Math Update

We've been moving along Unit 5, discussing ESTIMATION of large numbers, MULTIPLICATION of extended facts, and working with decimals.

ESTIMATION: We've learned that it is often helpful to estimate an answer to a problem rather than solve it exactly when the exact number is not what we are looking for. For example, if we are taking a road trip and we want to know how many days it will take us to get to our destination (if we travel a specified number of hours per day), it is most helpful to get an estimated numbers due to variables of weather, traffic, construction, etc. We pretended we were taking a road rtrip and estimated the number of miles we'd travel and how long it would take us to reach our destination if we traveled 8 hours a day. Next time you need help planning a road trip, just ask us!
We also have been practicing "magnitude estimation" where we are given averages and need to use the data to come up with further calculations. For example, we read that the average life span for an American is 77 years. We also know from a 2002 survey from the Department of Agriculture that an average American eats 30 pounds of cheese a year. In that case, we needed to figure out: how many pounds of cheese would an average American eat in their lifetime? (about 2,310 pounds of cheese!) (We discussed the meaning of "average" and know that many Americans would eat more, many would eat less. This number reflects all the data put together, divided by the population. We also discussed how our personal outcomes were either same as or different than the average American.)

MULTIPLICATION OF EXTENDED FACTS: We've been practicing extended facts which is helpful in estimating large numbers!  For example, knowing 3*4=12 is helpful in solving 3*40=120 as well as 30*40=1200. Say an average American drinks 28 cups of water a week, and we want to know how many cups in a month, we can ESTIMATE: 30 cups * 4 weeks = about 120 cups per month.

We've continued working with deciamls: adding a nd subtracting and lining the numbers up properly.

I highly recommend discussing these concepts at home when useful! It will reinforce the lessons.