We began new math learning in new math switch groups this week. Our Unit 4 in math will focus on tens and teen numbers, place value to 100, and strategies for adding larger numbers. So far, we’ve practiced counting groups of tens.
We studied the teen numbers (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) and noticed that every teen number has a 10 hiding inside along with some extra ones. We also represented teen numbers using a ten stick and circles, and wrote an equation to match our work.
This week our mathematicians learned all about Picture Graphs! Our students worked with Picture Graphs that had two or more quantities even! We learned that these kinds of graphs help us to organize data so that it is easier to read unlike the clump of fish and frogs shown below:
Next, they learned how to fill in a blank Picture Graph with the data drawings or pictures, similar to the ones shown above. Our mathematicians decided that it would be most helpful to cross out each frog or fish as we added them to our graph. This would ensure that we did not miss one or add too many.
We also took some time to compare the pictures on the graphs with a few questions:
And to finish up our learning about these graphs, we tried to make the quantities (or animals in this case) the same number. For example, since there are more fish than frogs, you could take two fish away so that there were five fish and five frogs. You could also add two frogs to the original amount of frogs so that there were six frogs and six fish. Once our mathematicians decided which answer to go with, they wrote an equation too!
We also discussed how we should use circles to redraw our Picture Graphs because it is much easier and quicker, how even though it is not as much fun. They did such an amazing job again this week!
We spent the majority of our math time this week working with our new “Make a 10” strategy. To help your child try this strategy on their homework, ask him or her to underline the greater number and count-on with dots under the smaller number. Then, have your child circle the greater number and the extra ones (circles) needed to make this number into a 10. When this step is complete, your child will have a ten and some extra ones which can easily be identified as a teen number. Check out the example below:
While using this strategy is not speedy fast… it does help our first graders to internalize the concept of recombining numbers to make a 10 which will enhance their number sense and improve their computation skills for later in life!!!
We also practiced our “Make a 10” strategy using new green quilt cards. The cards are explained below:
The front side of our green cards shows an equation and the back side shows the answer along with the “Make a 10” strategy. We wanted our first graders to try to “Make a 10” before checking on the back side, so we taught them how to practice solving these equations with a partner. To do this, the first partner makes the greater number on their fingers (8). The second partner makes the smaller number with their fingers (4). Then, the partner with the greater number borrows from the small number to make 10 (8 borrows 2). The first partner now has made a 10 (all 10 fingers are showing). The second partner has only 2 remaining fingers after giving some away. Our first graders were easily able to find the answer after “making a 10” and seeing the extra ones on their fingers!!!
We ended our week studying larger 2-digit numbers. We noticed that every 2-digit number has a place to show the tens hiding inside along with a place to show the extra ones. We also represented these numbers using ten sticks and circles, and wrote an equation to match our work.
We can tell that our first graders are really beginning to understand these larger numbers!!!
As first grade mathematicians we worked hard before break to solve missing partner and missing total addition equations. We found that if we could identify what was missing (either a partner or a total), we could use our counting on strategy to find the answer. We reviewed that theTOTAL is always the greatest number in an equation and it’s always the answer after the equals sign when we are adding. We reviewed that the PARTNERS are the smaller numbers that can be added together to make the TOTAL. Please continue to use this language with your child at home as you solve equations. The more exposure your child has to these math words the easier it will be for him or her to identify what is missing in an equation.
Since coming back to school after break, we’ve been studying subtraction again. We started the week solving subtraction stories. Our number one strategy for solving these stories has been to use an equation. However, we encouraged our students to draw a circle drawing first if they weren’t sure how to create a subtraction equation for the story. Here is an example of our methods for solving a subtraction story:
Sam had 6 cookies. He ate 2 of them.
How many cookies are left?
We emphasized that a subtraction equation always begins with the total. We have to make sure to put the GREATEST number first so our equation and answer make sense.
We ended the week solving subtraction stories with coins, like the one below:
Jill had 1 nickel and 3 pennies. She lost 2 pennies.
How many cents does she have now?
We also learned how to use our orange quilt cards to practice solving subtraction equations using the “counting up” strategy. Since we aren’t able to write on our quilt cards, “counting up” took the place of using a circle drawing. Check out the explanation below:
Thank you for practicing with the yellow and red quilt cards at home with your child over break. Please continue to use these cards to increase your child’s speed and accuracy with their math facts. We will be sending home our orange subtraction quilt cards soon to add to your collection!
