3rd Grade Mathematicians this week began their Illustrative unit all about area. For all of their math learning this unit, students join one of three flexible, data-based groups, so that every child can practice at their just-right level. In one group, students used square tiles to cover irregular shapes, building understanding and terms for defining area as a measure of square units that cover a shape without gaps or overlaps.
As students worked in pairs, some found ways to use patterns in the shape to arrive at a count more efficiently, versus laying and counting each tile one-by-one. Students in another math group worked to cover shapes using a mix of square and triangular tiles, practicing principles of equivalence and fractions. As students apply their area measurement skills to more and more rectangles they will conceptually connect tile arrays (sets with repeated columns and rows) to multiplication. As with all math units, students are first invited to explore and build fluency with concepts before being introduced to more efficient procedures or, as with multiplication, memorization of facts later this year.
Students are first invited to explore and build fluency with concepts before being introduced to more efficient procedures or, as with multiplication, memorization of facts later this year.
Third grade Math cClub also began last week, providing opportunities during weekly “Academic Choice Time” for students to work on puzzles of logic, like sudoku, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving, like the Math Olympiad Problem of the Week. Students in Math Club will also have a chance to practice and participate in the Spring Math Kangaroo International Competition.