Mrs. Berg's Basics

  Forms of Energy Objects have energy and can gain energy from or lose energy to other objects. A moving car has energy, a pot of water heating on a burner is gaining energy from the burner, and a bowling ball loses energy as it hits the pins. Energy forms are either potential or kinetic. Potential energy comes in forms that are stored including chemical, gravitational, mechanical, and nuclear. Kinetic energy forms are doing work like electrical, thermal, light, motion, and sound. Though each form is different, they are all the same in the fact that one form of energy can change into another. Energy can be changed from one form to another, but excluding nuclear processes, it can never be created or destroyed. We study five forms of energy; mechanical, electrical, light, thermal, and sound. Mechanical energy  is the sum of kinetic and potential energy in an object that is used to do work. In other words, it is energy in an object due to its motion or position, or both. Electric...

  Double Digit Multiplication Your kiddo has been working on double digit multiplication. We have learned a couple of ways to calculate these types of problems. I wanted to be sure that you were aware of the methods introduced so that you can support your kiddo at home. We learned the standard algorithm/bow method and the box/partial product method. Below are images of the steps/notes that your kiddo uses for both methods. Standard Method: Box Method:   Here is a link that can help demonstrate and explain the connection between the box/partial products method and the bow/standard method: Multiplication Instructions Partial Products Multiplication Box/partial products method does a good job of keeping place value in double digit multiplication. This concept can be lost when calculating using the standard method. It is also less overwhelming and therefore seems easier to some kiddos. I do not care which method your child uses as long as it make sense to them and they are consist...

  Strip Diagrams Strip Diagrams  are a tool designed to help students solve math word problems accurately and efficiently. Students model mathematical relationships and identify known and unknown quantities. The model provides students with an image that organizes information and simplifies the problem solving process. By modeling the word problems, students develop strong reasoning skills which will help them as they transition to algebra. Students are familiar with problem solving maps, now they will use strip diagrams as a tool to solve problems. Here are a couple of examples of solving problems with strip diagrams. Strip Diagrams Broken Down Into Steps: Step 1:  Read the entire problem. Alicia has $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby has $10, how much did they have altogether? Step 2:  Decided who is in the problem. Alicia and Bobby Step 3:  Decide what is involved in the problem. Money Step 4:  Draw unit bars: here we are drawing unit bars of equal length for ...

  Adding and Subtracting Decimals Adding Decimals To add decimals, follow these steps: Write down the numbers, one under the other, with the decimal points lined up Put in zeros so the numbers have the same length (see below for why that is OK) Then add using column addition, remembering to put the decimal point in the answer Example: Add 1.45 to 1.3 Line the decimals up: 1 . 45 + 1 . 3 "Pad" with zeros: 1.45 + 1.3 0 Add: 1.45 + 1.30 2.75 Example: Add 3.25, 0.07 and 5 Line the decimals up: 3 . 25 0 . 07 + 5 . "Pad" with zeros: 3.25 0.07 + 5. 00 Add: 3.25 0.07 + 5.00 8.32 That's all there is to it - just remember to line up the decimals, then add normally. Subtracting Decimals To subtract, follow the same method: line up the decimals, then subtract. Example: What is 7.368 − 1.15 ? Line the decimals up: 7 . 368 − 1 . 15 "Pad" with zeros: 7.368 − 1.15 0 Subtract: 7.368 − 1.150 6.218 To check we can add the answer to the number subtracted: Example (continu...

  Mixtures and Solutions A  mixture  is two or more substances that are mixed together but not chemically combined. The substances in a mixture each keep their own properties, and they can be separated into their original form. A bag of snack mix can be separated into raisins, walnuts, peanuts, etc. Mixtures are absolutely everywhere you look. Most things in nature are mixtures. Look at rocks, the ocean, or even the atmosphere. They are all mixtures, and mixtures are about physical properties, not chemical ones. That statement means the individual molecules enjoy being near each other, but their fundamental chemical structure does not change when they enter the mixture. Solutions  are composed of substances that mix so completely that they cannot be distinguished as separate substances. In a solution, the substance that dissolves is called the solute. The solvent is the substance in which the solute is being dissolved. Sugar is the ...

  Rounding We are continuing to practice the concept of rounding. When we round a number, we need to know a specific place value to round to. Once we know the place value, we look at the two numbers that digit in the place value comes between. The number that it is closer to is the one that it rounds to. Here are the rules we use for rounding: One of the sayings we use to help us remember what to do is: Here is an example of how we round: Here are some great videos on rounding using a number line: Rounding Using a Number Line Rounding to the Nearest Ten Using a Number Line Here are some games to practice this skill: Pirate Rounding Soccer Math Rounding Brain Racer Rounding Rounding Numbers Rally Race  Rounding on a Number Line Here are some fun songs for rounding: We Will Round You song Rounding Rap Please let me know if you have any questions.