ORIGO stepping stones common core mathematics Grade 5 practice book

ORIGO Stepping Stones is written and developed by a team of experts to provide teachers with a world-class elementary math program. Our expert team of authors and consultants are utilizing all available educational research to create a unique program that has never before been available to teachers. The full color Student Practice Book provides practice pages that support previous and current lessons.

Student physical activity levels during a season of sport education

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which sport education can provide students with sufficient opportunities for developing moderate- to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Nineteen seventh-grade boys (average age = 12.9 yrs.) participated in a 22-lesson season of floor hockey. For all students (both higher and lower skilled), students averaged a total of 31.6 min of MVPA during the season, or 63.2% of lesson time. Further, there was no significant difference according to skill level (33.4 min [Higher] vs. 30.4 min [Lower]), nor were there any significant differences in MVPA levels across the phases of the season.

A prospective study of the determinants of physical activity in rural fifth-grade children

Background Understanding the factors that influence physical activity behavior is important in the design of intervention programs targeted at youth. Methods A prospective study design was used to identify the predictors of vigorous physical activity (VPA) (greater than or equal to 6 METs) and moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (greater than or equal to 3 METs) among 202 rural, predominantly African-American children. Selected social-cognitive determinants of physical activity were assessed via questionnaire in the fifth grade. Participation in VPA and MVPA was assessed via the previous day physical activity recall 1 year later in the sixth grade. Results For girls, participation in community sports, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers, enjoyment of school physical education, race (white > black), and perception of mother's activity level (active vs inactive) were significant predictors of VPA. For MVPA, participation in community sports and self-efficacy in overcoming barriers were significant predictors. For boys, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers was the only significant predictor of VPA, while beliefs regarding activity outcomes and participation in community sports were significant predictors of MVPA. Conclusion Social-cognitive constructs such as physical activity self-efficacy, access to community physical activity outlets, and positive beliefs regarding physical activity outcomes are important predictors of future physical activity behavior among rural, predominantly African-American children.

School physical education in the post-report era : an analysis from public health

The 1996 United States Surgeon General’s report on physical activity and health represents a watershed moment in the modern history of physical activity and public health. Based on a compelling body of scientific evidence from the fields of medicine, epidemiology, physiology, and health psychology, the Surgeon General’s report proclaimed that people of all ages could improve their health and quality of life through lifelong practice of moderate physical activity (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1996). Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General was an especially important publication for school physical education. Not only did the report acknowledge the importance of regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence, it also identified school physical education as an important vehicle for promoting healthenhancing physical activity in young people. “With evidence that success in this arena is possible, every effort should be made to encourage schools to require daily physical education in each grade and to promote physical activities that can be enjoyed throughout life” (USDHHS, 1996, p. 6). The purpose of this article is to discuss the status of school physical education since the release of the Surgeon General’s report on physical activity and health nearly a decade ago. Specifically, the article will address four questions: 1) What has been the historical role of physical education in physical activity and public health? 2) What impact, if any, has the Surgeon General’s report has had on physical education programs? 3) What impact should physical education have on public health and physical activity? 4) What should teacher education programs in physical education do to prepare physical education teachers, given the current role of physical education?

Sibling bullying perpetration: Associations with gender, grade, peer perpetration, trait anger, and moral disengagement

This study investigated bullying amongst siblings in both traditional and cyber forms, and the associations of gender, grade, peer bullying perpetration, trait anger and moral disengagement. The participants were 455 children in grades 5 to 12 (262 girls and 177 boys with 16 unknown gender) who had a sibling. As the number of siblings who only bullied by technology was low, these associations were not able to be calculated. However, the findings showed that the percentage of sibling traditional bullying perpetration (31.6%) was higher than peer bullying perpetration (9.8%). Sibling bullies reported engaging in complex behaviours of perpetration and victimisation in both the physical and in cyber settings, although the number was small. Gender, trait anger, moral disengagement and bullying peers at school (but not grade) were all significantly associated with sibling traditional bullying perpetration. The implications of the findings are discussed for bullying intervention and prevention programs to understand childhood bullying in diverse contexts.

Development of fourth-grade students’ understanding of experimental and theoretical probability

Students explored variation and expectation in a probability activity at the end of the first year of a 3-year longitudinal study across grades 4-6. The activity involved experiments in tossing coins both manually and with simulation using the graphing software, TinkerPlots. Initial responses indicated that the students were aware of uncertainty, although an understanding of chance concepts appeared limited. Predicting outcomes of 10 tosses reflected an intuitive notion of equiprobability, with little awareness of variation. Understanding the relationship between experimental and theoretical probability did not emerge until multiple outcomes and representations were generated with the software.

