Tuning into new Data Handling maths unit

Tuning In:

To help get us tuned into our new unit exploring data handling, each student in a group of 4 was given a different type of graph (as our UOI is migration, they were given graphs related to migration patterns)



After examining the graph, they each recorded:

° FORM: Data the graph provides

  and

° PERSPECTIVE: Thoughts on this type of graph. 



They then folded their thoughts on the recording sheet under so they couldn't be seen and then passed it to the next person in the group.

Eventually, all 4 group members had recorded their thoughts about each graph. 

The graphs and recorded thoughts:

After, we unfolded and read through our group's thoughts and discussed our thoughts together.

   As a whole class, we then discussed the types of graphs and whether we found some graphs easier to read than others and why.  



I then introduced the our central idea.

We brainstormed questions we might need to find out to become experts on our central idea.

We then examined our generated questions and scaled them down to what we considered would be the key questions we should focus our enquiry on:

We had created some really great questions and these will be the basis of our maths unit.  When kids are given the opportunity to create and decide what they should learn, the engagement of learning certainly increases and they have developed a deeper awareness of the purpose behind the enquiry that is about to take place. 

Year 6 Choir at ISL Inauguration Message

Dear Year 6 Parents,

As you are probably aware, ISL will be celebrating the inauguration of the new campus on Friday 2 October 2015 from 19:30.  The Year 6 choir has been invited to help us celebrate this event by being one of the first student groups to perform in our new auditorium.  We are asking if all the Year 6 students could arrive at school between 18:45-19:00 and meet in the Primary school music room.  The music teachers will then have an opportunity to perform some warm-up activities and walk them over to the auditorium for the performance which will occur between 19:30-20:00. 

Location:  ISL

Date:  2 October 2015

Time:  18:45-20:00

Dress code:  White shirts and black trousers or skirts

There will be a second inauguration event for the local community on 8 October 2015 at 16:00, which the Year 6 choir has also been invited to perform at.

Location:  ISL

Date:  8 October 2015

Time:  from 16:00

Dress code:  White shirts and black trousers or skirts

Please inform us if your child will be unable to attend one or both of these events by emailing primary@isl.ch .

Kind regards,

Lief Erickson

Rounding Numbers Using place Value

After examining our central idea and lines of equiry, we did a quick 10 minute pre-assessment to find out what we already know about the lines of enquiry. 

We shared our understandings as a whole class discussion with more of  a focus on ways we use the rounding strategy in our daily lives so that we all gained a sense of the reason we should enquire into the strategy. 

Once children know there is a practical purpose to learning something in maths, their engagement increases a lot. 

Some samples:

Based upon some of the ideas some had of how we use the rounding strategy in our daily lives, I created a google doc activity that showed different ways we use rounding. To help connect, I used student names and everything based from Lausanne. 

Google doc link: Ways we use the rounding strategy in our lives

The Google doc questions:

Connection:  Ways we can use the rounding strategy in our

daily lives.

             Neha kept a log of how much reading she did at home each night.

                                          

             She wanted to find out whether she read more in week 1 or week 2.

             Use the rounding strategy to find out.

Week 1	Rounded to the nearest 10
Sun -  37 min	min
Mon - 42 min	min
Tue -  57 min	min
Wed - 31 min	min
Thur - 45 min	min
Fri -    26 min	min
Sat -   35 min	min

                                Total estimated reading time in week 1: _____

                                      (Add the estimates on scrap paper)

Week 2	Rounded to the nearest 10
Sun -  36 min	min
Mon - 29 min	min
Tue -  45 min	min
Wed - 42 min	min
Thur - 38 min	min
Fri -    54 min	min
Sat -   46 min	min

                                Total estimated reading time in week 2: _____

                                     (Add the estimates on scrap paper)

                        Had Neha read more in week 1 or week 2? = _____

______________________________________________________________

                              Carl owned a free-range egg farm.

                              Free-range chickens do NOT live in cages so they are

                              much better to buy!!!!

                            

He wanted to find out whether his chickens laid eggs more in summer months or winter months.

Use the rounding strategy to find out.

                   

Month	Exact Number of Eggs Laid	Rounded to nearest 100
December	1 789
January	2 540
February	2 098

                       Total estimated number of eggs laid in winter: _______

                               (Add the estimates on scrap paper)

Month	Exact Number of Eggs Laid	Rounded to nearest 100
June	1 450
July	2 320
August	2 345

                Total estimated number of eggs laid in summer: _______

                          (Add the estimates on scrap paper)

    Did his chickens lay more eggs in winter or summer months? = _______

______________________________________________________________

                     Look at the populations of these European countries in 2015.

