Math for Little Movers...

Winter is upon us... well.  I think it's coming anyway.  It's been unusually hot recently here--though I have recess duty on the first few days back, which are going to be unusually COLD!  Like in the 20's?!  Brrrrrrrr....  I want to share some fun things I do with math time in my classroom.

First, I used to do the math tub thing...  LOVED it.  Don't get me wrong.... it's the correcting of papers that I just can't keep up with this year with a large class.  If they were all doing the same paper, it would be much easier to manage.. (I like to grade 2-3 at a time, comparing the papers to speed up my process... with centers, I only have 1-3 papers per center, so it's a time killer right now)  I do love the differentiation of the tubs/centers and I have a lot of them for first grade.  I have a few for second grade that I was able to use last year with a smaller class and with the help of an aide to correct them.

My kids need to move.  I need to move.  Bodies are not made for sitting.  I like to hang things up around the room, give kids clipboards and let them loose.  Of course, what I created can be used anywhere... it could be a center, small group work, placed on desks and used as a little "Scoot" type activity...  It can be used as a teaching tool, reviewing lesson or even as an assessment.

Step 1:  Print and laminate.  I do this to have for YEARS so that I'm not always doing things last minute to prepare.

Step 2: Hang around the room.  TIP:  I always put mine in numerical order--and I always try to have it clock-wise... and if there are 12 cards, I try to pretend my room is a giant clock.... You know, just as an added teaching tool for the future when we get to telling time! ;)  TIP 2:  If you do these, or plan to do them often, put up stikki clips around the room so all you have to do is slide the cards into the clips instead of getting tape out each time.  {I haven't done that yet, but should... I just reuse tape each time.  I take the old card down when I put up the new one and put the tape on the new one}


Cards with skills like this are from my Rockin' Around the Clock.  I don't have pictures of this new pack in action yet.  (and these cards are not available yet.  As I created them, I switched my idea to Rock Around the Clock)



Step 3:  Students walk around the room and answer the cards.  Clipboards make it more fun!

THIS worksheet is still the same in my Rock Around The Clock set!

NOTE:  My recording sheets are always very similar.  I do NOT want to spend time teaching kids HOW to COMPLETE a recording sheet.  I'd rather them have the extra time to apply their knowledge to some new thinking.  Not all of my activities are ones that were actually "taught" from the book.  They have to take what they know and apply it.  They LOVE it!

I want to share one of the activities from my newest pack, that is snowman themed-with you because I just hit my second milestone on Teachers Pay Teachers!  TPT has changed my life.  I'm thankful for everything it has brought to me from meeting new friends to having a creative outlet again in a profession that is starting to grow uncreative thinking. ;)  It has brought me happiness in a career that has so many leaving and/or miserable.  That in itself is HUGE.  The extra money made is secondary to all that.  If you ever have that thought of "should I?"  YES!  You should!  You have nothing to lose.    And of course, I would have none of this without any of YOU.  I'm most thankful for teachers like you who email, comment and buy things from me.  It means the world to me and I will be forever grateful to you.

Click on any of the pictures below to see it in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store!






This activity makes students think.  They need to decide whether the second number tells how many hundreds, tens or ones is in the first number!  My kids LOVED this one!


These cards have students locate the numbers in each place.  They will write how many 100s, 10s and 1s each number has.


This is my favorite activity.  Students will walk around and rearrange the numbers to make the largest number possible and the smallest, using all of the numbers ;)  They will also write another number it makes too.

This activity can be used TWICE in this pack.  I have 2 recording sheets with 2 different skills to practice.  The first one has students just writing what number it makes.  Notice that the number of 100s, 10s and 1s are not in order.  The Second activity has students writing the numbers in expanded form.


This activity has 2 versions.  The first version is for practice comparing numbers less than 100.  The second has students practicing comparing numbers greater than 100.  The recording sheet is the same for both-the cards they look at are different.


Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check back here soon for some exciting news!

'Snow Easy Snow Globes!

I cannot believe that it's the new year!  I have so many things that I'm thankful for in the past year and excited to see where the new year takes me!  I've recently hit my second milestone on TPT and am super excited and feverishly working on something to celebrate {though, with this short break of ours and the fact that THREE out of 5 of us had a stomach bug... including me... kinda had me on a standstill}

I wanted to share a quick and easy project for you to start when you head back to school... Of course, it hasn't been too cold yet or I would have taken the kids' pictures before school left out for our winter break... but Mother Nature had other plans... I mean-we were in shorts and short sleeves on CHRISTMAS EVE!  (in Pennsylvania!  And to give you an idea of our usual temperature... every year on my time hop app has shown snow on those days! lol)

Step One-gather your supplies.  You need construction paper, crayons (or oil pastels for fun!), hot glue, fake snow (I get mine on clearance at the craft stores after Christmas!  One or 2 bags will get you through a class)  and clear plates... WATCH OUT on the plates.  You don't want to get plates that have anything on the bottom.. you know that say "recycle" etc...  it needs to be clear.  I have always gotten my plates at Party City.. THIS year I'm getting the smaller plates since I have more students  than in the past and need to fit them all out on the wall.

Step Two:  Take student pictures wearing their winter gear...  Or have some for them to wear.  Have them strike a "winter" pose.  Print them out.  I printed a 5x7 for the large plates.  I'm thinking this year I'll print them in a 4x6 size.

Step Three:  Trace the plate onto construction paper.  Have students draw a winter scene.  If able, give them their picture so they will know what it will look like once they glue their pic on the paper.  They could glue it now too.  TIP: make sure to tell them to not draw IMPORTANT things at the edge.  The plate will cover it up. ;)

Step Four:  Laminate the paper-this will protect it from the hot glue you'll be using later!

Step Five:  Put a few handfuls of snow in the center of the picture.



Step Six:  Squirt a little hot glue on the edge where the plate will go and place the plate face down-QUICKLY before it gets hard!



Step Seven: Jam hot glue underneath the plate the rest of the way around.  Pay special attention to the bottom so that the snow will not fall out.

Step Eight:  Have students write about it!  Use the following papers to help guide their writing!


{Click on the pictures to download the file!}


Step Nine:  Staple the paper to their projects and hang in the hall!




You'll be walking in a winter wonderland in no time at all!  Make sure to check out the other fabulous ideas from my friends in the i Teach Second hop!

An InLinkz Link-up