This week our first graders solved stories that were missing a partner instead of the total. This was our first time exploring ways to solve this kind of problem. We found that our math mountain strategy helped us organize the numbers so we could count-on from the known partner to the total in order find the missing partner. So, we worked hard to recognize the total and partner in each story so our math mountains made sense and our work was accurate.
We also learned how to turn our missing partner math mountains into missing partner equations. Both of these methods are a great way to show proof when solving a missing partner story which is demonstrated below:
Joe saw 6 snakes in the grass. 4 of the snakes were green. The rest of the snakes were orange. How many snakes were orange?
We ended the week with two games that provided our students with opportunities to solve unknown partner equations. Our yellow quilt cards trained the kids to find the missing partner by clapping and counting on with their fingers until they got to the total. The pancake game also helped the kids to use one of our strategies (math mountain, equation) to find a missing partner.
Our first grade mathematicians worked so hard this week!!!
We began our learning with a review of two games that helped us practice our counting-on strategy. Our red quilt cards trained the kids to find the larger number (clap) and count-on with the smaller number when given an addition equation. The pancake game encouraged the kids to write a missing total equation, underline the greater partner and count-on with dots to find the total. We know at school that counting-on is the best way for solving missing total equations – keep encouraging your child to use this strategy at home too!
We spent the rest of our week studying a new math concept: SUBTRACTION!!! We learned that subtraction means the same as take away. When we solve stories that involve “taking something away” we use a minus sign (-) to show what happens. For example, when given the story:
There were 5 cookies. I ate 3. How many are left?
Our first graders learned to represent this thinking with circle drawing, break-apart stick, and minus sign:
We also emphasized that a subtraction equation always begins with the total. Then we show the “minus” partner, which means that our answer is actually a missing partner (rather than a missing total like an addition equation). Our first graders “trained their brains” to count up the total and write that number first to accurately represent a subtraction story or circle drawing with an equation.
With our introduction to subtraction still very fresh and new, please support your child on their homework pages as they learn to understand the strategies involved with solving and representing subtraction stories!!!! Our learning is still fragile. We will continue to work with these concepts next week!
Miss Taber 🙂
During our math switch this week we continued to practice, practice, practice our counting-on strategy to find missing totals.
When solving an equation with a missing total, we learned to underline the greater number and count on with dots under the smaller number. Counting on from the greater number is the fastest and most accurate way to solve a missing total equation.
We also used our counting on strategy as we worked with nickels and pennies this week. Our nickel strip, which you saw on your child’s homework page, helps us remember that “a nickel is equal to five pennies”. With this knowledge, the kids were easily able to identify a nickel as 5 cents and count on each additional penny.
After our practice with money this week, our first grade mathematicians were able to tell the difference between nickels and pennies with great ease. Later in the year, when dimes and quarters are introduced, it becomes much more difficult for our first graders to differentiate between the three “silver” coins. At home, please provide your child with opportunities to explore with nickels and be sure to talk with him/her about the special properties of this coin that make it stand out from the others (medium sized, Monticello on the back, President Jefferson on the front, smooth outside edges, worth 5 cents).
As always, thank you so much for your support and encouragement as your child grows their math skills at home and at school!
Miss Taber 🙂
Our first grade mathematicians continued using the equal sign (=) to create equations with equal partners and totals this week. We learned that proving our work with a circle drawing is a very important way to support our thinking and double check for mistakes!
This practice led right into our next big learning: solving equations with missing totals. To begin this new challenge, each of our math groups brainstormed solution strategies for finding totals. To solve 5 + 2 = ___, our first graders suggested…
…making a circle drawing underneath the partners: 
…counting the partners on their fingers:
A third strategy that we learned was: counting on!!!! Counting on is more accurate and time saving than the first two methods. When we count on, we clap our hands to say the first partner and then hold up our fingers to “count on” with the second partner.
This “counting on” strategy is a method that we will continue to use over and over again this year in all aspects of our math learning. Please encourage your child to “count on” when solving equations with missing totals on their homework pages!
Miss Taber 🙂
