8 Days of Hannukah

What Fraction is the 3^rd Day of The 8 Days of Hannukah?

1/8, 2/8, 3/8, 4/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8

Hannukah (sometimes pronounced Chanukah) is known as The Festival of Lights, and this practice is celebrated by the Jewish Peoples of The Earth.

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/605036/jewish/Chanukah-FAQs.html.  It is a remembrance of The Miracle of The Holy Olive Oil lasting for 8 days (i.e.) There was only enough oil to last for one day, but through the Miracle of The Holy Spirit during Beit Hamikdesh, it lasted 8 days and 8 nights, for the entirety of The Celebration of Chanukah.  Hannukah is celebrated starting the 25^th Day of Kislev (this corresponds to around the 21^st-28^th of December in the Gregorian calendar).

The typical Menorah consists of 8 branches with an additional raised or lowered branch in the middle to light the candles from, as there is a candle in each branch lit each night of the 8 days.  A fun thing that happens on Hannukah is The Spinning of The Dreidel, a four-sided spinning top that children play with. Each side of The Dreidel is imprinted with a Hebrew letter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah#Dreidel.

 4 Quadrants of The Seasons

Winter Solstice December 21st 

What is The Fraction of The Solstices and Equinox Seasonal Cycles, based on The Gregorian and Celtic Calendar Year?

There are 4 quadrants that are the Seasonal Cycles of The Gravitational Cycles of The Earth, Sun and The Moon.  We call them:

Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall/Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice.

All fall around the 21^st – 23^rd of the corresponding month (in general the 21^st, depending on where the moon is, every year.

http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/equinox-not-equal.html.

1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

1. Spring Equinox:  March 21^st                        1/4                           
2. Summer Solstice:  June 21^st                          2/4
3. Fall/Autumn Equinox: September 21st      3/4
4. and Winter Solstice: December 21^st            4/4

Traditional Song: 12 Days of Christmas

What is the Fraction of the 5^th Day of The 12 Days of Christmas?

Here is an example:  If you add together the 3^rd Day of Christmas and the 5^th Day if Christmas, what Christmas Fraction does this equal? (Answer:  3/12 +5/12 = 8/12)

1/12, 2/12, 3/12, 4/12, 5/12, 6/12, 7/12, 7/12, 8/12, 9/12, 10/12, 11/12, 12/12

Traditional Song:  The 12 Days of Christmas

On the 1^st First Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 2^nd Second Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 3^rd Third Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 4^th Fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 5^th Fifth Day of Christmas, (5/12)

My true love sent to me

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 6^th Sixth Day of Christmas, (6/12)

My true love sent to me

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 7^th Seventh Day of Christmas, (7/12)

My true love sent to me

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 8^th Eighth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 9^th Ninth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 10^th Tenth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 11^th Eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eleven pipers piping, (11/12)

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree. (1/12)

On the 12^th Twelfth Day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Twelve drummers drumming, 12/12

Eleven pipers piping, (11/12)

Ten lords a-leaping, (10/12)

Nine ladies dancing, (9/12)

Eight maids a-milking, (8/12)

Seven swans a-swimming, (7/12)

Six geese a-laying, (6/12)

Five golden rings, (5/12)

Four calling birds, (4/12)

Three French hens, (3/12)

Two turtle doves, (2/12)

And a partridge in a pear tree! (1/12)

And for some other of our Fun Learning Math Games, you can visit here:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/HexaRace.html.

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsCards.html.

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/fractions-hazard.html.

Supplies:

• Crayola Markers, 3 for each student
• One Organic Chocolate Bar for each student
• Piece of Paper

Have everyone bring in a Whole Chocolate Bar (organic if possible – it is healthier!)  -  One that has an equal number of squares in it.  They do not all have to be the same number of squares, but if they are, it is a bit easier for instructions.

Using a non-toxic marker (Crayola is my favorite), have each Learner draw a gridline across the paper on the outside of the bar in their favorite color. http://www.crayola.com/products/list.cfm?categories=MARKERS,BASICS

Step 1:  Counting 1-12 (usually,  this is the number of squares in a bar.)  If it is different, then  ask the learner to count, respectively re their bar, and write down on paper the basic 12 fractions of their bar:

1/12, 2/12, 3/12, 4/12, 5/12, 6/12, 7/12, 8/12, 9/12, 10/12, 11/12, 12/12

Step 2: Then secretly and individually, each student colors a different amount of squares in each bar, using 3 different colored markers.  Encourage Sharing/Trading markers if there is not enough markers to go around.

Step 3: Then, everyone divides into pairs, and one at a time – without  showing each other what they have colored – each student  guesses what 3 numbered fractions the other one has colored.

Eg/  Susan colored 3 squares in Red, 2 squares in Yellow, and 7 squares in Purple.  Therefore, Susan’s Secret Fraction Codes are:

3/12, 2/12 and 7/12.

