Reply To: Lesson 4 – Applying Our Understanding Of The Unit Of Measure – Discussion

[James Kelly]

I have found that it can take middle schoolers some time to adjust to the idea of using visual models after being exposed to mostly numbers and memorization in previous years. There can also be some confusion about what the bars mean. One bar with three orange boxes means three whole units and another bar with five boxes means each box equals one fifth. With my sixth grade, I’ve actually given them tiles and had them make the boxes in 3-D before having them draw the process on paper. (so much harder to do when they’re online.)

[James Kelly]

I have found that it can take middle schoolers some time to adjust to the idea of using visual models after being exposed to mostly numbers and memorization in previous years. There can also be some confusion about what the bars mean. One bar with three orange boxes means three whole units and another bar with five boxes means each box equals one fifth. With my sixth grade, I’ve actually given them tiles and had them make the boxes in 3-D before having them draw the process on paper. (so much harder to do when they’re online.)