Zoocabulary

Here's a fun freebie for you to go with your vocabulary instruction. (Click on the picture to snag it.) I use this with my Algebra Unit, but it will work for any subject. Just have students choose one of their vocabulary words. Then have them morph the vocabulary word into a zoo animal. Poster paper and a rubric is provided in this freebie.This would make a great activity for your GT students, too. If you have time, please leave me some feedback. Thanks!

I use this activity as a fast finsher's project during our Zoo-quation Adventure. At the end of my Algebra Unit, students work through several Algebra puzzles as a team. This is lots of fun for the students and great practice for perseverance.  

Click on the cover to grab a copy!

Students travel through the zoo solving problems and searching for clues to solve duck's quack ups. They work together as a cooperative team in their quest to persevere. Zooquation student teams solve various mathematical puzzles earning keys. Your students learn algebraic skills and the value of addition, subtraction, and logic, while having the enjoyment of discovering the magic of mathematical puzzles. 

Playing with Place Value and Freebie

I've just finished up a huge Place Value Unit with my students. I poured my heart and soul into this unit. In the past I haven't dug very deep into place value. Now that Common Core is here, students must have a strong understanding of place value.
I got the chance to try out a new product from Laura Candler, Place Value Partners.  The thing I love most about Laura's products is the ease of implementation. I got the product a little after 10:00 p.m. and within 15 minutes I had it printed and ready to go for the next day.
Place Value Partners is a game for math centers, cooperative learning partners, small guided math groups, or even whole class instruction. The concept is similar to the game Battleship with partners facing each other across a barrier. Instead of ships and a grid, they have a place value game board and number tiles or number cards. One partner is the “Sender” who calls out the numbers and places, and the other is the “Receiver” who listens and builds the number on his or her game board. The two compare boards, discuss the correct response, and then record various forms of the number in their journals or on a recording page. This activity includes five different variations: three levels for whole numbers and two levels for decimals.

I used the game as a math center. I have an uneven number of students, so I had an extra receiver board set up. The kids loved the "game" and caught on really quickly. 
Laura has included two versions, one that's aligned with the Common Core and the other that is essentially the same but uses more traditional terminology. The CCSS uses slightly different place value terms. What used to be "standard form" is now "base-ten numeral," and "word form" is now "number name." This game is must have for your Place Value Unit! To read more about it, check out Laura's post HERE.

Another must have is place value dice from EAI Education. This is one of the best purchases I've made for my math centers. We used them daily throughout this unit. I've created a little freebie for you to use with the dice. They simply roll the dice, spin to see what place they are rounding to, and round. Super simple and really helps seal the deal when teaching rounding. Click HERE for your free copy.

Oh, What a Deal!

It's an exciting time of year for us teachers! I am excited to celebrate by having this amazing deal for you along with 16 other bloggers and Educents!

I wanted to include something that was magical for teaching mean, median, mode, and range, so I've included my Mean, Median, Mode, Magic.

And that's just one product.  Check out the rest of the products below that you also get in this limited time bundle from Educents! 

This bundle is only available for a short time so you will want to head on over to get it before it's gone!

Back to School Goodies

That's right! Back to school savings with Educents is here!  

You could snatch up 27 amazing products which include my Writing Aerobics!

Writing Aerobics is a writing exercise method that is meant to be completed daily as part of your writing program. It only takes 5 minutes a day, but you should see a dramatic difference in your students’ writing skills. They will become secure in their use of figurative language and use it more frequently in their daily writing. You only need to complete one exercise a day to reap the benefits of this program.                                                                                                                          

And it does not end there.  You get all the following downloads that will stretch learning across the curriculum and throughout the year!  

 

It's only for a limited time and so you will want to head over and check out this and other amazing deals over at Educents!