Treasure Hunt Math Game

As a teacher I was always on the hunt for the BEST math games! Math games are just the perfect way to practice the basic skills. And those basic skills are IMPORTANT. Treasure Hunt is one of my favorites because it's simple, cheap, and is so easy to differentiate. Watch the video for a quick "how to"!

The game featured in the video is all about practicing multiples of 1's, 2's, 3's, and 4's, but other games in my store work with higher multiples. (And there's more to come!!) This game increases fluency and comfort with multiples and makes multiplication and division so much easier!

Making a Mother's Day Gift That's Also Educational

It's almost Mother's Day (May 8th!) and with that being said, it's time to plan a great classroom Mother's Day gift! My favorite gift involves some educational activities too!

Truffula Trees from The Lorax!

If you're doing gifts, why not tie in Earth Day and Mother's Day? I love to read The Lorax and then plant "Truffula Seeds" for the moms (or grandmas or dads!) You can read more about what I've done in the past, here. It's a great time to discuss our impact on the environment and what we can do to be better to our Mother Nature.

We plant some seeds in order to get more plants and flowers into the world! Some fast growing seeds include sunflowers, daisies, or zinnias. They typically sprout within 5-7 days (!!!!). I buy cheap pots, some acrylic paint, seeds, and soil to prepare. Then, I spend a day decorating and painting the pots with my students. The next day we plant our seeds in their pots using the soil and whichever seeds I've chosen!

Using my Plant Power lesson plans, students track the growth of their plant. From there we'll spend a few weeks measuring the growth, and the mean, median, and mode of the plant's height. It always helps my kiddos get more comfortable with these important math ideas and it's fun! Be sure to order your supplies (via Amazon Prime) this week in order to have flowers by Mother's Day!

A Simple Strategy for Introducing Division & Free Powerpoint!

Happy weekend, friends!

Last week was a four day week (thank you Election Day!) and I soaked up every minute of that day off.  Now we're in that beautiful downhill stretch to Christmas Break.  Too early?

My class this year is uber procedural and has a hard time discussing ANNNNYTHING.

Me:  What's your favorite book we've read?
Student:  Frindle.
Me:  Oh that's a good one! How come?
Student:  ............ It was good.
Me:  Any other reasons?
Student:  ... I liked it.
Me:  Okay.  Anyone else?
Class:  Chirp, chirp....

So I've really been working on dragging out some of our conversations.  This is especially important in math.  If we can discuss math, then I know they've got it (or don't).  I was super nervous as we began our unit on division this week.  I knew we'd need something basic but purposeful.  So I whipped up some amazing super duper squares.  On colored paper.  So, nothing earth shattering or crazy.  But WHOA.  I paired it with this SIMPLE powerpoint, and ta-da!  We're on our way to understanding division - the first step!

I just created an array on powerpoint {because I tried in Word and why would anyone ever create anything in Word anymore?  Oh my word {HA!} and then printed and had my kiddos cut.  {I don't know about y'all, but cutting takes foreeever.  I always put a timer up and give them like 2 minutes.  If they don't finish, then we discuss how to multi task and I move on while they wrap up}.

So then I popped up this PPT {grab it fo' FREE aqui} and we discussed what we already knew about division, what words represented division, and if we knew any division facts off the top of our head.  {My kiddos didn't}.  So then we moved on to some division problems, discussing what a division problem LOOKS like, and then began dividing.  We started with 24 little squares and dividing 24 by 4.  I was amazed at all the different ways my kiddos divided 24 into 4 equal groups!

Look at all the strategies just for 24 divided by 4!

Some  counted out 4 at a time, others created four groups, and others used arrays!  This led into some great sharing and CONVERSING about the different strategies.  How do we know what the answer is?  What is the correct way to solve this?  Is there a "correct" way?  We continued to use 24 and divide by basic numbers {no remainders for us quite yet}.  This simple strategy paired with genuine conversation and questioning, really helped my kiddos start to grasp this thing we call division.  I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow but with a new number.

I know this is beyond simple, but I knew I needed my kiddos to really have a part in the making of 24 {cutting out the array} and then dividing it up on their own.  I am so glad I did because I saw SO many lightbulbs come on.  Now I need to work on carrying this over into those bigger numbers.  Any suggestions?

Have a great rest of the weekend!  Cheers!

