Math Read Alouds

If you have been following along you know that I am adding Math back into my teaching repertoire.  In doing this, I am looking for ways to expand our horizons and show my kids that numbers don't have to just be taught or seen during math.  So...in my big hunt for math literature, I added several books to my classroom library!

This is such a cute book!  Since we've been working on even and odd numbers and equal shares, this book hit home the concept of how important equal shares are.  Since the rancher doesn't know how to do equal shares, and his neighbor agrees with everything he says, they both end up with a mixture of livestock.  And someone ends up with more cattle than they started with.  But all is well that ends well because they end up getting hitched.  The picture of the wedding cake clenched it for my girls...they have reread it several times.  I guess it is the math equivalent of a second grade romance book!

Even Steven and Odd Todd are grade level favorites...especially since we have a 'craftivity' that goes along with it.  I'll be posting about it soon!  But, I wanted to share with you that this book isCHEAP right now so you may want to grab it while you can.  Typically when they get this cheap they end up going out of print.

My kids LOVE the book More or Less because of the illustrations.  We've been working on greater than, less than, and equal to, so this is right up their alley!!

Here are the forms I used.  I'll include more next time!  Enjoy!

Friendship: Cynthia Rylant, Teacher's Cauldron, and Yvonne Crawford

How are you all doing out there?  We finally got our 3rd teacher and have cut our grade level size into a third for each of us! Hallelujah!  Let's hope this gets us on the right path so that we can roll along in the right direction!

I had planned to get started with this last week but with switching kids, finishing up testing, etc., I just decided to wait.  So, now...I know what I will be doing for the next 2 weeks.  Good ole <I can teach this with my eyes closed> Henry and Mudge!  You can always rely on Cynthia Rylant's books in a pinch!  So, I bet you are wondering why I want to rely on an old standard?

click here

click here

I am going to be using this freebie by another good friend, Jen of The Teacher's Cauldron.  It is already prepped and ready to go from last week!

After being departmentalized for the last few years and only teaching literacy/science/social studies, I am going back to a self-contained setting and will be teaching all subjects!  So, I am having to get back into the math mode.  

My friend Lyndsey had this on her blog and it made me cackle!  THIS is exactly how I feel!  

I know that I am going to be using an interactive notebook that was created by my friend Yvonne Crawford. She is so awesome.  Her work amazes me because I expect her to be more of a literacy person because she can speak a kajillion languages...so as she keeps rolling this math out, I just sit in awe!

My friend, Missy Squirrels, introduced me to this book.  Does anyone use this?  Should I get it to help with my math lessons and centers?  Please let me know if you have any information about this!  I am trying to decide what to do!

More later!

Organizing Your Math Centers--Builds Acronym

I've been out of school since Friday and I feel like my brain is still on overload.  Does that mean I take a break from all things educational???? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Last night I started researching how to organize my math centers and tried to find a book to download.  I never found a book.

I've seen the acronym BUILD being used  in several articles on the Internet.  Build stands for:

B-Buddy Games

U-Using Manipulatives

I-Independent Work

L-Learning About Numbers

D-Doing Math

and last night as I sat here trying to work it out in my head, I decided that an S needed to be added for a little  extra zing:

S-Strategies in Math which could work as journal writing

I am very big on journaling in math because I believe it helps the students work out the steps and sequences to problem solving.  This acronym is a definite possibility to help organize math centers next year, but a friend told me that there are other acronyms out there in the world.  So, I will spend some time researching this and hope find other ideas for organizing my centers.  


So, while I was 'fiddling' around with how this BUILD board would work in my room, I came up with some ideas for a board.  Feel free to download these and use them!

Enjoy!

Sumdog.com

A co-worker introduced me to this website which is great for Math review!!  Sign up is free.  Students can compete against each other in class, across the school, or even against other students in the U.S.!!  The kids at my school that are using it are fired up about math and even ENJOY math!!

The website has a teachers homepage where you can set up your class.  You can also set up competitions on this page as well.   The more your students play, the harder the games get, so this is great for differentiation!  They even provide classroom resources for teachers to use to create lesson plans!   If you would like to learn more about the website, you can go check out their introduction info.

So, hope on over to Sumdog.com and check it out!

