Coming to You VERY Soon from the Land of Cold and Snow--BRR!

Well, we have not had as much snow and cold as we have been hearing about in the northeast--BUT we do have some frigid temps and flurries heading our way VERY soon... 

In keeping with the fine forecast, I figured it would be a perfect time to share a few chill items!

Winter Opinion Writing

WOW! I was surprised at the number of kids in my class who LOVE winter!  The kids created opinion essays about winter--and they create snow friend glyphs to house their writing.  They love stopping to reread their classmates writings when lining up after restroom breaks. I resized and adapted this wonderful Snowmen At Night Glyph create by The Glyph Girls on TpT.  We will be graphing with our glyphs when we return from winter break.  Looking forward to it!

Ginger Kids Mental Math

I put together some mental math materials for my kids before break. They provided for some rigor AND fun.  We will be reviewing this mental math addition strategy when we return from break, and we will move on to using the open number line to add and subtract with greater numbers.  

We will review with Snow Friends Mental Math, a new product available in my TpT store...

 

Nonfiction Snowman Glyph

Can't wait to provide this at-home nonfiction snowman glyph project for the kids in January.  This will be the third year our second graders will be doing this project.  Nonfiction text features and student interests are the focus. It comes complete with step-by-step directions and an assessment rubric. Kids love this frigid friend!

 

Stop back tomorrow to learn about your chance to win a chillin' winter teaching resource each day next week!

Until then...

All the best--

Fabulous Finds Friday - October 11, 2013

Just a few finds today for Fabulous Finds Friday...

How to Grow Pumpkins: Libby's Pumpkins



Found this fun and educational video on YouTube---Growing Pumpkins with Libby.  We just happen to teach next door to Morton, Illinois, the Pumpkin Capital of the World, and home of Libby's Pumpkin.  You know that famous canned pumpkin you use this time of year to make those delicious recipes?  This video chronicles the journey of Libby pumpkins from seed to can--not just seed to pumpkin.  Not to mention, the kids get to listen to/watch a young reporter on location in the fields and factory.  A wonderful learning experience!

Mixed Media Pumpkins

Photo Courtesy of The Artist Woman

Looking for an art idea for next week? I found this wonderful art idea on The Artist Woman's blog--Mixed Media Pumpkins.  What a wonderful process for the kids to go through, and the products are unique, yet timely.  We used torn brown lunch bags, yellow streamers, and torn magazines. We also used liquid tempera paint instead of cake tempera. 

The first step was to adhere strips of each type of paper to the paper with brushed on glue.

Then students painted their papers with orange tempera once dried.

I will be posting pictures of the kids' finished pumpkins next week...  Can't wait!

Number Jugglers

Courtney "found" this oldie-but-goodie when looking through her math material tubs.  Upon finding it, she realized it was actually a book that was shared with her at a workshop the summer before last.  She was pleasantly surprised to find this jewel--a set that she has had since she student taught many moons ago.  It is actually still available new and used on amazon.com.  A great collection of math games to help build number sense.

Thanks for flying over today!  Have a splendid weekend!



Throwback Thursday (with some FREEBIES) & Booktalk Thursday

Linking up with Cara at First Grade Parade for Throwback Thursday as well as Andrea at Reading Toward the Stars for Booktalk Thursday...

Throwback Thursday

First, I want to share TWO throwbacks related to math.  The reason I am sharing both is because I know so many of you are preparing for the coming year, and these are two things you might want to prep. These two math tools also go hand in hand...  One post comes from August 2, 2012 and the other from September 2, 2012.  For us, Cara's throwback linky idea is great because it allows us to share ideas from when we were not quite "active" with our blogging--a time when we had very few followers.  Hope you find both of these throwbacks useful. Each comes with a freebie download!

*****Originally Posted August 2, 2012*****

Place Value Strips & Arrows: Math Tool #1 to Support the Common Core -- FREEBIE!

