Area and Perimeter
During Unit 4, we began working with perimeter and area. There is a specfic way of solving the problem in the classroom. Students have practiced this in their notebooks while in class. Here is an example of what is expected from them.
For a rectangle that is 8in by 6 in:
P=2L + 2W (the formula)
P=(2 x 8) + (2 x 6) (fill in the numbers from the shape
P=16 + 12
P=28in (must have the unit of measurement!)
A=LW (formula=lengeth x width
A=8 x 6
A=48 square inches (must have squared units)
Some of the new strategies and ways of doing math can be very complicated and confusing! Below is a little explanation of each strategy, hopefully this might help! Students have examples of each in their math notebook as well. I have been able to find some videos to help and I am looking for more (please note, when possible the video is available directly on the page, if not, it is the strategy name has a hyperlink to a video). Multiplication
These strategies take big problems and break them down into smaller problems that are easier for many students to complete.
1. Traditional/Standard - the way I was taught to multiply in school, and probably the way most of you were!
2. Break Apart - this strategy takes one of the factors in a multiplication problem and breaks it up to make a new equation that is easier for students to solve.
This video calls it the "Splitting" Strategy. This will help you get the basic idea of how Break Apart is done. Students do it a little different but have been taught to break it apart and write it the same way that they have at the beginning of this video.
3. Array - this video uses a 2 digit by 2 digit multiplications equation, while we are using 2 digit by 1 digit right now, and only breaking up one factor where he breaks up two in his array. It is the same basic idea that might explain the drawings you seen in your student's math journal! At the end is an example of our place value/partial products strategy, but we set our problems up a little differently.
5. Lattice - this is great for visual learners! It uses boxes and lines with simple multiplication problems, with a little addition.
Division
1. Traditional (see bottom video) - I tell the students, this is how most people used to learn in school!
2. Column - this strategy is just like the traditional method, except it breaks it down into different place values to help keep the student on track.
3. Tower/Magic 7 - this strategy is the best for students that have a strong sense of basic multiplication facts. It breaks the division problem into smaller facts that the student is more comfortable with. The video below from YouTube, this isn't exactly how students have been taught, they have been instructed to set theirs up a little differently, but this should help!
This video shows the traditional vs. the Tower/Magic 7, which they call Big 7. Again, our students have been taught a little different, but this is the same basic idea.
4. Array Method - I have not taught this one yet. We will soon!
