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Science and Math
Naomi Tamura
9/14/2009
By introducing science to math lessons tutees can see the interrelationship between the two subjects
and gain more than just math or science knowledge.
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ScienceandMath
Substitute teaching and private tutoring in the elementary schools has given me an
advantage in knowing how to emphasize the subjects that are used to baseour school mill levy
appropriations. Money will be appropriated solely based on the scores of reading and math. Of
course, other subjects are taught but the emphasis is very heavily on reading and math. There
are many support services for these two subjects. For classes in science, social studies,
geography, and others they're taught either alternate day, doubled up with each other and
usualIy have very Iittle emphasis on the importa nce in them. This ls not the faultof the teachers
just as it is not due to parent's wishes for most of the situation is due to the state mandated
testing/ scoring and the bond issue.
The situation creates students who are very poorly prepared for middle school science.
This has prompted me to offer science as a tutored session to the tutees that have come to me
for help in math. All of the parents who have been approached about this were very eager to
add science to the curriculum. I have found since science and math are very closely related that
it is easyto show how math plays a very integrated part of working asa scientist.
While working as beginning scientists many of my tutees found that it was not only a fun
subject but also had many different subjects connected to the world of science. We found math
was useful in calculating the measurements of household ingredients for our home
experiments. I would challenge them to try and make more or less of the science project. For
example, when we were making slimey goo Iwould tell them that I only had a smaller container
for all the ingredients to safely go in and they needed to calculate how much less of the
ingredients we would need to complete the experiment. This was done using mathematical
skills in fractions and subtraction. Since also all of my tutees were coming for math assistance
this was a great way to show the practical use of math. I was pleased to see their face
acknowledge that connection through a big grin or words of Ahhh.
We then found using good writing skills was necessary to keep accurate records of our
observations. A little bit of art capability helped make the "pictures worth a thousand words" a
true saying for us. Reading also was a very important part of doing our experiments. If the
words did not make sense and/or were foreign to them I would have them look it up in the
dictionary or on the computer. Soon their science notebooks were filled with questions,
hypothesis, observations, and conclusions. Each of them would, to various degrees of
excitement, greet their parents with their new learning of the day.
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Double Digit
Deciphered
A variation using math strategies to find products of
double digit number.
Naomi Tamura
9/1/2009
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Bibliography
Double Digit Deciphered
When we conquered the world of single digit multiplication,
we feel like a super hero on a good day. Everyone knows the thrill of
getting our math facts done in 5 minutes and passing on to the next
level. When we reached our 12's it was with a jump for joy feeling
that we were able to take home and show our parents. Little did we
know more was to come to bring us down to earth in a meteoric rush!
One of my 6thgrade tutee had a lot of difficulty with math facts
and memorizing to recite facts back randomly. Her inability to know
basic facts made math a nightmare. She would always be the very last
one to turn in her tests and worried about.the correct answers
afterwards. By the time she came to me for tutoring, her perception ofmath was it was not only difficult but a drudgery to put up doing. We
started with discussing how single digit multiplication was
remembering the doubles (4X4=I6) and using the different strategies
like the Nifty Nine. She soon was able to do single digit
multiplication but only up to II's without hesitation.
The higher double digits were her next hurdle to try and
overcome. At first, she would sit and look at the problem and gulp a
few times and then try to write a product. This process would take her
at least 2-3 minutes. I'm sure it felt like a lifetime of agony for her .
and I could feel her uneasiness during this time. We then hit on the
idea to take the double digit (only if it was an even number) and cut it
in half. Then multiplying that number by the other single digit factor
she could easily get an answer. This was a continuation of her
mastery of single digit multiplication mentioned above. With this
answer she would then double the answer to get her fmal product.
18 X 8 =?
Take the 18 and halve it, which makes it 9.
Then multiply 9 X 8 =72
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Last double 72, which =154We then used a variation of the basic adding
tragedy of adding the double digit figure after
doing the above steps.
18 X 9 =?
We know 18X 8=154 from the above steps andthen added 18 to get 172.
While she was learning this strategy, she gradually could
see how learning strategies will help her in other life situations.1
We called this math logic or math sense. Her whole attitude
towards math changed from dread to finding math can not only
be done but can be somewhat fun! I have watched as she
progressed to apply this "logic" to other subjects. For example
she has related to me that she can see how logic is used to help
in solving math work problems and in choosing answers in
tests. We have since moved to doing some math and a lot more
Science. Two subjects very closely joined by numbers and
logic.
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Bibliography
www.accesscenter.org/training: Improving outcome for all students K-8 ...
www.brainpopjr.com/mathl ...lbasic adding/growup/weml
Van DeWalle, J.A.(1990). Elementary school mathematics:teaching
developmentally .... Lonciman, N.Y.