If you have not used place value strips or arrows, I highly recommend them! I have used place value strips in past years with my second and fifth graders, and I was introduced to the arrows in a recent workshop.  Place value strips and arrows help students see the value of digits within numbers.  Numbers can be composed by stacking the arrows, and numbers can be decomposed to reveal the value of each digit. They can also be used when learning to compare and order numbers. The possibilities are many! Can you see the numbers in expanded form?

Below is a larger version of the strips and arrows that can be used for teacher demonstration.

Here's the best part...

I recently made teacher demonstration and student-sized place value arrows, and I have listed them for FREE on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Download, print, laminate, cut, and bag. Viola! 

*****Originally Posted September 2, 2012*****

Place Value Disks: Math Tool #3 to Support the Common Core -- FREEBIE!

What are place value disks? Place value disks are a tool that students can use to represent numbers and much more!  They are intended to be used when students have a sound understanding of the value of each disk.  Unlike base ten tools, the value is not visible in units.  Although, place value disks can be used when working with numbers to the millions.  Just visit Teachers Pay Teachers to download place value disks to one thousand.  Included in this freebie are printable place value disks, directions for making foam disks (like those sold on the market today), and SmartBoard place value disks.  My last year's second graders (and my fifth graders in previous years) benefited greatly from using this math tool which helped them visualize the value of the digits within numbers and "see" operations.

Strengthen the connection between concrete and number representations when used along with place value arrows. Stop back next Sunday to download Math Tool #4 for the Common Core -- FREEBIE!

Booktalk Thursday

The book I would like to share is also related to a previous post.  It is a book that not many people I know have heard of, but it is a wonderful story for kids.  Click on the following two links to learn about Agate by Joy Morgan Dey, a book that I discovered while vacationing last summer... 

Picture Book Discovery!

Picture Book Discovery Update

Thanks so much to Cara and Andrea for the opportunity to link up! Please visit First Grade Parade and Reading Toward the Stars to learn more...

Thanks for flying by!

Math Mentor Text Link Up -- Greg Tang

For this week's mentor text link up, with Collaboration Cuties, I have chosen to focus on a wonderful series of math picture books by Greg Tang.  His well-known books are designed to help students develop number sense, problem solving skills, computation, mental math, and conceptual thinking.  

The following three texts I have used with second graders and plan to purchase the fourth.  The books are available in our classroom library for individual exploration, BUT Greg Tang also has a WONDERFUL website that makes it possible for students to interact with the content of each text as a class.  Simply project on a screen or, even better, an interactive whiteboard!

 

   

This is a screen shot of the online version of Math-terpieces, my personal favorite. 

Check out Greg Tang's website for games, app information, videos, and more...

Don't forget to stop over to Collaboration Cuties to check out more math mentor texts...

Happy Mothers' Day to all of the mothers out there!

Fabulicious Freebies on the First: Linky with Freebielicious!

After doing my post earlier today, I stopped over to Freebielicious and saw that they are hosting a Fabulicious Freebies on the First linky. Had to participate by posting this spring FREEBIE...

To download Spring Splat! (an addition game with dice), just click here!

Please stop over to Freebielicious for oodles more Fabulicious Freebies on the First!

Make Every Day Earth Day!

Well, it may not have looked and felt much like spring here in Illinois this past week, but spring break is here!  Yahoo! Love the kids, but I do believe we were all ready for a break... Spring break means that April is just around the corner, and Earth Day will be here before we know it. 

I have been working on some language, math, and science items that I want to share with you, and one is a FREEBIE! 

I just finished some Earth Day fact and opinion fun--a sorting worksation and board game!  Both are included in one product on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Since my kids now have a working knowledge of fact and opinion, I thought this would be a great addition to April reading/language rotations. 

Next--the FREEBIE!  Go Green Subtraction Slide is a free game that I included in a previous post in February, but I wanted to include it again in this Earth Day post.  To read more about subtraction slide, go to the previous post. Thanks again to Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade for giving me permission to make this free version of her subtraction slide game.

Last, I have created a big bundle of language, math, and science Earth Day activities.  Stop on over to my TpT's nest to check out Make Every Day Earth Day!

