Laughing with Di – October 2018

This school year, as I continue my volunteering career at West Creek Academy, I aspire to be smarter than a fifth grader.
Let’s have a laugh….
Time marches on taking me with it. I have climbed the stairs to the fifth grader’s domain. The first thing I noticed was the noise level. There isn’t any. It is eerily quiet in the center common area; unlike what I was used to during my first through third grade years!
The second thing I noticed was math. Unlike say, spelling, math was never my cup of tea but as I sat comfortably stapling math test pages together, I made the mistake of reading them. Wondering whether I might pass this test (though intuitively I knew victory would be unattainable), I found the bulk of the questions were instantly intimidating. Afterward, I made it a point to peruse through the two-inch thick math book my granddaughter brings home every day. Here is a typical problem from the fifth-grade textbook.
Which multiplication property is shown in the equation below?
3.1 x (2 x 9) = (3.1 x 2) x 9
A. Identity Property
B. Commutative Property
C. Zero Property
D. Associative Property
One of the answers is defined as, “the multiplicative identity property (doesn’t that just easily roll off the tongue?) states that any time you multiply a number by 1, the result, or product, is that original number.” We probably all know this, but seeing it in words is not easily commutative (or is it communicative?) Baffling.
So, do you know the answer to the problem? I didn’t. Guess you will have to ask a fifth grader. And, remember to list the things you are thankful for this month. I am thankful I do not have to attend a grammar school math class!