Multiplication Masters

  I am always looking for fun ways to encourage my students to master their multiplication facts. When a friend of mine told me she used karate belts to show student progress through the levels, I immediately fell in love with the idea. I created a little card so that I could give one to each student as they passed a new level and earned a new belt. Students will color the belt of the karate boy or girl on their card as they master multiplication levels. The Multiplication cards could be displayed on a classroom bulletin board, students could glue them in their journal, or they could be given as an award to take home. Click here to get your free copy of Multiplication Masters.

 

Measurement in Mexico

I recently got back from my vacation to the beautiful Riviera Maya in Mexico. On the way from the airport to our hotel, I looked at the speedometer of our driver and saw his speed was over 100. Freaking out a little, I did a double take. That is when I noticed it was not miles per hour; It was kilometers per hour. The MathNut in me got really excited that I could use this in the classroom. The speed limit was 100 Km/h.  When we got to the hotel, the thermostat was in degrees Celsius. Since I like it nice and cool, I kept it a 19˚.  Possible Questions: How fast was my driver going in mile per/ hour? How cold was my room in degree Fahrenheit?

Lunch Count Procedures

I have used the same Lunch Count System for about 10 years ago because it is quick and easy. I have not had to replace any of the materials I used to create it.

Materials: I went to my local teacher store and purchased a blank calendar from the poster section; a tub of plastic chips which included red, blue, yellow, green and orange chips; a pack of calendar numbers; and a pack of Stikki clips. I went to Walmart and purchased three small red baskets to hold my chips. I went to my local office supply store to purchase Velcro circles for the back of the chips.

Setup: To create my Lunch Choice Poster, I trimmed the calendar so that only the grid remained. Next, I turned the trimmed calendar on its side, glued the calendar numbers inside each square on the grid, and then laminated the poster. Next, I put a Velcro circle on each number. I also place a Velro circle on the back of each of my red, yellow and blue chips. I created a Lunch Choice Key, laminated it, and put Velcro on each choice. I hung the Lunch Count Poster and the Lunch Choice Key with hot glue. Then, I place two Skikki clips under the Key to hang the paper lunch choice calendar our school gives us each month. Finally, I placed the three red baskets containing the Velcro Chips on a table under the Lunch Count Poster.

Each afternoon, my helpers write the lunch choices on the board for the following day. At the beginning of the year I assign each student a number. When students come in the morning, they unpack then they make their lunch choice by selecting a colored chip and placing it on their number. Afterward, my helpers count each choice and record them on a slip a paper. On the table under the Lunch Count Poster is another basket containing slips of paper and envelopes for lunch money. I also use this system to figure out who is absent by looking to see which numbers do not have a lunch choice. At the end of the day, my helpers remove the chips and place them back in the correct basket. I have them wait until the end of the day so that students do not change their lunch choice when they go through the lunch line.

Published

I am excited to announce that my restroom procedures have been published in the Organized Classroom Magazine. Click Here to purchase your copy of The Organized Classroom Magazine.

 

Math Literature

I absolutely love math literature!! I have been collecting math literature for years. One of my favorite authors is Stuart J. Murphy. I like to use his books in my math centers to review skills already taught. In his book, Lemonade for Sale, a group of friends decide to setup a lemonade stand to raise money to fix up their clubhouse. They create a bar graph to keep track of their sales. I created a FREE pdf to go along with this book. It shows the bar graphs the kids made each day.Click Here to Download Your Free Copy of Lemonade Graphing

One of my all time favorite books is Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! by Marilyn Burns. It is a cute story about a couple that decides to have the family over for a meal. They rent 8 tables and 32 chairs. Throughout the book the family rearranges the tables as more and more family members arrive. Reading and discussing this book is a fun way to introduce area and perimeter. I created a pdf and powerpoint to go along with this book. It shows the table layouts described in the book. I also created a set of table and chair cards that the students may cut up to manipulate into the same arrangements described in the book.Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! $2.00

 

Aluminum Foil Boats

One of the fourth grade common core standards is line plots (specifically line plots with fractions). I cannot speak for anyone else, but my fourth graders weren’t ready for line plots with fraction at the beginning of the year. Aluminum foil penny boats is a fun way to introduce line plots. Begin by giving each student or pair or students a square of aluminum foil with a dimension of 4” by 4” or larger.  The boat in the picture was made from a 6” by 6“ piece of aluminum foil. Keep in mind the bigger the piece of foil the more pennies it will take to sink it. When you give students the foil tell them that they are going to build a boat that will hold pennies. Ask them to estimate how many pennies they think the foil boats will hold before sinking. Once students get their foil they simply mold it my hand into the shape of a boat, then the real fun begins. They will place their creation on the water.  You can use any large container filled with water. Students will place one penny at a time inside their boat. They should keep track of how many pennies they add to their boat. Once everyone is finished, complete a line plot together as a class by displaying the printable on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Create a bulletin board by hanging completed line plots and stapling student foil boats in the corners.Click Here to Download Your Free Printable

 

Restroom Procedures

I teach at a 3-5 school and last year we departmentalized our 4th and 5th grade. We thought it was more important than ever to exam how we could maximize our instructional time. We estimated that an average class trip to the bathroom took 8-10 minutes. If teachers takes two trips to the rest room a day, that uses 16-20 minutes of instructional time. The math teacher in me says, “20 minutes a day times 5 days in a week is 1 hour and 40 minutes, spent at the bathroom in one week.” We decided to reclaim some of this time by allowing students to go to the bathroom individually on a timer instead as a whole class. We figured that if a student asked to go to the restroom once in each of his 4 classes, he would miss a total of 12 minutes of instructional time daily and 1 hour weekly compared to 1 hour and 40 minute lost by every student when we all went to the restroom at the same time. Each teacher in our school received a little timer like the one pictured. I stuck three pieces of sticky wax on the back of mine and hung it in my classroom above the light switch. My students signaled they needed to go the restroom by raising their hand and crossing their fingers to form the sign language letter “R”. I granted them permission to get up and go to the restroom my nodding my head. They would walk over to the timer, press the start button, clip the bathroom pass to their shirt (painted clothes pin), and then walk to the restroom. More often than not the students were back before the timer went off. If they weren’t, I sent someone to check on them. When my students got back, I had them stand by the timer until it beeped so they could press stop. My timer would automatically go back to the set time after it went off, but not if it was interrupted. We started the year off at 3 minutes per trip, but rapidly decreased our time to 2 minutes because they were so quick. Believe it or not, my students could go to the restroom and back in less than 2 minutes almost every time. At the beginning of the year when we were going over our procedures, I taught them when it was appropriate an inappropriate to signal. I did not let them go during direct instruction.