Place Value Decomposition in 4th Grade

Math, y'all, may be the death of me.  I am a writer.  I love teaching writing.  I get writing.  Lo and behold, I feel comfortable teaching it.  What I don't get however, is math.  And how to get deep-deep-deep-down there where my learners are developing a conceptual understanding.   I try.  I question.  I explain.  I have them explain, share, think, and question.  But in all honesty, I just don't feel like it's getting my mathematicians to the place they need to be.

We've been studying place value as 4th graders.  And although we've been using base ten blocks, place value cards, First to 1,000, and many other strategies, it just wasn't clicking like it needed to.  One of my sweet n' lows just had the most frustrated look during math.  And I felt horrible!  Then all of a sudden, I stumbled upon this gem online somewhere.  Originally I printed it out for my learners.  But I realized that three pages for each student + lots of cutting would take up far too much time for me.  And I wasn't about to cut it all out myself.  Aint nobody got time for that... So I moved to the next best thing, the Elmo, and cut out one set myself.  So simple.  Number cards, and 1's, 10's, 100's, 1,000's, and on and on- up to billion. 

We laid out our cards and I asked the big question... "So, what's the value of this 2?"  "My little one's hand shot up.  SHOT UP, y'all.  "Two thousand" she proudly shared.  And my day was made. 

Obviously I got ahead of myself with this picture- we still needed seven thousands.  But you get the gist!

This also helped reinforce the big idea that each place value to the left is TEN TIMES the previous number.  Which we had a rough time grasping. 

Maybe you're looking for someway to connect this concept with your kiddos too.  Or you want to review a bit.  Grab this simple, simple, simple activity here! 

Monday Meet Up & Beating the Summer Slide GIVEAWAY!

I am very excited to share two fun things with you today!  1)  I'm linking up with The Teaching Tribune today for their Monday Meet Up to share one of my BBB, Martina from Mrs. Cahill's Class.  You can find her blog over at The Hungry Teacher! and 2)  I'm hosting a quick giveaway with the fab Martina!  Learn more below :)

 

How do you beat the Summer Slide?  I love sending books home with students and even some math games.  A few years ago I pulled together some games that reviewed the toughest math concepts for 4th graders.  I sent them home with my sweet learners for the summer, praying and hoping that they would use them.  Some did and some didn't. When they came back to me in 5th grade (I looped up with them!) it was obvious to me who had been practicing (you know how it is...).  Basic skills and concepts came so much quicker and easier if practiced over the Summer months.  Fractions and decimals are SO tricky... what better way to review the most important skills than a few fun math games!?  My Summer Math Games Packets has gotten a MAJOR uplift this past weekend.  If you own it, please be sure to re-download everything to get a NEW math game and updated pages.  If you don't own it, be sure to enter our GIVEAWAY for a chance to win it, any product from my store, Almost Summer Math Centers from Mrs. Cahill's TpT Store!!

Enter below!!  The giveaway ends tonight at midnight though, so be sure to jump on it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Baking with Fractions

Bitterly sweet, my time is wrapping up here in Spain.  My job is coming to an end.  Only ELEVEN more days of work for this girl.  And since I'm a "pull out" ESL teacher, my schedule is getting thinned due to end-of-the year events in the classroom- meaning I'm wrapping up lessons and assessments now.  This means not much interesting "teachery" stuff is happening in my life, so I thought this would be a perfect chance to share a few lessons and activities from last year {teaching 5th grade in Colorado} that I never got around to sharing because my life was packed with work, planning a wedding, and moving across the country... you know, no biggie.  

If you don't know, I looped up with my 4th graders to 5th grade last year.  Oh how I loved my class and how I adore looping.  You know how amazing this time of the year is with students?  Well imagine that x2, because that's what looping does with your community.  So this time last year was so much fun.  And we were blessed {BLESSED, I tell ya} to have Mrs. Cahill in there co-teaching.  Oh so blessed.

SO we were wrapping up a unit on multiplying and dividing by fractions.  And I desperately wanted to throw in a fun assessment since we were post-state testing and our brains were FRIED.  {Seriously, though} And that's where baking with fractions came in! 

I gathered together some simple recipes and their ingredients. We had a gluten free student so I made sure she had something too. 

I whipped up this sheet, which you can download from dropbox here!  Just fill in the recipe in the box on the left and write in the baking directions. 

Students worked to figure out their halved recipes.  Some used manipulatives and others talked it out.  While they worked, I walked around and took anecdotals, assessing their work.  It was fine for me that they worked together since I could still assess their understanding and see their work. 

