Common Core Math

This week was fabulous! My fourth graders and I completed our second week of school. I'm having a blast with my new students as I'm learning about their learning styles and needs.

For math, I told my students, This year's math class is going to be quite different from third grade. They definitely agree that it feels different! And I can tell by their level of engagement that they are loving it so far.

I taught math this week using only chart paper and playing cards. That's right! We haven't cracked open a math book or workbook yet. My students are showing their work in a spiral journal.

Here's what I did yesterday:

I put students into groups of 2. Each group got a total of 6 playing cards.

Once students had their cards, they had to arrange their cards to make the largest number possible. Hence, the photograph above! Next, they had to arrange their numbers from least to greatest. We talked a lot about place values in our pairs, identifying what each card represented.

Next, the pairs of students had choice. They got to select 2 cards to make a 2-digit number. They then selected 2 other cards for a second 2-digit number. They subtracted the smaller number from the larger number and showed their work in their spiral. We reviewed the process of borrowing numbers as a whole group.

After reviewing subtraction, we moved on to adding. I had students take 3 of their cards to create a 3-digit number. They created a second 3-digit number with the remaining cards. Then they added their 3-digit numbers together and discussed their work in pairs. We talked a lot about carrying to the next digit as we added numbers together.



Every child was engaged and excited! I circulated around the room to check on students who needed assistance. After completing the exercises, I gave the students choice and asked them to challenge themselves. Pairs who felt ready to multiply grouped their cards in 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication and solved their problems. I let them check their work with calculators. My math geniuses asked if they could do 3-digit by 3-digit multiplication, so I allowed them to push themselves and try it.

I had my other students challenge themselves wherever they felt comfortable. Some of my kids chose to rearrange the cards into more addition problems while others chose to focus on subtraction. They loved having some creative choice in the lesson and everyone was working at his/her own level! The hands-on component of the cards truly made such a difference. I can't wait for math next week! :)

Another math lesson I did yesterday included our "number talk." I had my students sit on the carpet at my feet while we contemplated and discussed the fraction 3/4. I asked them questions like, "Is 3/4 big or small?" We had a great discussion about it as a class. Some kids said, "It's tiny!" while others argued it could be colossal! Ryan told me, "It depends. 3/4 of a dollar is small, it's only 75 cents. But 3/4 of the world is huge! 3/4 of the world's population would be billions of people!"

I also asked students to imagine 3/4 on a number line. I asked, "Where does it go on a number line?" One girl said, "Between the 3 and the 4." I asked her, "Is 3/4 bigger than 3?" She admitted, "No." We then decided it would go between the zero and the 1 on a number line. Rosie even offered up, "3/4 is also 0.75 as a decimal, like 75 cents of a dollar."

Here is our math talk poster from the lesson! 

Planning for the first month of school!

Ah, summer. How I love you...

I'm enjoying long beach walks with my dogs, catching up with good friends, and reading books for pleasure (instead of grading papers)! With all the excitement and newfound freedom, I can't help but wonder about my new crop of kids next year. The first day of school is less than two months away, so I need to have some fun activities planned. What are you doing to start your year off right? What kinds of fun community building activities have you started planning?

Here are some of my goals for my next group of 4th graders!
1. Create and maintain a classroom that is safe, comfortable, and dynamic for all students.
2. Encourage peer friendships within my class that is free of gender, race, religious, or other barriers! We should all be friends.
3. Allow students to be creative, funny, and never feel stifled within assignments or projects.
4. Ensure I am balanced within my social, personal, and professional duties! I think it's crucial we take care of ourselves and not just worry about our students. I'll be working out, making time for friends and family, and enjoying life! A happy teacher is a good teacher.

I plan to start my first week of school with my lesson bundle. It's available for sale on Teachers payTeachers at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Week-of-School-Language-Arts-Math-Getting-to-Know-You-Activities-689128 

There are dozens of pages of fun math games, group activities, individual activities, writing prompts, and more! I like to start the first day of school with getting-to-know you activities. If you peeked into my room on the first day, you'd see students wandering around, talking to one another and laughing as they interview one another. I usually then segue into a slideshow "About Me," showing pictures of my husband, our dogs, places we've traveled, etc. I like the students to know I am a real person, too! :)
I definitely want to give a math assessment the first week of school, but not the first day. The most rigorous activity I'll have my kids complete is a summer reflection narrative. They'll have so much fun remembering their time off, they'll forget they are in school. That is, until their hand starts cramping from holding a pencil too tightly.

I'll also be doing a lot of geography skills, as I think it's crucial kids have an understanding of our world. I like to do fun map games using my blank map. Students will study different continents and countries and then come up to point them out on my map. You'd be shocked how many students can point to and name over 40 countries! It's pretty impressive.

Another really fun activity is to ask students to "free hand" draw a map of the world. I like to do this only after studying the continents in detail. Then, I cover up the maps in my room, pass out white paper, and ask kids to do their best. They're usually laughing in hysterics by the end of the activity. Then I show them a real map of the world so they can compare the two! You'd be shocked how large most students draw North America. Often, Africa is only teeny-tiny!

