Dear Parents,
As we approach the end of the quarter, I am continually
impressed by the growth I see in each of my students. Their joyful diligence
has helped them learn so much, and I hope you are all very proud of them. To
help you value their efforts even more, I thought you would appreciate the
following summary of topics we have covered this semester. (These are not study guides for tests; those are below.)
1.
Distinctions between digits, place, and value
2.
Review of addition and subtraction with
regrouping
3.
Learned formal names for parts of addition and
subtraction problems (summand, sum, minuend subtrahend, difference)
4.
Properties of addition and subtraction
5.
Evaluating expressions with parenthesis (order
of operations)
6.
Evaluating expressions with letters
7.
Solving for unknown minuends, subtrahends,
summands
8.
Review of multiplication
9.
Properties of multiplication
Column multiplication by a one-digit number with
regrouping
Science Summary:
We started by leaning the scientific method and applying it
to a chemistry experiment. We moved into physics, learning the distinctions
between force, energy, and work. We studied gravity and friction as specific
concepts under the category of force, and we studied potential and kinetic
energy as specific concepts under the category of energy. We deepened our
understanding of matter by studying inertia and the distinction between weight
and mass. Last but not least, we began studying atoms in light of the
relationship between atoms and electricity.
As I mentioned last week, we do have two tests coming up
this week, one in science and one in math. The exams will be Wednesday and
Thursday respectively. Although these are the last exams of the semester, they
are not “final exams” in the sense of cumulative exams. Cumulative tests often
force students to cram, which is not an effective way to study. Therefore, the
exams will only cover a few topics we have been working on recently. The math
exam will be on evaluating expressions and finding unknown minuends,
subtrahends, and summands. The science exam will be on inertia and the
distinction between mass and weight.
As promised I have written study guides! They are included
at the end of this blog post after the sign-off.I have made every effort to write thorough study guides. While they make look long; don’t worry. We have been going over these topics for weeks and also reviewing for the tests in class. The students are very familiar with them.
I have also created a set of
practice math problems with an answer key that you can use to review the
material with you students. If you wish to work on the practice math
problems with your students, please email me, and I will send you the problems
and the answer key.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please
contact me at rwycklendt@archwaytriviumeast.org.
I wish you all a joyful ninth week followed by relaxing fall break with your
students.
Sincerely,
Miss Wycklendt
Math
Study Guide
1. Parts of an
addition problem: Summands are the numbers being added. The answer to the
addition problem is called a sum. In the problem 8+2=10 8 and 2 are the
summands and 10 is the sum.
2. Parts of a
subtraction problem: The number being subtracted from is called the minuend.
The number being taken away/ subtracted is called the subtrahend. The answer to
the subtraction problem is called the difference. In the problem 12-7=5 12 is
the minuend, 7 is the subtrahend and 5 is the difference.
3. Evaluating
Expressions with Letters: If a problem includes a letter with a given value,
replace the letter with the given value and solve the problem. For example,
what does A-8 equal when A=100? What does 1,000+C equal when C=237? What does G
X D equal when G=5 and D=11
4. “Evaluate,” “Calclulate,”
and “Find the value” mean find the answer to the math problem.
5. Finding unknown minuends,
subtrahends and summands: Remeber and apply the rules for finding unknown
minuends, subtrahends, and summands.
6. To find an unknown minuend,
add the subtrahend and the difference. H-12= 37. 12+37=49. H=49.
7. To find an unknown
subtrahend, subtract the difference from the minuend. For example, 100-N=45.
100-45=55. N=55.
8. To find an unknown
summand, subtract the known summand from the sum. For example, 575 + F = 600.
600-575=25. N=25.
Science Study Guide
In science,
the standard for answers is that students should know the definition,
understand the definition, be able to give examples of the definition, and be
able to explain why the examples are examples of the definition. For example, force is anything that changes the
position, speed or shape of an object. If I push a desk across the room, I have
applied a force to the desk because I have changed the desk’s speed and
position.
The specific topics for
this test are as follows:
1.
Memorize the definition
of inertia: Inertia means that a motionless object will remain in motion unless
something moves it. Inertia also means that a moving object will not stop
unless something stops it.
2.
Understand that
moving objects do not run out of energy. Moving objects only stop because they
are stopped by outside forces such as gravity, friction or other objects. This
is true on earth and in space. The only reason moving objects ever stops is
because something stops them.
3.
Give an example
of inertia and explain why it is an example of inertia. For example: A hockey
puck is sitting on ice, but it is not moving. A hockey player hits it with a
stick, and it slides across the ice. The friction between the ice and the puck
slows down the puck and eventually stops it. This is an example of inertia
because the hockey puck would never have started moving if the player had not
hit it. Also, it would not have stopped moving if the friction had not stopped
it. (Without friction the puck may have continued until it hit a wall or
another object, but it would not stop without something to stop it.
4.
Know the
definitions of mass and weight. (I am not requiring students to memorize these
definitions, but that may be the easiest way for some students.) Mass is how
much matter or “stuff” an object has in it. (For instance, your mass is how
much matter or “stuff” you have in your body.) Weight is how hard gravity pulls
on an object’s mass/stuff.
5.
Be able to
identify instances in which weight changes and mass does not. For example, Mars
has less gravity than earth. A rock that weighs 100lbs on earth weighs only
19lbs on Mercury because gravity. Has the mass of the rock changed? No. The
rock has the same amount of matter or “stuff.” (It is the same size, shape,
density, etc. Size, shape, and density are separate but related concepts. They
are not mass, but they do help students visualize the fact that the rock has
not changed.)
6.
Be able to
identify instances of changing mass. For example, if I eat twenty-five cookies
a day for a month, will I gain mass? Yes. The cookies will make me fat, so I
have more matter/ stuff in my body. (I will also gain weight because earth’s
gravity will pull harder on my increased mass.
7.
Understand weight
as an effect of mass. Objects that have more mass on earth also weigh more on
earth. This is because gravity has more matter to pull on, so it pulls harder
on objects with more mass.
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