Measuring Practice

A few weeks ago my students started measuring with feet and inches.  I made this data sheet so my students could collect the measurements they found.  They love using the measuring tape!  It's really important that you model how to keep it tight so they get an accurate measurement.    

{Click the picture to get the free download!}

I partnered my students up and let them measure items in our classroom.  My two classroom aides and I walked around the room helping the students to make sure they were measuring correctly and writing down the measurement right.  They are still mastering writing inches to the nearest half inch and that can be a bit tricky to write down.  

I had to help these two to measure our GIANT smartboard that we love SO much!

PS I am enjoying the sun room in my husbands house in Santa Fe, New Mexico!  I came down for a visit during my WEEK long spring break!  Wahoo!!! 

Cherry Blossom Math Art Project

Out here in Utah we have been patiently waiting for spring and it is just a few days away now!  The spring equinox is on March 20th!  We have been talking a lot about our trip around the sun and we are excited to meet this milestone!  

I showed my students a few pictures of cherry blossom trees that I found through google.  This one is from centralpark.com

I also showed them the oriental style of painting cherry blossom trees and branches.  There are many examples to be found through google.  This one is from: http://www.bloomstersfl.com/CONTACT-.html 

I showed my students how to use a q-tip to make the branches and the flowers.  To make the flowers use the tip like a stamp and make little flowers by clumping together pink circles.  

I work with a fabulous aide, Mrs. Gurule, who also happens to be a very talented artist!

This week my class has been practicing dividing a set of objects in half.  

They had to have equal blossoms on each side of the tree or branches so that they were thinking about dividing a set of objects in half.  

Here is how they turned out.  Didn't they do a great job?!

While my students were painting I played some youtube videos with birds chirping like this one...

Shapes Poster Freebie!

Hi friends!  I think I mentioned this in my last post too, but I really have been SUPER busy lately.  


I didn't want you to think that I've forgot about you though, so I made you these cute shapes posters!  I hope you can use them!  


They are especially good for my kindergarten and first grade friends!  

{Click the picture to grab your FREE copy!}

I can't wait to catch you up on some of the exciting things happening in our classroom lately!

Greater Than Less Than - Grinch Style!

    I am incredibly lucky to work with Lynae, the very creative math specialist extraordinaire!  Her job is to create engaging math centers to help fill in the gaps in our students learning during our interventions time.  She does this for k-6 grades.  Every week!  She is AMAZING!!


This weeks she came up with this fantastic idea.  She used the beloved Dr. Seuss character the Grinch in the most fantastic way.

She found an image on google, printed them off, cut off one arm and taped it to make the greater than and less than signs!  She put glitter glue to emphasize the signs but some of my little darlings pulled it off.   :(

    Then she made Santa bags with different numbers on them.  Our students had to put the correct Grinch in the middle to show their understanding.  {LOVE IT!}


What do you think?  Is this something you might use in your classroom?  

Get 'em While They're Hot! Coin Posters Freebie!

So I ordered DJ Inkers Kidoodlez: Science and Math CD.  Let me just tell you.....I LOVE all of the super cute and useful images that come on this CD! 

(Click on the picture to get your own copy!)

There are so many fantastic images to use.  This is the first resource I have created with it.  I have updated my money posters and created one for the half dollar which I didn't have.  I am not the greatest poet so if you know of or think of a better poem to use for the half dollar please let me know and I will make a poster with it!  

(Click the picture to grab a copy of the Coin Posters)

Please leave me a comment if you download the coin posters!  I love hearing from all of my blogging friends!  {HUGS}

Easy Peasy Symmetry

Today I introduced symmetry during math.  First I showed them what symmetry meant using our bodies as an example.  Then we used shapes and we practiced drawing lines of symmetry on them.  We folded them on the lines to double check that they were actually symmetrical.   After that we created these fabulous symmetrical works of art!  


So here is an easy art project that is sure to get oooh's and aaaah's from all of your little darlings.  


First have your students fold construction paper in half hamburger style.  Then go around and ask each child what colors they would like.  I let them choose three colors.  

Next fold the paper back up and spread the paint out by pressing on the paper from the fold to the front opening.  If they spread it from side to side it will spill out the sides and be really messy.  

When they open up their paper they will find a beautiful symmetrical painting will have appeared like magic!  Followed by the oooh's and aaaah's...

Helpful hint:

I put the paint in a shower tote so that I can easily carry them from table to table.  

Then I had my students write about their symmetrical paintings in their math journals.  You know how the Common Core loves for our kiddo's to write about math!

They had to answer these two questions in their writing: What does your picture look like?  What does symmetrical mean?  

Here are some student examples....

and 

I'm back with a vertical, horizontal and oblique line activity and FREEBIE!

This weekend I went to lunch with some amazing fellow teacher/bloggers!  You can see Rachelle and Natalie's post all about our get together here @ whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com  These amazing women have certainly inspired me to keep up with blogging!  So here is my first new post in a few months.

This is a fun, quick and easy activity that you can do with your students either in whole group or small group instruction.  Here we are practicing vertical, horizontal and oblique lines.  I have my students draw a picture of their choice but they can only do horizontal lines in black, vertical lines in red and oblique lines in blue.  

 I keep a visual reminder on my own white board after I model for them how to draw something using these three colors for their corresponding line.

Here are a couple of my students and their fabulous line drawings.  They really enjoyed this activity.  I asked them what type of lines they were for a simple assessment.  It was a easy way to assess their learning.  

I made a freebie for you just in case you want to use this in a center.  You can do this with crayons, markers, colored pencils or paint!

Get the freebie here!  There are two versions, one is has more scaffolding then the other.

Let me know if you download this and use it!  I would love some feed back.  Thanks!

Dollar Tree Finds and Measurement Idea

Well I had been home for six straight days!  I went for a walk down to the river twice and drove to the post office but that was it.  Mostly I have just been painting the house and working on the computer.  I told my husband I was going to go crazy if I didn’t get out of the house.  So.... I was incredibly spontaneous and…. Drumroll please….. I went into town and had my oil changed (gasp) AND went browsing at Dollar Tree.  This is what I found.

 These fabulous ocean creatures grow to be 600% bigger then their original size.  Soo..... I am planning on using them in a math measurement station.  First, my students can measure the length of each ocean creature.  Then we can put them in water.  Each day they can measure them and record their observations.  When they are finished expanding we can calculate how much they actually grew!  Sounds like fun to me :)

This one is my fave!  I swam with sea turtles on our honeymoon in Maui!

I also found these little pillows that will be added to the safe place in my room.  It is a requirement at my school that each classroom have a designated safe place.  It is a place where students can go when they need a break if they are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or stressed.  I like to teach my students meditation strategies that they can use while they are in the safe place so that they can come back to work.  Also so that they have those skills for the rest of their lives!

 Aren't they the cutest meditation pillows?

And last but NOT least..... I found THESE!!  I had spotted them in someone elses blog and buckled in the knees when with my good fortune they had them here at my small town Dollar Tree!!

I am going to sort my fake money for whole group instruction as well as for math station work!

Whew, I'm glad I got out of the house!  We even had visitors tonight.  Our good friends are here from Las Vegas with their precious six week old baby!