Structuring representations of continuous data through investigations in grade 1

The study of data modelling with elementary students involves the analysis of a developmental process beginning with children’s investigations of meaningful contexts: visualising, structuring, and representing data and displaying data in simple graphs (English, 2012; Lehrer & Schauble, 2005; Makar, Bakker, & Ben-Zvi, 2011). A 3-year longitudinal study investigated young children’s data modelling, integrating mathematical and scientific investigations. One aspect of this study involved a researcher-led teaching experiment with 21 mathematically able Grade 1 students. The study aimed to describe explicit developmental features of students’ representations of continuous data...

Understanding children’s epistemic beliefs in elementary education

Research shows that the beliefs individuals hold about knowledge and knowing (epistemic beliefs) influence learning approaches and outcomes. However, little is known about the nature of children’s epistemic beliefs and how best to measure these. In this pilot study, 11 Australian children (in Grade 4 or Grade 6) were asked to ‘draw, write and tell’ about their epistemic beliefs using drawings, written responses and interviews respectively. Drawings were analysed, with the majority of children depicting external, one-way sources of knowledge. The written statements and interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, showing that children predominantly described knowledge acquisition as processes of task-based learning. Interviews also enabled children to describe a wider range of views. These results indicate that the methodological combination of ‘draw, write and tell’ allowed for a deeper understanding of the children’s epistemic beliefs which holds implications for future research.

Bhutanese eighth grade students' and teachers' perceptions of their classroom learning environment in relation to the new mathematics curriculum

This thesis examined how Bhutanese eighth grade students and teachers perceived their classroom learning environment in relation to a new standards-based mathematics curriculum. Data were gathered from administering surveys to a sample of 608 students and 98 teachers, followed by semi-structured interviews with selected participants. The findings of the study indicated that participants generally perceived their learning environments favorably. However, there were differences in terms of gender, school level, and school location. The study provides teachers, educational leaders, and policy-makers in Bhutan new insights into students' and teachers' perceptions of their mathematics classroom environments.

Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary student

Mathematics has been perceived as the core area of learning in most educational systems around the world including Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, it is clearly visible that a majority of Sri Lankan students are failing in their basic mathematics when the recent grade five scholarship examination and ordinary level exam marks are analysed. According to Department of Examinations Sri Lanka , on average, over 88 percent of the students are failing in the grade 5 scholarship examinations where mathematics plays a huge role while about 50 percent of the students fail in there ordinary level mathematics examination. Poor or lack of basic mathematics skills has been identified as the root cause.

STEM learning through engineering design: fourth-grade students' investigations in aerospace

Background: Internationally, there is a growing concern for developing STEM education to prepare students for a scientifically and technologically advanced society. Despite educational bodies lobbying for an increased focus on STEM, there is limited research on how engineering might be incorporated especially in the elementary school curriculum. A framework of five comprehensive core engineering design processes (problem scoping, idea generation, design and construction, design evaluation, redesign), adapted from the literature on design thinking in young children, served as a basis for the study. We report on a qualitative study of fourth-grade students’ developments in working an aerospace problem, which took place during the first year of a 3-year longitudinal study. Students applied design processes together with their mathematics and science knowledge to the design and redesign of a 3-D model plane. Results: The study shows that through an aerospace engineering problem, students could complete initial designs and redesigns of a model plane at varying levels of sophistication. Three levels of increasing sophistication in students’ sketches were identified in their designs and redesigns. The second level was the most prevalent involving drawings or templates of planes together with an indication of how to fold the materials as well as measurements linked to the plane’s construction. The third level incorporated written instructions and calculations. Students’ engagement with each of the framework’s design processes revealed problem scoping components in their initial designs and redesigns. Furthermore, students’ recommendations for improving their launching techniques revealed an ability to apply their mathematics knowledge in conjunction with their science learning on the forces of flight. Students’ addition of context was evident together with an awareness of constraints and a consideration of what was feasible in their design creation. Interestingly, students’ application of disciplinary knowledge occurred more frequently in the last two phases of the engineering framework (i.e., design evaluation and redesign), highlighting the need for students to reach these final phases to enable the science and mathematics ideas to emerge. Conclusions: The study supports research indicating young learners’ potential for early engineering. Students can engage in design and redesign processes, applying their STEM disciplinary knowledge in doing so. An appropriate balance is needed between teacher input of new concepts and students’ application of this learning in ways they choose. For example, scaffolding by the teacher about how to improve designs for increased detail could be included in subsequent experiences. Such input could enhance students’ application of STEM disciplinary knowledge in the redesign process. We offer our framework of design processes for younger learners as one way to approach early engineering education with respect to both the creation of rich problem experiences and the analysis of their learning.

STEM: Challenges and opportunities for mathematics education

Climbing Mountains, Building Bridges is a rich theme for exploring some of the “challenges, obstacles, links, and connections” facing mathematics education within the current STEM climate (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This paper first considers some of the issues and debates surrounding the nature of STEM education, including perspectives on its interdisciplinary nature. It is next argued that mathematics is in danger of being overshadowed, in particular by science, in the global urgency to advance STEM competencies in schools and the workforce. Some suggestions are offered for lifting the profile of mathematics education within an integrated STEM context, with examples drawn from modelling with data in the sixth grade.

