Dear Family,

In Friday Folders, you will find math sheets that reflect the work done in class. There will be a sheet titled, "Homework & Practice". It is NOT homework, but it IS a practice sheet. It is NOT an assignment for a grade. It IS an opportunity for you to partner with me in checking your child's understanding of the concepts just learned.

I will be assessing them in class and doing my part to give additional supports in flexible small groups as needed. Having you understand what they are learning and encouraging them to ask for help expedites the process of identifying who needs additional support. They can bring back the completed practices to show me what they've done, but it is not required. Below are more details on the next unit.  

We're beginning our unit on Place Value. Your student will learn about place value concepts and patterns of numbers as they relate to place value. Your student will explore decimals to the thousandths. He or she will compare, order, and round decimals.

The vocabulary terms for this chapter are: period, base, exponent, power, thousandth, and thousandths place.

There are large numbers and decimals all around us. Large numbers can be found in population data. Decimals can be found in measurements and prices.

• Populations of communities, towns, cities, and counties can be explored and compared. Help your student find the population of your town, city, or county. Then write the number in word form and expanded form. Compare the population with another city or town.
• Help your student find gas prices for one gallon of gas from three different gas stations in your area. Have your student write each price in word form and expanded form. Ask your student which form he or she prefers to use when comparing the prices.
• Find the results of a local or national race. Compare the finish times of the top three finishers. Round the finish times to the nearest hundredth of a second. Then round the finish times to the nearest tenth of a second. Determine if using rounded times would affect the first, second, and third place winners.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with place value for whole numbers and decimals. Your student will also be able to compare and round decimals. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the real world.

Enjoy exploring place value and decimals!

Best Regards,

Travis McGinnis

Dear Family,

We decided to start with Geometry first since it is usually last. Your student has been learning about classifying triangles and quadrilaterals this week. They explored properties of these shapes. The vocabulary terms for this chapter are: acute triangle, equiangular triangle, equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, obtuse triangle, parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, right triangle, scalene triangle, square, and trapezoid.

Encourage your child to identify properties of all the triangles and quadrilaterals that are around us. Look for these two-dimensional shapes in nearby architecture.

• The triangles that form buildings and bridges can be described and classified. Help your student identify these structural elements. Classify triangles by their angles and their sides.
• Find a structure that has exposed beams, such as a bridge. Have your student make a general sketch of the structure. Ask your student what shapes are in the sketch and how those shapes connect to make larger shapes. Help your student identify any patterns in the types of triangles and quadrilaterals used in the structure.
• Find a blueprint or other construction diagram for a landmark you might be able to visit. Help your student classify the triangles and quadrilaterals in the blueprint. If possible, visit the landmark and ask your student to point out the shapes on the landmark that he or she identified in the blueprint.

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with classifying triangles and quadrilaterals. Your student will also be able to use properties to explain relationships among quadrilaterals. Encourage your student to practice these skills in the real world.

Enjoy exploring triangles and quadrilaterals!

Also, if your child comes how with any Math sheets in their Friday Folder that says, "Homework and Practice", it is NOT homework, it can be used for practice so that you can know what they are learning in class and can support their understanding at home. 

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback on the topic or work. 

It's been a great first week, have a wonderful weekend. 

Mr. McGinnis