Once they had a recipe and it was approved by me or Mrs. Cahill, our kiddos got to work.  {We just looked to make sure they had done the work, but we didn't tell them if it was correct or not}.  I borrowed measuring cups, spoons, and bowls from my house and fellow teaching friends.  Students still had to share materials a bit but not too much. 

And in the oven they went!

While their recipes were baking, they worked on the reflection questions {included in the Baking with Fractions Worksheet}.

When they came out of the oven, it was easy to see whose recipes were precise and who needed some extra practice or missed a step :)  Regardless, all treats were eaten and we reviewed their work and steps.  This also led to a mini lesson on chemistry- "So if you didn't add enough flour, what happened to your recipe?"

Luckily, my students were responsible for dishes and took care of the cleaning!  That's the type of baking I could really get into!

Interested in other ways to assess your student's knowledge of fractions?  Check out my Fraction Art activity!

March Madness!

I love college sports so I cannot help but fall in love with this time of year!! In Spain March Madness doesn't exist, which breaks my math teacher heart. Why, you may ask? Because March Madness is the BEST time to teach/review/explore fractions, decimals, and percents!! Last year I used Miss Nannini's March Madness packet and absolutely fell in love. It's so simple to use. I started off by having my students fill in their own brackets. I took the time to explain step-by-step how they should be filled in. Even students without any basketball knowledge can do this.

 

Next, we took blank brackets to school administrators and convinced them to fill one in for us! Even the gym teacher and our principal got involved! We posted their brackets on the bulletin board in the hallway so the whole school could follow.

Using the brackets, we had fun completing Miss Nannini's unit- but we even took it a step further.  As the tournament went on we kept track of our predictions. For each game guessed correctly in the first round, students got 2 points (you can go higher to make the numbers more challenging- as long as you stick to the same numbers for everyone), 4 points for the second round, 8 points for the third round, etc... Every few days we would update our brackets and see who was in the "lead". This made the unit feel more purposeful because they wanted to see the likelihood of winning as the class "best guesser".

If you're interested in some more ways to celebrate March Madness, one of my favorites is what I call Math Madness! It's a super easy review/practice game but students LOVE to play it. All you need is a microphone (aka anything that you can hold and pretend to speak into), a review sheet, and Jock Jams Instrumental. That's right- think Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan rockin' out.



And of course, you need your best game show persona. I become Math Mama and use my best game show voice. (Welcome to Math Madness!! Mrs. Jamie, come on down!!!) I introduce the game and explain the rules:
1) Everyone must participate
2) There is the be no speaking
3) Don't work ahead- if  you're using a review sheet
4) You may stand up and dance silently when, and only when, you have completed your work. - This strategy works best if you allow a little extra "dance time" after each problem. Otherwise mathaticians rush right through their work.

Then, write a problem on the board. If using a review sheet, just write a problem from the page. Powerpoints work well too- if you're one of those uber prepared type of people (not me usually!). I love to have the music quietly playing as students walk into the classroom or at the start of math. One person hears it and it builds the excitement and they get so excited over math! Ha.

I keep the music quiet throughout the game so it doesn't become distracting, but it definitely makes it all more fun. One student comes up to the board to solve a problem. While they do the work, other students check their work by solving the problem themselves. While they all work, I walk around and check their work. This also gives me time to work briefly one-on-one with students and provides great anecdotals! When a student finishes their problem, they may stand behind their chair and dance silently!  When everyone is ready to discuss, we stop dancing and we check the students work and discuss the answer. When they finish, I say, "Mrs. Jamie, you are now the proud owner of a fresh-off-the-press, handwritten, check!!" And we all clap and they join their classmates and the game goes on. I keep track of who I call up to the front so everyone gets a turn (even if it's not all that day). This is great to play right before a big test because you get time to review and discuss problems but it also gives their brain a little break from the book work!

Looking for some March Madness literacy fun?! I cannot wait to use this idea from The Brown Bag Teacher next year!! So adorable :)

Do you celebrate March Madness in your classroom at all? What do you do?

And don't forget to stop by this weekend to participate in our giveaway!!

March Mania

Did you know that Spain doesn't do their time change the same time as the States?  So we are still on "normal" time... which is nice for a few reasons- but mainly it makes me only FIVE hours (time difference) away from my momma, meaning I can call her earlier, and worry less about waking her up :)  We will be jumping forward at the end of March though... so I'll have plenty of time to whine about my lost hour then. 

