1. Calculators are used for CHECKING answers, not finding answers!
Using Your Calculator
Calculators are used for CHECKING answers, not finding answers!

2. Turning On/Off Your Calculator
To turn the calculator on, simply press the ON button!
To turn the calculator off, press the “2nd” key, which allows you to access the features written in blue above each button, and then press “ON.”

3. Important Buttons for 6th Grade
The “2nd” allows you to access the features written in blue above each button.
The “carat” button (the upside-down v) is used for exponents.
For fraction to decimal and decimal to fraction conversion, you will use the 2nd “PRB” option.
This year you’ll learn about negative numbers. The button that looks like (-) is the negative key.
For mixed numbers and improper fractions, you’ll want the “Ab/c” handy.
Since we’re all human, and we all make mistakes, we need to be able to find that fabulous “DEL” button for when we accidentally type something we want to erase.

4. OOPS, I did it again!
DEL will erase the last entry one key at a time. You can also delete by moving your arrow keys to the number you want to delete/change, and either delete and insert or simply type the new key in over it.
I accidentally typed 4 – 5 + 7, when I MEANT to type What should I do to fix this withOUT clearing it out and restarting? (Hint: NOT Delete!)
Left arrow over to the minus sign (four presses of the arrow), and type a plus sign.

5. Oh Fraction, My Fraction…
The Ab/c button is your BFF!
Pressing Ab/c inserts a little backwards L that looks like this: This indicates a fraction bar.
If you wanted to type the fraction ¾, what button(s) would I press?
Since fraction bars are division symbols, you could always type 3 ÷ 4, which would look like 3/4. However, that doesn’t help with mixed numbers.
Instead, we use the Ab/c button, and type 3 Ab/c 4, which looks like
When you press the = button, the calculator will immediately show your answer as the fraction 3/4.

6. and you would find the result on the screen: 5 / 16.
Ab/c is my BFF!!!
To simplify/reduce fractions, simply type in the fraction and press “=.” The calculator automatically reduces EVERY fraction, as YOU should do, too!
So, for the fraction 15/48, you would type:
1 5 Ab/c 4 8 =
and you would find the result on the screen: 5 / 16.
Try to operate with a basic fraction division problem.
Divide 1/5 by 4/5; write the buttons you pressed & the answer on the screen.
Mixed Numbers are entered with the Ab/c button, too. You just have to type it twice!
For 2 ¼, you would type 2 Ab/c 1 Ab/c 4. If you hit =, you’ll see /4.

7. I’m so Mixed Up, it’s Improper!
Remember the “2nd” button? When that button and the Ab/c button come together, it’s an improper mix!
You can convert from mixed numbers to improper and improper to mixed number with the same buttons!
Convert 2 ¼ to an improper fraction; type:
2 Ab/c 1 Ab/c 4 “2nd” Ab/c =
Try the other way, convert 32/3 to a mixed number!
3 2 Ab/c 3 “2nd” Ab/c =
Now you try!
Add 1 1/3 to 2 ½. What buttons did you press?

8. Unit Rate and Better Buy
We’ve been talking about unit rate and better buy. Now we need to practice them using a calculator.
There are 24 rolls of toilet paper in a case that costs $ How much is each individual roll of toilet paper?
First, what is your rate? $ 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑠
Now type that into your calculator in one of two ways:
12.60 Ab/c 24 =
12.60 ÷ 24 =
So the unit cost rate is $0.525 per roll of toilet paper.
The smaller package of 18 rolls costs $ Which package is the better buy?