Todays lesson reviewed some of the finer points of order of operations. We also looked at various different division and multiplication symbols.

Today we resumed skill 12 – using the order of operations to simplify numerical expressions. We analyzed two expressions to find the errors and compared expressions and equations. In some classes we also conducted a thinking routine (connect, extend, challenge) to help think through this topic and connect it to prior learning.

Today we practiced another strategy to do word problems:

Read the question three times.

1. What is happening in this story? (In one or two words, what is this about?)

2. What do I know? (Circle, write down, and draw what you know)

3. What does the question want me to show? (Underline the question, form a number sentence, estimate, solve)

Hi! No new content today. We practiced multiplying by powers of ten (Eureka sprint part A), reviewed homework expectations, practiced division, and practiced order of operations. Individual work time was for Zearn, conference, and finishing work in process.

Unit 4 is all about learning the standard algorithm for multiplication and division of whole numbers. We will come back to these skills when we apply the standard algorithm to division of decimals.

Skills:

• Skill 9: I can multiply with the standard algorithm.
• Skill 10: I can divide with the standard algorithm.

Lessons:

• Skill 9: Multiplication with the standard algorithm
• Skill 10: Division with the standard algorithm
• Division vocabulary
• Introduction to variables

Extra practice: Download extra practice questions

Please find below resources for extra practice, arranged by Unit. These questions are past STAAR questions which have been publicly released.

• Unit 1: Decimal Place Value
• Unit 2: Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers and Decimals
• Unit 3: Prime and Composite Numbers
• Unit 4: Multiplying and Dividing with Whole Numbers
• Unit 5: Simplifying Expressions with the Order of Operations
• Unit 6: Multiplying with Decimals
• Unit 7: Dividing with Decimals
• Unit 8: Conversions between units of measure
• Unit 9: Adding and Subtracting Fractions
• Unit 10: Adding and Subtracting Positive Rational Numbers (whole numbers, decimals, fractions)
• Unit 11: Fraction Multiplication
• Unit 12: Fraction Division
• Unit 13: Simplifying Expressions of Positive Rational Numbers (whole numbers, decimals, fractions)
• Unit 14: Personal Financial Literacy
• Unit 15: Perimeter, Area, and Volume
• Unit 16: Geometry
• Unit 17: Graphing
• Unit 18: Data
• Unit 19: Cumulative Review
• Unit 20: Year-in-review

Today’s lesson takes a closer look at two types of grouping symbols: parentheses and brackets. We learned that we always start by solving the operations which are inside the parentheses.

Math homework has two parts: a weekly homework packet due Friday and a daily Zearn lesson, Monday through Thursday.

Homework packets: Students should complete the weekly homework packet (provided in class, with an electronic copy below). Each homework packet covers work we have completed in class and should take about 30 minutes to an hour for the week (not per day). Homework is due on Friday. If students have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Zearn: In addition to this packet, students should aim to complete 5-6 lessons per week on Zearn. Zearn is a highly-regarded, self-paced learning system with about 140 lessons to complete 5th grade. A good goal is to do one lesson per day at home, Monday through Thursday. Combined with class time, students should easily then average 5-6 lessons per week. A lesson should take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete. Please see here for instructions to login to Zearn. (If you are struggling with Zearn or really not enjoying it, please let me know. The work should be reasonably quick to complete once you get the hang of it.)

For students looking for extra practice and challenge:

• Extra practice questions for each unit (all past STAAR questions, good for at-home review)
• Prodigy (fun to play, good for review work, not as difficult as Zearn; see this post for login instructions)
• Challenge Packets (available in class, ask Mr. J)
• Kahn Academy (students are assigned extension classes in Kahn Academy, such as Getting Ready for 6th Grade, Introduction to Algebra, 6th Grade, or other topics; ask Mr. J).

Copies of homework packets: Below is a copy of our homework packets for each week which students receive in class.

• Homework due Friday October 14 (multiplying by tens, decimal place value, representing decimals)
• Homework due Friday, October 21

Today we begin Unit 5 in which we learn how to complete mathematical operations in the correct order. To start, we had some fun with the “Gold Trading Story” to discover the importance of correct order of operations.

We then spent some time learning about the order of operations and ways to remember it. We finished with examples and a review of our objectives (skills) which we will master in this unit.

Note that this Friday is our End of Unit assessment on Unit 4, which is multiplying and dividing whole numbers, particularly with the standard algorithms.

In this last part of our week on division, we are introducing the concept of using a variable (or letter) to represent an unknown in an expression (a number sentence). This is the start of more formal algebraic concepts and a cool milestone! We also looked at examples of variables in our daily lives.