson. It's not homework, but all students who have been getting support at home using these sheets have improved in the classroom. Our class is only 60 minutes long and the content is fast paced with a new lesson each day. Revisiting some lessons can help students build confidence and get clarity if they didn't score a 3 right away on the practice. I pull small groups and do my best to work with all my students, but the needs vary, and students move at different speeds. So all the support you can offer at home is appreciated. 

 

If you need more help accessing Big Ideas Online, don't hesitate to reach out to me by email. 

Dear 5th Grade Math Families, 

We flew through Unit 4 without full mastery of multiplying multi-digit numbers (It was only 5 lessons). We will be revisiting this skill in Unit 5.

 

In this chapter, your student is multiplying decimals using models, place value, 
partial products, and the laws of multiplication. Your student will find products 
involving multiples of 10 and powers of 10. He or she will also learn to estimate 
products. Finally, he or she will solve word problems involving money. 
Some review words for this chapter are: base, decimal, exponent, and power. 

 

Here are some situations you can use to practice multiplying decimals together. 
• Take a walk outside with your student or use a fitness tracker. Make a 
plan to walk for 1 mile, and increase the amount by 0.1 mile each day for 
three days. Ask, “How would you find the distance you walk on the 
second day? the third day?” 
• Go grocery shopping. Find something with a dollars and cents cost of 
less than $10 and ask, “How much will 3 of these cost?” Find something 
that is sold by the pound and ask, “How much will 2 pounds cost? How 
much will 2.5 pounds cost?” Find something in the produce section that 
is sold by the pound. Have your student weigh it, and ask, “How much 
will this cost to buy?" 
• When you pull up to a pump to get gas for your car, have your student 
identify the price per gallon for the type of gas you use. Ask, “How 
much will it cost to buy 2 gallons of gas?” Determine the amount of gas 
you are going to buy. Then ask, “About how much will it cost to buy that 
many gallons of gas?” Compare the actual cost and the estimated cost.

 

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with multiplying multi-digit numbers even in decimal format. 

Talk about the many types of real-life situations when multiplication of decimals is used. 

Happy multiplying!

Dear 5th Grade Math Family,

In this chapter, your student is learning about multiplication of whole numbers. Your student will begin by investigating multiplication patterns and estimating products. Then your student will multiply to find partial products, regroup when needed, and add partial products to find a product. The vocabulary words for this chapter are overestimate and underestimate.

There are many real-life situations that you can use to model multiplying whole numbers.

• When you go to a theater, ask your student to estimate how many rows of seats and how many seats are in each row. Then ask, “How many seats are there in all?” If a movie theater is a multiplex, ask, “If each theater has the same number of seats, how many seats are in the multiplex?”
• Grocery shopping provides another opportunity for your student to multiply whole numbers. When you see a display that has the same number of items in each row, ask, “How many items are in the display?” Encourage your student to multiply the number of items in each row by the number of rows to find the answer.
• Going to a restaurant provides another opportunity to practice multiplying whole numbers with your student. If the restaurant has booths that seat four people, ask, “How many booths are there? How many people can sit in the booths?”

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria. Encourage your student to think of other real-life situations to use multiplication of whole numbers, such as estimating the number of spaces in a parking lot.

Hope you enjoy your movie and dinner!

 

Best Regards,

Mr. McGinnis

Greetings Families,

 

In case you cannot find the link in your email that was sent out last Tuesday, here is the Signup Genius link for Fall Conferences.

 

I look forward to meeting you virtually (Thursday) or in person (Friday.) 

Greetings Math Families!

 

The end of the first quarter is here. Your child has completed three units of Math: Place Value Patterns to the Thousandths, Order of Operations, and Adding and Subtracting Decimals. 

 

Any Homework and Practice work that came home in Friday Folders can be kept for practice. If you would like to see the work your child has done and see the skills they can continue working on at home, have them log onto www.bigideasmath.com using their login and password. There, they can show you their tests and access resources to help them improve. 

 

We are wrapping up our Math Facts War Tournament this week, based on the card game War, where students simultaneously flip the top card over from an evenly split deck of 40 cards. The value of each card 1-10 (Ace as One) are the factors. The student who correctly says the product of those factors first wins the cards. In case of a tie, each player gets a card. The cards are counted when they run out to declare a winner. Please consider playing this game with them at home. 

 

Our next unit leans heavily on their math fact fluency, so the more familiar they are, the easier the process will be for the next unit.  

 

Thanks for partnering with me in building your child's mastery of skills in math.

 

Best Regards,

Mr. McGinnis

Greetings 5th Grade Math Families,

 

We've wrapped up our second unit in math. You should be finding examples of the work they've done for the past couple of weeks. As said before, the Homework & Practice Sheets can be used to improve low grades for the corresponding lessons in Infinite Campus. Thank you for supporting their mastery of the content as we push forward into our next chapter of study, Adding and Subtracting Decimals

 
In this chapter, your student will learn to add and subtract decimals. Your 
student will use estimation to check that sums and differences of decimals are 
reasonable. 

There are many real-life situations that involve adding and subtracting 
decimals. 

• When balancing a checkbook, you need to know how to add and subtract 
decimals. Show your student your checkbook or a sample checkbook. 
Leave the balance column blank. Ask, “Do I add or subtract this entry 
to find the balance?” Then have your student find the sum or 
difference. 

• Go to the grocery store with your student and a small list of items to 
purchase. Have your student record the cost of each item on your list. 
Ask your student to estimate the total cost of the groceries and then 
find the exact cost. Next, tell your student that you want to remove an 
item from the list. Ask, “What is the new exact cost?” 

• The next time you are at a restaurant, ask your student to estimate 
the total cost of the meal before tax and tip. Then have your student 
find the total cost. Ask, “How close was your estimate?” Tell your 
student you have a coupon for $5 off the total. Ask, “What is the new 
total cost?” 

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the 
learning targets and success criteria. Encourage your student to think of 
other situations that involve adding and subtracting decimals, such as buying 
items from an online store. 

Enjoy grocery shopping and eating out!

 

Best Regards,

Travis McGinnis