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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Thanksgiving Freebies!

We are smack in the middle of Thanksgiving in our room.  If you haven't heard yet, there are awesome activities on the Scholastic web site.  Go to www.scholastic.com and you will lots activities and tons of pictures and information about the Pilgrims and Indians.  We started with Pilgrims.  We made a venn diagram of Pilgrim boys and girls and compared their clothing and chores.  Then the kids wrote a story as if they were a Pilgrim girl or boy.  We looked up names that would have been popular then so they got to choose their name.  After they wrote their story they made a Pilgrim boy or girl.  Here is a look at how they turned out.


You can find the patterns for these cuties and Indians as well in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE!  I made some decorative Thanksgiving paper for the kids to write their stories on.  You can get it FREE by clicking HERE!
We have also been working on some great November themed center activities as well. 
This is a number matching game that is part of my November Themed Literacy and Math center pack.  Students had to match the number form, word form and expanded form for each number. 
The picture above shows my November Word Sort game. The kids sort words into categories like food, clothes, animals, etc.  Then they write their answers onto their answer sheet.    You can see the entire unit by clicking HERE!  I'll show  you our Indians as soon as we get them finished! Meanwhile, check out the Thanksgiving activities on scholastic.  It is wonderful!
Leave me some feedback!
  Sharon 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Free Math Games!

Wow!  I can't believe it is already November!!!  Time is passing quickly.  It will be Christmas before we know it.  I wanted to share a few things with you that we are doing in our room.  First, we finished our Addition Strategies unit last Friday.  The kids learned to solve addition problems using the 100's board, Place Value Strategy, Break Apart Strategy, Adding Ones and Tens and Using a Number Line.  So now that we have learned those strategies, we will continue practicing them forever! Seriously, forever!!  This is a two week unit.  Here is a look at it. 
It has everything you need to teach these addition strategies including class work, homework, tests, games AND lesson plans!  Easy as pie!!  Here is the link to this unit in my Teacher's Pay Teacher's Store. Click HERE!!
So we finished addition and yesterday we started the subtraction unit.  The lesson for today was a SCOOT game to practice subtracting using the 100's board.  Here is a look at the kids playing SCOOT.

This is how it works in case you don't know.  You put a subtraction problem on each desk.  They are numbered.  Then put a 100's board on each desk.  I have the kids use these transparent BINGO markers to slide it on the 100's board.  The way I teach them to subtract on the 100's board is to first: circle the number they start on, like with 52 - 24.  They circle 52. Then they put an up arrow beside the 2 to show that they go up two rows of 10 and an arrow to the left under the number in the 1's place.  In this case, the arrow tells them to move four places to the left.  Their problem looks like this:
 
So they put their clear chip on 52.  Next they slide it up 2 rows for 2 tens and to the left four spaces for 4 ones.  They land on 28.  So after they finish their problem they stand up behind their chair. When everyone is standing, I know they are all finished so I call "Scoot" and they go to the next desk.  For example, desk 2 goes to desk 3, 3 goes to 4, etc.  Put the problems on the desks in numerical order so the kids aren't running around everywhere looking for the next number. My class loves to play SCOOT.  We have played it by counting base 10 blocks, using word problems and addition with the 100's board.  Later we will use it with time, money, measurement, and on and on.  The kids love moving around and sitting in a different desk for a minute!  It's the little things I guess! 
Here is the subtraction unit if you are interested.
Click HERE to go to the unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
 
 
Ok, after we played SCOOT, the kids went to math centers.  They go to one math center a day for about 30 minutes.  They go to four math centers a week.  One center was the game "Gobbling Up Numbers"  It is a simple but valuable activity where kids cut out the number cards and glue them in order from least to greatest.  The numbers are from 1-999.  Here is a finished one. 
 
 
 
 
You can get this one FREE!  Click HERE FOR YOUR COPY!!! 
In another center, I made a quick sheet to practice using the Break Apart Strategy to solve addition problems.  The kids rolled 2 dice to get their first number.  Then rolled again and got their second number.  Then they solved the problem using the Break Apart Strategy.  Here is a look at that game.
 

You can get a free copy of this by clicking HERE!!!
 
Well, I think that is all for now.  We are starting to work on writing our Pilgrim and Indian stories.  I'll show you how those turn out in a few days.  We are going to write and then make these cuties to go with them!
You can get the patterns by clicking this link to my TPT store.
 
Ok, if you download the freebies, please leave me some feedback and let me know how you like them!  Thanks!
Sharon