November Currently

I cannot believe it is already November!  Saw Oh Boy Fourth Grade's Currently and was anxious to do mine!
                                                     

Carnival!!!

So our school puts on an elementary carnival every October. The money we raise from our carnival is used for playground equipment, Accelerated Reader, teaching supplies, etc... Our booths range from ice cream, blow up bouncey house, basketball, to two seated bicycles (and believe me it's not the bikes you're thinking of).

Multiplication

 

"Aarayyyy for Multiplication"

My goal for my fourth grade students is for them to become fluent problem solvers.  Knowing their multiplication facts fluently is currently an issue we are facing.  I love how pictures of multiplication are now a way for students to learn (and see) how to multiply. 

We are currently studying multiplication by making arrays.  In this activity each student was given a dice, a foam place mate, and a grid paper. 

 

1.  Roll the dice...shade in that many boxes going down.

2.  Roll the dice again...shade that many boxes going across.

3.  Fill in the rest of the "box" and record a number sentence

My kiddos were playing and learning at the same time!!

Patterns

I don't know of a student I have taught who didn't like to do patterns.  This activity I learned from a workshop I attended two years ago.  Cut your pattern block pieces from your Ellison Cutter (better cut a lot!!).  Provide each student with a sentence strip.  Students then need to choose a pattern and glue their pattern pieces on their strips according to that chosen pattern.  I also have my students write on the back of their sentence strips what type of pattern it is.  Also, for my fourth graders I don't allow the easy AB, ABC, etc. patterns.  Kids have fun...and I get a quick easy grade!



Paper Throw!!!!

I think my fourth grade students had a BlaST doing this project.  Each student was given a lined piece of papr (but it doesn't have to be lined).  They were instructed to write a 6-digit number.  Then I told them to wad (I looked up the spelling, because it looks strange to me) the piece of paper.  On the count of three each student had to throw their paper across the room...rules were firmly and repeatedly enforced.  You would have thought that Kevin Durant had walked in our room...our classroom is in Oklahoma (Go Thunder!  Even though it's not that season)!  Anyha, they were then instructed to find a wad in the classroom that they thought wasn't theirs, open it and read the 6-digit number.  Unfortunately we had to discuss what a 6-digit number was because some students only wrote the number "6" at the tops of their papers.  Next, they were to write on this crumbled piece of paper their new 6-digit number in expanded form, wad it, throw it!  Find another wad, open it and check the expanded form.  If anything was wrong they were to fix it.  Finally, write this new number in word form, crumble it, throw it.  Find a new wad, check the word form.  If anything was wrong, they were to fix it.  Now, throughout this process, we would volunteer some papers that needed help and do those together.  NO NAmEs were placed on these papers.  I didn't want anyone feeling threatened by us lookin at their paper.

Egg Carton Place Value

I saw this idea I believe on Pinterest. If not, I'm sorry if this is your original idea and I don't have a direct link...can't remember exactly where I got it. Anywho...my students were paired with a partner. I had empty egg cartons (duh...I know) with 12 erasers. I labeled the top of the inside of the egg carton with the place values ones through hundred thousands. Each student took turns shaking their egg carton and adding the amount of erasers in each row. The first row in the carton was for player 1 and the second row for player two.

I know it's hard to tell with this picture, but this group of players had a score of 3 player one (because there are three erasers in the one's place only) and player two 3 hundred thousand, 1 hundred twenty-two (because there are three erasers in the hundred thousand's place, 1 eraser in the hundreds place, two in the tens place, and two in the ones place.

 

 

Each pair of students was required to write their numbers in standard form.

Place Value

So in fourth grade, we learn place value to the millions...needless to say some of us are whizzing right through this. So, the curriculum I use had telephone numbers in mind. Each student was to get three different phone numbers (minus the area code and no, they couldn't have my number!). Once they had their 7-digit phone numbers, they had to write these numbers in standard, written, and expanded form. They had a blast doing this!

 

 

 



CurrenTlY

 

So if you've noticed the date on my page, I haven't blogged in over a year...yikes!  I've got a lot of catching up to do.  First off, I've moved grades!  I've been teaching third grade for ten years...WoW!  I loved it but I was ready for a change...

Our fourth graders are departmentalized.  I teach Math and Spelling (I know a weird combination), but I love it.  I have three blocks.  Each block is 100 minutes.  And let me tell you, those 100 minutes fly.  So I thought I'd show you my schedule...see what you think.

 

7:50...Students arrive and eat breakfast or start their morning work/stations.

