Tag Archives: rectangles

Green Olives

By Fawn | Published: November 13, 2017

My 7th graders are working on “percentages of” problems currently, and late last night, I saw this problem on one of Don Steward’s handouts. There are 75 olives, 40% of which are green. I eat some of the green olives until 10% of the olives that remain are green. How many green olives did I […]

Posted in Algebra, Course 2 (7th Grade Math) | Also tagged Don Steward, percent of, percent of a number | 10 Responses

Euclid’s Algorithm

By Fawn | Published: May 15, 2017

I show my 6th graders this image, pointing out that this picture represents the two numbers 1 and 1 that I’d entered at the top. I then ask them to give me two new numbers — any two positive integers [that are 10 or less, for now] — and the computer will draw a new […]

Posted in Course 1 (6th Grade Math), Math 8, Problem Solving | Also tagged conjectures, Euclid's algorithm, GCF, great common factor, I Notice I Wonder, problem solving, square numbers, squares | 10 Responses

Dividing Fractions

By Fawn | Published: May 26, 2016

My 6th graders have been working with dividing fractions for the last two weeks. We explore these four ways, in this order: Number line Rectangles — I wrote about this here. Dividing by one Common denominator It’s completely intentional that we work with the number line and rectangles first. I want my kids to see the answer and that it should […]

Posted in Course 1 (6th Grade Math) | Also tagged common denominator, dividing fractions, number line | 9 Responses

Multiplication: Finding the Greatest Product

By Fawn | Published: October 26, 2014

From a set of 1 through 9 playing cards, I draw five cards and get cards showing 8, 4, 2, 7, and 5. I ask my 6th graders to make a 3-digit number and a 2-digit number that would yield the greatest product. I add, “But do not complete the multiplication — meaning do not figure out the […]

Posted in Course 1 (6th Grade Math) | Also tagged area of rectangle, factors, finding patterns, multiplication, number sense, place value | 26 Responses

Dissecting Polygons

By Fawn | Published: June 6, 2012

I appreciate any math lesson where I give the students minimal instruction, yet the lesson is rich in content and it gets kids to do math. (I’m learning to do more and more of not doing much.) Each student got two pieces of grid paper. Part 1 In portrait orientation, fold paper in half vertically and approximately into thirds horizontally. Unfold paper […]