Using base ten resources for decimal numbers.

How to show 3 and 3 tenths as a decimal with base ten resources

We are always using practical resources in class as by seeing and touching our maths equipment it helps us to understand the mathematical ideas. When we were thinking about decimal numbers and how they link in with fractions we found it very useful to place the base ten resources on a place value grid. It meant we were able to see the digits and how they related to the units and the tenths.
Putting the decimal point in the correct place is very important as 3.3 can soon become 33 or even 0.33 if you are not careful.

Showing 3 and 6 tenths as a decimal with base ten resources

Full minds and empty boxes

Two minds are better than one

Sometimes working out calculations when you are given all of the information you need can be tricky. So imagine how challenged the children of Ganges class are when they are given just part of the details and a series of 'empty boxes'. 
The empty boxes can be all types of different shapes to really make us think hard! We worked in pairs for some questions where we had to set questions for each other so you can imagine how we were wanting to make them as tricky as possible.

Can you think of any other ways these could be solved?

If you begin with the answer there are a number of different possible answers which means that we really have to apply the work we have been doing in class. Puzzling out a number of options helps to develop our ability to mentally manipulate numbers.

A Fraction reflection

In Ganges class we have been understanding fractions.
I have found this work more difficult than easy because I haven't really done a lot about fractions. However, after learning about fractions in Year 4 I feel as though I am ready to face really difficult fractions in Year 5 and Year 6.
I really do feel as though I can face a difficult fraction challenge.
We have also been learning about fractions in real life, such as: You might need two halves because if you wanted to share a cup-cake between the two of you, you might want to split it into two halves.
By Niamh

Questions, Questions ...

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Knowing how to work with fractions is one thing but thinking up challenging questions for other pupils is another. Here is a super fraction question to puzzle over.

There are 32 pupils in the class, 16 pupils are in one writing group. If there are 3 groups, and each other group is equal, what fraction of the class is in each of the other two groups?

By Matthew

If you can work it out post your answer as a comment. Thanks.

Fractions, Fractions, Fractions

Fractions, fractions they're always in life,

Cutting a pizza or cutting a pie,

Fractions, oh fractions,

They're a part of life.

By Antony.

Ganges class have spent the last few days doing a great deal of working and thinking about fractions. Here are some of their thoughts.
Remembering how to say 'numerator' and 'denominator' is one thing, but which is which?

Some great ideas here:-

Numerator and denominator baked a cake. Denominator baked the bottom and numerator baked the top. By Francesca.


I remember denominator by, the denominator was a baby sleeping at the bottom of a bunk bed and the numerator slept at the top because it was older. By Keira.


I remember numerator and denominator by saying there are two friends on a double decker bus. Denominator sits on the bottom and numerator sits on the top. By Aaisha


The denominator and numerator had a wrestle. The numerator came out on top and the denominator lost. By Zac.

Negative learning

In Ganges class we have been learning how to understand positive and negative numbers or in other words minus and plus numbers.

So far we have completed work about temperature. For example if planet Yurg at it's hottest temperature is -27° celsius and Yurg at it's coldest is -163° celsius, we would have to work out the difference in between. Can you work out the answer?

We have also been on the internet researching positive and negative numbers as well as playing fun maths games.

By Coco and Leon.

Counting numbers less than zero

The desk was just long enough

To develop our understanding of negative numbers we have been using our Numicon resources so we can clearly see how a positive and negative number line looks.

When some of us started working on large negative numbers we got creative with some post it notes. One of the main points we understood was that on a large negative number line it is important that the space between -90 to -100 is the same as the space between -120 to -130.

We made equal space between numbers by holding our arms out