Bob colored 3 squares in Blue, 6 squares in Green, and 3 Squares in Orange. Therefore, Bob’s Secret Fraction Codes are:

3/12, 6/12 and 3/12.

Step 4:  After successfully guessing the other’s Secret Fractions, each one guesses the 3 respective Colors – of each Fraction Code.

Step 5: Once they have successfully guessed the other one’s Secret Fraction Codes, have them, TOGETHER then, add all 3 to make the Whole Number One 1.

Eg/ Susan’s Secret Fraction Codes look like this:

3/12 + 2/12 + 7/12 = 12/12 = 1

Bob’s Secret Fraction Codes look like this:

3/12 + 6/12 + 3/12 = 12/12 = 1

Last Step:  Everyone share their Chocolate Bars with The Teacher! lolololololol

Enjoy!  Yum.

Love The Earth!

Remember to Recycle both the paper and the tinfoil or plastic that the bar was wrapped in!  The more Recycling and Care for The Earth, the more Pretty Colored Feathers (or Stars)you receive from The Teacher!

http://iloveloveearth.weebly.com/enter-the-i-love-earth-competition.html

For another one of our fun and affordable Fraction Games, you can visit here: http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/chocolate.html

If anyone would like to buy / donate them to the education program there, here is one site they can be purchased on:

http://www.enasco.com/math/Math+Manipulatives/Abacuses/

We found ours in Chinatown in downtown Victoria.  If anyone would like to buy and donate an abacus with us, please let us know, and we can save together on shipping costs.  This photo is Jane Yuan, from China and Victoria ….. and Sheila Hynes (one of our coordinators from math-lessons.ca).  Jane Yuan is a local artist here in Victoria, and is having fun showing us how to use the abacus.Here is the Pineridge  Shipping Address for anyone wishing to do a similar donation:

Via UPS/FedEx:

Theresa Lessert
Our Lady of Lourdes School
500 Lourdes Lane
Porcupine, SD 57772
Via U.S. Mail:

Theresa Lessert
Our Lady of Lourdes School
P. O. Box 7
Porcupine, SD 57772

“The Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation website focuses on specific needs of the many schools and social service organizations such as shelters, children’s organizations, and clinics physically located on the reservation. The reservation organizations’ needs are many and change constantly so your donations can take many forms, from school, sewing, crafts, sporting, baby, and office supplies, to toiletries, clothing, Christmas gifts, holiday items, bed, bath and kitchen linens, cold weather gear, crayons and more.” http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

May Happy Feelings, Good Health, and Abundance beam Everywhere!

All Our Relations

http://www.enasco.com/math/Math+Manipulatives/Abacuses/

http://www.alabacus.com/pageView.cfm?pageID=315

Cool Free On-Line Interactive Abacus:

http://www.alabacus.com/pageView.cfm?pageID=321

http://www.mathmojo.com/abacus/mathmojowiththeabacus.html

And Here is a link for another one of our Fun Math Games:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/Decimals/decimal.html

There were 742 Placements from Grades 1-4 across Canada, who made the National Mathematics Honour Rolls.  And several others from all grades from other countries, with more details to come, as results roll in.

Categories included Thales; Byron-Germain; Fibonacci; Pythagoras; Math Kangaroo Tournament of Towns; Canadian National Math League; New Jersey National Math League Honour Roll; American Mathematics Competition Honour Roll; Brock University Caribou Math Competition; Centre for Education in Math and Computing Honour Roll (University of Waterloo);

List of Learners’ names to come soon!

http://www.spiritofmath.com

http://www.spiritofmath.com/2011contest/

If you want your class to enjoy one of our Fun Learning Games, downloadable hands-on learning tools, here are a few really great ones:

Quiz Master:  http://www.math-lessons.ca/review/math-review5.html

Race; Fractions Board Game:  http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsBoard5.html

Most kids LOVE pizza, so make it fun and bring REAL pizza into the classroom, several if parents are okay with chipping in on the cost or if the principal authorizes this as a project.  Or, do what we did, and bring in the ingredients, borrow the home economics room, and cook them right there in the classroom. If neither of these possibilities is viable, then divide the kids into groups of different numbers and ask them to draw a simple picture of a pizza on a piece of paper, with the number of slices drawn equal to the number of kids in their group.

Once the pizzas have either arrived, or are baked, cut each pizza into different numbers of sections. If it is real-life cooked pizzas, still have everyone draw first, a picture of their group’s pizza on their paper.  Write underneath the pic the whole fraction of the total number of slices and the whole number that equals.  How many for all the pizzas?

