Sara Brisby Essential Questions:

1.What strategies do good problem solvers use?

This question can be used across grade levels, and even across subject area. Students in primary grades, through algebra 1 can examine how they, or someone else, solved a math problem. A class list can be started, and added to as students find new strategies they can use to be good problem solvers.

2. What models or pictures can be used when solving mathematical, or real life problems, to help decide which operation to use?

Younger grades tend to use pictures or models more often than older grades, but I think all grade levels would benefit from using them as well. It takes the learning from abstract to concrete. Choosing which operation to use in a math problem can be difficult for students. If they are given tools like models, or pictures, they can actually see why they would choose that operation. In order to choose which model or picture, they will have to be shown various ways they could solve it.

Fractions: 1. How are fractions composed, decomposed, compared, and represented? 2. How can fractions be modeled, compared, and ordered? In younger grades you could ask, What do fractions represent? Then go over (using pictures and models) how they are composed, decomposed, compared, and represented. In older grades, you could build on this and add equivalent fractions, and how fractions are added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided.

3. How do operations with fractions relate to operations with whole numbers? Primary grades start with whole numbers and operations. If they can see a relationship between whole numbers and fractions, they will be able to understand fractions better.

4. What fractional expressions can be used to represent numbers great than 1? I notice that when we work with fractions, students dont usually see that fractions are less than 1. Using the models, and pictures in younger grades, they could see this. In the upper grades, students can then write expressions to represent

5. How can an improper fraction be made from a mixed number? Students learn how to change from an improper fraction to a mixed number, and from a mixed number to an improper fraction, but they dont always understand why it works. It is just steps they follow: multiply these two, add the numerator. They need to be able to see why and how the two are related so they can see how you can use one to find the other.