Charlotte Morgan and the Great Big Math Problem--Chapter 22 The Class Math Bee

  This is my next book.  

It is currently being copy edited, (so there will be the occasional typo in this version) and I am having a few illustrations done.

I am including the tag #steemiteducation because I wrote this thinking like a teacher.  The characters use math and describe their math thinking as they work through problems.  I am a former 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade teacher, so I used my experience and background from those years as I wrote this.

Update: The book is now available for preorder on Amazon.  Click here to get it on Kindle.

Click here for chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21

Summary: Time for the Math Bee is getting close.

Chapter 21  The Class Math Bee

On Wednesday morning I changed the number on my wall to three.  Three days left until big math bee, seventy-two hours.

Mrs. King stood by the smartboard, her glass were propped on her forehead, and a pencil stuck out behind her right ear.  “Okay class, today’s the day for our class math bee, for those that wish to attempt to compete in the school wide math bee on Friday.  Each person will answer a math question on their own.  If the question is a math fact, such as five times five, or 9 divided by 3, you will only have ten seconds to answer.  For longer problems, such as 45 - 17.  You will be given thirty seconds to solve the question.  If it is a word problem, you will be given two minutes, or 120 seconds, to solve the question.  Answer a question correctly and you move on to the next round.  Give a wrong answer or fail to answer the question in the time given an you are out.”  Mrs. King read from a paper, “These are the students that wish to participate Charlotte, Trey, Sally, Jason, and Gavin.”

I didn’t know Gavin was going to participate.

“You’re trying out?” I asked Gavin.  “Why didn’t you say something?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know.”

The five of us lined up at the front of the room, with our pencils, paper, and clipboards.  This was how the real thing would happen on Friday, you standing behind a mic with nothing but a clipboard, paper, and pencil to get the answer correct.

“Okay, Charlotte, you have the first question.”  Mrs. King took two steps forward, and stood by a podium that was normally stored in the corner.  “Come here and stand behind this podium, and we’ll pretend that a microphone is there as well.  And then if you answer the question correctly I will instruct you to go sit in the line.  On Friday, there will be chairs on the stage for you to sit.”

I stood by the podium.  I held on tight to my clipboard and pencil.

Mrs. King took the glasses off her head and back on her nose and read the first question, “What is twelve times three?  You have thirty seconds.”

“Thirty-six” I answered automatically.

“That’s correct.  You didn’t need the thirty seconds,” Mrs. King said.  The class cheered.  “You may go back and sit in the line Charlotte.”

Trey, Jason, and Sally all got there first question correct and rejoined me in the line.

It was Gavin’s time for his question, he stood by the podium.  A few chuckles popped up quietly around the room.

“Okay, Gavin, here is your question,” Mrs. King looked at her paper.  “What is seven times six?  You have thirty seconds.”

Gavin held onto his clipboard and began scratching out something on his paper.  I stood up and got on my tiptoes and saw he was making marks on his paper.  Mrs. King motioned for me to sit down.  I sat down.  Gavin was counting, six groups of seven.   I wasn’t sure if thirty seconds was enough for him to try that way.  “Come on Gavin,” I whispered to myself.  

Gavin made a lot of marks on his paper, in a short amount of time.  “Forty-two!” he shouted.  The class cheered.

“Nicely done Gavin, just in time!  You may go back to the line,” said Mrs. King.  

“Charlotte, that means you’re up again,” I took a deep breath, grabbed my clipboard, pencil, and paper, and went to the podium.  “Okay, Charlotte, your problem is, what is 100-39?  You have sixty seconds for this problem.”

Normally I could do this problem in my head, but I was nervous.  I needed to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes in my head.  I worked the problem, and subtracted across the zeros.  The number 61 appeared on my paper.  I double checked it in my head.  100 - 40 made 60, take one more away from 40 to make 39, so add that to my answer and I would get 61.

“61!” I said.

“Correct,” Mrs. King replied.  “Have a seat back on the line.”  The class cheered.

Trey was next and the first person to miss a problem and the first out.  Both Jason and Sally answered their problems correctly.  Then it was Gavin’s turn.

“Okay, Gavin, your next,” said Mrs. King.  Gavin gave a sheepish smile and stood next to Mrs. King.  “Your problem is 81-47.  You have sixty seconds.”

My stomach sank for Gavin.  This was difficult problem because he would be required to borrow from the tens place, since you can’t take seven ones from one ones in the ones place.

Gavin’s pencil flew across his paper.  It looked like it was going to break.  

“Twenty seconds,” Mrs. King spoke calmly.

Gavin continued to write and erase.

“Ten seconds,” Mrs. King spoke again.

“Thirty-six!” shouted Gavin.

Mrs. King looked at her paper.  “I’m sorry Gavin the answer is thirty-four.  You were close, it sounds like something went wrong in the ones place.  We’ll take a look at it later.  Thank you for working hard on this,” Mrs. King spoke in her clam and soothing voice.

The class cheered and several students clapped.  And Gavin headed back to his desk.

That left just me, Jason, and Sally.

Mrs. King addressed the class, “So we’re down to our final three.  The final two will be our representatives for the school math bee.”

“Whoa!” someone called from the back corner.  The class giggled.

“Calm down class.  Charlotte, you’re up first.”

I took my clipboard, pencil, and paper, and stood nervously next to the podium.  “Okay Charlotte, this is a word problem.  And it will appear here on the smartboard so you don’t have to copy the problem down.  Ready?”

I nodded.  Pencil in hand.

“Mark got a $20 bill for his birthday, he bought a baseball for $8 and a t-shirt for $7.  How much change does he get back?  You have two minutes.”

I stared at the smartboard and double checked what I needed to know.  First, he bought two things, the baseball and the t-shirt.  Eight plus seven equals 15.  So he spent $15 dollars.  Since he had a $20 bill, twenty minus fifteen equals five.  He got five dollars back.  I then worked the problem on my paper to double check myself.

“$5, he got five dollars back,” I said.

“Correct!” said Mrs. King.  The class applauded.  “Charlotte, congratulations, head on back to the line.”  

Jason was next.  Mrs. King gave him another word problem.  A question about the total points scored in a football game.  I thought it was too easy, it was just simple addition, no multiplication, division, or subtraction needed.

“Forty-one!” shouted Jason.

“Actually, I’m sorry the answer is Forty-two.”  Jason hung his head, but Mrs. King put her hand on his shoulder, “Jason, you’re not out yet.  We need to hear from Sally.  If she misses her problem, then you two will have a run-off.  If she gets her answer correct, Sally and Charlotte will be our class representatives.  So Jason take a seat back on the line.”  

Mrs. King motioned at Sally.

Sally stood next to the podium.  Her pencil shook as prepared to see the problem that would appear on the smartboard.

“Okay Sally, if Mr. Smith drove 12 miles to the book store, then another 22 miles to the grocery store, and then 17 miles back home.  How many miles did Mr. Smith drive in all?  You have two minutes.”

I was jealous.  Sally had also gotten a problem that required only addition.  But still, I wanted her to win.

Sally’s pencil flew across her paper.  I think she already knew the answer, but was checking herself.

“He drove fifty-one miles,” Sally firmly.

“That’s correct!” said Mrs. King.  “Congratulations to Charlotte and Sally our class representatives.  And congratulations to Jason, Trey, and Gavin for competing and doing well today.

The class applauded. 

There was now only forty-eights hours until the Turning Elementary School Math Bee.