Class #12--5th Grade Math

Tuesday, October 5, 10:15 A.M. 5th Grade Math Class. Class #12 on my “50 Classes or Bust!” trek. The bell rings and Mrs. Liotta’s twelve 5th grade math students quickly get to work on the tasks at hand. Did you know that Mrs. Liotta graduated from Calvert, in 1979? Yes, she is an alum of the school and also a former member of the Board of Trustees. Mrs. Liotta has instructions written on the board: 1) check your homework (equations and mental math) with your table; 2) work on the problem of the day. The problem of the day deals with a pattern of numbers. There are two columns of numbers, and the students need to discern the relationship between the integers at hand. Mrs. Liotta does not just go over the answer to the problem; rather, she explains how to approach the problem, to figure out what is being asked, and then to attack the question. The class then moves to a chapter one review, starting with exponents, standard form, and variables. The students are quite participatory, raising hands, asking questions, and providing on-target answers. Next, the class reviews order of operations by playing a game. The student have learned about “PEMDAS” dictating the order of operations—Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide, Add/Subtract. The object of the game is to use the numbers and operations given to get as close to possible to 48. For example, the numbers are 4,5,6 and the operations are + and x. The winning equation in this case is (6+4) x 5 = 50. The students work in groups of three at their tables, sliding around cut-out cards of numbers and operations. Good work, class!