Here are a few tools you can use to study fractions at home.

To review fractions basics, try:

• Fraction Fling - Fraction Fling is an educational game where you must match fractions to a model. This game is from ABCya! and it plays similar to "Angry Birds."
• Study Jams: Fractions - This self-guided mini-lesson reviews the basics of fractions. It contains a brief lesson, some interactive practice, and a quiz.

To review adding and subtracting fractions, try:

• Least Common Multiple - Finding the least common multiple is required when you add or subtract fractions with unlike denominators. It is the first step in determining the lowest common denominator. Try this mini-lesson to review least common multiples.
  
• Fractions - Adding - Use this fractions simulator to help you add fractions with unlike denominators.
• Subtracting Fractions - This "quiz" has several; nice visuals and practice problems as you subtract fractions

To review finding fractions of a set, try:

• Study Jams: Finding a Fraction of a Set - This is a self-guided lesson that walks through the basics of finding a fraction of a set or collection. There is a brief lesson, guided practice, and a quiz.
• Forty Frogs - This fun activity begins by practicing dividing a set into equal groups. From there, you find various fractions of that set.
• Rename to the Lowest Terms - After you have added, subtracted and determined fractions of a set, you will need to simplify some of those fractions! Try this visual fractions simulator to practice simplifying fractions to their lowest terms.
• Fractions as Part of a Set - In this game, you match the correct fraction to the picture. There are two modes "Relaxed Mode" and "Timed Mode". Each time you complete a level, you step up in difficulty.

In this unit, we will build upon the knowledge you gained about fractions from third and fourth grade. In grade 5, the investigations present more real world contexts for fractions, such as purchasing building supplies, comparing packages with different numbers of items, and adjusting amounts of ingredients in recipes. You will use manipulatives and diagrams to help you develop mental pictures of operations with fractions as you build new skills.

Here are some vocabulary words we will be using in math class: common denominator, equivalent, improper fraction, mixed number, and simplest form. Below are some tools to help us get started:

• Equivalent Fractions - virtual fraction simulator to help visualize equivalent fractions
• Live Math - A mini-lesson on equivalent fractions. Be sure to select equivalent fractions in the menu! 
• Fractions: Adding - Visual tool to help add fractions

Topic 4 was focused on measurement. We learned that you must use standard units of measurement to be sure that your measurements will be accurate. There are two main standard unit systems - customary units, used here in the United States; and, metric units used just about everywhere else in the world. 

We investigated measurement problems with both systems and developed formulas to find perimeter. For example, to find the perimeter of a rectangle you could add all four sides, add the short side and the long side and double the sum, or double the short side and double the long side and add the products. 

Check out the Blendspace below to review the concepts we covered this week.

Converting metric units of length is simple! Just multiply by multiples of ten if you are going from a larger unit to a smaller unit, and divide by a multiple of 10 if you are going from smaller units to larger units. Here are a few fun links to help you practice:

• Fun Brain - Measure It!
  
• Measure Yourself
• Converting Metric Units - Length

Division is splitting a larger amount into equal groups or finding out how many are in each group. In this topic, we identified factors, common factors, and found the greatest common factor of whole numbers. We explored rules of divisibility such as, "A number is divisible by four when the number formed by the last two digits of that number is divisible by four." For example, 1312 is divisible by four because the last two digits form the number 12 and that is divisible by 4 (1312 / 4 = 328); whereas 1319 is not because 19 is not divisible by 4 (1319 / 4 = 329.75). For a complete list of divisibility rules, check out this site here. Or, you could always check out this song and tutorial:Study Jams! Divide and Conquer - Rules of Divisibility. 

We also learned some neat ways to divide by ten. We explored related division problems like 450 divided by 5 and 450 divided by  50 and found patterns to help us divide by multiples of 10. You can practice your multiples by playing Ghost Blasters.  Then, we moved into calculating the mean and finding the range. Remember! Range is the difference between the largest and smallest number of a data set, and average is found by computing the sum of a set of numbers and dividing by the number of addends! Throughout, we used the long division algorithm to solve division problems. Check out all the stuff you can use on the web for practicing division under the Topic 3 Resources.

Becoming a good divider, if that is a title, takes practice! So, here is a Blendspace review that you can use to practice all the skills we have learned in Topic 3!

Hey class! Check out this tutorial on double digit division: http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/math/multiplication-division/double-digit-division.htm It's division time!

Be sure to record your score when you quiz yourself!

Here are today's slides and notes we took in class today. You can practice calculating the mean here: http://www.aaamath.com/g5_418x1.htm