Otherwise, this is my BIRTHDAY week!  My birthday is on Thursday and so to celebrate, I am having a sale in my TpT store AND a giveaway!  All products in my store will be 20% off on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and this weekend I will be hosting a giveaway (I'm one of those people who have a birthday "week" instead of just one day.  Ridiculous, I know.  But if you would like to participate and offer up a product of your own for the giveaway- please leave your e-mail in the comment section below)!!  Make sure you stop by Wednesday to join in on the fun!  I'm a huge birthday nerd and loooove to celebrate my birthday, friend's birthdays, random birthdays, ALL birthdays!  They're just the best :) 

This past month I've finished two products that I'm pretty excited about.  Both are mini math units with a fun activity to do in your classroom.  The first one is a fraction product relating to art.  Students get to cut out and piece together fractions to create a lovely piece of art.  Afterwards, they add their fraction pieces together to find out how many whole pieces they have in their artwork!  Directions, worksheets, and fraction pieces are included (and differentiated!!).

The next product I've been working on is a planting/math activity I did a few years ago with my fourth graders!  I DO NOT have a green thumb- but it went pretty smoothly, so non-green-thumb people will be okay :)  It can super easily incorporate Earth Day and Mother's Day activities!  You plant flowers and track their growth over a 6 week period. A student booklet, directions, tips, graphs, and anything you could possibly need is included.  Perfect to begin a few weeks before Earth Day (Earth Day is April 22nd) and end in time to send the flowers home to Mom for Mother's Day (May 11th)!  Students will measure their plants every week, collect data, and then find and analyze the mean, median, mode, and range.  They will create multiple graphs and discuss their plants as well as the data.  This is a perfect activity for really exploring data!

Thanks for stopping by!  And please let me know if you would like to participate in my birthday giveaway by leaving your e-mail below :)

Five for Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for a little Five for Friday!

I'll be working on this guy all weekend.  It looks like my hubby and I may be moving to the Greenville, South Carolina this Summer!  So I'm on the search for a new job- anybody know anyone who is hiring in Greenville?  I have 4 years of experience in the classroom and I am ready to send, send, send my resume!  After four years teaching at 3 different schools, I am ready for a teaching "home".  I loved my schools in Colorado but it's definitely time to be closer to my family on the East coast!

I began playing a fun new game with my classes this week!  It's great for ESL but also for some vocabulary enrichment in a non ESL classroom. To play it is super simple and needs nearly zero materials.  Have your class form two lines in front of the chalkboard/whiteboard.  At the top of the board write a topic, as broad or focused as you'd like.  Then, like a relay, have students come up one at a time and write a word that corresponds to that topic.  Once they've written a word, they pass the chalk back and the next student comes up.  After two minutes, the group with the most words wins.  However, you could do the group with the most letters {so they're using bigger words}, wins.  Or the most creative words win.  I could use this game with every class for any type of review.  You could have them writing science words- body parts- food- breakfast foods- jobs- words ending in -ity or -able-etc!  I didn't count words that both teams came up with.  Improper spelling was not an issue because it wasn't our focus, but that is up to you.  After two minutes they would sit down and we would talk about each word, correct spelling, and award points.  Perfect for a fun and easy review!

All the jobs they came up with

 
 I was finally able to finish up a Fraction Art project that I have been wanting to TpT-arize since last year!   I did this last year with my 5th graders and really loved it.  Students create a picture using fractional pieces and then they have to add up all of the fractions to find out how many wholes they have in their picture! Included is a Rubric, the fraction pieces, directions, and a student's page with questions for them to answer about their art work.  I shared it with my Facebook Followers when it was completed and had it free for the first 24 hours it was on TpT.  For more freebies, follow my Facebook page --here--! 

March Madness is coming up and if you're like me, you're excited to fill in your bracket!  Well, what better way to incorporate some sports into your classroom but with Miss Nannini's March Madness Basketball Tournament Math Project!   My class did this last year and we LOVED LOVED LOVED it.  I can't do it here in Spain because they would not understand- but I cannot wait to do it again next year, wherever I end up!  I will be blogging about it more next week.  Be sure to stop by to learn all about how it worked in our classroom! 

And #5:  I leave you with this- a perfect little summary of Friday!!  Have a good one :)