Tuesday, October 11, 2011

As Promised, MCAS Math Monday on Tuesday


Math is important, even on weeks where the Perkins is closed for a holiday on Monday. So here are our MCAS problems for the week.

In case you're new to MCAS Mondays, here's why we have them. In part, to help our students get ready for the statewide MCAS tests. But, there's another important reason--

Sometimes kids feel as if they learn math in school and then they will never use it again. That’s just not true. People in all sorts of jobs use math. People across the street on the construction site in Old Colony, for example, need all their math skills. They use math all day, every day.

That’s why students everywhere have to study math. We, however, are going to do it, Perkins Style. Each Monday we'll give third, fourth, and fifth graders one math problem from a previous MCAS test. Then we’ll give them another similar question using real data from the construction site. Our kids are learning to be elementary school students and engineers and architects at the same time!

Here are this week's problems:

The third graders' actual MCAS problem:

And, their construction site problem:


The fourth graders' actual MCAS problem:



And, their construction site problem:


Now the fifth grade's actual MCAS problem:

And their construction site problem:

GOOD LUCK, KIDS!