Divide the kids into groups, and ask each group to agree on what the fractions of the pizza are as the slices are being divvied up between the students.   (For drawn pizzas, use scissors to cut the slices out and place them together into a whole pizza pie on their table.  Have each student write down on a piece of paper, what fraction is “their” piece of the pizza – if their slice is the 3^rd slice, and the pizza was divided into 8 slices, she / he writes down 3/8.  Have the student, then answer what fraction of the pizza is left in the box (or on the plate).  In reference to this example, the student would answer 5/8.  As 8/8 –  3/8 = 5/8ths.

As everyone is then eating their pizza, (or pretend eating for those doing the drawn pizzas), discuss which number of their fraction is the denominator and which one is the numerator.  Explaining of course, that the numerator of the fraction is the top number and the denominator of the fraction is the bottom number.

This is a most delish-ious way of teaching fractions in the elementary classroom.  Or, for the drawn pizza class, a delish-ious idea to do first in class on paper, and then bring home to ask parents to cook with them.

Here is another one of our Fun Learning Pizza Games!

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/pizza-fractions.html

Making the task of teaching elementary math a little easier on the shoulders of the teachers, here is a checklist of goals for the year, to check off through the year, and give yourself a pat on the back for all of your teaching efforts and successes.  Given all that teachers do in the run of a teaching day, month, term and year, saying thank you is the least any of us can do.

At the year’s end, you can ask yourself if your Learners are Able to:

• Feel good about themselves whether they have the answers correctly or incorrectly divide by multiples of 10, 100, and 1000
• Understand and make basic home economic money-wise decisions such as buying groceries
• Grasp fractions, whole numbers, proportions, and percentiles
• Make a graph, understand a graph
• Use deductive reasoning – such as assessing shapes and figures in geometry and how they relate to each other
• Add, subtract, and multiply fractions

Adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions all connect with a broader goal of understanding parts or part and whole of all life ideas and circumstances. The mind develops conceptual ratios, proportions, and percentiles, as we walk through a market or a neighborhood.  These become the building blocks of learning algebra and calculus in the later years – conceptual models developing in the mind of building a bridge, for example.

Books and curriculum are tools to achieve these goals for teaching and learning in the elementary classroom, but the process of achieving or attempting to achieve the goals is the real success for both the learners and the Teachers.

For some fun, using games to teach and learn math, here are a few ideas:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/index.html.

Here is a Fun Idea for making it a Happy Heart Math day applicable to Grades 1-4 that encourage comprehension skills of:

Assessing, making predictions, and organizing

Counting, creating, adding, comparing

Listing/ recording data, and reading a graph

This activity is about making heart graphs, inspiring practice and comprehension for making graphs in general, and using fun hearts specifically.

Materials:

Bag of Multi-colored Candy Hearts, about 5/6 cups (1 cup worth for each 5 students)

Large Clear Glass or Plastic Vase / Jar

Plastic / Styrofoam Reusable Cups (1 for every 5 students)

Pencils and Pencil Crayons (matching colors to the Valentine Candy Hearts)

Graph Paper (2 pieces for each group of 5 students)

Prediction Graph

End Result Graph

Heart-Shaped Name Tags

Paper for recording data (1 piece for each group)

Glue Stick

Tape

1.  Divide Learners into groups, 4/5 in each group

2.  Each group guesses / predicts what color of Valentine hearts will be the highest number in the Vase of Hearts

3.  Learners of the whole class tape their Heart Name Tag on the Guess / Prediction

4.  Graph via their corresponding Valentine Color

5.  Each Group of Learners organize by color, a cup full of the candy hearts

6.  On paper, each Group of Learners records data by counting the hearts by color, and writing down the corresponding number of each color that was in their cup

7.  One color at a time, with colored pencils, one Learner from each group puts results of color numbers on the graph.

8.  Learners records all results on Results graph, one at a time, until all have had a chance to graph

Possible Questions to Ask and Share answers:

What color did you like the most?

When all results are added together, how many of each color are counted?

Who was closest to the true answer for numbers of each color? (Comparing Guess / Prediction Graph to End Result Graph)

Which colors were the highest to the lowest, in descending order?

Winners’ Prize:

Eat your favorite color Hearts!  Remember to Share if you and some others have the same favorite color.

And for One of our Fun Learning Math Games:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsBoard4.html.

