House Count - Brief Article

Instructor, Jan, 2000 by Tina Hunker-Sutton

STANDARDS

Mathematical Connections * Computation and Estimation

To get my fifth graders out of their math textbooks and into the real world of mathematics, I've created a homework assignment that takes advantage of everyday objects found around the home. Each student is given a worksheet (see reproducible on page 62) that requires them to count and record specific objects--such as beds, chairs, clocks, and ice cubes--and solve a variety of math problems using these totals. The next day my kids come to school saying, "We have 32 magnets in our home." "We have 27 picture frames." I have never seen them so excited about homework assignment!