Ms. Closter's First Grade News: Unit 3

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Unit 3 - Bridges

We have moved onto unit 3 in Bridges- Whales Tails and Lobster Legs. This unit will focus on counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's, on number patterns and fact families, addition and subtraction story problems, addition and subtraction facts to 10, coin worth and adding combinations, counting by 10's and 1's, and many lessons on sorting and graphing. We will also be continuing to tell time by the half hour and by 5 minute intervals on an analog clock, comparing and collecting data, and looking at probability.

Here are some frequently asked questions that are answered by the Bridges Program. If you have any questions regarding math in your child's classroom, please INQUIRE with me!

Q: Why do you spend time having students make their own picture problems?
A: In this unit, students learn about different sea creatures and create picture problems about them. Then, students solve one another’s problems. When mathematical problems are embedded in a context that students understand well and find interesting, students can draw on their familiarity with the context to make sense of the math they are learning. Sea creatures,
with their different numbers of legs and other body parts, lend themselves well to solving problems involving equal groups, a major theme of this unit.

Q: Why are time and money part of a unit on sea creatures?
A: The topic of the unit is sea creatures, but the mathematical theme is equal groups. Sea creatures’ bodies, coins, and the clock face provide three different ways to represent equal groups (of 2, 5, and 10). We want students to move beyond counting one by one when solving problems. The scenarios and problems in this unit encourage them to begin counting equal groups by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s. It’s a more efficient way to solve many problems, and it’s also a precursor to understanding place value and to calculating efficiently in our base ten number system.

Check out the winter calendar pieces we created ourselves and put into an AABB pattern! Students have also been challenged by adding double digit numbers. When given a 2 digit number, students have been visualizing in their mind the amount of 10's and 1's in each number and then being asked to add them together. It's amazing how easy this is when you think of it in terms of groups! We have had many new work places this past week including: Spin and Add, Race you to 25 cents, 10 or bust, Count and Compare Coins, and Add and Compare. INQUIRE with your child how to play these games and what their favorite is!