We make our students memorize fraction decimal conversions for benchmark fractions (the most important and widely used ones). They make flashcards and have to study at home.

Then we do a series of three timed tests. The tests have all the fractions listed and they have to fill in the decimal it equals…all in two minutes. They cannot work it out, they have to have it actually memorized. You don’t know how much it comes in handy for them in the next few years of math classes in school to just know that 1/3 = .3 repeating and 1/8 = .125 and so on, without having to work it out.

So my sweet hubby found this site called Quizlet that helps you study for things like this and I made a flashcard set for my class.

Here is what the upper level students are required to learn.

Click here to take the test and see if you know them.

Comment with  your score and what you think of this.

Does anyone use these fraction decimal conversions in their real life job? My students would probably love to know if someone actually did!

Its back! Yayyyy!!!

So…I am currently teaching multiplying fractions and mixed numbers to my upper level sixth graders. We teach how to multiply fractions with a Hershey chocolate bar, and we teach how to multiply mixed numbers with a cookie recipe that we enlarge 2  1/2 times. They actually bring the ingredients and we mix it up and I bring them cookies the next day. (I do not deserve credit for thinking of this, the teachers at my school did this before I got there.) So here are some problems for you…

1.       3/4  x    5/6 =

Get the answer and also tell me if you remembered anything special you could do to make it easier.

2.     5     1/3     x         7      1/2   =

Get the answer and tell me how you did it.

If six gumdrops and ten lollipops cost $1.36, but six lollipops and ten gumdrops cost $1.20, how much does each lollipop and gumdrop cost?
Explain how you got your answer.

We just started our geometry unit! So fun! We get to do things like cut up magazines looking for geometric figures in real life photos. My classroom floor looks awful!

So here’s your quiz. Beware. These are tricky! No easy-peasy “what do you call two lines that never cross” kind of geometry questions here!

1. What is the difference between a parallelogram and a trapezoid?

2. True or False. All squares are rectangles.

3. True or False. All rectangles are squares.

4. Can a triangle have more than one obtuse angle?

5. What is a dodecagon?

Find two different answers to this letter selection rhyme.

My first is in carob and also in boast,

My second’s in costar but not found in coast.

My third is a vowel you’ll see in rattan,

My fourth is in cornmeal and lentils and bran.

My fifth is in cognac and also in grace,

My sixth is in hornet and benches and chase.

My whole is an object you’ll probably see

While strolling an orchard and viewing a tree

_ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ !

Here is another one for you. Especially if you are more word-y than math-y.

Complete the sentence by filling in the blanks with four words that each differ by one letter. The changed letter will be in the same position in each word, as in bake, bale, base, and bane.

The disco owner ____ confidently down the aisle as he _____ to set up the  ______ light before the ______ of midnight.

Well thanks to Hurricane Ike I am teaching kiddoes today instead of just hanging out with the teachers and getting ready for the kiddoes. So in honor of the fact that we are all doing math today, I thought I would see if you know some of what we are doing. Here is your problem for today.

Hannah is going to the ice cream store. She wants to order a cone with one scoop of ice cream and one topping. She has three choices of cone: waffle cone, sugar cone, or chocolate dipped cone. She has three flavors to choose from: strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. She has two choices of topping: whipped cream or sprinkles. How many different combinations does Hannah have to choose from?

Please leave your answer in the comments and explain how you got that answer, as my students are currently learning three ways to solve this problem.