Weekly Class Summary: Dec. 6-10

SOLs Covered: SOL 6.6 Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
Math Dictionary Sections: (13) Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Upcoming Assessments: Adding & Subtracting Fractions Quiz (Tues. 12/14/10)

Students wrapped up their current work with geometry by taking a quiz on perimeter, area, and circumference on Monday. Some students are still struggling with formulas (which ones to use and where to use the numbers), so we will be practicing next week with a few class contests, where the prize will be Stingray points that can be exchanged for various rewards.

The contests started during our newest unit, addition and subtraction of fractions, which began on Tuesday when students had to memorize the four steps I gave them that will work for all addition or subtraction problems involving fractions and mixed numbers.

This process, which I call "The Fantastic Four," is not the only method for solving such problems, but it will work for all problems without exception. Students have been doing adding and subtracting fraction problems for a few years now, so the major focus was on the harder mixed number questions with unlike denominators and subtracting questions which require regrouping (AKA borrowing, renaming, etc.). The Fantastic Four work for these questions as well, but students have been instructed to work carefully through these questions. When borrwing, they are reminded that they are borrowing a whole number to add onto the fraction, which they must then turn into an improper fraction before proceeding with the rest of the steps. Since students took their fourth Spiral Review Quiz on Friday, the unit will continue next week with review prior to their quiz next Tuesday.

Adding & Subtracting Fractions Game by Jamit