5th Grade Math Resources for CCSS 5.NBT.3

5.NBT.3:  Read, write, and compare decimals to the thousandths.

(a) Read and write decimals to thousandths using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form, e.g., 347.392 = 3 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 7 × 1 + 3 × (1/10) + 9 × (1/100) + 2 × (1/1000).

(b) Compare two decimals to thousandths based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.

First of all, this standard has two parts. We will first focus on part (a) of the standard:

5.NBT.3a

UNPACKED EXPLANATION: To put it as simple as possible, this part of standard 3 asks students to write the expanded form of numbers, fractions included to represent tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. 

WHAT THE PARCC WILL EXPECT: Just like 5.NBT.2, there are no performance tasks for 5.NBT.3 (a or b). So, the best approach to take here is to use these standards to prepare students for the more rigorous work that lies ahead later on in the NBT domain. If your students can accurately write standard, word, and expanded form of numbers that go to thousandths, they'll be fine on this standard. It really is a simple one that can be tied to some other standards as well.

RESOURCES: Again, this will be fairly straight forward. If you teach in sequence (and there's really no reason you shouldn't with this domain, it's already laid out that way), then your students will already have a good understanding of place values in the base ten system, making this the next step.

• Adjective/Noun Theme: As someone who has been through a full round of Intel Math training, I fully believe in and utilize many of their strategies, including adjective/noun theme. The a/n theme has been around long before Intel, but is very conceptual and powerful when students learn to utilize it. HERE is a document that explains adjective/noun theme in the four operations. And HERE is another document on adjective/noun theme with decimals. The basic premise here is that numbers are adjectives that describe nouns. You can't add together two unlike nouns (you can't add together 4 dogs and 2 cats without some sort of combining of nouns). So if it's 45 hundredths + 8 tenths, we have to do some converting to get 45 hundredths + 80 hundredths, and then we add the adjectives to get 125 hundredths. It's a simple yet effective way of teaching this stuff that is conceptual and leads to long term retention of learning. 
• Some worksheets and pdfs:
• mrmaffesoli.com 5.NBT.3a worksheets: A listing of some great 5.NBT.3a worksheets, there's quite a few here.
• Common Core Sheets: There's a pretty large listing here.
• Internet 4 Classrooms 5.NBT.3a: Wow, there's TONS here. 
• GAMES:
• Mathman: A Sheppard Software game, very simple and straight forward Pacman style game that reinforced expanded form, although it might not go as far as decimals. It's good practice for kids struggling with their expanded form of numbers. 
• Fruit Shoot: Another Sheppard Software game. If you play the harder levels it's a spot on match for 5.NBT.3a.
• Walk the Plank: A game from mathforchildren, it's funny and kids enjoy it.

5.NBT.3a VIDEO: This is a Khan Academy video that discusses expanded form with multiplication, pretty much as stated in the CCSS. 

5.NBT.3b

UNPACKED EXPLANATION:  Compare two decimals to thousandths using inequalities (<, >, =). 

WHAT THE PARCC WILL EXPECT: Again, this standard is not included on PARCC practice exams. This is a pretty important standard for students to master, however, because it allows them to show mastery over comparing decimals, understanding place value, and even the ability to properly complete inequalities. So let's just go from there.

RESOURCES:This standard is almost identical to the inequalities standard that many states already had in place before the Common Core, so anything you, as a teacher, already have prior to CCSS (if you didn't trash it) would work great here. Here's a few online resources:

• orglib.com questions library for 5.NBT.3a and b: There's not a lot of questions here, but what they do have are to the point and would probably be what it would look like on PARCC. 
• Collection of lessons from mathworksheetland.com for 5.NBT.3b (some 3a stuff is in here as well).
• mrmaffesoli.com 5.NBT.3b worksheet resource page: Yet again, some great resources. Go ahead and bookmark this site, it's golden for everything CCSS.
• Common Core Sheets: Same as above for 3a. Good stuff, with many different versions of worksheets available. 