  

Hope you find something useful... :0) Whether you are ending your spring break, just starting, or it is yet to come, ENJOY!  All the best...

A POWERFUL, POWERFUL tool! I cannot say it enough...

A POWERFUL, POWERFUL tool! I cannot say it enough... 

In the past, many second grade teachers taught the traditional algorithm for addition and subtraction. A HUGE shift in focus has come with the Common Core Standards for Mathematics--and even without the Common Core, I believe this to be essential at this level.  The primary focus should be in helping students develop a strong sense of number and exposing them to strategies for addition and subtraction that are strongly rooted in their understanding of place value. 

With all of this known, if not the traditional algorithm for addition and subtraction, then WHAT?
 

My personal experience with second graders, in helping them develop a strong foundation in place value, has taught me how powerful and capable their young minds are.  From day one of second grade, students have been immersed in making sense of the WHY, not simply the HOW.  I believe one of the most POWERFUL tools in helping do this has been the introduction, instruction, and application of the open number line. 

I began to use the open number line with my students after coming across an INVALUABLE resources titled, The Number Line: Learning to Think Mathematically with the Number Line (A Resource for Teachers, A Tool for Young Children) by Jeff Frykholm, Ph.D.  This resource concisely explains the theory and rationale for using an open number line with young children and provides a series of lessons that can be followed in sequence. Differentiation options are included as well.  All I really needed was this resource to get started, that's it! It is available at Thinking Mathematically for $21 (hard copy) or $15 (download).

So our journey with the open number line began...

The concept of the open number line was introduced to students the first week of school.  They immediately began to explore its use with a "life-sized" number line constructed with Command hooks, clothesline, number cards, and clothes pins.  Students interacted with the life-sized number line as various numbers were place on the line and justifications were given for their placement.  

I also used various lessons in the text and supplemented with additional lessons modeled after those presented.  This provided practice for students and began to build their understanding of the tool.

Gradually, it was time to apply the tool when presented with "situations". 

 

 

Now, after extended use of the tool, I truly feel that it has been internalized as one of various strategies for approaching and making sense of problem situations.  I have tried to pinpoint when students became so proficient with its use (not all of them at the same time, of course), but I have not been able to do so.  I think it was magic! Ha! 

 

 A student created "situation" and her solution... :0)

If you haven't already, I STRONGLY suggest you introduce this tool to your students.  No frills, no catchy phrases, no cute graphics, no bells and whistles--just cheap and conceptually sound!  Put the POWER in your students' hands--furthermore, their minds!

Sweetheart Subtraction Slide & MORE!

A couple of weeks ago, I was purchasing another set of wonderful writing center task cards from Denise at Sunny Days in Second Grade, and I happened upon her FREE subtraction slide games. I printed out the penguin and Valentine versions and our janitor started collecting water bottle caps in the lunchroom.  I didn't get in gear in time to use the penguin version, but I did get the Sweetheart Subtraction Slide ready ALMOST in time for Valentine's Day (the day after). :0) The kids had to explain how they subtracted the sum of the two dice from 20, and a couple of students who had a bit more difficulty explaining used the rekenrek as a model of their thinking. Denise also has a Halloween and Spring version available for FREE on Teachers Pay Teachers.  With her permission, I have also created two versions you may download for free--St. Patty's Day Sweet Treat Subtraction Slide and Go Green Subtraction Slide.  Simply print on legal sized paper (14" x 8.5"), recycle 22 water bottle caps for each game, and label the caps with the numbers 8-18 (two of each number).  Many thanks to Denise for granting me permission to post these games.  Please take the time to visit her at SunnyDays on Teachers Pay Teachers, if you haven't already! :0)

Enjoy the learning fun your students will have playing subtraction slide!

Candy Heart Math FREEBIE!

Enjoy this fun and educational candy heart math activity!  I plan to use bagged hearts this year and a 1/3 or 1/2 cup scoop to yield greater amounts. 

 

Just stop over to Teacher Pay Teachers to download this FREEBIE! Have fun!