Mrs. Spence’s Class

Wow! What a week it has been. We’re in May and I can hardly believe it! Where has the year gone? We’ve done so very much and learned even more. This week was a wonderful one because we teachers were really pampered. Our PTO and administrators had surprises each day and even the students did as well! Shelbi brought in these beautiful sunflowers and Chandler brought me this lovely purple mix bouquet (I LOVE flowers!!!), and the flamingo was from PTO (I LOVE flamingoes too!!!) Thanks everyone!

Today we expanded our knowledge of circles and added a new term: pi. (It’s not a misspelling!) We used measuring tapes to measure the diameter and circumferences of 5 different sized circles. We discussed any relationships we found between the diameter and circumferences. Hm…we noticed that the circumference was approximately 3 times the diameter.

We then read the book, Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi: A Math Adventure by Cindy Neuschwander. (It was a sequel to a book we read previously.) Sir Cumference had an upset stomach and his son, Radius, tried to find a solution. He went to the doctor’s office looking for a solution - found one (he thought) and gave it to his father. It was a BIG mistake. It turned Sir Cumference into a dragon! Now he had another problem - turning his dad back into a human and trying to do it fast enough before the other knights in the kingdom slayed him!

As the story continues, he visited his cousin, Lady Fingers, and she needed help making a pie. He used strips of dough to cover the pie, used the leftovers to edge the pie - but found that 3 strips wasn’t enough. He discovered that it took 3 and a bit more to complete the pie. To find out if Sir Cumference was transformed and saved, you’ll have to read the book for yourself! (My classes already knows the outcome!)

We went back to our activity and double checked our measurements…it was right! The circumference is a little more than 3 times the diameter of the circle. It worked on all different sizes! Pi is a mathematical term for 3.14.  Three wholes and a little bit more. So…

We learned a new formula: Circumference is pi times the diameter. Neat!

We wish you luck this week on your tests!

I love flowers! They are so pretty, smell so sweet, and each one is very special. I just love looking at them - they make me happy!

This morning, one student had a special surprise! A gorgeous bloom! Thank you, oh thank you! I love it!

Today we read Sir Cumference and the First Round Table - a Math Adventure by Cindy Newschwander, illustrated by Wayne Geehan. In the story, the king had a problem because he was tired of shouting across the table for meetings and he had developed a sore throat. So, his friend Sir Cumference, his wife Di from Ameter, and their son Radius worked on a problem of redesigning his table. As the story progressed, they try different shapes and decide on making a round table. This way, the knights and the king can all fit around the table comfortably. This book introduced the terms: diameter (a line that passes through the center of a circle and has endpoints on the edge of the circle), radius (a line segment that begins at the center and extends to the edge of the circle), and circumference (all the way around the circle). We practiced making circles with a paper clip as our tool, labeling the diameter, radius, and circumference. From this we wondered…what would have the greatest dimension, the height or the circumference of various cans? So, we looked at several, made predictions, and then actually measured the cans. Boy, were we surprised! Most cans have a greater circumference than height! Who knew!

Today we read a short story about a clever princess who asked the king for land. She asked for only enough that an ox hide could cover. Thinking that the area would be small, the king agreed.  The princess went to work and cut the hide into strips, sewed the ends together, and then was able to make a new shape…a circle! See our “hides” and compare the area of the beginning rectangle to the completed circle! Wow! What a huge difference!

Then…we had a great time seeing what all could be made from our strips.

Computer games are fun!

We used a spinning game to practice math with our friends. To begin the game, we all wrote 8 math problems on a large piece of paper. The spinner was spun and while in groups, one person asked their members that number question. If they got it correct, they received a point. As the game advanced, each person got to ask their teammates a question from their game board. What a fun way to review our favorite math concepts!

I love this title…because…our fifth graders are SO smart! I’m thrilled to see all the wheels turning and the light bulbs burning brightly…Everyone is working so hard and getting ready for next year - 6th grade!

We are taking all that we’ve learned so far this year and adding more detailed skills. For example, we have already learned to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator - that was easy. Now, we are learning to add and subtract fractions that don’t have the same denominator! They are called unlike fractions. Using the Least Common Multiplies (LCM), we can find a the least common number and use it for the new denominator. We then use multiplication to find the equivalent fraction. The next step is to follow the operations - to add or subtract. Finally, some students like to take the answer a step farther to simplify the fraction. Wow!

We LOVE the computer lab! It’s such a great place to learn new things or practice what we already know. Check out the pictures below…these students are having a GREAT time!

What is your favorite lesson from the computer lab? Submit a comment and let me know!

Today we relaxed after our test with a new game: Forehead

Use small sticky notes and each player secretly writes a three-digit number on the slip of paper and sticks it to another player’s forehead in the group. The numbers are facing out so that every player sees all the opponents’ numbers, but not his/her own. During each turn, a player must guess the number on his/her forehead. If a player guesses correctly, he/she wins. If a player guesses incorrectly, opponents must tell him/her how many digits in the number are correct and the player must give a clue. The game ends when a player guesses the number on his/her forehead. See how many guesses it takes to guess the correct number!