• Teach them to use the ruler. Rulers are really handy for teaching real-world applications for fractions.  Most of them are already divided into halves, fourths, eighths, even sixteenths.  It’s easy to show them that two halves are the same as one. . . that two fourths are the same as one half, and four fourths are the same as one, and so on.
• Teach them to use measuring cups and spoons.  Bring lots of these dishes to class and give one measuring spoon and cup to each child.  Ask them to pour one cup of water into a tall glass. Now take guesses from the students:  How many half cups do they think it takes to fill a cup? How many quarter cups will it take?  How many one-eighth cups and one-third cups will it take?  Do the same with spoons:  How many half spoons does it take for one teaspoon, and so on?
• You can build on the measuring cups and measuring spoons lesson by giving each student a copy of a recipe or two.  Ask the students to help you rewrite the recipe.  For instance, you could take a recipe that serves four people and tell the kids that you only want to serve half that number (or two).  Then ask how many of each item you’ll need if you take half of each.
• Finally, you can use travel as a way of teaching fractions.  This one is more of a homework assignment.  Ask the children to count how many cars they pass on the way home from the school.  They write down this number.  Then ask them to write down how many are blue; how many red; how many white; how many yellow.  Finally, see if they can turn this into a fraction, reminding them that the color is the top number and the total number of cars is the bottom number.

These suggestions are not only fun ways to keep your students interested in fractions, but more importantly, they are ways to show them that fractions are applicable in real life.

For some of our fun games on fractions, you can visit these pages:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsCards.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/cards.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/chocolate.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsBoard4.html

1. First, remember that the right time to start teaching fractions is right after the children have a good understanding of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.  Then begin with very basic, simple fractions for each operation.

1. We suggest using colored pencils for fractions, with one color consistently used for the top number, or numerator, and a different one for the bottom one, or denominator.  To train your class to recognize the numerator or denominator by your designated color, write some fractions on the board, and have the kids come up and change either the numerator or denominator to the right color.

1. Ask each child to fold in half a piece of paper. Then fold this folded sheet of paper in half again. Use the squares to talk about the blank___ to mean one out of four and the blank___ to mean one out of two.  Have them color to show first one fourth, and then one half, and then…

1. Gradually, you’ll begin working toward teaching the kids how each of the four operations is done with fractions.  For instance, with addition and subtraction, you add or subtract the top number but leave the bottom number the same.  With multiplication, you multiply the two top numbers and then the two bottom numbers.  Then with division, you flip upside down the second fraction and multiply.

1. One of the best ways to help elementary age students remember fraction concepts is to teach it in terms of money, so either keep lots of change and dollar bills on hand, or perhaps cut out some fake coins and bills.  You’ll find that many kids have an almost immediate recognition of how much a “half” dollar is.  Also, as soon as you tell them that a “quarter” is another word for a “fourth,” it will be easy for them to grasp that in terms of money, a quarter is one-fourth of a dollar.

With these few simple tips, not only will fractions not be a chore to learn, but also you’ll find that most children actually enjoy the lessons!

For a refresher game on adding, subtracting, and low integer multiplication and division, we have Hex-a-Race!:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/HexaRace.html

After the refresher, we have for equivalent fractions these ones:

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/cards.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsBoard5.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/FractionsCards.html

1) Kids seem to have trouble saying decimals correctly. The Human Decimal Machine is a way of helping them. On pieces of construction paper, write the digits 0 through 9, and another one with a decimal point, and give one to each learner to represent the card. Tell them the way each one says the decimal point is using the word “and.” Tell them that whoever is to the right of the decimal must be called either “tenths” or “hundredths” or “thousandths,” etc. Have different kids with their cards rearrange themselves and then the other kids read the decimal correctly. For instance, if the persons holding the 9, the decimal and the 5, stand before the class, the kids should read it respectively, as ‘Nine’ ‘and’ ‘five’ ‘tenths’.

2) Using money is one of the most intuitive ways to teach about decimals. Divide your kids into three groups. Give one group play money and coins, give another group a play / cut-out “pie”, and give a third group some dominos. The idea here is to go from the known to the unknown. Most kids know what a dollar looks like, what a half dollar is, and what a “quarter” dollar is. (Explain that a quarter is another way of saying “one fourth” or “one out of four”.) Begin by showing visually that two half dollars make one whole dollar; four quarter dollars — or four “fourth dollars” make one whole dollar, etc. Now translate to non-monetary items: If there are two “half dollars” in a whole, then how many half-pies are in a whole? Use dominoes to illustrate similar points. After students understand the easy ones, move one to dimes, explaining that they are “hundredths.”

3) Decimal Bingo. This only works for kids who have just learned fractions. Cover your Bingo boards with decimals. When you call out the spaces, call them out as fractions. They must locate the decimal equivalent to cover that spot on their board.

4) For an idea for using money to teach decimals, make up a realistic restaurant menu. Tell the students to order what they want, but they have to add up how much money they’ll need. This fun exercise involves the kids in adding decimals.

You’ll find that these four ideas will have your elementary kids looking forward to their decimal lessons.

Here are some of our fun learning games On Decimals:
http://www.math-lessons.ca/activities/OneEquals.html (decimals, fractions, percentiles and money)

http://www.math-lessons.ca/Decimals/decimal.html

http://www.math-lessons.ca/Decimals/decimalBoard4.html