Confronting expectation in grade 4: Tossing two coins

This study focuses on the experiences of 91 Grade 4 students who had been introduced to expectation and variation through trials of tossing a single coin many times. They were then given two coins to toss simultaneously and asked to state their expectation of the chances for the possible outcomes, in a similar manner expressed for a single coin. This paper documents the journey of the students in discovering that generally their initial expectation for two coins was incorrect and that despite variation, a large number of tosses could confirm a new expectation.

Young, gifted and spiritual -The case of Finnish sixth-grade pupils

The aim of this study was to explore the spirituality of Finnish academically gifted 12 13-year old pre-adolescents (N = 101). Their spirituality was investigated through the following three questions: (1) What is their relationship to religion? (2) How do they perceive transcendence? and (3) How does their search for meaning integrate into their lives? A total of 60 girls and 41 boys participated in the study. They attend a special school, Helsingin Suomalainen yhteiskoulu, in Helsinki, Finland. The school includes classes from grade 3 to upper secondary school and has an entrance test. This study is part of a research project called Actualizing Finnish Giftedness which is funded by the Finnish Academy between 2000 2007 and is led by Professor Tirri. The research project is based on Gardner s Multiple Intelligences theory (Gardner 1993) and on Hay s (1998) work on spirituality. The data in this study was gathered in 2003 and 2004. It includes both qualitative and quantitative material. The emphasis is on data gathered with interviews. The mixed method approach was used as the methodological framework for connecting the qualitative content analysis, phenomenological approach and the quantitative tests of this study. The results of the sub-studies are reported in full in the four original articles. First, the articles show that the pupils connect religion mainly with Christian institutions and do not consider religion and spirituality to overlap. Second, the articles show that the pupils believe in God and the interference of God in their lives and they think that reality includes a spiritual dimension. Third, the pupils had four kinds of existentially significant interests: personal, transcendental, cosmic and ethical. Cosmic interests were especially highlighted in the article concerning boys as nature and science were reported to be integral sources for their existential thinking. In addition, perceptions on God seemed to be connected to the individual s perception on the meaning of life. In RE, spiritual development has been a constant topic of interest since the late eighties. Likewise, recently in gifted education there have been discussions concerning spiritual intelligence (Gardner 1999) and spirituality of the gifted (Kerr & Cohn 2001). Based on the empirical results of the study, this study concludes that education wishing to promote spiritual development should aim at being existentially relevant to the pupils and use their existential search as an integrative framework for their individual talents and skills.

Koulutuksellisen syrjäytymisriskin ennustettavuus yhteishakuvalintojen kautta tarkasteltuna : koulupudokkuusriskin yhteys oppilaan kognitiiviseen kompetenssiin, koulumenestykseen sekä itseä ja vanhempia koskeviin uskomuksiin

The objective of this study was to find factors that could predict educational dropout. Dropout risk was assessed against pupil’s cognitive competence, success in school, and personal beliefs regarding self and parents, while taking into account the pupil’s background and gender. Based on earlier research, an assumption was made that a pupil’s gender, success in school, and parent’s education would be related with dropping out. This study is part of a project funded by the Academy of Finland and led by Professor Jarkko Hautamäki. The project aims to use longitudinal study to assess the development of pupils’ skills in learning to learn. The target group of this study consisted all Finnish speaking ninth graders of a municipality in Southern Finland. There were in total 1534 pupils, of which 809 were girls and 725 boys. The assessment of learning to learn skills was performed about ninth graders in spring 2004. “Opiopi” test material was used in the assessment, consisting of cognitive tests and questions measuring beliefs. At the same time, pupils’ background information was collected together with their self-reported average grade of all school subjects. During spring 2009, the pupils’ joint application data from years 2004 and 2005 was collected from the Finnish joint application registers. The data were analyzed using quantitative methods assisted by the SPSS for Windows computer software. Analysis was conducted through statistical indices, differences in grade averages, multilevel model, multivariate analysis of variance, and logistic regression analysis. Based on earlier research, dropouts were defined as pupils that had not been admitted to or had not applied to second degree education under the joint application system. Using this definition, 157 students in the target group were classified as dropouts (10 % of the target group): 88 girls and 69 boys. The study showed that the school does not affect the drop-out risk but the school class explains 7,5 % of variation in dropout risk. Among girls, dropping out is predicted by a poor average grade, a lack of beliefs supporting learning, and an unrealistic primary choice in joint application system compared to one’s success in school. Among boys, a poor average grade, unrealistic choices in joint application system, and the belief of parent’s low appreciation of education were related to dropout risk. Keywords educational exclusion, school dropout, success in school, comprehensive school, learning to learn