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Decimal Lessons
Decimals, just like fractions, can be one of the more frustrating and confusing concepts to learn in early elementary mathematics. Teachers look for engaging real-world applications involving decimals-and they don't have to look very far to get some good examples! Decimals are everywhere around us, from pennies in a dollar, to comparing prices at the grocery or toy store, a solid grasp of decimals and their uses are important in our daily life.
The instances where you can find decimals on a daily basis are almost limitless, for example, at the gas pump-where not only miles per gallon will be a decimal, but also the amount of gas purchased, and how much you pay for it (both per gallon costs and total costs). Standard directions and mileage are figured with decimal points as well, underscoring the need for solid decimal lessons.
Our current numbering system is based on a base-ten system originating from ancient civilizations, such as the Romans; and you can still see Roman numerals used in a variety of places, most notably the Super Bowl. We have since moved away from Roman numerals for everyday usage and adopted Arabic numbering standards, which use decimals to represent a fraction of a whole, a concept introduced in 1616 by a Scottish mathematician named John Napier.
TurtleDiary.com offers an exceptional array of decimal lesson plans, including lessons on addition and subtraction, a decimal lesson on converting mixed numbers, decimal number lines, mixed numbers, decimal place values, and even background on theory in the lesson entitled What is a Decimal? This in-depth overview of decimals and their usage even includes how to read decimals, how write and create them correctly, and includes graphical representations of the concepts that add life and vibrancy to the lessons presented on the page.