GAMES:

• Balloon Pop: A simple yet great game for ordering decimals. It's a challenge, but students are sure to enjoy it.
• AAA Math Comparing Decimals: It's more like an online practice test than a game, but it really works well. 

5.NBT.3B VIDEO:

5th Grade CCSS Math School Year Outline

The 5th Grade Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are laid out in the following sequence in my school district: (this is my main listing that will link to a page for each standard. Be on the lookout for assessments, which are grouped in 2 week blocks for the most part)

THIS PAGE IS UNDER MAJOR CONSTRUCTION, SO BOOKMARK IT AND CHECK BACK OFTEN!

1st 9 Weeks:

• 5.NBT.1
• 5.NBT.2
• 5.NBT.3
• 5.NBT.4
• 5.NBT.5
• 5.NBT.6
• 5.NBT.7

2nd 9 Weeks:

• 5.NF.1
• 5.NF.2
• 5.NF.3
• 5.NF.4
• 5.NF.5
• 5.NF.6
• 5.NF.7

3rd 9 Weeks:

• 5.OA.1
• 5.OA.2
• 5.OA.3
• 5.MD.1
• 5.MD.2
• 5.MD.3
• 5.MD.4
• 5.MD.5
• 5.G.1
• 5.G.2
• 5.G.3
• 5.G.4

4th 9 Weeks:

• 4th 9 weeks is set aside for review (the scope and sequence in my district was written so that all standards could be taught before the administration of the PARCC). 

5th Grade Math Resources for CCSS 5.NBT.2

5.NBT.2: Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

UNPACKED EXPLANATION:  This one is fairly straight forward. This standard is commonly known as "the powers of 10," so keep that in mind. It's all about base 10 and understanding that you're multiplying by ten each time you move to the next larger place value, with an understanding of the opposite function of adding a 0, which is removing a zero, while understanding conceptually that removing a 0 means the decimal point has moved a place to the left. Finally, exponents are a great way to have students denote these relationships, and starts building upon skills they'll use a lot further on down the road.

WHAT THE PARCC WILL EXPECT: The PARCC Practice Test site does not have specific problems for 5.NBT.2, but when looking closer at this standard, students will need to be familiar with problems that resemble the following:

• 34 x 10,000 =
• 90,000 ÷ 30 =
• 0.00034 x 10,000 =
• Check out this collection of videos from LeanZillion that explains the entire process of powers of 10.

RESOURCES

• First off, a lot of the things I referenced in my post for 5.NBT.1 are relevant to this standard as well. So check that out: 5th Grade Math Resources for CCSS 5.NBT.1.
• Some practice problems at Orglib.com: This is a great site where you can make an account, build tests from a bank of questions, and even track student results. It's one of the closer things I've found that can mimic the PARCC assessment. 
• Even though it's in my last post, this is a spot on activity for this standard:
• Place value cups (click the link for instructions): This simple activity is very concrete for kids, and if you keep a few handy, they're good for reference later in the year for students who didn't retain everything they learned during the teaching of 5.NBT.1.
• Powers of 10 Yahtzee: Although I linked to the Google Doc here, I'll go ahead and explain this game in my own words: 
• Power of 10 Yahtzee should be played in pairs. Students should already have an understanding of exponents and how to navigate a place value chart. Each player is going to roll the dice. Whatever number player A rolls they will put it as an exponent to the base number 10 (if they roll a 4, they will be finding the product of 10 to the power of 4, or 10,000). Then player B goes. They do this 5 times, and add up their totals, whoever has the highest total wins. A more rigorous extension of this game for the advanced student would be to have each student roll two dice (preferably different colored dice would work), and have one color be the base number and the second be the exponent). 
• IXL Listing of Problems that Fit the Standard
• The following listing is for worksheets:
• Mathworksheetland.com 5.NBT.2 Listing: A great starting point. Why make your own worksheets when there's already practice stuff out there. If you know how, you can send these right to an iPad and have kids do some practice there, or print them out.
• Mrmaffesoli.com Printables: I use these, good stuff for sure.

