A Year in the Life: Ambient Math Wins the Race to the Top!
Day 275
For one year, 365 days, this blog will address the Common Core Standards from the perspective of creating an alternate, ambient learning environment for math. Ambient is defined as “existing or present on all sides, an all-encompassing atmosphere.”
And ambient music is defined as: “Quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times.” Why ambient? A math teaching style that’s whole and all encompassing, with themes that repeat many times through the years, is most likely to be effective and successful. The CCSS math standards are listed here in blue followed by their ambient counterparts.
Measurement and Data 4.MD
Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
2. Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Though the Math By Hand materials do not include word problems per se, a plethora of such problems and worksheets can be found online, in textbooks, or create your own! However, before using them, it’s a good idea to research the ins and outs of word problem construction, to circumvent any comprehension problems that may arise. Building the foundation for understanding by using clear, pictorial, graphic, hands-on materials should come first and then continue to be used as support while applying them to any purpose.
That said, consider tying investigations into all of the above to other subjects as suggested yesterday because integrating math skills practice with other lessons and activities is most effective. See blog post #267 to work with money amounts involving simple fractions and decimals.
Try a new recipe for dinner or bake a cake with your fourth grader to review/learn dry and liquid measures. Review posts #270, 271, and 272 for working with the number line and any units of measure. All others could be covered in the context of other subject matter such as yesterday’s post suggested: measuring the parts of a whale (or any other animal) or using a pedometer to count the number of steps to the corner store. Steps could then be converted into feet, yards, and fractions of a mile.
Keep it real! Bake that cake and remember that knowledge ensues in an environment dedicated to imaginative, creative knowing, where student and teacher alike surrender to the ensuing of knowledge as a worthy goal. Tune in tomorrow for more Grade 4 math CCSS and their ambient counterparts.
