Math standards and future activities

So,  I have been planning for the week ahead and really focusing in on how to take the kids from place value into addition and subtraction.

All single digit addition facts should be memorized by end of second grade. Subtraction facts from 20 should also be "memorized" or completed using mental strategies (no longer using fingers, blocks, coins, or other manipulatives).


I know what you are thinking, "just memorizing facts like 7+5=12, 9+8=17, or 6+4=10? 13-6=7 No problem!" You may be surprised how many kids still use their fingers on those facts. Also they need to know what to do in instances where the addition problem looks like:
6 + __ = 9                    __ + 5 = 14
13 - __= 5                    __ - 8 = 3

We will be adding and subtracting "fluently" within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. For example:
23 + 58 = __                39 + __ = 67
__ + 21 = 84                94 - 78 = 16
48 - __ = 15                 __ - 63 = 28

Here's where the "gotcha" comes in for you parents... We are not teaching theses skills in the manner that you remember, the standard algorithm "regroup and carry the one" is not what the common core wants. The 2nd graders are asked to add and subtract double digit numbers using different strategies.  
    For example
        1. Using a number line-
        2. With Base 10 blocks-
        3. Using a Hundreds chart-
        4. Counting on/counting back-

THEN, they have things called "Mathmatical Process Practices/Standards" which monitor how indepth the children understand the standard:

Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Honestly, my first thoughts last fall when I learned these was "Really, who speaks like that? My kindergartners won't get it at all! AM I SUPPOSED TO SPEAK and THINK LIKE THIS?" The answer to my thoughts of course was "YES!".  Now you get to too! But I want you to know that these 8 practices begin in kindergarten and continue on through high school.
So what do these really mean?  Let me break them down like the Georgia Standards.org does, and for some reason, they only use the first 5, but I know Cobb County wants us to utilize all 8 k-8. https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Pages/Math.aspx

Mathematical Practices

    M2P1. Students will solve problems (using appropriate technology).

          a. Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving.
          b. Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts.
          c. Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.
          d. Monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.

 

    M2P2. Students will reason and evaluate mathematical arguments.

          a. Recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics.
          b. Make and investigate mathematical conjectures.
          c. Develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs.
          d. Select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof.

    M2P3. Students will communicate mathematically.

          a. Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication.
          b. Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others.
          c. Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others.
          d. Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.

    M2P4. Students will make connections among mathematical ideas and to other disciplines. 

          a. Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas.

          b. Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole.
          c. Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

 

    M2P5. Students will represent mathematics in multiple ways.

          a. Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas.
          b. Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems.
          c. Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.


Some of the writing homework  that will be sent home (when its math) will ask the kids to write about how they got their answer. Here is an example:

Jester went to the store and bought some Twix bars and m&ms. I saw that he had 3 bags of m&ms. The reciept showed that he bought 9 candys in all. How many were Twix? How do you know?

6 because I know it. Not an acceptable answer because the kids are being asked to restate the question, and tell what operation they are using and label the answer. Sometimes they may also draw the picture, use a number line, use base10 blocks our any other strategy.

Jester bought 6 Twix at the store. He bought 9 candies and I knew that 3 were m&ms, so when I take 3 from 9 I have 6 left over. This is more acceptable type of answer, but is just a minimum sort of answer that covers the practice standards 1 and 3.

Jester took home 6 Twix packs.  Which is really 12 twix bars. I know that because he purchased 9 candy bars and 3 of them were m&ms. So when I solve 9-3= 6 I get the right answer. But when I really think about it, I know that Twix candy bars come with 2 in each bag. I decided to see how many bars altogether and counted by 2s, 6 times. Like this: 2, 4, 6,  8, 10, 12. This answer,  covers the practice standards 1,2, 3, 4 and 5.