Vocabulary

I'll list a few sites that have good 5.NBT.2 vocabulary. I can't really even begin to say how important it is to teach students not only what academic vocabulary words mean, but how to use them in context. There's a lot of power in having students state their reasoning academically that goes beyond testing and helps reinforce the ideas they're learning about.

• A great pdf at what's a great go to resource for vocabulary, duplinschools.net. 
• UEN.org resource file with vocabulary.

5.NBT.2 Video

The first two videos are of Khan Academy explaining both multiplying and dividing by powers of 10:

Multiplying by Powers of 10

Dividing by Powers of 10

Lastly, the STEM teacher in me can't resist putting up this video that explains what exponential growth is really all about in a scientific regard. I give to you now, Cosmic Voyage, narrated by Morgan Freeman:

5th Grade Math Resources for CCSS 5.NBT.1

5.NBT.1: Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

UNPACKED EXPLANATION: We're basically talking about place value, with an explicit focus on what it means to move up a place and down a place. Within this domain, students will be expected to work with numbers from billions to thousandths. A big pitfall here is to start adding and subtracting these numbers together. The reality here is an understanding of the place value system, and what it means concretely to move between the place values.

WHAT THE PARCC WILL EXPECT: The PARCC samples are taken directly from the PARCC Practice Tests website.

The sample for 5.NBT.1 is as follows:

When you click on the drop down "Choose..." box, you're given something similar to the following:

Teaching Grit and Rigor in the Classroom: Validating Everything I Do

OK, well it's been a long hiatus from the blog (7 months actually), but I'm back. This year has been a difficult one, with implementing the Common Core, and dealing with a lot of changes in my school district, but I am happy to say that I'm finding more time to get back to my passions, one of them being this blog... So, with that being said, let's move on.

This morning on my way to work, I listened to a great piece on NPR called "Does Teaching Kids To Get 'Gritty' Help Them To Get Ahead?" The article goes on to explain that a child's grit (determination, the willingness to fight on and never give up) can actually be a better predictor of success than can IQ score or standardized test scores. But it also states that it can be hard to implement strategies to teach 'grit,' that it seems to be an inherent trait that certain kids have and certain kids don't.

Yet, I've been stuck thinking about this all day. Every teacher deals with the kids who give up easily. We've all heard the 'this is hard, I quit' mentality that plagues so many children in our world today. Actually, those kids have probably always been there, and it can be easy to see them not being successful as they get older. After all, what is college all about? More than anything else, college tests your ability to do something for many years, dealing with tons of ridiculous garbage, bureaucracy, and politics, and finally get a degree and a job. College is all about grit and self-drive.

In the article, Jason Baehr, a philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University says the following:

"But I'll say from our experience in the school, I see [kids learning to be grittier] all the time. ... You can create a classroom culture in which struggle and risk-taking is valued more than just getting the right answer."

I made a challenge to myself this year, well a few actually, but what it came down to was creating a classroom focused on process and not product, struggle and rigor and not just right answers and policy. Overall, I feel validated, I feel that my students have shown a greater ability to problem solve, to persevere, and to challenge themselves than ever before in the past. Of course there are the exceptions, as with any class, but I feel that I'm finally coming into my own and creating a classroom culture that demands grit, and I want to grow that.

This article is spot on the way I feel about education at this point in my career. We can discuss hands on learning and investigative approaches, project based learning and strategies to instruct in literacy and math all day and never come to a consensus. But what we need to do is realize that not every child is going to persevere, especially in a subject they aren't passionate about. What we can do, however, is train kids to fight, and deal with their frustration in a constructive way. After all, school isn't supposed to be fun or easy. It's supposed to challenge students, to make them think, to make them frustrated, and to learn to think outside the box. Rigor, relevance, and a classroom focused on the active struggle is a great start. Please read or listen to the article, if you missed the link above, here it is again:

Does Teaching Kids To Get 'Gritty' Help Them To Get Ahead?