Math Mammoth The Four Operations (with a Touch of Algebra)

<p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Math Mammoth The Four Operations (with a Touch of Algebra) </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>is a mathematics worktext meant primarily for fifth and sixth grades. Being a worktext means that this book is a textbook and workbook together: the lessons include both the explanations of the concepts as well as practice exercises.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The main topics of this book are mental math strategies simple equations and expressions the order of operations partial products using all four operations in solving problems and number patterns in the coordinate grid.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Students encounter the exact definition of an </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>equation</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> and an </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>expression</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. They practice the order of operations with problems that also reinforce the idea of the equal sign (=) as denoting equality of the right and left sides of an equation. These kinds of exercises are needed because students may think that an equal sign signifies </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>the act of finding the answer</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> to a problem (such as 134 + 23 = ?) which is not so.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Students solve </span><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>simple equations with the help of a bar model</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. They also use the </span><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>pan balance model</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> to solve simple one and two-step equations and even some three-step equations.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>We review the thought of partial products (multiplying and dividing in parts) including how those partial products are seen in the multiplication algorithm and how to use mental math to divide numbers in parts.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Although the book is named The Four Operations the idea is not to practice each of the four operations separately but rather to </span><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>see how they are used together in solving problems and in simple equations</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>. We are trying to </span><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>develop the student's <em>algebraic thinking</em></strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> including the abilities to: translate problems into mathematical operations comprehend the many operations needed to yield an answer to a problem undo operations and so on. Many of the ideas in this book are preparing students for algebra.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The answers are appended.</span></p>