8:20-10:00...First Block

10:00-10:25...Second Block

10:25-10:50...PE

10:50-11:30...Continue Second Block

11:30-11:50...Lunch

11:50-12:15...Recess

12:15-1:05...Finish Second Block

1:05-2:00...Third Block

2:00-2:30...Music/Computers

2:30-3:15...Finish Third Block

3:15...Kids Dismissed

Dollar Spot!!

My family and I were in Kansas this holiday weekend for my husband's family reunion. Thankfully he allowed me time to stop at a nearby Target to scope out their Dollar Spot section! Now, from where I live, it would take me an hour and a half to get to the nearest Target :( But, due to us being in a city that had Target in Kansas, I was HOOKED UP! I was able to find pointers, stickers, pencils, letter stamps, ink pads, name labels, number magnets, etc...

I am hoping to use the pink bag (which you can't see because I packed everything on top of it...duh!) as a chair bag. I need to cut its handle and extend it a little with ribbon so it will fit around my reading table chairs. Thought those would come in handy (and cheap) for my students to put their leveled readers in when they come to group time with me.

Student Book Boxes

This is a picture of a Book Box. My students are required to keep their 'BEE' binders along with their books they are reading in their boxes. This (sometimes) helps them keep their desk cleaned off. Also, our school librarian tries to teach out students to keep their books in a safe place. As you can probably guess, books left on their desks or in their desks become "lost" or "stolen", sometimes even worse, damaged! We usually find those "lost/stolen" books. But it's pretty difficult to repair a book that's been written in by a student's little sister/brother; chewed by their dog; left out in the rain; and who knows what other excuses have been spoken.

Students are allowed to get in their Book Boxes as long as I'm not teaching. They're allowed to update their 'BEE' binder or read on their book(s).

Blog Button??!!

I love seeing everyone's blog buttons. I'll copy their codes and put their buttons on my blog. So...why can't I figure out how to make a blog button of my own? You see the little owl in the right hand corner? Yeah, that's supposed to become my button. But, as you can see, he's missing his code. Any help, tips, tutoring, freebies :) would be so appreciated! I'm still way behind on this blogging business...

Dust Pan Award!!

So to keep my students on track of cleaning their desks, I award the 'Dust Pan Award' at the end of every day (after they've left school). I place the dustpan on their desk along with the Desk Fairy note. I also give them $5 (play money...I use the Economy System in my class). Every morning my students will come in and look to see who got the award.

Books!!!

Just a pic of how I arrange my library. I downloaded these labels from Beth Newingham's website (which is an awesome website...check her out). Then I placed colored dots on each book with a number. That dotted number will match the dotted number I placed on the bin labels. It's easier for my classroom librarian to know where the books go. They just match the color and the number and we're good to go. The only problem I'm coming up with is storage. Some of my bins are breaking because we're forcing too many books in one bin.

...Few of My Favorite Things!!

I have loved exploring other blog sites! It amazes me how talented many blogging teachers are!! I have gotten so many ideas to incorporate into my classroom it's crazy :~} Some of the blogs I've read are listing their favorite things they have in their classroom. So, I've decided to share a few of my favorite things with you as well...if you have any awesome favorites that I should know about, leave me a comment...

First on my list...I have to start every morning with a 44 Dr. Pepper.

Next most awesome thing...

CHARTS!! I can not teach a lick without these puppies! The pink lines on my charts are wikki sticks (hope I spelled that correctly). If you don't have any, get some. I use these to underline vocabulary words we're working on or context clues. I can take them off, move them around, trim them, use different colors, etc...They're like yarn dipped in wax. The nice thing is you can reuse them for a long time.

Then there's my laptop (actually it's "our" laptop)

My students love using this to take Accelerated Reader tests on. Plus, it helps me keep my students in the room instead of being busy bodies and wanting to leave class a lot. This laptop was actually received from a grant from Donor's Choose...awesome!!

And finally...

My label maker. A co-worker of mine had mentioned her having one of these. Thought it was a great way to label files, boxes, and tubs.

Just Beginning...

I've officially started my first blog! Yes, I'm a little slow...had to call my brother who is a computer gooroo for help. I felt pretty foolish!

Summer Break has officially begun for me! Our last day of school was May 19. My students and I were ready for a break from school.

Summer School starts June 6 for me and some others. Summer School is such a relaxed environment. We only have our students for three hours. We go to the school library, public library, and do reading activities in class. Fun times!

I hope to be downloading some activities to share with others. Just have to learn how to do it all. Still learning how to design my blog. Thanks for your patience! Also, any advice is very much appreciated!! :)