It's Friday and we're handing out MCAS Math homework for the weekend again. In part, we're helping students get ready for the statewide MCAS tests.
There's another important reason as well. Sometimes kids feel as if they learn math in school and 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 Friday we 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 real world workers at the same time!
Here is the third grade's actual MCAS problem:
Here is our Perkins construction version:
Here is the fourth grade's MCAS question:
Now, the Perkins construction version:
Okay, fifth graders, your turn. Here's an actual question from a former MCAS test:
The Perkins version:
Good luck with the problems, kids. To keep you thinking, here's the math quotation of the day:
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. ~Phil Pastoret
