School RULES! Math. Emma MacLaren Henke

Sabrina ride the school bus. Elsa lives 3 miles from

      school, and Sabrina lives 5 miles from school. If the bus takes each

      girl directly from home to school and back again, how many

      more miles does Sabrina ride the bus each day than Elsa?

      This particular problem is not that complex. Perhaps you see quickly that the

      solution is 4 miles. But “4 miles” is not the complete story, is it?

      Elsa and Sabrina ride the school bus. Elsa lives 3 miles

      from school, and Sabrina lives 5 miles from school. If the bus

      takes each girl directly from home to school and back

      again, how many more miles does Sabrina ride the

      bus each day than Elsa?

      THAT’S the whole story!

      Drawing pictures helps you figure out problems that don’t seem simple. In the

      story of Elsa and Sabrina and the school bus, when you draw how far each girl

      travels each day, it’s easy to see the difference.

      Get in the habit of always showing your work, even when a problem seems easy.

      That way, when problems get harder, you’ll be used to showing your work and

      drawing pictures to solve them. This will make math much easier as you get older!

      Sabrina

      5 miles

      5 miles

      5+5=10

      Elsa

      3 miles

      3 miles

      3+3=6

      10-6=4

      Sabrina rides the bus 4 miles

      more than Elsa each day.

      OK, now let’s try a basic

      multiplication problem.

      54 × 78 = ?

      54 × 78 = 4,212

      Yes, true enough, the solution is 4,212.

      But it’s best to show how you

      found your solution.

      54 × 78 = ?

      Showing your work proves

      to you and your teacher

      that you understand what

      you’re learning. And if

      you’re having trouble,

      your work will show what

      part you don’t understand

      so that you can get help

      and stop making the same

      error. You’ll be telling the

      whole story!

      2

      3

      5

      4

      ×

      7

      8

      1

      4

      3

      2

      1

      3

      7

      8

      4

      2

      1

      2

      QUIZ

      Teacher Test

      Think your math teacher expects you to earn

      100% every time? Take this quiz to discover

      what your teacher really wants.

      Racing through your math work to

      be the first student to turn in every

      assignment is a great way to show

      off your smarts.

      True or False

      Math teachers

      think your

      homework should

      be perfect every

      time. You had all

      night to get it right!

      True or False

      Math teachers

      insist there’s only

      one correct way

      to solve every

      math problem.

      True or False

      Math teachers feel you should

      volunteer to answer a question

      in class or show work at the

      board only if you’re absolutely

      sure you’ll get it right.

      True or False

      Math teachers hate

      it when students ask

      questions in class.

      If you don’t understand

      something, figure it

      out on your own!

      True or False

      Math teachers

      expect you

      to earn an A

      on every test

      and quiz.

      True or False

      Teachers know that students work at different speeds. Teachers want

      you to do careful work and to try to do your best. If there’s time,

      they hope you check your answers.

      Teachers expect students to make mistakes on math homework. Math

      homework lets you practice the concepts you cover in class. Teachers

      look at homework to see if you understand what they’re teaching. If

      students don’t do well on a particular homework assignment, a teacher