                     Round the populations to the nearest million.

Country	Population   (2015)	Rounded to nearest million
Switzerland	8 265 000
Germany	81 276 000
United Kingdom	65 081 276
Spain	46 355 000
Denmark	5 673 000
Austria	8 608 000

______________________________________________________________

               Approximately how far is it from Lausanne to………….?

               Use the rounding strategy.

From Lausanne to…...	Exact Distance	Approximate Distance (Round to nearest 100)
Paris	518.1 km
Munich	841. 8 km
Barcelona	1 035.6 km
Copenhagen	1 231 . 6 km

______________________________________________________________

         Lewis is at Migros and wants to buy 4 Toblerones.

      

     One Toblerone costs 2.46 CHF.

     Approximately, how much money does Lewis need to buy them?

    = _____

______________________________________________________________

        Round these flights times to the nearest hour.

        Eg,    23 hr 30 min  =    20 hours

Flight from Geneva to…...	Exact Flight Time	Approximate Flight Time (Rounded to nearest hour)
Tokyo	13 hr 40 min     (not including stop-overs)
Sydney	21 hr 20 min     (not including stop-overs)
New Delhi	9 hr 10 min    (not including stop-overs)
Atlanta	9 hr 44 min    (not including stop-overs)

    

Round these prices to the nearest whole franc

Eg,    14 . 55 CHF  =  15 CHF

CHF 26 . 45 Rounded to:	CHF 86 . 70 Rounded to:	CHF 6 . 50 Rounded to:
CHF 124 . 50 Rounded to:	CHF 16. 50 Rounded to:	CHF 164. 70 Rounded to:

As we do our enquiries, the children are encouraged to record what they have learnt during their learning time.  Sometimes, if they are too absorbed in the activities, I give them 5 or 10 minutes at the end to reflect.  We regularly discuss the importance of reflecting and how it helps to deepen our understanding.

A beginning example:

This is the feedback they will receive at the end of their enquiries using PYP Learner Profile attributes & attitudes:

__________________________________________________________________________

Shopping at Ikea:

To help us further understand how we round numbers in our lives, we imagined we were university students moving into our first flat and needed to furnish it from Ikea. 

We have a budget of 5 000 francs / euros / dollars to furnish our flat. 

I gave the children a selection of Ikea catalogues based upon some countries we come from, currencies we are used to using, and their mother tongues.

We thought it was amazing that 5 000 CHF was equivalent to 600 000 yen!

They are given the Ikea catalogue via a google doc: Ikea rounding activity 

As they 'buy' things from the catalogue, they copy and paste them on their google doc.  They record the price and what they round that price to (see examples below)

They need to round each item they buy and record on paper the rounded amounts just like we might do if we really were shopping there.

They completely LOVE this activity so much and are constantly asking each other how much they should round a particular item to. This peer-teaching helps solidify their understandings far more effectively than if I help them decide.

What the Google doc looks like:

                                 

Ikea catalogue in English      ( Dollars )

Ikea Catalogue in French      (Swiss Francs  = CHF)

Ikea Catalogue in German    (Swiss Francs =  CHF)

Ikea Catalogue in Spanish     ( Euros  costs in Spain)

Ikea Catalogue in Japanese   ( Japanese Yen)

You are about to move into your new flat and will be living alone.   

You have a budget of CHF 5 000

= $5 000 if you are using the English catalogue

= 5 000 euros if you are using the Spanish catalogue

= 600 000 yen if using the Japanese catalogue

to buy all the furniture you may need for when you first move into your home.

1. Look through the Ikea catalogue and select furniture you will buy.

2. Copy the image of each piece of furniture and paste below.  

3. Beneath each piece of furniture, type the cost and then round the cost to what you think it ought to be rounded to so they can be mentally added easily.

4. After you copy and paste an image, shrink its size so your document is easy to read.

For example,

Cost:  CHF 369;  Round up to  CHF 400

Cost:  CHF 349;   Round up to  CHF  350

Cost:   CHF 669;   Round up to CHF 700

Cost:   CHF 12.95; ROUND to 13.00

4. As you are shopping, keep adding your rounded purchases on scrap paper.

5. When you think you have reached approximately CHF 5 000 (or $5 000 or

5 000 euros or 600 000 yen), stop shopping.  Then use a calculator to add the exact total.

6. Answer these two questions:

   a)  Was your rounding estimating close or not?  Why or why not?

   b)  Was rounding the prices a useful strategy or not?  Explain why or why not.

Cost: 3,99  euros               rounded:4,00  euros

This helps them discover a real life example of how we round numbers and the children eagerly wanted to continue doing this at home which makes it even more perfect.