It's Hip to Be Square (including Common Core Standards)

Wanna know what I am writing about tonight?

2nd grade Common Core:  Geometry

Reason with shapes and their attributes.

1. Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. ¹ Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

¹ Sizes are compared directly or visually, not compared by measuring.

Tis the season in my school district to teach about geometry.  In second grade, we teach everything from basic shape identification to flips, turns, congruency, symmetry, vertices, and a lot more!

Geometry units did not use to be my favorite, but over the years, I have learned to sort of make it fun for me as well as my kids!  Here are a few tricks of 'my' trade!!

1.  Have students use their bodies to make <or at least try to make> shapes as you call them out.  I use 'Simon Says' to do this!  I might mix this with having them draw on paper or a dry erase board so I can make sure that they have a good idea of the characteristics of each shape.

2.  Play "I Spy"...this can be done for both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes.

3.  When teaching 2-dimensional shapes, cut construction paper into fourths and have kids use glue and yarn to create the shapes.  Tooth picks can also be used for some.  Then, staple the fourths of the construction paper back together, add a cover, and you have a book about shapes.

4.  Use pattern shapes to create bigger shapes.  i.e. a flower, house, etc.

5.  Use patterns to create 3-dimensional shapes.

6.  Create a chart using the characteristics of each shape <number of vertices, faces, bases, sides, etc.>

7.  Create a talley chart showing how many of each shape is spotted in the classroom.

8.  Use pattern blocks to show how patterns can repeat.  Use pictures from nature to show how patterns are used over and over <i.e. a honeycomb>

And....my favorite of all......

Edible Playdough!!!!

Edible playdough can be used to create both 2 and 3-dimensional shapes.  I provide wax paper to cover the desk and give the students a small plastic cup to use as a rolling pin and a plastic knife to cut and trim.  I have even given a quiz with this method!!!  Click here to download the recipe that I use to make edible playdough!  Caution:  I would make extra since it will be so tempting to eat it!



If you get to use the edible playdough, let me know how it goes!  It will probably become one of your favorite lessons!

If you are looking for something to put in your centers, I also have 2 brand new sets of geometry task cards that you can take a look at by clicking here and here or by clicking on the pictures below.

Skylar Skunk's Birthday Party--Ordinal Number Task Cards

I am so excited about this activity!  As a semi-new blogger, I am finding that the graphics are the hardest part for me.  After years of working in inner-city schools where copies were limited and color ink was non-existant, I learned to cram as much information onto one page as I could and only use black ink.  But, these days, I am branching out into....yes....you guessed it....color graphics!  :::::::::applause:::::::::::    hehe  <Sorry, I amuse myself sometimes.>

The task cards in this activity are very colorful and the animal character cards are beautiful.   It is my hope that students will be able to use the picture representations that they create to gain a concrete understanding of ordinal numbers.

I am so excited to share this with you!  Click over to the right on little Skylar and go check out the file!

Enjoy!
Jenn

P.S.  The pictures from Skylar's birthday party just came back.  His mom sent these to me to remember the day!  Lots of fun were had by all of these guys AND my students!!!  Posted 12/30/2011

Motivating Math with Mickey D's

I'm sure you looked at this title and wondered what in the world we are doing in our classroom!  The truth is, we are using McDonald's french fry containers to share the successes of our 2nd graders as they learn their addition and subtraction problems.  For each 'set' of problems (for example, the 2's or 3's)that are mastered during a speed drill, the student will get a 'french fry' <made from yellow construction paper>.  At the top of the 'french fry' we put the name of the set of problems that were mastered.  Midway down the strip I put the student's name in case the fry gets pulled out.  I have learned that it is best to tape them into the container so that they are not easily pulled out.

Now....here is the big news.....we have a sponser that has agreed to buy Happy Meals for the students that master all of their addition and subtraction problems up to sums of 25.  Those that do not master all of them will get a small order of fries.  Now, I know you are thinking this is not the healthiest thing to do, but I figure they will burn all of the calories off at recess!

Mastering these facts take a lot of practice.  In order to give them practice I use a computer program from the makers of Accelerated Reader called Math Facts in a Flash which keeps track of what problems are mastered and it controls when they move to the next set.  I also use math-drills.com to grab free math sheets for homework.

I hope this helps someone out there!!