Time for BEDMAS!

    If you are ever asked to simplify something like "4 + 2×3", the question that naturally comes up is "Which part do i answer first?"  To eliminate this confusion, we have some rules of precedence, established at least as far back as the 1500s, called the "order of operations". The "operations" are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponential notations, and grouping.  A simple way to solve these equations, without making yourself go crazy is to follow these rules:

Rule 1:   First perform any calculations inside parentheses.

Rule 2:   Next perform all multiplications and divisions, working from left to right.

Rule 3:   Lastly, perform all additions and subtractions, working from left to right.

All you have to do is remember the acronym Bedmas!

BEDMAS tells us the order which we carry out operations. The B stands for brackets, the E stands for Exponents, D stands for Division, M stands for Multiplication, A stands for Addition and S stands for subtraction.

You can also remember the mnemonic or sentence:

Big Elephants Destroy Mice and Snails.

Let's watch the video from Rob once again, just to make sure we understood what BEDMAS are all about!

Have a great evening!

Miss Lopez

Class 503 are the Stars of the week!

A great deal of work and dedication, that is what it takes to win!    The Students of class 503 were the stars of the week last week. AS a reward they got to enjoy some time at the park this afternoon. Congratulation class 503 for being the stars of week!

 Let's keep it up!
Miss Lopez

Setting another critter free!

I have to be honest, I do not like insects very much.  Is it a phobia? I think so, I am terrified of them! Yes, even butterflies:(  However, I don't think you could tell from the pictures I took today of our critter "friends".  I was pretty close :/

It is all for the kids right?!    

The munchkins are ready and surprisingly not scared at all :)

Look closely it is flying for the first time:)

One of them was not ready to leave us, so we brought it back to class.  We will try again tomorrow...again :(

Have a good evening!

Miss Lopez

Number the Stars

I love listening to audiobooks. I share my enthusiasm with teachers, students, parents, and family members.  Many people are just as ecstatic to use them as I am.  Others make comments such as "That's not really reading, is it?" or "I won't let my students listen to audiobooks because that's cheating." Listening to books is certainly different from reading books, but is it cheating? Does listening to audiobooks count as reading?

I guess the answer to that question must come from your own definition of reading. If reading is understanding the content of the story or the theme, then audiobooks certainly succeed. I won't argue that the importance of decoding in teaching children to read. But, understanding the message, thinking critically about the content, using imagination, and making connections is at the heart of what it means to be a reader and why kids learn to love books.

My husband stumble upon this website Click here to read along where you can download the audio file for each chapter of Number the Stars and read along with your novel at home!  How awesome is that?!!

Have fun and see you all very soon,

Miss Lopez

Multiplication facts "headache"

One of my least favorite parts of teaching upper grades are multiplication tables.  SO much of what I teach in math is dependent upon the fact that my students are fluent in multiplication.  If, for example, they don't know what 3 times 4 is, it is really hard to ask them to find Least Common Multiples or Greatest Common Factors.  Finding the percent of a fraction, division in general are all really, really hard if you are struggling with your multiplication facts.

So what to do?

Since time is something we're lacking in class, I've included some fun ways the kids can practice their facts at home:

1.  Use the traditional flash cards to play a game of Sparkle, multiplication style.

2.  Students roll two dice, then multiply the 2 numbers they rolled together.

3.  Create a memory game–one card contains the factors, the other contains the product.

4.  Dominoes-students draw a domino that is face down.  They multiply the dots on either side of the domino together.

5.  Number Draw-no materials needed except your fingers!  P

6.  Play Ask-n-Switch which is a whole class game using flash cards.

7.  Multiplication War with a deck of cards.  Students each draw two cards, then multiply them together.  The student with the largest product wins the round.  (this was part of our Math Centers).

8.  Online games

Multiplication Games

More multiplication games


Have fun practicing your facts!
Miss Lopez

School is so much fun!

What a way to welcome our students to a wonderful school year!

We had fun husking corn

We enjoyed eating it too!

We released Dorito (Notre papillon) :

Our caterpillars in class are working hard at turning into something more beautiful!  The chrysalis (or pupa) is the transformation stage within which the caterpillar tissues are broken down and the adult insect's structures are formed. I think we will be releasing more butterflies very soon!

We played dodgeball:

I think we are going to have a wonderful year!

Have a great week-end!
Miss Lopez