Wednesday, October 16, 2013

DUDE...Where's My Broom?

Halloween madness has arrived in my classroom. It's taken my sweet little things and turned them into can't stop won't stop monster noise making fools. They would make monster noises all.day.long if I didn't threaten to ride my broom to work for the rest of the week. Don't get me wrong, I love Halloween. I love every little piece of it...except for the monster noises. They have gots to go. Cute Halloween themed math units...now those can stay && multiply until my room can't hold anymore. We are currently half way through our district wide Place Value unit. While there have been moments that I wanted to pull my hair out (every last strand of it) life has been so much sweeter than during the word problem unit. Holy toad toes 5 weeks of word problems was a nightmare. Within this place value unit we're touching base on a few different topics: identifying tens and ones within a 2 digit number, using base ten pieces to build numbers, writing numbers in expanded form, comparing 2 digit numbers, and finding 10 more/10 less than a given number. It's been a whirl wind of printing, laminating, crafting, and of course, teaching until I'm blue in the face, but I *think* they may actually have a grasp on the basics of place value. It was a mix of old and new Publisher creations that made my math block come to life...you can find them all in my TPT shop if you want to grab yourself some Halloween spunk. Before I start babbling too much && forget that I have a closet to organize, here's the break down we decided on as a grade level... and which units I used:

Week 1: Place Value Basics (Tens and Ones/Base Ten Pieces)--Bugs & Hisses {{here}}

Week 2: Place Value (Expanded Form)--Hoot Hoot Hooray! {{here}}
 

Week 3: Comparing Numbers- -Double, Double, Toil & Trouble {{here}}
 

Week 4: 10 More/10 Less- -Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice (coming soon)
 
In a nut shell I don't believe in having my kids solve problem after problem from a work book. Yes, essentially they're creating their own worksheets... but they're getting to move, they're getting to interact with their friends in class, and I'm not having to help everybody find page 150 in a wicked thick work book. Yes, I'm having to spend my own time to create it all, print it out, and laminate it, but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way...and I would like to think that the 17 monster noise makers that I share roughly 35 hours of my week with feel the same way.

Maybe it's because the weather has been absolutely amazing in Charleston this week, or maybe it's because this Rewine Spiked Cider candle is smelling completely fabulous, but I'm ready to attempt my first give away. I've been dragging my feet because I'm such a small time blogger, but here goes nothin! To enter all you need to do is comment about which of the 3 units would add the perfect amount of spook to your math lessons. On Sunday I'll let the computer do its thing to pick a winner. Of course leave your email address so I'll know where to send it off to in cyber world.

Until next time, live, love, && don't let your closet get too scary!


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4 comments:

  1. I love the double, double, toil and trouble for comparing numbers!

    sknodel14@gmail.com

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  2. I like your Hoot Hoot Hooray! for expanded form! Thanks!
    A Tall Drink of Water

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  3. Hey ladies! As soon as I can remember the password to my email account I'll send both of you your posted choice. Happy Halloween! :)

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