Fun with 3D shapes!

I'm in a county where the entire curriculum is completely planned out but they give us what's called "flex days" where we can review, assess or teach some new skills.

This teacher decided she would have some fun with 3D shapes!

It all started with the Harry Kindergarten song on YouTube.

If I did it correctly, you can click the link below to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cg-Uc556-Q

It goes over 3D shapes, and what they look like and where you can find them in the world.

I like to do pocket chart sorts.  After showing the video and letting students observe actual 3D shapes we completed this sort so students could see the difference between 2D and 2D shapes.

Then we also completed this sort so students could see what shapes in the world are 3D...

Before students go to their centers, I have "exit tickets."  

These printables are great for a review of what we've learned the day before and to show me what they know.

To dig a little deeper with 3D shapes, we get our hands on some and play around with them.  My school has 3D shapes in the die-cut machines so I was able to give each student their own shape.  (I actually lay in bed while watching TV and tape these together.  It takes a few days, but it's worth it in the end.)

The students put a face sticker on the faces, they line the edges, and they put a star on the vertices.  This helps with counting and understanding the different attributes of the shapes.

 "Math on the floor" is an absolute favorite.  Every year after this activity I am told, "Mrs. Johnson, that was fun!" 

 We experiment with each 3D shape and observe whether it can roll, stack, or slide.  I found that this activity was really helpful for this group of students because it lead to discussions as to why a certain shape would roll.  It helped us learn new vocabulary such as curved and flat surfaces.

Then we took a moment to compare some shapes that rolled and stacked.  Had I had more time, we would have done more comparing.

#teacherproblems  #neverenoughtime

I did, however, take some time to do some 3D shape riddles.  These are always a good way to get partners to participate in math talk and to problem solve together.

This is only a glimpse of some of the activities available in my newly updated 2D and 3D shape math pack!  What's better is it's on sale!

Have a great weekend friends!

Centers made from Target Easter goodies...and it's all FREE!

HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND???

That's ALWAYS the first question my husband asks me as I walk through the door.  Arms loaded with gorgeous goodies from Target.  A majority of them from the dollar section.  I try to change the subject and throw him a bag of Haribo gummy bears but it always ends up me trying to justify my huge purchase.  These things just make the learning SO MUCH FUN!!!

First up, I found these tiny pouches.  The carrots came in a pack of three, the eggs in a pack of four.  And that's all they had of those or I would have bought more.  I found some glittery foam stickers and fastened the letters with some adhesive glue for a little extra stick.

For the carrots, I made some little sticks for them to slide inside the carrot pouches.  UR, IR and ER and three sounds they really needed to work on so I chose those for these pouches.  I printed the sticks on heavy card stock.  My husband was SURE they would bend the sticks...

But they treated them with such care!

This center was a real winner!

For the little egg pouches I thought short and long vowels (CVCE) would be a good review.

They said they love the "teeny tiny cards."  I also made this same center that covers igh and ie.

Next up are the eggs.  Using the same foamy stickers, I numbered the eggs.

Then I made a sentence to go in each egg...

and put them in an adorable bucket with some grass.

The students "crack" the egg and unscramble the sentence.  This center covers that one standard...what is it...recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence?  You know which one I'm talking about.  I did have to model it for them and tell them to look for the capital and the punctuation first and put those at the ends and then fill in the middle and reread it until it made sense.

Let's not forget about erasers!  I have so many!  And I buy a new bag every time I see them!

We haven't covered graphing yet, but I thought it would be fun to expose it to them during guided math on a Friday or something.  Give them something new and exciting.

I whipped up a quick game of addition bingo.  They use the erasers to cover their answers.  They fight over this one.

Another center I created was a measuring center using the carrot erasers.  Even though we haven't covered measuring either, this was something they caught onto pretty quickly.  And it doesn't hurt to expose them to it and let them explore, right?

You can get all these centers HERE for FREE!

Hope your friends enjoy them!  Easter's right around the corner!

Teaching Grammar in the Classroom - and a Freebie for you to Try :)

I'll admit it, teaching grammar has always been something that I put on the back burner.  Anyone else???  I know I'm not the only one...

It's just SO HARD and I'm trying to fit in reading strategies, phonics lessons, comprehension and the list goes on and on.  But it HAS to be done.  Grammar is SO important and it helps students grow as readers and writers.  So, how do I get it in?

MINILESSONS.

I always like to start with a great big anchor chart loaded with pictures and information.  I'm not a very good drawer.  And as of late I've created "printable" anchor charts.
  These are some of the anchor charts I've created to teach grammar so far this year.  They are in no particular order...

Sometimes I'll take a day and explain the concept through the anchor chart and then guide them with a whole group pocket chart sort.  As we sort, we discuss the concept and what it means, etc.

Some of the pocket chart sorts I've made "interactive," like the one below.  This one the students had to actually write the correct punctuation after reading the sentence.

Lastly, I like to follow up with an interactive notebook activity.  Sometimes I'll use it as an assessment.  Sometimes it will be a review of the concept the next day.  It all depends on wether or not my friends are understanding the skill being taught.  And of course, running the activities on Astrobrights paper makes it way more funerer!

All these activities I've compiled into little packs called "Make it Quick!"  They each contain an anchor chart, pocket chart activity, and an interactive notebook.

You can try my adjectives pack for FREE!

Hopefully this will give you some easy ideas on incorporating grammar into your lessons!

Valentine Treats without Sweets - Round 2!

So my husband has told me I have officially gotten out of control.  But I can't stop with the cuteness!

I found a bag of tattoo boxes at Target and "needed" these to go along with the Valentine cards I had made the other day.  You can read about those HERE.

Print them out, cut and add a box of tattoos.  Super cute and super easy.  

You can get these HERE for Free!

Quick and Easy Valentine Gifts - From Target!!!

How stankin cute are these Valentine's Day cards??? 

I found these bags of lips full of putty and knew I *needed* to buy them.

And the putty is the good kind, not the oozy kind that doesn't mold.  

(I took one for a road test.)

Just print on card stock, slap some tape and a lip, sign and done!

You can get these cards HERE for FREE!

Enjoy!