If you are teaching the common core standards this year, I have both narrative and opinion lessons that are perfect for you! I sell them individually as well as bundled.

Here is the bundle that has both lessons: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bundle-4th-Grade-Opinion-Narrative-Common-Core-Writing-Lessons-549516

I also love to do word study games in groups of 3 students! Here are some kids arranging and rearranging Scrabble letters to form vocabulary words! On the chalkboard, they make a list of all the words they've formed. I always give them double points if they can correctly spell out my last name. After students have created a list of their words, they try to classify each word as a part of speech. For instance, if they write the word, "Happy," then they need to write, "Adjective." It's a really fun way to practice grammar!

Paying It Forward!

In the past week, my class has been focusing on paying it forward. We have discussed the importance of being kind to one another both in the classroom and at home. I've shared many stories with my students about when I was a child. My brother and I fought day and night and it made our mother so upset. As a class, I've given them the task of completing 3 pay it forward activities (some at home and others at school). You'd be shocked by the things my students have said! Their parents are even reaching out to me to thank me for the positive changes they have seen. Oh, and my classroom is cleaner than ever! Kids are picking up trash and rearranging my bookshelves without being asked!

Since starting this experiment, we've generated lists of ideas as a class about how we can pay it forward. This has been an exceptional learning experience for me. I plan to have my students pay it forward at least once a week for the rest of the year. Who knows? Maybe this will become a new routine for my students as they grow up and move on. I sure hope so!

Here is what one of my students had to say about her experience:

As a class, we generated a list of more pay it forward ideas! We had a great morning meeting discussing some awesome acts of kindness we could all try out.

Back to School

Back to School!

Here is another lesson to get your kids back into the swing of things tomorrow! The direct link to my store where you can download it is:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Sentences-with-Vivid-Words

Have fun with Sentence Improvement                   Name___________

Improve these sentences with more specific nouns, adjectives, and verbs! Think of vivid words that help paint a picture in the reader’s head. Select specific nouns (people, places, things, or ideas) to describe the objects. Describe these nouns with awesome adjectives.

Directions: Try to improve between 3 and 6 words from each sentence then rewrite the sentence on the lines below.

    Ex: The candles melted down just before midnight.

    The sparkly holiday candles dripped and withered down as the clock struck midnight!

1. The table was decorated with purple flowers and confetti.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. A boy stood on his tiptoes to look out the window.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. My shoelaces were untied so I tripped and fell.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Singing children belted the words to “Happy Birthday.”

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Now draw one of the sentences from above in the space provided (include good details):

Next, create 4 of your own sentences on the back of this paper. Then, try to improve all four of your sentences with more specific nouns, verbs, and adjectives!

© Crabtree 2012                                                            1

Lucky 13! Starting the new year out with great ideas.

How are you planning to transition your students back into the classroom? Are you concerned they will be lethargic and sad after the holidays are over?

I can't wait to see those 27 cute faces next Monday and give each of my kids a big hug! I'm planning on an action-packed week of learning, complete with a brand-new novel study.

On Monday morning, I am going to start class with some friendship building and character education. We will have a morning meeting where students will greet one another and ask about their holiday breaks. We will review our New Year's Resolutions we wrote prior to winter break as part of our Steppin' Into the New Year writing.

We are also beginning our new novel study. Since we live in California, we study the history of our great state! The book is By the Great Horn Spoon, a hilarious adventure story about the gold rush in the 1800s. There are many awesome projects we'll be implementing with this book, so I can't wait to preview the vocabulary and a map of the journey with my students on Monday. 

How are you planning on starting your day?

After lunch, I'll begin my character education lesson, Pay It Forward, a lesson in kindness. This is a 2 or 3 day project that can easily start a movement of compassion in your classroom! I can't wait to see where my kids go with it.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pay-It-Forward-A-Character-Education-Lesson

After starting our kindness lesson, my students are going to brainstorm a new narrative. We have already written 3 narratives this year, but not in over five weeks. We will review story elements such as plot, character development, setting, conflict, and resolution. I am hoping each of my students has a great story to share after two weeks off of school! I will model a narrative first, about my "Polar Bear Plunge" in the ocean on New Year's Day. I can include lots of great sensory details about the excitement and thrill of the moment, coupled with the freezing cold ocean temperature as my body became submerged! 

Later in the week, I plan to begin another one of the lessons from my Valentine's Day bundle. There are 8 lessons total, so I'd like to do one or two lessons in the weeks leading up to this holiday! I know my students love any reason to celebrate, so they will be excited for these lessons plans. You can find my bundle for $3.95 at:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Writing-Language-Arts-Lesson-Bundle

Note: I used scrappindoodles for the adorable clipart in my lesson plans! They have an amazing selection at www.scrappindoodles.com