Based on the Common Core State Standards Initiative to prepare our students for College and Careers, in Grade 5, instructional time should focus on three critical areas:

(1)  developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and developing understanding of the multiplication of fractions and of division of fractions in limited cases (unit fractions divided by whole numbers and whole numbers divided by unit fractions)

(2)  extending division to 2-digit divisors, integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations

(3)  developing understanding of volume

We will be learning to think mathematically this year as we approach and practice math standards in three critical ways:

• Concrete experiences whereby students are handling, manipulating or creating fractions
• Conceptual understanding whereby students are learning the concepts and meaning behind the math equations and formulas
• Abstract performance tasks whereby students are writing and solving equations and formulas

We will be learning to think critically and problem solve this year by emphasizing and developing “Mathematical Practices” as follows:

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.