Unit Conversions-Big to Small Math Mnemonic

Greetings fellow teachers, students, parents, and any other random person who might have come across this blog by accident! 

Today, I am going to be talking about The Flying Pig's Unit Conversions-Big to Small Math Mnemonic. 

It is difficult for students to know whether to use multiplication or division when they have to convert different units. By identifying which unit is smaller or larger, it makes it easier. If you are converting larger units to smaller units, you multiply. For example, if I am converting 5 years into months, I would identify that years are larger than months-”Big to Small, Times them All”. So, I would multiply 5 and 12 (because there are 12 months in a year) and get 60 months. 

The opposite is true for converting small units to large units. For example, if I am converting 24 inches into feet, I would recognize that inches are smaller than feet –”S to B, Divide with Me.” I would divide 24 inches by 12 (because there are 12 inches in a foot) and get 2 feet. 

This mnemonic is an especially helpful resource for students struggling with word problems. Let's face it, word problems get a bad wrap because they "can fry kids' brains into cinders" if the proper problem solving strategies aren't in place. Let's give them all the tools they need to be successful.  If we take the mundane out of learning and add in the magic of motion we can mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo mathematics into a fun, brain cell growing experience that goes way beyond midnight.  (No fairy godmother's necessary!)

You can purchase  The Flying Pig Unit-Conversions-Big-to-Small-Math-Mnemonic on TPT. 

This product includes a condensed page for teachers, a poster for students (for classroom display and/or an interactive notebook resource), and a script for teachers to explain mnemonic motions to students. 

This Flying Pig YouTube video shows how the Unit Conversions-Big to Small mnemonic looks in full motion. 

REMEMBER, MOTION IS ESSENTIAL! Movement increases oxygen and epinephrine flow to the brain, captures student focus, grows brain cells, and enhances cognitive processing. Mnemonics are most effective when repeated seven times in an initial lesson and then reviewed every day throughout a unit. If you see it, hear it, do it, and repeat-you will remember it. Most importantly, IT MAKES LEARNING FUN!

Have a happy day! -The Flying Pig